Rob Zombie kicked off his traveling horror fest to Texas alongside the legendary Alice Cooper. Ministry and Filter were strong openers on the tour that will travel the country.
Some lineups, like this one, just fit perfectly.
When Zombie was just 5 years old, Cooper released "I'm 18" off the band's third album, the menacingly-titled Love It To Death.
On that 1971 tour, a 23 year-old Cooper would appear in a straightjacket and later get zapped in an electric chair, which was, uh, shocking to audiences who'd never seen quite a spectacle like that just a few years removed from The Summer of Love.
Fast forward to the 21st century where Rob Zombie has made a career of living up to his name by following in the industrial-heavy footsteps of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails who followed in the footsteps of Ministry.
Filter, being led by a former Nine Inch Nail slides right into that line up comfortably.
The granddaddy of them all, Alice, releases his 29th studio album today, Road, which is heavy, scary, and does not sound one bit like it's coming from a man who is 75 years old.
His collaboration with Rage Against The Machine's guitar hero Tom Morello might have some silly lines and imagery but who cares: listen to those thick riffs.
The action kicked off at the Dos Equis Pavillion in Dallas Thursday August 24 and if the set Alice brought to opening night is indicative of what the tour is going to be like, fans shouldn't miss a thing.
Starting off with "Lock Me Up," Cooper arrives in a top hat, cane, and familiar makeup and sets the stage with the track from 1987's Raise Your Fist And Yell.
What follows next are a slew of hits from the '70s during a time when Alice was not just selling millions of records but paving the way for hard rock, metal, and horror rock bands to come.
Rob Zombie gave the audience what Beavis and Butthead thought was pretty cool.
Last month when Zombie was in Minnesota, told the story that before the two teenage cartoon characters praised the band on an episode, they were only selling 500 copies a week. But after Beavis said "Yes! Yes!" to "Welcome to Planet MF," they were selling tens of thousands a week and playing arenas instead of clubs
Then they rocked out to "Thunder Kiss '65" as a giant demon stalked the stage.
Decades later Zombie is a filmmaker directing scary movies, a shriek-maker via designing Halloween horror nights at amusement parks like Universal Studios, and now the ringleader of this traveling hard rock festival.
The Freaks on Parade Tour will be going to 18 more cities in North America get your tickets on Rob's website.
2023 FREAKS ON PARADE TOUR DATES:
Sat Aug 26 – Tampa, FL – Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Aug 27 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Tue Aug 29 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Wed Aug 30 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
Fri Sep 01 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 02 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
Tue Sep 05 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Wed Sep 06 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Fri Sep 08 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Sat Sep 09 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sun Sep 10 – Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre
Tue Sep 12 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Sat Sep 16 – Englewood, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Tue Sep 19 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Wed Sep 20 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
Fri Sep 22 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
Sat Sep 23 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
Sun Sep 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
