Photos & Review by Greg Hamil for MPM
The outdoor concert season is coming to an end in the midwestern United States. The temperatures are getting more tolerable and that puts everyone in a great mood!
For the second summer in a row, Rob Zombie brings his Freaks on Parade Tour to Tinley Park, IL. Co-headlining the tour this year is the legendary Alice Cooper. Opening up the shows this year are Ministry and Filter.
Considering the traffic issues that can plague the Chicago area on a Friday night, there is already a great crowd gathered as Filter takes the stage. Filter is an industrial rock band formed in Los Angeles, CA in 1994. Band founder Richard Patrick takes on the vocals with Jonathan Radtke on guitars, Teddy McGee on bass, and Chris Reeve on drums.
Filter opened their set with the heavy and aggressive “The Drowning” from their most recent album. Patrick’s vocals were powerful, and the band’s sound was tight. The crowd was immediately energized and began to come to life as the song progressed.
The band played a mix of old and new material, including fan favorites “For the Beaten”, “Obliteration”, and “Take a Picture”. As the set progressed, more and more people filtered in and were immediately brought into the action with fists in air a lot of head banging!
Filter closed out their short set with “Hey Man Nice Shot”. A controversial song about the suicide of a public official in Pennsylvania in 1987. Never-the-less, the crowd responded with a huge roar of approval as the band’s night ended, leaving the crowd wanting more.
Filter Setlist: The Drowning – For the Beaten – Obliteration – Take a Picture – Welcome to the Fold – Hey Man Nice Shot
Next to hit the stage was Ministry! Another industrial metal band that formed in Chicago, IL in 1981. They are known for their heavy, abrasive sound with a mix of metal, electronic music, and noise. The band features founding member Al Jourgensen on vocals & guitar, Cesar Soto on guitar, Monte Pittman on guitar, Paul D’Amour on bass, Roy Mayorga on drums, and John Bechdel on keyboards.
Ministry is known for their loud, aggressive shows with visually stunning effects and this show was no different. They opened with “Thieves” which is about corporate greed and corruption. Right out of the gate, Jourgensen took command and the band sounded fantastic. The crowd got into it immediately and began to headbang and mosh.
As the set continued, the visuals were impressive. The stage was set up with video screens that displayed apocalyptic images. There were also crazy lighting effects that highlighted Jourgansen’s trademark cross pulpit.
The band played mostly older hits, with a few newer tracks mixed in. Some of the fan favorites included “Stigmata”, “N.W.O”, and “Just One Fix”. The band’s performance was spot on with the crowd loving every minute. Jourgensen floated across the stage often stopping to interact with the crowd.
One of the highlights of the night was the band’s cover of Black Sabbath’s “Supernaut”. The Ministry version was much heavier and more aggressive than the original, which seemed to be greatly appreciated by the crowd. Another highlight was “Just One Fix”. It is one of the band’s most popular song and even the people that weren’t as familiar with the group were singing along and moshing!
To close out the night Ministry performed “Goddamn White Trash” from their forthcoming album Hopiumforthemasses. The song is an indictment of racism and bigotry. The music was heavy and aggressive and was a great way for the crowd to release their last little bit of energy before the next break.
Ministry’s nine-song set was flawless. The visuals were impressive and for anyone in attendance who had never seen the band, it was surely a treat. Ministry is one of the most legendary Industrial bands and this show proved it.
Ministry Setlist: Thieves – The Missing – Deity – Stigmata – Supernaut – Burning Inside – N.W.O. – Just One Fix – Goddamn White Trash
After an intermission, it was time for Alice Cooper. Known as the “Godfather of shock rock”, Cooper has been slaying audiences for more than 5 decades. Looking around the crowd, that was obvious given the age range that was in attendance. His band for this tour includes Nita Strauss on lead guitar, Tommy Henriksen on guitar, Ryan Roxi on guitar, Chuck Garric on bass, and Glen Sobel on drums.
With a sword in hand, Cooper sliced his way through the curtain as they pated “Lock Me Up”. The crowd came to life immediately and everyone was on their feet as the icon stepped up on a riser at the front of the stage. He was decked out in black pants with a white shirt, maroon jacket and black top hat. Of course, he also had the iconic black and white makeup.
No one sat down again for the entire set, as the band thundered through the greatest hits of Cooper’s career. Of the 17-song set, only two songs would come from decades other than the 1970s. The crowd sang along with every song with hands in the air and dancing in the aisles.
The stage show was as elaborate as ever, with giant monsters, dancing creatures, and the trademark guillotine. Cooper changed costumes often, some of which included a straitjacket.
The set included songs like “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, “I’m Eighteen”, “Poison”, “Billion Dollar Babies”, and “Hey Stoopid”. Throughout each one, Cooper interacted with the other members of the band and with the audience. The light and video show were spectacular.
One of the highlights of the night came during “The Black Widow” segment of the show. This featured guitar solos from Henricksen and Roxie. But the crowd was blown away by the incredible solo from Nita Strauss! She is arguably one of the best axe slingers of our time!
Cooper closed the show with probably his greatest hit, “School’s Out”! This sent the crowd into a frenzy as bubble machines at the sides of the stage and in the lighting rig churned out bubbles galore. At one point they broke into a chorus of Pink Floyd’s ”Another Brick in the Wall”. As the song came to an end Cooper told everyone to have a good night and “may all your nightmares…..be gruesome”.
Alice Cooper is a true legend, and this was a fitting tribute to his career. His set alone was worth the price of admission! But there was still more to come!
Alice Cooper Setlist: Lock Me Up – No More Mr. Nice Guy – I’m Eighteen – Under My Wheels – Billion Dollar Babies – Hey Stoopid – Lost in America – Feed My Frankenstein – Poison – Black Widow Jam – Ballad of Dwight Fry – Killer – I Love the Dead – Elected – School’s Out
Rob Zombie is an heavy metal singer, as well as a filmmaker. He was the lead vocalist and co-founder of White Zombie and has had an extremely successful solo career. His shows are unique, with horror-themed imagery and his industrial metal sound. His stage shows often feature large monsters wandering the stage, large video screens, and lots of pyrotechnics.
As the curtain dropped, Zombie was propped high atop a giant podium in a beat up cowboy hat and jacket with tassels flying everywhere. He is joined onstage by Mike Riggs on guitar, Piggy D on bass, and Ginger Fish on drums. The crowd explodes as the band plays “The Triumph of King Freak”. Mosh pits open on the floor and up in the lawn, while the people in the seating areas are headbanging and pounding their fists in the air.
Rob Zombie’s set is yet another list of greatest hits as they play songs from both White Zombie and his solo albums. He storms back and forth across the stage, contorting himself into positions that made MY back hurt. A master at engaging the crowd, he would often stop to tell a story or just get the crowd yelling and singing.
The band thundered through songs like “Feel So Numb”, “Superbeast”, “Living Dead Girl”, “More Human Than Human”, and “Thunder Kiss ‘65”. The theatrics and pyro throughout the show was enough to rival even a Kiss show. The mosh pits, head banging, and fist pounding continued throughout the 75-minute set.
Before the encore, a trailer was played for the re-release of “House of 1000 Corpses” which brough the crowd back to their feet. The band came back on stage for one final song which was “Dragula”. The crowd filled the aisles, jumping and dancing around like crazy people until the last of their energy was spent.
Rob Zombie put on an unforgettable show, which was one that the fans will remember for years to come!
Rob Zombie Setlist – The Triumph of King Freak – Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown – Feel So Numb – Well, Everybody’s Fucking in a U.F.O – What Lurks on Channel X – Superbeast – Demonoid Phenomenon – The Lords of Salem – House of 1000 Corpses – Living Dead Girl – More Human Than Human – Thunder Kiss ’65 – Dragula
