This fall the OG shock rock boogeyman ALICE COOPER and leather-clad metal titans JUDAS PRIEST are hitting the road together for a tour that’ll make your parents’ inner headbangers proud. Brought to you by the concert wizards at LIVE NATION, this 22-city chaos parade kicks off September 16 in Biloxi, Mississippi (because where else would rock history start?) and stomps through Toronto, Phoenix, LA, and beyond before wrapping in Texas on October 26. Fun fact: Cooper once played golf with a live snake as a putter. Allegedly.
Fresh off their “Invincible Shield” tour and their 19th(!) album, JUDAS PRIEST is still melting faces like it’s 1982. Meanwhile, ALICE COOPER – who basically invented rock theater by guillotining himself nightly – is ditching his “Too Close For Comfort” tour antics for a brand-new spectacle. Rumor has it his new stage prop is a working rollercoaster made of fake bones. Opening acts? Oh, just CORROSION OF CONFORMITY casually dropping sludge-metal bombs on most dates. (*Except Alpharetta – they’re sitting that one out to, uh, polish their amps?)
Ticket Hunger Games begin Wednesday, April 16 at 10 a.m. with artist presales. General mortals get their shot Friday, April 18 at LiveNation.com. Pro tip: set 17 alarms. These legends aren’t getting any younger (Cooper’s 76, Priest’s guitarist Richie Faulkner has a metal heart LITERALLY), so who knows how many more tours they’ve got left.
Tour dates:
Sep. 16 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Sep. 18 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*
Sep. 20 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Sep. 21 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
Sep. 24 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
Sep. 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Sep. 27 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
Sep. 29 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Oct. 01 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Oct. 02 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Oct. 04 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Oct. 05 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Oct. 10 – Colorado Springs, CO – Broadmoor World Arena
Oct. 12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 14 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct. 15 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Oct. 18 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
Oct. 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Oct. 23 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Oct. 25 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Oct. 26 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
*No CORROSION OF CONFORMITY here – blame “scheduling conflicts” (or maybe a cursed microphone).
ALICE COOPER – the man who made snakes, top hats, and fake blood rock staples – has been terrorizing stages since Nixon was president. Between golfing with celebrities and voicing a Simpsons chicken, he still finds time to drop bangers like “Detroit Stories”. Fun fact: His real name’s Vincent. Alice is just his stage persona/midlife crisis.
JUDAS PRIEST didn’t just define heavy metal – they dressed it in studded leather and taught it to ride a motorcycle. These Brits survived the ‘80s, the ‘90s (when metal was “uncool”), and even Rob Halford’s motorcycle phase. Their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction was basically the universe saying, “Yeah, you guys win.”
