Rock legend Alice Cooper scores in Raiders premiere

Alice Cooper has played just about every kind of stage there is.

Until Sunday, a Raiders game wasn’t one of them.

“This is my first,” Cooper said before kickoff at Allegiant Stadium, where he headlined halftime of the Raiders’ showdown with the Chiefs. The visitors won a nail-biter, 30-27.

Cooper brought two longtime musicians, guitarist Nita Strauss and drummer Glen Sobel, for the holy triumvirate of “School’s Out,” “I’m Eighteen” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” Vocalists Lily Arce and Fletch Walcott, guitarist Steven Lee and bassist Fernando Tort were the reps from David Perrico and the Raiders House Band.

It was a set list built for 65,000 voices, regardless of the rooting interest.

“We didn’t want to go with anything more difficult than that,” said Cooper, who wore Raiders’ No. 18 (he’s 18, like the song). “Those are the three that I think everybody picks up on. Everybody sings on ‘Nice Guy’ and ‘School’s Out.’”

Cooper knows from experience. He knows a lot from experience. He’s 78, and still dresses in full Alice regalia (top hat, eye makeup, various leather accoutrements) and tours the world.

“I do it because kids don’t know what they’re doing,” he joked. “And I still look up and go, ‘(Mick) Jagger is still four years older than me!’ And I’m still doing it, too.”

Cooper is an ongoing headliner on the Strip. He and Criss Angel present “Welcome to Our Nightmare” at Angel’s Planet Hollywood theater. Rock concert-illusion production returns Nov. 27-Dec. 6.

“It’s it’s one of the most exciting shows I’ve done. It’s the only show I think in all of Vegas where the audience never sits down the whole show,” Cooper said. “It’s an Alice Cooper concert, but it’s got all of Criss’s insanity, and all of our insanity. Everybody knows all the songs. I mean, it’s a perfect combination.”

The pairing traces back decades.

“Criss said when he was a kid, he saw our show, and he said, ‘I want to do that, but I want to do it with magic,’” Cooper said. “So now that finally happened.”

Cooper is a famously accomplished golfer. He plays to a 4-handicap and typically plays Summit when in town.

The rock star is almost apologetic about that handicap.

“I’ve lost a little distance,” he said, “but I’m hitting it straight.”

He’s shooting his age. Regularly.

“I shoot it every day,” Cooper said. “In fact, it’s odd if I don’t.”

Hetfield in the house

Metallica front man James Hetfield, a recent Vegas scenester, was on hand. He and and his fiance, British journalist-turned-fashion designer Adriana Gillett, took up a VIP suite. Cooper, his legendary manager, Shep Gordon; and famed restaurateur Elizabeth Blau; and former Destiny Child member and Sunday’s anthem singer, Michelle Williams, also watched from the suite.

The couple announced their engagement in March on Instagram. Hetfield popped the question during an underwater dive, holding up a laminated sign reading, “Adriana Gillett, will you marry me?” The rock legend then shared a photo of the couple underwater, with the caption, “She said yes!”

No Swift in this scene

Taylor Swift did not attend Sunday’s game. This has become a pattern, not exclusive to Las Vegas.

The “Shake If Off” phenomenon hasn’t been at a Chiefs game outside of Kansas City since Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025 (the Eagles dropped the Chiefs 40-22). Her last appearance at an opponent’s home stadium was the AFC Championship Game in Baltimore in January 2024 (a 27-20 Chiefs victory). She attended the Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory over the 49ers in February 2024.

Security concerns have been cited at least in part for why Swift has kept to Chiefs games at Arrowhead Stadium. But Saturday, she did join host Dakota Johnson during Johnson’s monologue on “SNL.”

Wingin’ it

Cooper was stopped for photos at the Allegiant Stadium bandstand by a group of blue, winged monkeys. These are the mascots for “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere,” becoming a ubiquitous presence at The Venetian and beyond.

The Sphere and CBS have partnered on an Exosphere display of NFL scoreboard updates, with the monkeys flying in the background.

The group was escorted by Sphere Entertainment’s Global Head of Corporate Marketing and Communications Karen Laureano-Rikardsen. The entourage turned a few dozen heads while riding through the Allegiant Stadium parking lot in a golf cart. The Sphere and CBS partnered on an Exosphere display of scoreboard updates with the “WOZ” monkeys flying in the background.

Tease this …

A favorite Las Vegas rock band is playing a prominent role in Extreme Thing at Desert Breeze Event Center. Featuring 20 bands, the festival is making its return in March 2027 after a 10-year absence, in time for its 25th anniversary.

Cool Hang Alert

The Eddie Casino Band plays The Reserve Bar at Park MGM at 8 p.m. Friday. All-originals for front man Dave Ritz’s outfit. Worth a look-see. No cover, and no covers.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him atjkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.