When contemplating how to spend a Saturday night in Anaheim, California, the natural tendency leans toward the family-friendly side of things, specifically hanging out with the mice, ducks, dogs, chipmunks, and perhaps an occasional princess or two. That said, on Saturday, September 23, another family-friendly option was available. That is, provided the family name is Addams, as Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper brought their "Freaks on Parade Tour" to the Honda Center. It was an evening memorable for several reasons, at least some of which had to do with the concert itself.

After acceptable opening sets by Filter, who, based on the amount of dry ice pumped on stage during almost every song, intensely dislike being visible to the audience, and Ministry, who, based on the videos played on the nosebleed screens, intensely dislike everyone and everything, the venerable Alice Cooper took the stage with all the verve and panache that some 60 years in the business provides. Although his voice was somewhat rough, Cooper hit all the notes and, in something rarely heard from veteran male performers, didn’t lower the key of any of his tracks, including a string of classic Cooper from the 1970s. “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “I’m Eighteen,” “Under My Wheels,” and “Billion Dollar Babies” thrilled the assembled faithful. Cooper’s top-notch touring band featured a blistering three-guitar attack that, while evenly doling out the solos, was unquestionably focused on Nita Strauss, as were most of the men in attendance.

In addition to the music, Cooper’s set featured the props and theatrics he introduced some 50 years ago. Along with a more recent addition to the rock show world, namely videos projected on three screens well behind the band, different songs featured a sword, a dancing cane minus the dancing, a large snake, an even larger puppet named FrankenAlice, and a guillotine. It’s nothing new but still highly effective for those aware this is a show, not real life. Reinforcement of this truth came when, after introducing his band, Cooper finished by saying, “And, playing the part of Alice Cooper … me!”

Cooper finished his set with his biggest hit, “School’s Out,” incorporating, much to the audience’s delight, a snippet from “Another Brick In The Wall (Part Two)” by Pink Floyd. Before leaving the stage, he told those assembled to stick around for his “little brother.” Namely, Rob Zombie, who at 58 is 17 years younger than Cooper.

Zombie doesn’t so much take the stage as invade it, surrounded by a dozen-plus video screen showing different clips in such a rapid-fire method it can be almost overwhelming. An occasional oversized puppet of the stationary inflatable or articulated walking variety graced the stage as Zombie plied his stock in trade of heavy rhythm-driven rock mixing industrial and metal. Zombie’s music has no subtle nuances, and his vocal ability can charitably be labeled limited. But it works.

Although lacking Cooper’s overt roleplaying, seeing Zombie in concert reinforces the notion that he approaches his craft with tongue firmly placed in cheek. He isn’t playing a character but instead is presenting a characterization of the ultimate freak show pitchman, touting the blood and sex-splattered contents of his own creation within the freak show tent. It is not an entertainment form with universal appeal, as one can imagine very few, if any, people in attendance at either the Zombie/Cooper concert or the Ed Sheeran show some thirty miles up the road at SoFi Stadium that night had to deeply ponder which event between the two to attend. But it was pure light of a very dark night for those gathered.

Speaking of those in attendance, more than a few gave every impression of taking the concert’s subject matter far too literally. While the eight or nine-year-old girl seated one section over from me who proudly wore her tour T-shirt will doubtless have some exciting stories to tell at school during the next show-and-tell session, an alarmingly large number in attendance were candidates for immediate qualification to appear in Rob Zombie’s next horror movie with no additional makeup required. One hopes for their sake this isn’t their daily reality, but I wouldn’t heavily bet against it being the case.

This aside, the concert was highly enjoyable. Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper know how to put on an entertaining show. Just remember: it’s only entertainment.