Alice Cooper and Judas Priest Blow the Roof Off PNC Bank Arts Center
It’s not every day that you get a chance to see rock royalty live. This past weekend, the PNC Bank Arts Center hosted not one, but TWO legendary bands as Alice Cooper and Judas Priest brought their co-headlining tour to New Jersey. And the amphitheater was packed with diehard fans ready to bow at their feet and scream “we’re not worthy! we’re not worthy!”
After Corrosion of Conformity kicked off the night with a solid set of heavy metal, the fans buzzed with anticipation for the arrival of Judas Priest. The crowd broke out in song as “War Pigs” played before the band took the stage, and when the iconic Rob Halford finally stepped out from behind the curtain, the electricity was palpable.
Their set was like listening to a greatest hits album, and it was awesome to see “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ ”, “Breaking the Law”, “Hellbent for Leather”, and “Living After Midnight” performed live. They also played “Giants in the Sky” as a tribute to those legends who are no longer with us, with Ozzy Osbourne’s addition receiving the biggest reaction from the crowd. Seeing Halford ride his Harley-Davidson onto the stage to kick off the encore was definitely a highlight of the evening.
Alice Cooper and his talented band of misfits were up next, and the legendary shock rocker delivered another awesome performance. If you have never seen one of Alice’s shows, you are missing out. They are loud, theatrical, and a helluva lot of fun. He is backed by a great group of musicians, including the phenomenal Nita Strauss, who all know how to play to the crowd. The set included some of his biggest hits including “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, “I’m Eighteen”, “Feed My Frankenstein”, “Poison”, and “School’s Out”.
I don’t know what elixir Alice and Rob drink to keep rocking out after decades of performing, but it definitely works. This was one of my favorite shows of late, and if you have a chance to see this tour before it wraps up at the end of October, you don’t want to miss it!
Judas Priest
Corrosion of Conformity
Coverage from September 27, 2025 at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ.
All photos are © Michael Campanile Photography and cannot be used without permission.
