NITA STRAUSS Rejoins ALICE COOPER For 2023 Tour Dates

Nita Strauss, the top-rated guitarist who had been with Alice Cooper for several years until she departed to do a fall 2022 tour with Demi Lovato, will be returning to Alice's band for his 2023 tour, Cooper's management disclosed today.

The Alice Cooper North American tour, with an all-new show dubbed "Too Close For Comfort", kicks off in late April in Michigan and continues through late September, including a handful of August stadium shows with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE, followed by a co-headlining late summer "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie.

Said Alice: "She's Back! Nita asked for a leave of absence to work with someone else, something I always encourage my band members to do. I like them to challenge themselves and try new things. I'm thankful to my old friend Kane Roberts for stepping up and filling in for her, but she'll be back with us for the new tour that starts up in late April. It's going to be great to have her back."

Nita commented: "From the studio to the stage, it's always an immense honor to make music with Alice Cooper!! I'm very excited to be rejoining the band on the road for the 2023 dates, and so I'll see you on the road in April. Let the nightmare return!"

Alice Cooper 2023 tour dates:

Apr. 28 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino + Resort
Apr. 29 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Centre
Apr. 30 - Hershey, PA - The Hershey Theater
May 02 - Fort Wayne, IN - Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
May 03 - Milwaukee, WI - Miller High Life Theatre
May 05 - Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake Mystic Showroom
May 06 - Bemidji, MN - Sanford Center
May 07 - Sioux City, IA - Tyson Events Center
May 09 - Champaign, IL - State Farm Center
May 10 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Theater
May 13 - Knoxville, TN - The Tennessee Theatre
May 14 - Spartanburg, SC - Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
May 15 - North Charleston, SC - Performing Arts Center
May 17 - Shreveport, LA - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
May 18 - Biloxi, MS - Beau Rivage Theatre
May 20 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome to Rockville*
*Festival

With DEF LEPPARD + MÖTLEY CRÜE:

Aug. 05 - Syracuse, NY - JMA Wireless Dome
Aug. 08 - Columbus, OH - The Ohio State University Ohio Stadium
Aug. 11 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome
Aug. 13 - Omaha, NE - Charles Schwab Field Omaha
Aug. 16 - Tulsa, OK - Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium
Aug. 18 - El Paso, TX - Sun Bowl Stadium

Co-headline "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie:

Aug. 24 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
Aug. 26 - Tampa, FL - Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug. 27 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Aug. 29 - Raleigh, NC - Coastal Credit Union Music Park @ Walnut Creek
Aug. 30 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
Sep. 01 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sep. 02 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
Sep. 05 - Clarkston, MI - Pinke Knob Amphitheatre
Sep. 06 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
Sep. 08 - Scranton, PA - The Pavilion @ Montage Mountain
Sep. 09 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health Theatre @ Jones Beach
Sep. 10 - Hartford, CT - XFINITY Theatre
Sep. 12 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
Sep. 15 - Bonner Springs, KS - Azura Amphitheatre
Sep. 16 - Englewood, CO - Fiddler’s Green
Sep. 19 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheatre
Sep. 20 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
Sep. 22 - Concord, CA - Pavilion
Sep. 23 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Sep. 24 - Phoenix, AZ - Ak-Chin Pavilion

Nita, who spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi's band, was asked in an interview with Metal Injection if it was a "nerve-racking" experience telling the legendary rocker that she wanted to step back from performing with him. The guitarist responded: "I wouldn't even say nerve-racking, because… I mean, it was a big decision, of course, but it definitely wasn't as dramatic as it has seemed online, if that makes sense. We had just started the U.K. tour when I got the offer to come and play with Demi. And I just went into Coop's room — I went to his hotel room and I talked with him and his wife. And I said, 'Look, I have this opportunity.' He asked, 'Would it conflict with anything on this tour?' I said, 'No, but it would conflict with the fall dates, so I'd have to step back from the fall tour.' And he said, 'Go and do it.' He gave his blessing. He gave me a big hug and said, 'Go and have fun. Shine your light, and let us know what next year looks like and we'll work it out.' So it was a lovely and loving conversation — no big blowup; no drama; no one got fired; no one stormed out. And I took a step back and I'm trying something different. And we'll see what happens in the future."

According to Nita, "it didn't help" that the news of her joining Demi's touring band "got leaked before anybody had a chance to really say anything. I don't really know how that news got out, 'cause it was all pretty close to the vest," she said. "But somebody found out, somebody decided to put it out before anybody really could make a proper statement about it, and I think that's how these things get twisted around into something that it's not.

"We had a — Alice literally called it a 'hiatus dinner,'" Nita added. "One of our last shows in Greece, we had a couple of days off, and we had a big 'hiatus dinner' and we all laughed and cried and hugged and they gave me a little parting gift. And if that was the last show at the end of the tour, it'll be okay. But there was no big dramatic exit that people were speculating. And now that I'm clearing it up, there is also no backtracking. [Laughs] I think people just love to speculate without really knowing the actual workings of what's going on."

Nita played her first full live show with Demi on August 13, 2022 at the Grandstand at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.

Nita made her live debut with Demi on July 14, 2022 with a performance of "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.