News News
Apr. 26, 2017
Illinois Gov Bruce Rauner hangin’ with Alice Cooper
Not agreeing on a state budget can be stressful. What better way for lawmakers in Springfield to blow off a little steam?
A concert by the Godfather of Shock Rock, of course.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner was among the attendees last Sunday night at Prairie Capital Convention Center for a performance by Alice Cooper. Springfield was among stops on the 69-year-old’s current tour that is taking him around the country, to Europe and eventually to Australia and South America.
(Before the show, it also took him to White Oaks Mall in Springfield, as detailed here.)
Evidence of Rauner’s backstage presence was confirmed by state Rep. Tim Butler, a Springfield Republican and Peoria native who was gracious enough to provide us photographic evidence. He was there, too, as was Rep. Jim Durkin, the House minority leader.
Springfield is a political town, so the guess here is Rauner, Butler and Durkin weren’t the only state officials in the crowd. We wonder how much they might have winced when Alice did his guillotine routine.
And how many non-politicos might have fantasized about whether placing a guillotine in the Capitol rotunda might be enough motivation for Rauner and House Speaker Mike Madigan to make a budget deal.
Nick in the Morning has seen Alice twice, and he puts on a heckuva show. But although he’s known for heavier stuff, we kinda like the songs in which he sounds like Barry Manilow or James Taylor. Like this one. It beats “Welcome to My Nightmare,” which might be the Illinois government theme song these days.