Deep Purple

An air-guitarist’s delight, this tour pairs some of the most titanic riffs in classic-rock history with its most outrageous performer. Touring behind his latest album, Paranormal, Alice Cooper of course needs no introduction; the shock-rock maven has been thrilling amateur herpetologists and the eternally truant since “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out” hit the airwaves in the early ’70s. Deep Purple’s sledgehammer guitars, fiery keyboards and the conquering-hero vocals of Ian Gillan have set the tone for generations of hard-rock and metal bands. Even as a certain riff has long since come to stand for horns-up headbanger music itself, they’ve always had a lot more going on than just “Smoke On the Water” — “Highway Star,” “Space Truckin’” and “Hush” stand at the head of a deep class. Finally, Dazed and Confused fans know the hard-edged funk and six-string heroics of Beaumont native Edgar Winter, as heard on stoner-rock compilations to this day via “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein,” is well worth braving Friday-afternoon I-45 traffic.