Concert Review
Ace Frehley
Angel
Bad Marriage
Rome Capitol Theatre
Rome, NY
Friday April 12, 2024
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
When in Rome you must check out the Capitol Theatre in Rome, NY. Nestled in the city not too far from landmark Fort Stanwix, the 1,700 seat venue is a gem among theaters that have survived the test of time. Ace Frehley and his band set up shop inside Friday night along with Angel and Bad Marriage. At 72 years old, the original KISS guitarist delivered a better than typical show that really showed everyone he doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
With KISS no longer a touring entity Frehley decided to mix in more standards from his old band such as “Shout It Out Loud” and “Rock and Roll All Nite”. Many were surprised and I know it shocked me that Frehley only played one song off his shiny new album 10,000 Volts. It would also have been nice to see Frehley dig into his own archives for lost gems such as the Russ Ballard penned “Into The Night” for one.
10,000 Volts released in February has received rave reviews as the best album he has made in decades. While many will say his 1978 debut solo disc and perhaps Frehley’s Comet albums will never be touched, 10,000 volts did chart reaching #72 on the Billboard Album Charts. There are quite a few songs Frehley could potentially perform that would fit right into his current set list to help push his album sales further. “Cherry Medicine” and “Fightin’ For Life” are just two examples of highlights on the album.
Joining Frehley on guitar and vocals was Jeremy Asbrock, bassist Ryan Spencer Cook and drummer Scott Coogan who also did some singing as well. Frehley said if the fans keep showing up he will keep playing for them. Kind of hard to fathom Ace Frehley still out on the road touring long after KISS hung up their platform boots.
Those expecting a pristine sounding performance came to the wrong place. The one thing with an Ace Frehley show is that it is 100% live with any warts, mistakes, etc. at the forefront. That is the beauty of seeing a Frehley show. Too many bands these days use gimmicks, trickery, piped in vocals, music, etc. But in truth it is better seeing a band play live and raw. Frehley delivered as many expected and managed to keep the fans happy with the highlights of his 90-minute set which included opener “Shock Me”, “Rock Soldiers” and of course “New York Groove”. Be sure to catch him if he comes too a venue near you.
Buffalo NY area you get your chance to see Ace on August 21 at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, NY.
Click Below link for tickets
https://ci.ovationtix.com/35813/production/1191871
Ace Frehley
Angel
Bad Marriage
Set List
Shock Me
Rocket Ride
10,000 Volts
Rock Soldiers
Love Gun
Parasite
New York Grove
Rip It Out
Detroit Rock City
Cold Gin
Guitar Solo
Strange Ways
Shout It Out Loud
Deuce
Encore
Rock and Roll All Nite
