Legendary sci-fi rock guitarist Ace Frehley hits the stage in Dallas
Dallas was once more ground zero for first contact with the spaceman from Jendell last week. Ace Frehley launched the Origins Vol. 1 Tour deep in the heart of Texas at Gas Monkey Live, one of the best venues in DFW for live music. As Ace hit the stage and tore into the opening chords of “Rip It Out” from his legendary 1978 solo album, it was obvious this was going to be one hell of a night. For a first night show, there were few, if any, cobwebs that needed shaken off as the band, who hadn’t been on the road in a few months, barreled through a barrage of Space Ace classics and sounded great doing it.
Earlier this year, while on tour, Ace ran into a few bumps when he was hospitalized for dehydration and exhaustion. But it’s obvious after some recuperation, he’s back in top form and looks and sounds as good as ever. His vocals and playing were spot on, as was the entire band’s. As the night progressed, Frehley served up classics like “Snow Blind” and of course “New York Groove,” but the crowd got a real treat with the addition of the cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald”, from his new album.
Origins Vol. 1, Frehley’s most recent effort out now on eOne Music, features a slew of amazing covers of classic songs such as Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” and The Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man.” Frehley even reconnected with former KISS band mate Paul Stanley on the album for an absolutely scorching rendition of Free’s “Fire and Water.”
Speaking of KISS, Frehley is not one to shy away from his roots. He played quite a few tracks from his time with KISS, including several he didn’t originally sing on. Drummer Scott Coogan gave amazing vocal performances on KISS classics “Love Gun” and “Detroit Rock City.” During the solo of “Shock Me”, as always, the guitar began to billow smoke to the delight of the crowd. This particular song, guitar solo and guitar gag have long been the signature Frehley’s live performance. I have to tell you, having seen it a dozen times or more live personally, it never gets old or fails to impress. The audience eats it up every time and this night was no exception.
They closed the night with a powerful version of “Deuce,” a song Frehley has cited as a favorite many times. Even though we are all used to the classic version with Gene Simmons on vocal duty, this song works perfectly when Frehley sings it live.
If you can, do yourself a favor and see this show as it rockets through your town.
