By Christopher David<\/p>\n
St. Charles\u2019 Arcada Theatre was the unlikely spot for an space invasion on Tuesday night, but it\u00a0wasn\u2019t little green men or slimy creatures that graced the stage. It was rock n\u2019 roll\u2019s one and\u00a0only guitar slinging spaceman: Ace Frehley.<\/p>\n
Touring in support of 2014\u2019s Space Invader album, Frehley\u2019s current band is perhaps the\u00a0strongest lineup he\u2019s ever had since the dawn of his solo career. Bassist Chris Wyse, drummer\u00a0Scot Coogan, and longtime\u00a0guitarist\/collaborator Richie Scarlet rounded out a no BS\u00a0sledgehammer of a setlist, consisting almost 50\/50 of Ace\u2019s solo work alongside some KISS\u00a0classics.<\/p>\n
In the spirit of KISS, the band took the opportunity to showcase all four members on vocals at\u00a0one point or another. Wyse, a brilliantly talented bassist (who utilized his bass solo to perform a\u00a0very cool cover of the \u201cHalloween\u201d theme), took the lead for \u201cStrange Ways,\u201d while Scarlet\u00a0proved his worth as a frontman on two cuts from Ace\u2019s \u201880s solo work, \u201cBreakout\u201d and \u201c2 Young\u00a02 Die.\u201d Coogan rounded out the foursome by standing in for Paul Stanley on cuts like \u201cLove\u00a0Gun\u201d and \u201cDetroit Rock City.\u201d The band\u2019s chemistry is far beyond that of a star and three bit\u00a0players; rather, it feels like a solid unit that could do some real damage in the studio together.<\/p>\n
But the star, of course, was Frehley. Pulling out most of his KISS era\u00a0tricks (a guitar solo that\u00a0literally smoked, the light up\u00a0guitar for \u201cNew York Groove\u201d) for the near capacity crowd, the\u00a0guitarist\u2019s multigenerational\u00a0appeal was apparent to everyone, and he seemed to be having a\u00a0blast. St. Charles is far enough out from Chicago to draw in audiences that might otherwise find\u00a0their way to the city, and the Arcada has an intimate, small-town\u00a0theater feel to it that made the\u00a0experience unique even for the rock n\u2019 roll vets in the room. With a group of enthusiastic kids\u00a0holding down the front, the band ate up every second, flicking guitar picks, posing for pics, and\u00a0even bringing one little girl in full Ace regalia and face paint\u00a0onstage to sing along.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho thinks that Ace should run for president?\u201d Wyse asked at one point, and Frehley laughed,\u00a0waving off the cheers of the crowd to start the next song. Frehley was always the most humble\u00a0member of KISS, focused squarely on straight forward rock n\u2019 roll without much experimentation,\u00a0a devotee of the \u2018if it ain\u2019t broke\u2019 school of musical philosophy, and it\u2019s served him well, as the\u00a017 song\u00a0set reflected, highlighting some of most anthemic moments in Frehley\u2019s career.\u00a0\u201cRocket Ride,\u201d and \u201cRip It Out,\u201d two of the best KISS era\u00a0tracks on the list, were spot on\u00a0with the\u00a0decibel level of a learjet, and, of course, there\u2019s the solo in \u201cShock Me,\u201d the one that launched a\u00a0thousand rock bands and had countless parents buying guitars for their kids.<\/p>\n
Say what you want about KISS their\u00a0influence is undeniable, and Ace Frehley is one of the last\u00a0true rock legends. Seeing him in such an intimate setting, literally shaking dust from the\u00a0Arcada\u2019s rafters, was an experience that doesn\u2019t come along very often. Count yourself lucky if\u00a0you had the pleasure of being there. And if you weren\u2019t, next time the rocket rides through\u00a0town, you have no excuse.<\/p>\n
For more on Ace Frehley including the tour, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For photos from the show, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n