Ace Frehley Shakes Things Up at First Shows of 2023
Ace Frehley played his first shows of 2023 this week, shaking up his set list with additions from Kiss, Frehley's Comet and his solo catalog.
The Spaceman kicked off a run of dates on Feb. 2 at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol, Tenn. He opened with the 1974 Kiss song "Parasite" before unearthing a pair of tracks off his 1978 self-titled solo debut — "Snow Blind" and "Speedin' Back to My Baby" — that he hadn't played since 2019.
The cuts got even deeper after that, as Frehley unloaded "Stranger in a Strange Land" off Frehley's Comet's 1987 eponymous debut, which last appeared in concert in 2008. He followed it with "Insane," off the band's 1988 sophomore album Second Sighting, which he hadn't played in a whopping 33 years.
A few Kiss deep cuts also snuck their way into the set. The Dressed to Kill track "Getaway" appeared after a five-year absence, and Frehley even played a pair of Kiss tracks live for the first time as a solo artist: "Escape From the Island" off 1981's maligned Music From "The Elder" and "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" off 1974's Hotter Than Hell.
Watch Ace Frehley Play 'Stranger in a Strange Land' on Feb. 2, 2023
On the flip side, Frehley omitted a few Kiss mainstays, including "Strutter," "Hard Times," "Strange Ways" and "She." You can see videos from the guitarist's recent shows and a full set list from the Paramount Center for the Arts below.
Watch Ace Frehley Play 'Getaway' on Feb. 3, 2023
Frehley has several more shows lined up throughout the second half of the month. Last May, he also memorably teamed up with fellow ex-Kiss guitarists Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick for an all-star jam at Nashville's Creatures Fest.
Watch Ace Frehley Play 'Snow Blind' on Feb. 3, 2023
Ace Frehley, Paramount Center for the Arts, Bristol, Tenn., 2/2/23
1. "Parasite" (Kiss)
2. "Snow Blind"
3. "Speedin' Back to My Baby"
4. "Stranger in a Strange Land"
5. "Insane" (Frehley's Comet)
6. "Getaway" (Kiss)
7. "Rock Soldiers"
8. "Rocket Ride" (Kiss)
9. "Escape From the Island" (Kiss)
10. "Love Theme From Kiss" (partial) (Kiss)
11. "Detroit Rock City" (Kiss)
12. "Rip it Out"
13. "New York Groove" (with "God of Thunder" intro)
14. "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" (Kiss)
15. "Shock Me" (Kiss)
16. Guitar solo
17. "Cold Gin" (with "Black Diamond" outro) (Kiss)
18. "Deuce" (Kiss)