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News Archive April 2009

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Ace Review From Right Turn Supergroup Boston Concert
From: Christopher F. Allin
Posted: April 27, 2009

Ace Frehley was second on the bill last night in Boston, MA for the benefit concert held each year for the RIGHT TURN drug and alcohol treatment organization. Although the event was headlined by Alice Cooper (27 years sober), it was just as clearly an Ace crowd.

On Saturday, in a second location in Cambridge (right near Harvard University) Ace, Alice, and the other members of the SUPERGROUP backing band rehearsed for three hours. Lucky radio station winners watched an hour of it, and received autographs from everyone.

Frehley brought the Berkelee Performing Arts Center audience to their feet yesterday as he played through a hot set of his KISS classics -- opening with NEW YORK GROOVE, then explaining his near death experience which inspired SHOCK ME, then saying, "I know this (concert) is for recovery, but everyone always wants to hear this song." Ace then brought loud cheers when he remarked that "I don't drink anymore." Of course the next song was COLD GIN, complete with the guitar hero poses Ace first made famous on the cover of KISS ALIVE! in 1975.

Ace was in Boston to help raise money for RIGHT TURN, a drug and acohol recovery program founded by Del Fuegos drummer Woody Giessmann. RIGHT TURN is oriented towards performers of all kinds -- musicians, comics, etc. Next year RIGHT TURN plans on going nationwide, opening treatment facilities in Nashville, New York City, and Los Angeles, to complement their Boston office. Go to rightturn.cmarket.com/SUPERGROUP for an auction with autographed collectibles, including some signed by Ace himself. One item up for bid until May 4th is a guitar signed by all the performers from last night. All proceeds benefit RIGHT TURN's recovery efforts.

Ace looked great, with metalic nail polish which perfectly matched his blue guitar, dark sunglasses, black T-shirt, and leather pants. The Biker look works very well for Ace (much better than for Gene during the Revenge era). Taped to his mike stand were glow-in-the-dark 'city picks' left over from the 2000 Farewell Tour (My brother caught one from Ace with LONG ISLAND printed on it, then later got one from guitarist Ricky Bird with EVANSVILLE, IN printed on back).

After Ace's songs, Alice Cooper came out, sounding great, even though his voice was mixed a bit low. It's quite a treat to hear Cooper sing BROWN SUGAR as well as all his own classics. For the encore, all the musicians who played that evening came out on stage to sing ROCK N' ROLL ALL NIGHT; but first Alice emceed everyone singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Ace, complete with candles on a cake, to a smiling and slightly embarrased Frehley. It was a great evening, ending with Ace shaking hands with everyone in the front of the stage, which swelled considerably after he returned for the encore.