News Archive September 2009

My New York: Ace Frehley
From: New York Post
by Larry Getlen
Posted: September 21, 2009

Along with his fellow New York natives in the band KISS, Bronx-born guitarist Ace Frehley ignited a rock revolution in the '70s, inspiring a nation of young headbangers to pick up guitars with a mix of slick licks and (literally) fiery showmanship. Now the man whose biggest hit was "New York Groove" has just released his first solo album in 20 years, "Anomaly," on his new label, Bronx Born Records. While the times may have changed, his crunchy guitar remains as biting as ever. This is his New York.

1) American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street "I used to go a lot when I was a kid. I loved just walking around, seeing the crazy exhibits behind the glass and the prehistoric people. I always found that fascinating, with the dinosaur bones and the giant whale hanging from the ceiling. That was always larger than life for me."

2) Trash & Vaudeville, 4 St. Marks Place, at Third Avenue "My buddy Jimmy [Webb] works there. I always stopped by to get interesting pieces. It's a fun place to shop."

3) Times Square "I remember the first time I went to Times Square when I had been away for a while, and I couldn't believe all the TV screens that covered the buildings. Now they're everywhere."

4) Central Park "I always loved going to the fountain, Sheep Meadow and the skating rink. They used to have great concerts there. One night that stands out is seeing the Rod Stewart Group with Ronnie Wood and Jeff Beck, a special band that was only around for a little while. Central Park is a special place for me."

5) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd Street "The part of the Met that really gets me going is the Egyptian exhibit. I just have a thing about Egypt - pyramids, Egyptology, the whole concept of what they achieved with all the great tombs and artifacts they've turned up over the years. I've always been fascinated by the Egyptian language. Egypt is one place I still haven't had a chance to visit, but it's on my Top 5 list."

6) Studio 54, formerly at 254 W. 54th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues "I was a regular there when KISS was one of the top groups in the world, and met a lot of different celebrities. It was a special time in my life. It had nothing to do with the music, and everything to do with hanging out - and, of course, the partying."

7) Bronx Botanical Gardens, 2900 Southern Blvd., The Bronx "They have these gigantic greenhouses, and in the middle of the winter you can go there and be in the Amazon. You go from the cold into this rainforest."

8) Loew's Paradise Theater (now Utopia's Paradise Theater), 2413 Grand Concourse, The Bronx "One of the most amazing theaters ever built. They ended up chopping it into eight separate theaters, but it used to be one big one, and it was a place I used to go when I was a kid and see movies. It was almost like a theme park in a way, because when you looked up at the ceiling, you saw stars. It has great decor, amazing acoustics and a nice balcony."

9) Bronx Zoo, 2300 Southern Blvd., The Bronx "As a kid, I used to go there all the time. I was fascinated by the apes and the tigers."