Hard Rock Live | Orlando, FL | 06/21/2024
For someone that was raised on classic rock, I got into KISS a little too late. They had already played their last Floridian End of the Road show by the time I joined the KISS Army. But I didn't let myself linger on that too much. I knew there'd be chances to see the band members perform on their own accord, especially my favorite KISS member, Ace Frehley. When I learned he was coming to Orlando, I was ecstatic! I knew right then and there I needed to see him.
Ace's 2024 Orlando show is known amongst KISS fans for being a little weird. Okay, little is an understatement. Ace went off on some very strange tangents that night. He talked about knowing karate and having a doomsday prep shelter, amongst other things. He also sounded a bit rough, both in his guitar work and vocals. I fully went into the show knowing that Ace could be a mixed bag depending on the night, and what I saw and heard is what I got. I was just grateful to see him, period, especially now that he has passed. Ace's backing band were phenomenal, and honestly kudos to Ace for making sure his drummer got the spotlight he deserved during "Love Gun".
The highlight of the night was during "Rock Soldiers", at the end of the song. Ace wanted the audience to fill in the blank after the part, "If the devil wants to play his card game now..." "What did I say?" Ace asked everyone. And without missing a beat, me and several other fans shouted, "He's gonna play without an Ace in his deck!" I was sitting in the third row and directly in Ace's line of sight. He noticed me, peered over his sunglasses, and said, "You got it." It was pretty damn cool! What wasn't cool was the blonde woman in front of me swatting my hand away when I tried catching a pick that landed on the empty chair in front of me. Lol.
Click here to see pictures and videos from the concert!