Nov. 18 - Annapolis, MD (SpACE Invader)

[Admin]

Plan meet-ups, discuss/review the show, share the set list, report live from the show!



Go Ace!

[RockSoldier52]

None of you lazy Faqers are going?

[OmniScott]

I would have gone and I wanted to go so badly. Ace has been my favorite member since I got into the band as a young teenager. However being born in 1994 has its draw backs, the venue was strictly a 21+ event and they turned me down. I'm actually kind of bummed that the venue couldn't be like the Rams Head Live in Baltimore where if you were under 21, they would mark your hands with permanent marker. I felt like this was my only chance to see Ace seriously for the last time. I sure hope not. I hope he comes back to Maryland sometime after I turn 21 so I can get a glimpse of another original member before they all hang it up.

[drdelaware]

I would have gone and I wanted to go so badly. Ace has been my favorite member since I got into the band as a young teenager. However being born in 1994 has its draw backs, the venue was strictly a 21+ event and they turned me down. I'm actually kind of bummed that the venue couldn't be like the Rams Head Live in Baltimore where if you were under 21, they would mark your hands with permanent marker. I felt like this was my only chance to see Ace seriously for the last time. I sure hope not. I hope he comes back to Maryland sometime after I turn 21 so I can get a glimpse of another original member before they all hang it up.

Go to Atlantic City this weekend. Tickets at The Borgata are $50 cheaper than Rams Head and I don't believe there are any age restrictions.

[Diss]

I just got back.

Holy crap, Ace and his band absolutely DESTROYED tonight. I wasn't expecting how good it was.

Opened with "Rip it Out" this time, which was great. Set list pretty much similar to others, a few differences thrown in. Did "Rocket Ride."

I've seen him every tour since he went solo, and this ranks right up there as one of the best as far as his playing goes.

He just nailed the solos in a way I haven't heard from him in many years. Still slow to get to the mic, but what are you gonna do? Seems like now "Space Invader" just starts with "Planet," as that's the first word he always sings in the first verse because he's so slow hitting the mic.

But seriously, this band is absolutely on fire. So much heart in that performance. It was a small place, but it was full. Probably about 300 people total. Very rabid fans. They played for about 1:45 minutes.

I'll write more tomorrow, as it was a 90 minute drive to and from, and I gotta work tomorrow, but it was truly a great, great show.

Ace looked fantastic, too. He still has that gut, but other than that, he looked like he's definitely dropped weight over the last few months. He was in great spirits, too, and he absolutely played his ASS off tonight.

Had a casual fan who came along tonight who just likes to go to shows, and he rated it "awesome," so it wasn't just the diehards who were impressed.

I think the highlights for me were "Change," which just crushed live, and "Strange Ways," which got a tremendous and ferocious amount of applause after it was done. Ace just nailed that solo, and it was incredible.

Anyway, really glad I made the trip. More heart, soul and emotion in this performance to a small group of rabid fans by far than in the KISS show I saw this summer for 10,000.

Then again, it's not really fair to compare the two. One is like a big empty summer blockbuster full of CGI, the other like a great indie film without much of a budget but with a plot that stays with you after you've left. They both entertain you, but in different ways.

I know KISS doesn't miss Ace from a monetary perspective, but from a musical perspective .... wow, do they miss THIS Ace, cuz he is on his game right now.

[RockSoldier52]

Thanks for the review!

[boyzgonnarock]

i was anxious to see how this would turn out mainly because when I saw pictures of the place online it didn't strike me as a place for a rock band to be playing more like a place for like say a blues guitar playing by himself onstage. like the one guy said it was a pretty small place but it was full and the band was indeed awesome. I actually enjoyed this show more then when I saw him back in 08. if I was gonna have one complaint and I know this is me being nitpicky with all the good back catalogue he has as far as his own written material(in and out of kiss) I felt they're were too many standard cuts played(DRC deuce strutter just to name a few) nothing from anomaly was played only 1 song each got played from both FC and trouble walkin but in saying that I do have to say the standard cuts were done really well scott coogan did a really good job with the singing. in an amusing moment ace forgot which song he was supposed to play at one point and they had to back track but they recovered nicely. One totally off the wall story that made me laugh was that my father who was with me and has been a kiss fan all his life while we were sitting at or table waiting for the opening act Ritchie scarlet happened to walk by and my father said hi to him and wished him luck and all that and Ritchie patted my father on the chest said thanks and all that and walked on, guess he got a little carried away cuz he hit my father so hard his chest was red lol

[vinniestkulick]

Cool, about Rip it Out... surprised it hadn't been played yet, and shocked they were opening with Lost in Limbo. More obscure than "Darklight"!!
I could do without the redundant Kiss classics like Love Gun, and prefer stuff from his best period ('79/'80) like Hard Times or Talk to Me...

[Diss]

A few more observations.

Yeah, it was a weird place to see someone like Ace, as everyone was at a table. Ace even said when he came out, "Wow, I haven't played a place this small in a long time," then laughed before adding the obligatory, "We're gonna kick your ass."

I really loved Ace's band. They were fantastic. Someone said recently that (simply from watching videos) they seemed unenergetic, like they were always doing a soundcheck. Could NOT be more wrong.

Richie Scarlett - love him or hate him (more on that in a sec) - is just all over the place, just as he was when I saw him and Ace back in the 90s. I really like that guy a lot. But Coogan and Wyse were just absolutely incredible. They can both sing amazingly well, and they are FULL of personality and energy. THe solo Wyse did before "Strange Ways" was just mindblowingly good. Just great musicianship in this band, and Coogan especially was constantly getting the crowd involved and seemed to be loving every second up there.

Also, as good as his Anomaly band was, it never really sat right with me seeing him up there with what seemed like a bunch of kids compared to him. Seeing him up there with guys closer to his age group (even though I"m sure Coogan and Wyse are probably 20 years younger at least) fit much, much better.

As far as Richie, again, I like the guy and always have. But there was almost a bad moment after they did "Breakout." Some dumb ass drunk heckler in the very back stood up and started yelling to Richie, "YOU SUCK! THAT WAS THE WORST FUCKING SONG I'VE EVER HEARD!! GET OFF THE STAGE! I PAID TO HEAR ACE, NOT YOU! YOU SUCK!" Didn't seem like the band heard him, but everyone around him did. I thought there might be an incident, but he seemed to shut the hell up after that.

But seriously, Ace was just so good. I was so impressed with that performance.

As far as the "not knowing what song to do" comment above, yeah, that was funny. Actually, Ace started introducing "Space Invader," then looked around as the band seemed confused. He then said, "Wait a minute, we're not doing that one yet, are we?" That's when they did "Breakout."

He had a few funny quips through the night. After his solo, he said, "Well, I'm gonna be 63 this year, and apparently I've still got it." He got a huge standing ovation many times during the evening, including after that.

He deserved them. He's playing better than I've seen in a long, long time, even better and more precise to me than the first reunion shows. I just hope he continues this path, stays on the wagon, and finishes strong.

[boyzgonnarock]

But there was almost a bad moment after they did "Breakout." Some dumb ass drunk heckler in the very back stood up and started yelling to Richie, "YOU SUCK! THAT WAS THE WORST FUCKING SONG I'VE EVER HEARD!! GET OFF THE STAGE! I PAID TO HEAR ACE, NOT YOU! YOU SUCK!" Didn't seem like the band heard him, but everyone around him did. I thought there might be an incident, but he seemed to shut the hell up after that.

I heard that ass, well I heard him yelling something but I couldn't make it out but I could tell it didn't sound good, you say you thought there might be an incident was something said to the guy that you know of? just curious to know.

[dirtyharry74]

Glad to read the cool review. I really wanted to go but price was an issue for me especially with the Christmas holiday coming.

I saw Ace in 2008 in Baltimore at Ram's Head Live. Hopefully he can come back around soon.

[Diss]

But there was almost a bad moment after they did "Breakout." Some dumb ass drunk heckler in the very back stood up and started yelling to Richie, "YOU SUCK! THAT WAS THE WORST FUCKING SONG I'VE EVER HEARD!! GET OFF THE STAGE! I PAID TO HEAR ACE, NOT YOU! YOU SUCK!" Didn't seem like the band heard him, but everyone around him did. I thought there might be an incident, but he seemed to shut the hell up after that.

I heard that ass, well I heard him yelling something but I couldn't make it out but I could tell it didn't sound good, you say you thought there might be an incident was something said to the guy that you know of? just curious to know.

Not to sound like an "internet tough guy," but I was about ready to get involved by at least telling him to shut up. I despise loud mouthed idiots like that at shows, and it didn't seem like he was going to stop. If the band had heard him, there could've been a really awkward moment. Someone seemed to shut him up, because I didn't hear a word from him after that.

[Dynasty79]

Sounds like these guys are getting better and tighter each show! The Durham show was good too. I would love to catch them again later in the tour to see the progress!

[mekmad]

Good show, the little room was packed. I've never seen Richie in action before, he is a character. Thats messed up that someone was heckling him, I didn't hear that. He did look messed up though, hopefully he's not a bad influence on Ace. Ace needs tighter sunglasses, kept pushing them up throughout the show.

Shock Me, Strange Ways and Deuce were my favorites. Ace said something like "Cogan sang that song like Paul Stanley use to sing it.." I think that was after Detroit Rock City. Also glad to hear Rip it out.