GALLERY
Photos by Mark Kurtzner
LOCATION: West Hartford, Connecticut
VENUE: West Hartford Ballroom and Music Hall
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
Love me right
Into the night
New York groove
Rock soldiers
Breakout
Shock me
Calling to you
We got your rock
Deuce
Rocket ride
Apart from the recording which is the source for the setlist, the only mentions of this show is in White Lion's promotional tour itinerary and on the tour t-shirt. Later in July the West Hartford Ballroom and Music Hall (which was formerly the Agora Ballroom) was "closed indefinitely as a result of extensive vandalism". (The Hartford Courant of Hartford, CT 87-07-31, p. B-1) Setlist and recording info courtsey tolvis.
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LOCATION: Albany, New York
VENUE: Palace
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip It Out
Stranger In A Strange Land
Something Moved
Cold Gin
Love Me Right
Into The Night
New York Groove
Rock Soldiers
Breakout
Shock Me
Calling To You
We Got Your Rock
Deuce
Rocket Ride
Julian Gill of KISS FAQ mentions a review in the Schenectady Gazette which I have unfortunately been unable to locate. Setlist courtsey tolvis.
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LOCATION: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
VENUE: Barrymore's
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Unknown
Continuing the tradition of mis-spelling the Frehley name, local Ottawa record store Record Runner ran an ad for the Frehley's Comet album under the name "Ace Frehly". A preview feature by Monique Roy in the Ottawa Citizen was fairly informational for its time.
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Ads for the July 4 show at Barrymore's. The Ottawa Citizen of Ottawa, ON, Canada 87-06-26 (p. F-6) on the left, 87-07-03 (p. D-9) on the right.
LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
VENUE: Rock 'n Roll Heaven
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
Love me right
Into the night
New York groove
Rock soldiers
Breakout
Shock me
Calling to you
We got your rock
Deuce
Rocket ride
Available as both an incomplete audio recording and a complete video. (Information courtsey tolvis.) According to a notice in Hard Report by Eddie Trunk (87-06-19, p. 39), the band, augmented by seventy-five local guitarists, were scheduled to spend July 5 and 6 shooting the video for Rock Soldiers in Toronto. The video was produced by Allen Weinrib for Champagne Productions and directed by Steven Surjik.
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LOCATION: Detroit, Michigan
VENUE: Harpo's
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
Love me right
Into the night
New York groove
Rock soldiers
Breakout
Shock me
Calling to you
We got your rock
Deuce
Rocket ride
Detroit Free Press staff writer Gary Graff compiled a short question-and-answer "with" Ace by (seemingly) taking parts from various press outlet reports.
The show was recorded both on video and audio. Information courtsey tolvis.
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Detroit Free Press of Detroit, MI 87-07-05 (p. C-2)
Detroit Free Press of Detroit, MI 87-07-06 (p. D-16)
LOCATION: Cleveland (Lakewood), Ohio
VENUE: Phantasy Theatre
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: 1,000+
Rip It Out
Stranger In A Strange Land
Something Moved
Cold Gin
Love Me Right
Into The Night
New York Groove
Rock Soldiers
Breakout
Shock Me
Guitar solo
Calling To You
We Got Your Rock
Deuce
Rocket Ride
Available on a complete audio recording and a very partial video (see below). Anastasia Pantsios's review in The Plain Dealer was, well, lukewarm.
Jow Merante of New Jersey-based fanzine KISS Klassics interviewed both Bill Ward and Tod Howarth before the show.
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The Beacon Journal of Akron, OH 87-06-11 (p. B-3)
Ad from unknown paper courtsey Roger Ward
Ticket courtsey Roger Ward
LOCATION: Cincinnati, Ohio
VENUE: Bogart's
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
Love me right
Into the night
New York groove
Rock soldiers
Breakout
Shock me
Calling to you
We got your rock
Deuce
Rocket ride
According to the advertising this was another all ages show. Setlist comes from a complete audio recording (information courtsey tolvis).
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The Cincinnati Enquirer of Cincinnati, OH 87-06-07 (p. F-8)
Dayton Daily News of Dayton, OH 87-06-13 (p. 34)
Ticket
LOCATION: Taylorville, Illinois
VENUE: Nashville North
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip It Out
Stranger In A Strange Land
Something moved
Cold Gin
Love Me Right
Into The Night
New York Groove
Rock Soldiers
Deuce
Rocket Ride
The band played two sets, 6.30 PM and 9 PM. Setlist comes from a partial audio recording, we don't know from which set. (Setlist courtsey tolvis.)
Nashville North was more or less just a shack-like structure at the intersection of IL 29 and IL 104. In a 1989 interview which noted that 170 national acts had played the venue in the past for years, then owner Leroy Harris chose to single out Ace as one of those acts. (Herald and Review of Decatur, IL 89-05-21, p. S-4)
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State Journal-Register of Springfield, IL 87-06-15 (p. A-15)
Journal Courier of Jacksonville, IL 87-07-11
(Showtime section p. 5)
LOCATION: Indianapolis, Indiana
VENUE: Sherwood Club
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
Love me right
Into the night
New York groove
Rock soldiers
Breakout
Shock me
Calling to you
We got your rock
Deuce
Setlist comes from an audio recording (courtsey Julian Gill). The Indianapolis News managed to re-list this show in it's "On the Indy Night Scene" calendar on July 16, two days after the show had taken place.
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The Indianapolis News of Indianapolis, IN 87-06-26 (p. 20)
The Indianapolis News of Indianapolis, IN 87-07-09 (p. F-7)
LOCATION: Columbus, Ohio
VENUE: Newport
OPENER(s): -
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Unknown
There's no mention of an opening act in the papers leading up to the show and there is (as of yet) no ad. White Lion's tour itinerary doesn't list this date either (it just has July 13-25 as "TBA"—To Be Announced). Considering that they were the opening act to several later show it's reasonable to assume they played here but pending actual proof...
The band did an in-store signing session at The Buzzard's Nest earlier in the day.
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Photo by Ian C. Stewart
Photo by Ian C. Stewart
Photo by Ian C. Stewart
LOCATION: Charlotte, North Carolina
VENUE: Kidnapper's
OPENER(s): Antiseen
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Unknown
There was another one of the "choose your own interview" articles in the Charlotte Observer (87-07-15, Break section p. 7) leading up to the show.
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Charlotte Observer of Charlottte, NC 87-07-08 (Break section p. 29)
Charlotte Observer of Charlottte, NC 87-07-7 (p. D-6)
LOCATION: Norfolk, Virginia
VENUE: The Boathouse at Bessie's Place
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
Love me right
Into the night
New York groove
Rock soldiers
Breakout
Shock me
Calling to you
We got your rock
Deuce
Rocket ride
Setlist from an audio recording courtsey tolvis.
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Daily Press of Newport, VA 87-07-14 (p. C-4)
LOCATION: Raleigh, North Carolina
VENUE: The Pier
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Unknown
Harry Crump's review for the Durham Morning Herald was laudatory as was Dewey McCafferty of Raleigh radio station WKNC: "Ace Frehley and White lion came to town in Raleigh, NC [...] and the show was great! Ace certainly has himself together and the band was real tight. He's about to move to larger venues with the next record." (The Hard Report 87-08-07 p. 36)
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Durham Morning Herald of Durham, NC 87-07-18 (p. B-3)
LOCATION: Atlanta, Geogira
VENUE: Center Stage Theatre
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Cold gin
Something moved
Into the night
Rock soldiers
Love me right
New York groove
Breakout
We got your rock
Shock me
Rocket ride
Selist comes from a review of the show in Groove no. 6 by Dianna L. House. The review mentions that Tod sang lead vocals for Love Me Right.
One of the blurbs in the Atlanta Consitution erroneously mentioned that Anton Fig was the drummer.
The list of dates on the back of one of the tour shirts had this date listed as Memphis, TN.
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The Greenville News of Greenville, SC 87-07-17
(Notions section p. 12)
The Atlanta Constitution of Atlanta, GA 87-07-18
(Weekend section p. 5)
Ticket from Groove no. 6 (p. 20)
LOCATION: Nashville, Tennesse
VENUE: The Cannery
OPENER(s): White Lion
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Unknown
The preview in The Tennessean once again mentioned that Anton Figg [sic.] was the drummer.
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The Tennessean of Nashville, TN 87-07-12
(Showcase section p. 26)
Ace at The Cannery (photographer unknown)
LOCATION: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
VENUE: Castaways
OPENER(s): White Lion (?)
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: N/A
N/A
This date was not on the tour t-shirt for this leg nor is it mentioned in the tour date listing in Grooves no. 5 so I assume it was a late addition to the itinerary. I was originally unable to find any information about this show but I was sent an email from Buzzy Porter that confirmed the show and that allowed me to dig a little deeper into some newspaper archives. The show was sponsored by local radio station WKZQ. The opening act is inferred, the ads that mention an opening act has the interesting band White Snow (see below) and the ad from the day of the show doesn't mention any opening act at all. I've found no review or ticket stubs.
The band did an in-store signing session at The Record Bar in Myrtle Square Mall on the afternoon of the show.
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Sun News of Myrtle Beach, SC 87-07-18 (p. A-10)
Sun News of Myrtle Beach, SC 87-07-22 (p. B-12)
LOCATION: Charlotte, North Carolina
VENUE: Kidnapper's
OPENER(s): -
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet (?)
ATTENDANCE: N/A
N/A
I've found exactly nothing about a show on this date except Julian Gill's mention of it. Unlike the show in Charlotte on Jul 17 there's no mention of it in the Charlotte Observer—in fact, on this date a band called The Vandals was set to play Kidnappers—nor is it mentioned in the aforementioned tour date listing in Grooves no. 5. It's likely this is also a mistaken date.
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LOCATION: Cookstown, NJ
VENUE: The Satellite (Lounge)
OPENER(s): -
HEADLINE: Frehley's Comet
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
Love me right
Into the night
New York groove
Rock soldiers
Breakout
Shock me
Calling to you
We got your rock
Deuce
Rocket ride
There's no opening act mentioned in the ads. This was yet another "all ages admitted" show.
Setlist courtsey tolvis
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East Coast Rocker 87-07-08 (p. 32)
Philadelphia Daily News of Philadelphia, PA 87-07-24 (p. 62)
LOCATION: Allentown, Pennsylvania
VENUE: Grandstands at Allentown Fairgrounds
OPENER(s): Frehley's Comet
HEADLINE: Cinderella
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Unknown
First show on the second leg of the Frehley's Comet tour. There was a standard "choose your own interview" preview compiled from news service blurbs in The Morning Call. A somewhat belated album review, also in the Morning Call (87-07-25 p. A-71), mentioned this show.
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The Morning Call of Allentown, PA 87-06-21 (p. F-4)
The Morning Call of Allentown, PA 87-07-18 (p. A-56)
LOCATION: Johnstown, Pennsylvania
VENUE: The Cambria County War Memorial
OPENER(s): Frehley's Comet
HEADLINE: Cinderella
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Unknown
This show appeared on the White Lion tour itinerary but there is no mention of them in the press. Considering how early this show was noted in the press (see clippings below) it's odd that The Tribune had Cinderella playing the Kingston Armory both July 27 and 28 in a concert listing just a few days earlier. (The Tribune of Scranton, PA 87-07-24 p. 7)
For some local papers, Ace was the obvious draw for this show. The Daily American, for instance, barely mentioned Cinderella.
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Altoona Mirror of Altoona, PA 87-06-11 (p. C-4)
Cumberland News of Cumberland, MD 87-06-13
(Leisure Times section p. 7)
LOCATION: Salisbury, Maryland
VENUE: Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
OPENER(s): Frehley's Comet
HEADLINE: Cinderella
ATTENDANCE: Unknown
Rip it out
Stranger in a strange land
Something moved
Cold gin
New York groove
Into the night
Breakout
Shock me
Rock soldiers
Rocket ride
The review by Dick Fleming barely mentioned Ace and completely neglected to mention the name of the band. This date was also on the White Lion tour itinerary but there's no mention of them at all.
Setlist comes from an audio recording courtsey tolvis.
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The Baltimore Sun of Baltimore, MD 87-07-05
(O.C. section p. 32)
