Ace Frehley performs at Hazard’s Forum | News

Legendary guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ace Frehley, the former KISS member known as Spaceman, performed March 13 at the Hal Rogers Center (The Forum) in Hazard.

While at Hazard, Frehley performed several songs, including “Rip It Out”; “Parasite;” “Stutter;” “Emerald;” “Rocket Tower;” “Soldiers of the Rock”; “Never life/good times;” “Detroit Rock City;” “Hard Times;” “NYG;” “Strange Ways”; “Shock Me / Solo;” “Cold Gin / Diamond;” and “Devil”. The gig was part of Frehley’s 2022 tour, and the Hazard event was his smallest performance of the year.

Greg Napier, an event promoter at radio station WZQQ, said that while he thought more people would attend the event, the concert was a success and he is pleased with the turnout given the weather and the pandemic.

“I thought it was good. I was satisfied,” Napier said. he said, adding that many people who had purchased tickets did not show up to claim them.

This was the first live show hosted by Napier since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When events were halted due to COVID, he said, he worried that he would no longer be able to hold events like this.

“I just didn’t think it would happen again, but somehow, by the grace of God, we made it, and we have another show in October with Kings X and tickets are already selling out for that,” did he declare. mentioned.

The Ace Frehley concert, he said, drew people from several states and even from another country.

“We had 10 states represented as far west as Montana and as far south as Florida, and even Argentina — out of the country,” Napier said. “I think hotels were definitely happy this weekend.”

Napier said he believes events like Frehley’s concert help tourism, and he’s proud of his role in accomplishing that.

“To date, from my Whitesburg and Hazard concert experience, the only state in the Union that I haven’t attended my concerts is Oregon,” Napier said. “As far as tourism goes, that’s the proudest thing I can say – that 49 states have come to Eastern Kentucky for our shows.”

Napier said that while he finds it interesting to attract people from all over the United States, he wants more local people to attend the shows and enjoy the Forum.

“I just wish more people back home would enjoy this venue and these types of artists,” Napier said. “It was really gratifying to see people from back home here.”

“It’s a unique setting because these artists, 99% of the time, it’s in the smallest town that they go to play or in the smallest theater. They like people and they like to come; it’s a beautiful part of the world,” Napier said. “A lot of people, I think, don’t really know – even here at home – all the great acts that have come here.”

Many of the artists he books for performances, he said, tell him that the Forum is one of the best venues or halls they play on their tours.

“I’m very proud of that,” Napier said, explaining that the process of preparing the Forum for events takes time. “I integrate sound and light and production as far north as Cincinatti and all the way to Pike County. It’s a big process because the packages I use allow you to close the doors of the Forum and it’s the same type of production as in any metropolitan area.

The work, he says, is hard but rewarding.

“My thing is, I want to give everyone the best show possible every time we put something together. It’s like building a house in a day; you have to start – like in the Forum, there is no sound or light, then we have to integrate them and hours later everything falls into place,” he said.

At Hazard’s concert, the demographic of those in attendance was very broad, with ages ranging from eight to 70, Napier said.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” he said, saying music is a way to bring people together. “She’s one of the beauties of rock ‘n’ roll. You may be 70, but you still have that feeling of being 20 and it’s timeless, and that’s why people still come here to remember the good times. Especially in the world we live in today, we need more live music, whether it’s at the Forum or on Main Street with local artists, it’s very important; it is more important than ever.

“It seems like the show brought a lot of joy to a lot of people and that’s all I could ask for,” Napier said.

For more details on Frehley’s 2022 tour, visit http://acefrehley.com/tour_dates/. For more information on upcoming events hosted by WZQQ, tune in to WZQQ or follow them on social media.