KISS launched their first performance in nearly two years with a candlelit moment of silence for Ace Frehley.

The outdoor unplugged concert marked the beginning of the KISS Kruise: Land-Locked in Vegas weekend, which is the first time the band has performed together since the conclusion of their farewell tour in December 2023.

Before the show, electric candles were distributed to the audience. When the band took the stage, Paul Stanley urged the crowd to raise them in the air and take a moment “to think about somebody who is at the foundation of this band. We’re talking about Ace. We certainly had differences, but that’s what family is about. Why don’t we take a moment… think about him looking down on us – from Jendell, probably – and let’s have a moment for Ace.”

You can see the tribute here.

Frehley passed away after a fall in his home studio on October 16. Stanley, Simmons, and founding drummer Peter Criss all attended his funeral.

After the tribute, the band began their music with their traditional unplugged set opener, Hotter Than Hell‘s “Comin’ Home.” You can see the full set list below.

Both the band and the audience were clearly excited to be together again, with the normally joke-heavy Gene Simmons noting that seeing many familiar faces in the crowd “means a lot to us.”

Both Simmons and Stanley were in proud father mode, pointing out their sons (Nick and Evan, respectively) in the crowd and boasting about the album that the younger duo is about to release. “This is not a paid announcement,” Stanley declared. “Wait until you hear Nick and Evan’s album, it’s unbelievable. It’s hard to believe they came from us!”

The group was in a playful mood throughout the night, offering impromptu renditions of The Beatles’ “I’ll Be Back” and Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” between their own songs. After some debate onstage, they managed to convince lead guitarist Tommy Thayer to close out the show with “Love Her All I Can,” even though he feared that the solo wouldn’t translate well to an acoustic setting.

“This may suck,” Stanley warned, “but we’ll make it up to you tomorrow night.” It did not suck, and the group will perform an electric show on Saturday night. Stay tuned!

KISS Acoustic Setlist — KISS Kruise Vegas Unplugged Show

1. “Comin’ Home”
2. “See You Tonite” (Gene Simmons song)
3. “A World Without Heroes”
4. “Hard Luck Woman” (first performance since 2019)
5. “Christine Sixteen”
6. “Nothin’ to Lose”
7. “Goin’ Blind”
8. “Hide Your Heart” (first performance since 2019)
9. “Plaster Caster”
10. “Beth”
11. “Love Her All I Can”