Kiss, Ramones veterans play with Pearl Jam in NY

By Jonathan Cohen

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Pearl Jam drafted former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and Ramones bassist C.J. Ramone for guest appearances during the second of a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Frehley turned up to play lead guitar on Kiss' "Black Diamond," which was mostly sung by drummer Matt Cameron, with guitarist Mike McCready, an admitted Frehley obsessive, handling the first verse. As he'd done the night before, Ramone thundered through his former band's "I Believe in Miracles."

A healthy celebrity quotient was on hand during the MSG run, including Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, and Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

The MSG sets went heavy on material from the band's first three albums, with hits like "Alive," "Even Flow," "Daughter," "Corduroy" and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" balanced by deep cuts such as "Leash," "Rats," "Whipping" and "Garden."

Pearl Jam heads to Hartford, Conn., on Friday, and will return to New York on Tuesday to play a private show benefiting the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty charity.

Reuters/Billboard