The Dave Friday Band & Ace Frehley @ Cornerstone Review

Blending in with the other buildings on Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley is the Cornerstone, but its much more than it appears from the street. Hiding behind the brown facade is a tastefully designed and decorated restaurant and bar with plenty of seating. Out the back is a large patio area with seating and fire pits to relax by. Having never been there before, we were directed to the venue entrance around the corner on Durnat Ave. As we rounded the corner, it was obvious we were in the right place. A line of well over a hundred excited concert goers waited anxiously to get inside.

The venue space inside is a large open space with the stage to the left, bar to the right and minimal seating along the back wall. There is a "U" shaped balcony above with bar stool seating all the way around. Those seats fill up quickly, so plan on getting there early if you are wanting to sit. Although the main floor is mainly standing room only, the stage is set up much higher than typical club stages, which makes for much better viewing from anywhere in the venue. 

When the music started, the Dave Friday Band was the opening act. They are a band of four very talented musicians that played all original music, and they were really good! The only thing we did not like was there set was only 30 minutes, and we would have liked to have heard more from them. The Dave Friday Band is definitely someone we will check out again when they have more time on stage.

After about a half hour break, Ace Frehley and his band took the stage. There's not much to say other than they killed it. With Rickie Scarlet on guitar, Chris Wyse on bass, Scot Coogan on drums and of course the man himself, Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley, they were phenomenal! At 67 years old, Ace Frehley can still rock it. 

Overall, this was one of the best "club" concerts we have ever been to. Not only because of the talent, but also the venue. The sound system and lighting are first class all the way. The staff was friendly. The bathrooms were clean. Parking was easy. Everything about it made for the perfect night, and we could not have asked for a better experience than what we got at Cornerstone. It's a venue us here at RockTalkUSA.com are sure to go back to many more times.....