Ace in Your Monroe? More Common Than You Think.
Show Review ★ C.L. Wages ★ @soundslikecl ★ 900 Words
Hey everyone, it’s C.L. again! Over the weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Ace Monroe show at Lager House in Detroit, Michigan. (Sunday, July 27th, 2025). After some speed bumps getting there (Detroit has two Lager Houses, one Haus, one House), everything went very smoothly.
Lager House is a bar and grill with some varying food options that are actually pretty good. If you have plans to attend a show there, not only is there a full bar, there is also a food menu that ranges a bit outside typical bar food.
This show was a hot one, both literally and figuratively. The one downside of this venue is that the A/C is a bit lacking, so if you have a summer show planned, be sure to hydrate and pace yourself. Both the band and the audience were (literally) dripping with sweat by the end of the show, but don’t worry, the heat didn't slow them down at all.
Starting us off, Faded, a three man rock band, opened the show. Composed of a pair of twins and a friend, they really knew how to rock. Lead guitarist Gavin Pierce and twin brother Garrett on bass and vocals took on the role of true rockstars with choreographed guitar/bass moves and plenty of crowd interactions. Their sound was akin to 80’s metal hair bands and paired really well with Ace’s sound and appropriately prepped us for their set. Lasting about 45 minutes, their set was high energy and brought us back for a true classic rock show. They played 8 songs, 7 of which were originals and one cover of a stylized 99 Problems by Jay-Z.
Photos from Faded’s set 7/27/2025
They interacted with the crowd frequently as I mentioned above, giving out guitar picks, doing call and response sessions, and even venturing off stage into the crowd itself, and they did this more than once! Ultimately, they rocked out and their energy was infectious, which paired perfectly with Ace’s upcoming set. After the show they could be found at their merch table selling their wares with a pretty good variety of products and some good conversation. In summary, these guys are charismatic, talented, and really know how to put on a show and aren’t afraid to go all out. It was a great time.
There was a short 20 minute break in between sets to give time for each band to breakdown and set up respectively. Once on stage Ace Monroe jumped right into it playing their song Ghosts, of which I gathered from the crowd was a special treat as they don’t play it often. Now if Faded was high energy, Ace was even higher, and I am serious. The band is composed of lead singer/front man Robbie Dylan, bassist Erik McIntyre, guitarists Josh Alfano and Jack Kaiser, and last but certainly not least, drummer extraordinaire Jonathan Tatooles.
Before we delve any further into the review, I want to acknowledge that at this point in the night the venue was sitting at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but don’t think this slowed them down. Despite the sweltering heat they powered through and put on one hell of a show. In total, they played 17 songs, two of which were covers (Helter Skelter, Motley Crue style and Teenagers by emo icons My Chemical Romance).
Ace Monroe is not afraid to interact with the crowd and they are not afraid to match the energy. At one point during the show I was headbanging, as one does, and guitarists Jack and Josh joined me. Despite the unwavering, suffocating heat, the crow was super energized and I feel as though the band really fed off of that energy and reciprocated it during their set. Much like supporting act Faded, they were also generous with giving out guitar picks and setlists at the end of the night, and interacted heavily with the crowd. During their cover of Helter Skelter, Robbie (lead singer) took a break and let Jack (guitarist) take over the microphone, during which he bent down and sang with a fan for a brief moment. (If I can take a moment to be truly honest, I was this fan and it made my night. When I go to shows to review them I always go in with the mindset of enjoying myself, rather than just being there for work. I feel like I get a more authentic review this way). They closed out the show with their song Bad News from their 2023 Self Titled record, and it did a wonderful job of ending their set on a high note, so to speak.
Photos from Ace Monroe’s set 7/27/2025
Following their set they spent a decent amount of time at the merch booth, saying hello to concert goers and selling their wares (and accepting shots from generous fans). They also took a few moments to take pictures with their supporting act, as well as any fans that wanted a photo. Knowing that they took the time and wanted to take the time to do this really speaks to their characters as people. Due to their true gratitude for their fans, in combination with amazing talent, Ace Monroe is a modern rock band that I believe will go very far. There is no doubt in my mind that they will be playing and selling out bigger venues soon. Be sure to listen to their newest album Wild Card released on April 25th of this year and follow them on social media to keep up with their schedules!
As always, it was a pleasure attending this show, and a pleasure reviewing it. If you’re reading this I can’t recommend these bands enough. Both Ace Monroe and Faded are composed of amazingly talented and genuine people, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for them. Huge thank you to both bands for giving their audience an unforgettable experience!
