Turkey Jam 2025: Bettencourt and Sweet Rock a Killer ‘Shout It Out Loud’ for Ace Frehley

“Turkey Jam” has always been a warm, noisy, family-run tradition in Hudson, Massachusetts, but this year’s edition carried a different kind of energy. With Ace Frehley’s passing still fresh in the minds of fans and musicians alike, Nuno Bettencourt and Michael Sweet stepped onstage with a purpose that went beyond the usual holiday fun. Their spirited run through KISS’s “Shout It Out Loud” felt both celebratory and reflective — a nod to the man who shaped generations of guitar players, performers, and dreamers.

Held at the Hudson Portuguese Club, the night featured the Bettencourt family and their extended musical circle doing what they love most: cranking up the amps and letting classic rock fill the room. It’s an event that has grown from a local gathering to an eagerly awaited annual reunion, with tickets often gone long before the week of Thanksgiving arrives. Yet despite its popularity, the whole thing still feels rooted in home, family, and the shared joy of making noise together.

Fan-shot footage captured by the Steve’s Concert Corner channel quickly made its way online, helping the tribute reach those who couldn’t attend. Watching Bettencourt and Sweet lock into “Shout It Out Loud” showed exactly why this small-town tradition holds such weight — it’s genuine, heartfelt, and powered by musicians who never forget where they came from.

A Tradition That Keeps Growing

Over the years, “Turkey Jam” has quietly built its own mythology. What started as a laid-back gathering has evolved into a Thanksgiving anchor for rock fans in Massachusetts. The Bettencourt family treats it like a reunion rather than a performance, which is exactly why people keep coming back. There’s no distance between the stage and the audience — everyone feels like part of the clan for the night.

Nuno Bettencourt’s presence naturally draws attention. Extreme’s longtime guitarist has played stadiums, world tours, and massive festivals, yet he still treats this hometown event as something essential. The intimacy of it contrasts with his more glamorous gigs, but that’s what gives Turkey Jam its charm. It’s a rare chance to see world-class players in a casual, almost living-room setting, laughing between songs and sharing family stories.

Michael Sweet’s involvement adds another layer. Known for his soaring vocals and decades of work with Stryper, he brings the kind of energy that blends effortlessly with Bettencourt’s guitar swagger. Their chemistry may surprise those who don’t normally picture them onstage together, but in this setting, it feels completely natural. The night thrives on familiarity, camaraderie, and the kind of musical conversations that happen only when musicians are playing for pure enjoyment.

A Tribute That Hit Deeper Than Expected

When the first chords of “Shout It Out Loud” rang out, the crowd already knew it wasn’t just another cover. Ace Frehley’s death the previous month had shaken fans across generations. Even musicians who rarely pause to reflect on such moments found themselves revisiting his legacy. Bettencourt was one of them, and his recent comments on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation made it clear that Ace was more than a guitarist to him — he was a formative figure.

Nuno talked openly about the beauty and fragility of Ace’s long career, describing it as “quite a run.” He admired the fact that Frehley reached 74 after a lifetime of hard living, relentless touring, and unforgettable music. But more than that, he highlighted how Ace taught a generation what it meant to be a guitar hero. Not the fastest. Not the flashiest. But memorable — a player who understood “simplexity,” as Nuno described it, where the lines were simple enough to hum but smart enough to stick forever.

For Nuno, Ace wasn’t just about riffs; he was about identity. He remembered staring at the Destroyer and Love Gun album covers as a child, learning what showmanship looked like before he even understood the technical side of music. That bond between young fans and the larger-than-life KISS universe shaped childhoods, friendships, and eventually careers. Playing “Shout It Out Loud” at Turkey Jam wasn’t just a song choice — it was a return to the roots that shaped every musician on that stage.

The Spirit Behind the Performance

What made the tribute powerful wasn’t just accuracy or musicianship. It was the atmosphere surrounding it — a room full of people who felt Ace’s loss in their own way. Turkey Jam has always been about connection, and this year that connection carried a bittersweet edge. Bettencourt and Sweet didn’t lean into sadness; they leaned into celebration. The performance was loud, loose, and joyful, the way Ace himself would’ve wanted it.

Extreme’s recent success with their 2023 album Six reminded many fans that Nuno is still pushing boundaries as a musician. Yet on this night, he didn’t need to reinvent anything. By channeling Ace’s spirit through a classic KISS anthem, he honored the idea that not every tribute needs to be complicated. Sometimes, keeping it raw and familiar says more than any technical display ever could.

As the video continues to circulate online, it captures the essence of what makes Turkey Jam special: world-class artists returning home, reconnecting with their roots, and playing rock and roll for the sake of pure joy. This year, that joy carried the distinct echo of Ace Frehley — a reminder of the cultural footprint he left behind, and how deeply he shaped the musicians who followed. In that room, on that night, “Shout It Out Loud” wasn’t nostalgia. It was gratitude.