BraveWords&BloodyKnuckles
BW&BK scribe Mitch Lafon recently caught up with KISS drummer Eric Singer, discussing a variety of subjects in anticipation of the band's July 24th appearance at Heavy MTL.
Singer: "KISS has always been somewhat of a unifying and polarizing band. Just like buying a car buying a car or eating at a restaurant – you go by participation. If I don’t like something I don’t buy it. I don’t support it. You vote with your wallet, but KISS is about the show and about having a good time. Being in KISS is a lot of hard work. It’s not easy like everybody thinks. I’ve been in a lot of bands and nothing takes the amount of energy, effort and work as it does to play in KISS. I’ve seen Paul almost yawning before he goes on stage, but when the lights go down – BAM. He’s running around, jumping…What’s important is when you are on that stage. That’s when you have to give 100%..”
-- On the KISS audience: "We’ve seen how the audience has changed over the past few years. It’s now more of an all-ages show. I liken KISS to Disneyworld or Universal Studios – it’s one of these spectacle things that you’ve got to go see."
-- On Heavy MTL: "We love Montreal. It’s a beautiful city. I’m glad that we’re going back there to play the Heavy MTL festival. And we have a day off there, which is very cool."
Read the rest at BraveWords:ERIC SINGER
KISS MASK WEBZINE Celebrates 40 Years of KISS. Est. 1987
Monday, July 25, 2011
Kiss Rock Montreal!
By Mark Lepage, The Montreal Gazette
Moshed potatoes for 35,000, anyone?
Two days and nights, 39 bands, enough volume and weight to shift a tectonic plate. Knobs at 11? 12. Heavy MTL.
And when KISS followed Motorhead’s customarily essential set, setting off their own Fireworks Competition display last night, one had to admit, this is the ideal one-stop-shopping outing to stock up on a year’s worth of metal.
Sunday night, Heavy MTL got the headliner it deserved and needed – not the purest of the death metalloids, but the showbizzers who prove more than any that the “bastard child of rock’n’roll” is multigenerational. When Paul Stanley screeched “Hold up your little ones!” between Firehouse and Deuce, and many parents hoisted kids in KISS make-up, you realized KISS reminds you of the pointlessness of Broadway. This is Broadway, the hard/real way: the demon/loverman/space-case/cat costumed finery, the spectacle, and a vilified songbook that still kills anything in Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. A huge crowd, who’d shifted over after Motorhead’s irreducible Ace of Spades and Overkill to cram the left side of the park, roared at the fire-pillars, and throughout a comprehensive set that reminds even the least devoted in the audience that KISS has now been an entry point to rock’n’roll for 40 (!) years of wasted youth.
Moshed potatoes for 35,000, anyone?
Two days and nights, 39 bands, enough volume and weight to shift a tectonic plate. Knobs at 11? 12. Heavy MTL.
And when KISS followed Motorhead’s customarily essential set, setting off their own Fireworks Competition display last night, one had to admit, this is the ideal one-stop-shopping outing to stock up on a year’s worth of metal.
Sunday night, Heavy MTL got the headliner it deserved and needed – not the purest of the death metalloids, but the showbizzers who prove more than any that the “bastard child of rock’n’roll” is multigenerational. When Paul Stanley screeched “Hold up your little ones!” between Firehouse and Deuce, and many parents hoisted kids in KISS make-up, you realized KISS reminds you of the pointlessness of Broadway. This is Broadway, the hard/real way: the demon/loverman/space-case/cat costumed finery, the spectacle, and a vilified songbook that still kills anything in Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. A huge crowd, who’d shifted over after Motorhead’s irreducible Ace of Spades and Overkill to cram the left side of the park, roared at the fire-pillars, and throughout a comprehensive set that reminds even the least devoted in the audience that KISS has now been an entry point to rock’n’roll for 40 (!) years of wasted youth.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Kiss Ready to Headline Montreal's MTL Festival
Kiss will headine day two of Montreal's MTL Festival on Sunday July 24, 2011. Kiss will hit the stage at 9:00 PM. Please refer to the festival website for more information and ticket sales. Other acts on the bill for the two day event are Anthrax, Motorhead and Godsmack and Disturbed.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Ace Frehley to appear at Rock And Shock Expo
Ace Frehley will be among the special guests at the Rock And Shock Expo October 14-16, 2011 in Worcester, MA. The event will be held at the DCU Center and the Palladium. For more information check out the ROCK AND SHOCK website.
Bruce Kulick and the Sin City Sinners- Video
Bruce Kulick and the Sin City Sinners live in Las Vegas, July 18, 2011.
DEUCE
UNHOLY
DEUCE
UNHOLY
Archie joins the Kiss Army!
Archie-Kiss Series Starts November
BigShinyRobot.com
Oh yeah, this is definitely news-worthy. KISS, the incredibly iconic rock group is returning to comics. While both IDW and Archie have the license to make KISS books, I wanted to focus on Archie’s effort. Archie is no stranger to off the wall crossovers, famously teaming with the Punisher and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 90′s. And KISS is no stranger to the comics page, having some truly high concept stuff from Marvel in the 70′s and later on with Image in the 90′s. I’ll be honest though. When I first heard about this, my WTF meter kind of spiked. Then I read the book’s actual summary and now I am really jonesing to read this book.
Starting in November’s Archie #627, the four-part “Archie Meets KISS” story will be written by Alex Segura, who recently proved his writing chops over in Archie & Friends and it’ll be drawn by Dan Parent, who is in my opinion the best artist in Archie’s stable. The premise is this: One of Sabrina’s spells goes off wrong and a bunch of monsters invade Riverdale. This predicament brings the forces of the Archies and KISS together to rid the world of these foul creatures with the power of rock!
Don’t take my word for it though, here are some select quotes first, Gene Simmons himself.
“KISS has a comic book history that spans almost four decades…but it was time to do things better than ever before. What’s bigger than two different companies sharing the KISS license? Archie and IDW will tell two unique and in-your-face tales of KISS, and we’re thrilled to be working with them on these projects.”
Then from Archie Co-CEO Jon Goldwater:
“We’re ecstatic to team up with Gene, Paul and the entire KISS Army for this project. KISS is such a huge part of Americana and that goes hand-in-hand with Archie and friends. We’re honored and excited to help bring KISS back to comics in a huge way.
And while IDW hasn’t really announced their part yet Chief Creative Office at IDW, Chris Ryall had this to say:
“IDW’s KISS series will kick off in a very special way in 2012. “Having done comics with Gene Simmons for a number of years already, I’m ecstatic to now be involved fully with the ‘hottest band in the world. We’ve found a very unique way to launch our KISS comics, and have big plans for the series that we’ll be revealing soon. I look forward to bringing KISS back to comics in a huge way!”
“I think this is the first time two comic publishers have shared a license at the same time, and I’m happy that setting this precedent are Archie and IDW. We both have very different audiences and distribution methods to reach our unique audiences, as well as both of us reaching traditional comics fans, too. We’ll be able to reach all ages of the KISS Army in ways never before equaled. We’re both ready to rock and roll (all night).”
Well said, now, I wonder what we have to do to convince Archie to print the comics with authentic KISS blood?
BigShinyRobot.com
Oh yeah, this is definitely news-worthy. KISS, the incredibly iconic rock group is returning to comics. While both IDW and Archie have the license to make KISS books, I wanted to focus on Archie’s effort. Archie is no stranger to off the wall crossovers, famously teaming with the Punisher and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 90′s. And KISS is no stranger to the comics page, having some truly high concept stuff from Marvel in the 70′s and later on with Image in the 90′s. I’ll be honest though. When I first heard about this, my WTF meter kind of spiked. Then I read the book’s actual summary and now I am really jonesing to read this book.
Starting in November’s Archie #627, the four-part “Archie Meets KISS” story will be written by Alex Segura, who recently proved his writing chops over in Archie & Friends and it’ll be drawn by Dan Parent, who is in my opinion the best artist in Archie’s stable. The premise is this: One of Sabrina’s spells goes off wrong and a bunch of monsters invade Riverdale. This predicament brings the forces of the Archies and KISS together to rid the world of these foul creatures with the power of rock!
Don’t take my word for it though, here are some select quotes first, Gene Simmons himself.
“KISS has a comic book history that spans almost four decades…but it was time to do things better than ever before. What’s bigger than two different companies sharing the KISS license? Archie and IDW will tell two unique and in-your-face tales of KISS, and we’re thrilled to be working with them on these projects.”
Then from Archie Co-CEO Jon Goldwater:
“We’re ecstatic to team up with Gene, Paul and the entire KISS Army for this project. KISS is such a huge part of Americana and that goes hand-in-hand with Archie and friends. We’re honored and excited to help bring KISS back to comics in a huge way.
And while IDW hasn’t really announced their part yet Chief Creative Office at IDW, Chris Ryall had this to say:
“IDW’s KISS series will kick off in a very special way in 2012. “Having done comics with Gene Simmons for a number of years already, I’m ecstatic to now be involved fully with the ‘hottest band in the world. We’ve found a very unique way to launch our KISS comics, and have big plans for the series that we’ll be revealing soon. I look forward to bringing KISS back to comics in a huge way!”
“I think this is the first time two comic publishers have shared a license at the same time, and I’m happy that setting this precedent are Archie and IDW. We both have very different audiences and distribution methods to reach our unique audiences, as well as both of us reaching traditional comics fans, too. We’ll be able to reach all ages of the KISS Army in ways never before equaled. We’re both ready to rock and roll (all night).”
Well said, now, I wonder what we have to do to convince Archie to print the comics with authentic KISS blood?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Kiss: Soundcheck & Backstage Footage
via Kissonline
Kiss soundcheck "Shock Me" in Springfield, IL., July 18, 2011. Tommy is in full make-up and costume for a pre-show photo shoot.
Kiss exiting the stage from the crew's standpoint at the Manchester, New Hampshire show, July 12, 2011.
Kiss soundcheck "Shock Me" in Springfield, IL., July 18, 2011. Tommy is in full make-up and costume for a pre-show photo shoot.
Kiss exiting the stage from the crew's standpoint at the Manchester, New Hampshire show, July 12, 2011.
Musician, reality TV star Gene Simmons to appear at B.C. Lions game
VANCOUVER - The B.C. Lions are hoping some star appeal will help them earn their first win of the CFL season.
Canadian Free Press
Gene Simmons, the long-time bassist with the rock band KISS and star of his own reality television series, will perform the ceremonial pre-game coin toss Friday (7/22) night when the Lions face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Empire Stadium.
The Lions (0-3) are one of two CFL teams still in search of their first win. The other is the Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-3).
Hamilton (1-2) is coming off a 33-3 home victory over Saskatchewan on Saturday.
Canadian Free Press
Gene Simmons, the long-time bassist with the rock band KISS and star of his own reality television series, will perform the ceremonial pre-game coin toss Friday (7/22) night when the Lions face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Empire Stadium.
The Lions (0-3) are one of two CFL teams still in search of their first win. The other is the Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-3).
Hamilton (1-2) is coming off a 33-3 home victory over Saskatchewan on Saturday.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
PodKISSt #47: The Voice of “Alive II” Speaks! Eddie Balandas!
PodKISSt is coming at you for July 2011 with a fantastic new interview you won’t hear anywhere else! Ken and Mike got a chance to chat with the great Eddie Balandas. Eddie is known to the KISS Army as the booming voice you hear at the start of “Alive II,” and he was kind enough to share his insights from life on the road with KISS at the height of their 1970′s stardom! Plus you’ll hear details on an exciting new PodKISSt contest brought to courtesy of Man Raze (a hard rock trio from London featuring Phil Collen of Def Leppard, Simon Laffy of Girl, and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols). The winner gets a kick-ass Ace Frehley poster and a coveted place in the hallowed halls of PodKISSt! So don’t delay… it ain’t a crime to be good to yourself!
Check it out HERE!
Eddie will appear at the Chicago Kiss Expo Oct 9th 2011!
Check it out HERE!
Eddie will appear at the Chicago Kiss Expo Oct 9th 2011!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Longtime Kiss fans passionate for years
By BRIAN MACKEY (brian.mackey@sj-r.com)
The State Journal Register
You always remember your first time.
For Mike Austin, it was in St. Louis at the old Checkerdome.
“I had to sneak out of the house and lie to the parents to get to go,” he said. “I had to catch a ride with other people who had tickets.”
He was 14. It was the autumn of ’79. It was Kiss.
“After I saw them once, that was all it took,” he said.
Austin, who was living in Pawnee at the time, saw his first Springfield Kiss show in 1983.
He saw the band three times on that tour. Then he began seeing them more. A lot more.
He has driven up to eight hours to see Kiss.
Louisville. Peoria. Moline. Rockford. St. Louis. Chicago. Indianapolis.
And, of course, Springfield. Austin will be there at 7:30 p.m. Monday, when Kiss returns to the Prairie Capital Convention Center for the first time in nearly two decades.
“The July show will be my 63rd Kiss show,” Austin said.
Kiss inspires a remarkable degree of loyalty among its fans.
‘Family members’
The group, best known for hard-rock anthems like “Rock and Roll All Nite,” first performed in Springfield on Dec. 30, 1974, at the Illinois State Armory.
The band was less than two years old. Tickets cost $5 in advance, $6 at the door.
There were fairly regular appearances throughout the 1980s, but the band hasn’t been here since 1992. Yet they keep coming.
Can anything make a show really special when you’ve already seen it 62 times?
“People ask me, ‘Is it the same every time you go?’” Austin said.
From tour to tour, sometimes the songs change, or the costumes or the set. But things don’t vary much on a given tour. There will be makeup. There will be explosions.
“But it’s one of those things that I just don’t get tired of,” Austin said. “They’ve been in my life as long as family members.”
By the group’s Nov. 24, 1992, concert at the PCCC, the group had shed its makeup. But it was still working to put on a ridiculous show.
“We have a history and I want to see us live up to it,” founding member Paul Stanley told The State Journal-Register at the time. “We’ve set off more bombs in this show than anything we’ve ever done. Great lasers, too. Two hours a night. We’ll do loads of stuff from (1975’s) ‘Kiss Alive!’ right up to the latest stuff.”
To some, Kiss is the ultimate rock band.
“I’ve seen them 36 times,” Randy Bounds said. “This will be 37.”
Like Austin, that tally includes all the Springfield performances except the 1974 Armory show.
Bounds, 42, is the controller at E.L. Pruitt Co. in Springfield. His older cousins turned him on to the band.
“I saw them on ‘The Paul Lynde Halloween Special’ and ‘Midnight Special’ and that was it. They’ve been my favorite ever since,” Bounds said.
He has 474 Kiss songs on his iPod.
“A lot of people don’t give them credit for the music, but the music’s good,” he said. The band members have been nice when he’s met them, and they put on the kind of show they would want to see.
“It’s not just a bunch of guys in blue jeans coming out and singing,” he said. “It’s theatrics and the show — you get the best of both worlds.”
Austin is serious about the music, too. His parents bought him his first Kiss album at the old JR’s Music in White Oaks Mall.
He still has his copy of “Alive!” and says he buys new Kiss albums the day they come out — and he still prefers hard copies to digital downloads.
“All of my vinyls I’ve had through the years, I’ve gotten rid of all of them unless they were autographed — or unless they were Kiss vinyls,” he said.
Part of the machine
Kiss has sold millions of copies of its singles, albums and videos, but it’s much more than the weight of its platinum and gold discography.
Mark Kessler, co-owner of Recycled Records, sums up the group’s enduring popularity in two words: “marketing genius.”
The vintage vinyl/used furniture/you-want-it-we-got-it shop at 625 E. Adams St. has a wide range of Kiss products, old and new.
There’s a Starchild Christmas ornament from 2010 and an FM radio from 1998. There are toy cars and a mid-1990s concert program. And there’s a lot of vinyl.
You want an autographed copy of Ace Frehley’s ’78 solo album? A Japanese version of 1981’s “Music from ‘The Elder’” with gatefold cover? A red vinyl pressing of 1994’s “Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved” featuring a cover of “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Toad the Wet Sprocket? Got it, got it, got it.
Kessler recently sold a black terrycloth bathrobe with an embroidered Kiss logo. He even has a bottle of Kiss This, a “dealcoholized” wine, 1997 vintage, bottle No. 2,290 out of 60,000. That’ll set you back $100.
But all that pales in comparison to the showpiece item of Kiss memorabilia at Younger Than Yesterday in Peoria: a working, vintage Kiss pinball machine.
Owner Craig Moore said customers ask about the price several times a day.
“Not for sale,” he tells them. He’s owned several such machines over the years. Two were lost in fires. Others were sold. The one he still has was his first.
“Ten, 20 years ago, if somebody came in and offered me five grand for it, it’d be gone,” he said. “I don’t need the five grand to let go of it.”
“It’s just cool,” Moore said. “The band still exists and there’s all this mythology about Kiss, and Gene Simmons is still out there doing his best to continually reconstruct the mythology.”
All the merchandise in the world doesn’t do any good if you’re not selling something people want. Beyond the music and behind the merch, Kiss is just a band — and a brand — people can get behind.
For Simmons, the co-founder and frontman, it’s all been part of a lifelong ambition.
“Fame and riches are fine, but one can have both and still have no power,” he wrote in his autobiography, “Kiss and Make-up.” “Power is something I craved from the time I first set foot in America. I was made fun of because I couldn’t speak English, or because I was Jewish, but it really came down to not having power.”
Read The Rest HERE!
The State Journal Register
You always remember your first time.
For Mike Austin, it was in St. Louis at the old Checkerdome.
“I had to sneak out of the house and lie to the parents to get to go,” he said. “I had to catch a ride with other people who had tickets.”
He was 14. It was the autumn of ’79. It was Kiss.
“After I saw them once, that was all it took,” he said.
Austin, who was living in Pawnee at the time, saw his first Springfield Kiss show in 1983.
He saw the band three times on that tour. Then he began seeing them more. A lot more.
He has driven up to eight hours to see Kiss.
Louisville. Peoria. Moline. Rockford. St. Louis. Chicago. Indianapolis.
And, of course, Springfield. Austin will be there at 7:30 p.m. Monday, when Kiss returns to the Prairie Capital Convention Center for the first time in nearly two decades.
“The July show will be my 63rd Kiss show,” Austin said.
Kiss inspires a remarkable degree of loyalty among its fans.
‘Family members’
The group, best known for hard-rock anthems like “Rock and Roll All Nite,” first performed in Springfield on Dec. 30, 1974, at the Illinois State Armory.
The band was less than two years old. Tickets cost $5 in advance, $6 at the door.
There were fairly regular appearances throughout the 1980s, but the band hasn’t been here since 1992. Yet they keep coming.
Can anything make a show really special when you’ve already seen it 62 times?
“People ask me, ‘Is it the same every time you go?’” Austin said.
From tour to tour, sometimes the songs change, or the costumes or the set. But things don’t vary much on a given tour. There will be makeup. There will be explosions.
“But it’s one of those things that I just don’t get tired of,” Austin said. “They’ve been in my life as long as family members.”
By the group’s Nov. 24, 1992, concert at the PCCC, the group had shed its makeup. But it was still working to put on a ridiculous show.
“We have a history and I want to see us live up to it,” founding member Paul Stanley told The State Journal-Register at the time. “We’ve set off more bombs in this show than anything we’ve ever done. Great lasers, too. Two hours a night. We’ll do loads of stuff from (1975’s) ‘Kiss Alive!’ right up to the latest stuff.”
To some, Kiss is the ultimate rock band.
“I’ve seen them 36 times,” Randy Bounds said. “This will be 37.”
Like Austin, that tally includes all the Springfield performances except the 1974 Armory show.
Bounds, 42, is the controller at E.L. Pruitt Co. in Springfield. His older cousins turned him on to the band.
“I saw them on ‘The Paul Lynde Halloween Special’ and ‘Midnight Special’ and that was it. They’ve been my favorite ever since,” Bounds said.
He has 474 Kiss songs on his iPod.
“A lot of people don’t give them credit for the music, but the music’s good,” he said. The band members have been nice when he’s met them, and they put on the kind of show they would want to see.
“It’s not just a bunch of guys in blue jeans coming out and singing,” he said. “It’s theatrics and the show — you get the best of both worlds.”
Austin is serious about the music, too. His parents bought him his first Kiss album at the old JR’s Music in White Oaks Mall.
He still has his copy of “Alive!” and says he buys new Kiss albums the day they come out — and he still prefers hard copies to digital downloads.
“All of my vinyls I’ve had through the years, I’ve gotten rid of all of them unless they were autographed — or unless they were Kiss vinyls,” he said.
Part of the machine
Kiss has sold millions of copies of its singles, albums and videos, but it’s much more than the weight of its platinum and gold discography.
Mark Kessler, co-owner of Recycled Records, sums up the group’s enduring popularity in two words: “marketing genius.”
The vintage vinyl/used furniture/you-want-it-we-got-it shop at 625 E. Adams St. has a wide range of Kiss products, old and new.
There’s a Starchild Christmas ornament from 2010 and an FM radio from 1998. There are toy cars and a mid-1990s concert program. And there’s a lot of vinyl.
You want an autographed copy of Ace Frehley’s ’78 solo album? A Japanese version of 1981’s “Music from ‘The Elder’” with gatefold cover? A red vinyl pressing of 1994’s “Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved” featuring a cover of “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Toad the Wet Sprocket? Got it, got it, got it.
Kessler recently sold a black terrycloth bathrobe with an embroidered Kiss logo. He even has a bottle of Kiss This, a “dealcoholized” wine, 1997 vintage, bottle No. 2,290 out of 60,000. That’ll set you back $100.
But all that pales in comparison to the showpiece item of Kiss memorabilia at Younger Than Yesterday in Peoria: a working, vintage Kiss pinball machine.
Owner Craig Moore said customers ask about the price several times a day.
“Not for sale,” he tells them. He’s owned several such machines over the years. Two were lost in fires. Others were sold. The one he still has was his first.
“Ten, 20 years ago, if somebody came in and offered me five grand for it, it’d be gone,” he said. “I don’t need the five grand to let go of it.”
“It’s just cool,” Moore said. “The band still exists and there’s all this mythology about Kiss, and Gene Simmons is still out there doing his best to continually reconstruct the mythology.”
All the merchandise in the world doesn’t do any good if you’re not selling something people want. Beyond the music and behind the merch, Kiss is just a band — and a brand — people can get behind.
For Simmons, the co-founder and frontman, it’s all been part of a lifelong ambition.
“Fame and riches are fine, but one can have both and still have no power,” he wrote in his autobiography, “Kiss and Make-up.” “Power is something I craved from the time I first set foot in America. I was made fun of because I couldn’t speak English, or because I was Jewish, but it really came down to not having power.”
Read The Rest HERE!
Kiss Rock Massive Crowd at Rock USA
Kiss rocked the ROCK USA Festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (7/16/11) over the weekend. Springfield, Illinois is on the roster for tonight.
DEUCE
ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE
MODERN DAY DELILAH
FIREHOUSE
DEUCE
ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE
MODERN DAY DELILAH
FIREHOUSE
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Kiss brings bombast and familiarity to Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center
By Dustin Schoof
The Express-Times The Express-Times
Kiss band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer perform Wednesday night at Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center in Bushkill, Pa.
Hard rock legends Kiss kicked off the first concert at the recently re-opened and revamped Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Center in style on Wednesday night; with more pyrotechnics, bombast and fireworks than a Fourth of July celebration.
The makeup-clad quartet opened with "Modern Day Delilah," the first single off their 2009 studio album "Sonic Boom," following it up with a one-two punch of "Cold Gin" and "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll." The latter allowed bassist/singer Gene Simmons, wagging his famous and fully extended tongue in the air, to flex his muscles for a brief rhythmic solo.
The classic Kiss stage presentation has not changed much since the band's mid-1970s heyday. However, age proved to be a factor working against the group.
Singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley's high-pitched yelp strained to hit many of the notes he once belted out with ease, most notably on "Firehouse."Stanley later surprised the crowd by playing the opening riff to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" before the rest of the band joined him on stage for raucous rendition of "Black Diamond."
The band managed to hit their familiar marks throughout the night, such as Simmons' fire-breathing stunt during the final notes of "Firehouse." Later, Simmons, engulfed in dense fog and fully immersed in his "Demon" persona, spat fake blood before thumping the intro to "God of Thunder."
Lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, who replaced original Spaceman Ace Frehley in 2002, mimicked many of Frehley's classic solos and stage mannerisms to a "T." Thayer also took over lead vocals on "Shock Me," breaking out Frehley's famous rocket-guitar trick, which drew roaring applause from the crowd -- although it was surreal to see someone else on stage in Frehley's Spaceman regalia playing the licks and singing the songs that made him a guitar icon.
Drummer Eric Singer, decked out in the Catman get-up made famous by original Kiss drummer Peter Criss, demonstrated impressive skills behind the kit; twirling his drumsticks while pounding out intense fills with precision timing and execution.
In typical Kiss fashion, those in attendance were given plenty of bang for their buck, though at times it seemed as if the band was simply going through the motions. They offered little if no surprise in the way of song choices. Following a spin through "Detroit Rock City," the group returned on stage for a four-song encore of "Beth" (with Singer on lead vocals), "Lick It Up," "Shout It Out Loud" and, of course, "Rock and Roll All Nite."
But Kiss has always been about the spectacle of the live concert experience. And that is exactly what they gave members of the Kiss Army who showed up to express their appreciation for their rock 'n' roll heroes.
"Modern Day Delilah"
"Cold Gin"
"Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll"
"Firehouse"
"Say Yeah"
"Deuce"
"Do You Love Me"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Shock Me"
"I Love It Loud"
"Love Gun"
"God of Thunder"
"Black Diamond"
"Detroit Rock City"
Encore break
"Beth" (acoustic)
"Lick It Up"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Rock and Roll All Nite"
The Express-Times The Express-Times
Kiss band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer perform Wednesday night at Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center in Bushkill, Pa.
Hard rock legends Kiss kicked off the first concert at the recently re-opened and revamped Mountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Center in style on Wednesday night; with more pyrotechnics, bombast and fireworks than a Fourth of July celebration.
The makeup-clad quartet opened with "Modern Day Delilah," the first single off their 2009 studio album "Sonic Boom," following it up with a one-two punch of "Cold Gin" and "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll." The latter allowed bassist/singer Gene Simmons, wagging his famous and fully extended tongue in the air, to flex his muscles for a brief rhythmic solo.
The classic Kiss stage presentation has not changed much since the band's mid-1970s heyday. However, age proved to be a factor working against the group.
Singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley's high-pitched yelp strained to hit many of the notes he once belted out with ease, most notably on "Firehouse."Stanley later surprised the crowd by playing the opening riff to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" before the rest of the band joined him on stage for raucous rendition of "Black Diamond."
The band managed to hit their familiar marks throughout the night, such as Simmons' fire-breathing stunt during the final notes of "Firehouse." Later, Simmons, engulfed in dense fog and fully immersed in his "Demon" persona, spat fake blood before thumping the intro to "God of Thunder."
Lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, who replaced original Spaceman Ace Frehley in 2002, mimicked many of Frehley's classic solos and stage mannerisms to a "T." Thayer also took over lead vocals on "Shock Me," breaking out Frehley's famous rocket-guitar trick, which drew roaring applause from the crowd -- although it was surreal to see someone else on stage in Frehley's Spaceman regalia playing the licks and singing the songs that made him a guitar icon.
Drummer Eric Singer, decked out in the Catman get-up made famous by original Kiss drummer Peter Criss, demonstrated impressive skills behind the kit; twirling his drumsticks while pounding out intense fills with precision timing and execution.
In typical Kiss fashion, those in attendance were given plenty of bang for their buck, though at times it seemed as if the band was simply going through the motions. They offered little if no surprise in the way of song choices. Following a spin through "Detroit Rock City," the group returned on stage for a four-song encore of "Beth" (with Singer on lead vocals), "Lick It Up," "Shout It Out Loud" and, of course, "Rock and Roll All Nite."
But Kiss has always been about the spectacle of the live concert experience. And that is exactly what they gave members of the Kiss Army who showed up to express their appreciation for their rock 'n' roll heroes.
"Modern Day Delilah"
"Cold Gin"
"Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll"
"Firehouse"
"Say Yeah"
"Deuce"
"Do You Love Me"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Shock Me"
"I Love It Loud"
"Love Gun"
"God of Thunder"
"Black Diamond"
"Detroit Rock City"
Encore break
"Beth" (acoustic)
"Lick It Up"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"Rock and Roll All Nite"
KISS fans rock and roll all night as Mt. Laurel reopens
By Beth Brelje
Pocono Record Writer
July 13, 2011
Memories were made and recaptured as KISS fans gathered for the first concert at Mt. Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center since 2007.
KISS has lost none of its edge. But having gained a new generation of fans, the 1970s rockers are now a family show.
Mtn. Laurel directors admit to challenges, but hope for bright futureMountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center rebornSave the date for these events in Pocono entertainment in JulySummer is a trial for Mt. LaurelMountain Laurel in Bushkill gets second chance to fulfill its promiseKISS, Larry the Cable Guy, ZZ Top at Mountain Laurel in Bushkill this summerAre you ready to rock and roll all night at Mountain Laurel Center?Mountain Laurel Center in Bushkill will reopen with KISS
Anthony Capic, 42, Jennifer Capic 40 and Sarah Capic, 13, of Raritan, N.J., drove more than an hour and a half to see Wednesday 's show.
"My dad was a KISS fan and introduced me," Sarah Capic said.
There were plenty of parents and kids at the concert, many from out of town. Steven Jones, 49, of Allentown has seen KISS 14 times. His friend Michele Hawk, 43, was seeing KISS for the first time.
“They're really good. At least, that's what Steve says,” Hawk said.
Stephanie and Bill Hetrick of Missouri planned their honeymoon at Cove Haven and were thrilled to learn KISS was going to be in the area.
“Bill crossed it (seeing KISS) off his bucket list,” Stephanie said.
Last-minute ticket sales were brisk. A short line of concert goers were still buying tickets at the door at 8:40 p.m.
Check back at PoconoRecord.com and read Thursday's Pocono Record for more on the concert.
Kiss Live in Bushkill, PA., last night:
MODERN DAY DELILAH
LOVE GUN
ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE
Pocono Record Writer
July 13, 2011
Memories were made and recaptured as KISS fans gathered for the first concert at Mt. Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center since 2007.
KISS has lost none of its edge. But having gained a new generation of fans, the 1970s rockers are now a family show.
Mtn. Laurel directors admit to challenges, but hope for bright futureMountain Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center rebornSave the date for these events in Pocono entertainment in JulySummer is a trial for Mt. LaurelMountain Laurel in Bushkill gets second chance to fulfill its promiseKISS, Larry the Cable Guy, ZZ Top at Mountain Laurel in Bushkill this summerAre you ready to rock and roll all night at Mountain Laurel Center?Mountain Laurel Center in Bushkill will reopen with KISS
Anthony Capic, 42, Jennifer Capic 40 and Sarah Capic, 13, of Raritan, N.J., drove more than an hour and a half to see Wednesday 's show.
"My dad was a KISS fan and introduced me," Sarah Capic said.
There were plenty of parents and kids at the concert, many from out of town. Steven Jones, 49, of Allentown has seen KISS 14 times. His friend Michele Hawk, 43, was seeing KISS for the first time.
“They're really good. At least, that's what Steve says,” Hawk said.
Stephanie and Bill Hetrick of Missouri planned their honeymoon at Cove Haven and were thrilled to learn KISS was going to be in the area.
“Bill crossed it (seeing KISS) off his bucket list,” Stephanie said.
Last-minute ticket sales were brisk. A short line of concert goers were still buying tickets at the door at 8:40 p.m.
Check back at PoconoRecord.com and read Thursday's Pocono Record for more on the concert.
Kiss Live in Bushkill, PA., last night:
MODERN DAY DELILAH
LOVE GUN
ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Rare "100,000 Years" Recording Surfaces from 1976 Paris Show
The Metal Den has obtained rare concert audio of legendary rockers KISS performing the song “100,000 Years” at The Olympia Theater, Paris, France on May 22, 1976. The show came during The Alive! Tour, in support of their 1975 live album Alive!. At the time of the European leg of the tour the classic Destroyer album was already released. This recording is making its debut on YouTube
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