Letters

On October 9th, 1992, I walked into Meadowlands in New Jersey and saw my first KISS concert. That night, KISS were an unstoppable entity... 4 guys who, musically, seemed to inhale and exhale in unison. Even though Bruce had been in the band for almost a decade, 1992 was a time when he seemed to be a more integral player. And Eric? Well, what can you say about a guy who drums with that ferocity and sings like a champ? Most of all, the Revenge tour gave us a very unified and cohesive KISS. They looked, sounded, and acted like they'd been rehearsing, and by all appearances they were having a lot of fun. Eighteen concerts later, I finally had that same feeling last night in Sacramento. Now let me clarify something: This is no bash against any member or lineup; 1996 was magical, 1998 was exhilarating, 2000 was nostalgic, 2003 was energetic, and 2004 was strong. But something seems to have happened within the past 2 years to "reunite" KISS as a fully-functioning organism, and not just 4 different pieces. The rejuvenated chemistry was best observed during the encores when Eric attempted to toss a drum stick to a little girl in the 1st row. After someone grabbed the drum stick away from her, the members of KISS banded together like the comic book super heroes we grew up admiring, and showered this little girl with drum sticks and guitar picks (Eric all the while giving stern and scolding looks to whomever had committed the offending action). There were smiles for miles, and KISS was Alive! Every member of KISS was an entertainer last night. EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of KISS was interacting with bandmates and audience members alike. I've never seen Paul look as happy onstage. Gene and Paul seemed to be on the same page throughout the night, and they took turns engaging with Tommy by way of high-fives, dueling guitar improvs, and general stage antics. And Eric was on top of his game, with a solo that was more 1992 than 1975. Musically? Great stuff! I'd have enjoyed more from "Sonic Boom," but had this been 1985 (when I was 9 and DREAMING of someday seeing a KISS concert), I'd have been more than happy with my 2 "Asylum" songs and a bevy of KISS classics. The energy and enthusiasm more than made up for any complaints I could have had. My wife, who'd seen them in 2003 and 2004, was similarly impressed. Even as a non-fan, she made unsolicited comments during and after the show about how it felt like a real band. I know it's been said already, but it's worth typing: If you are having any 2nd thoughts about seeing them on this tour, just go to the concert. It was worth it.