Letters

07/02/2011 I've been a KISS fan my entire life. Literally. My family had a tradition of the new born baby bringing home gifts to the older siblings. Upon coming home from the hospital, the gift I gave my brother, Todd, was the toy KISS guitar. But 15 years ago today, KISS changed my life. It was 1996, I was a timid and confused young man who had recently been dumped by the girl I took to the Junior Prom. I was 16 years old, recently diagnosed with biological depression, and confused about a thing called life. One thing I was looking forward to though was seeing my favorite band, recently reunited and back in their trademark makeup. I had been counting down the days till the show for weeks, and when the day finally arrived, I was so excited I could barely stay inside my skin. After all, I was about to see KISS, the original KISS! Alice in Chains opened the show, and put on a great performance, and left the crowd waiting for their heroes. Moments before the house lights went down, The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," blasted on the arena's sounds system. The curtain dropped in front of the stage, displaying the KISS logo. I was ready, my home town of St. Louis was ready, then the lights dimmed, and I heard the words I had waited my whole life to hear, "ALL RIGHT ST. LOUIS! YOU WANTED THE BEST! YOU GOT THE BEST! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD, KISS!!!!! The curtain dropped, displaying my heroes, as the band blasted into, "Deuce." It was unreal. I was happier than I had been in a long time. I band pounded their way though a setlist of classic tunes. I knew Ace's guitar would smoke during his solo, but when the rockets shot out of the neck, I almost lost my mind. When they played "100,000 Years," and the flashpots went off when Paul asked us, "Do you feel alright?" I could feel the heat of the flames from our seats up in the rafters. They destroyed St. Louis that night, and left the crowd stunned from what they had just witnessed. I walked away from that show speechless. The show spoke to me on so many levels. If a concert can be that amazing, then why can't life be as equally amazing? In some strange way, seeing my heroes on stage gave me a different outlook on life. I have seen KISS 14 times since that first experience 15 years ago today, and to this day every show reminds me that life has no limitations. Anything one desires in life can be achieved. KISS is living proof of that. As time went on in my life, and I went through other trying times, and KISS has been there to help pull me through. In 2004, in the mist of my divorce, and the hardest period in my life, seeing KISS on the "Rock The Nation," tour helped my keep my chin up and kept me looking at the positives in life. I've seen KISS from the front row and I've even met them backstage, but something inside me always remembers that hot summer night in 1996 up in the rafters when KISS changed my life. Memories of a first KISS last a lifetime.