KISS brought their spectacular farewell tour to MSG
“I used to drive a cab in New York,” said Stanley to the Garden crowd during the band’s “End of the Road” tour show on Wednesday, March 27. “One night, I was driving my cab, two people got in and they said, ‘We want to go to Madison Square Garden to see Elvis Presley!’ I drove them right up to the front and I swear to God, I said to myself one day soon, people are going to come here and see me!”
Indeed, Kiss made their Garden debut on February 18, 1977. They’ve sold the arena out 15 times. The show Wednesday was a farewell of sorts as the band — also Gene Simmons, bass; Tommy Thayer, guitar and Eric Singer, drums — is retiring. Yet, exactly when the end of the road is, considering the band retired 19 years ago with a previous farewell tour, is an open question.
[…] Still, Wednesday was a grand homecoming for Kiss, who were formed in the city in the early ’70s. Founding members Stanley and Simmons had lots of energy, and there was lots to look at, too, including explosions, fire-breathing and elevated risers aplenty. [Asbury Park Press]
KISS began their farewell tour in Vancouver earlier this year, and after hitting Nassau Coliseum last Friday (3/22), they played another NYC-area show (and first NYC show of the tour) at Madison Square Garden last night (3/27). As you’d expect, it was a total spectacle with blood-spitting, fire-breathing, Paul Stanley riding out into the back to a stage in the audience, Gene Simmons going around the arena on a crane, drummer Eric Singer rising up to the stage from beneath the floor on a piano for “Beth” in the encore, balloons, confetti, Paul smashing his guitar, and more insanity. Plus loads of hit songs, of course.
Pictures of the MSG show are in the gallery above. Videos and the setlist below. KISS will return to the NYC-area this summer for shows at Newark’s Prudential Center on 8/14 and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on 8/20 (tickets).
