Kiss News

Review excerpted from Appleton Post Crescent

Story and photo by Mike Thiel

KISS tribute bands have been fluttering through Northeast Wisconsin this past year, but it was finally the right moment for Gene Simmons and the gang to show the boys how it�s done.

The theatrical rock spectacle known as KISS, literally lit up Ford Festival Park in Oshkosh Saturday night, with a stage rig that made 4th of July look like a fountain with a wet wick.

Though Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are long gone from the band, Simmons and Paul Stanley hold down the original KISS lineup, while lead guitarist (Frehley fill-in) Tommy Thayer and drummer (Criss fill-in) Eric Singer have handled their respective duties since the early Millennium. And though some will always yearn for the original all-star lineup, Simmons and company let Oshkosh know that KISS is still alive in 2011.Review excerpted from Appleton Post Crescent

Story and photo by Mike Thiel

KISS tribute bands have been fluttering through Northeast Wisconsin this past year, but it was finally the right moment for Gene Simmons and the gang to show the boys how it�s done.

The theatrical rock spectacle known as KISS, literally lit up Ford Festival Park in Oshkosh Saturday night, with a stage rig that made 4th of July look like a fountain with a wet wick.

Though Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are long gone from the band, Simmons and Paul Stanley hold down the original KISS lineup, while lead guitarist (Frehley fill-in) Tommy Thayer and drummer (Criss fill-in) Eric Singer have handled their respective duties since the early Millennium. And though some will always yearn for the original all-star lineup, Simmons and company let Oshkosh know that KISS is still alive in 2011.

When the lights came on, so did �Modern Day Delilah� from 2009�s �Sonic Boom,� something the crowd appeared to absorb well as an opener, though most didn�t seem to be singing along.

A few songs later, the band�s signature pyrotechnics picked up with �Firehouse,� and Simmons capped off the song by spitting fire from a flaming torch.

KISS then bulldozed into �Shock Me,� which eventually led to extended solo work by the new guys (Thayer and Singer) by song�s end. Thayer wielded off a circa five-minute guitar solo, while Singer followed with an approximate five-minute solo on the drums. Stanley worked the crowd well all night, as did Simmons in a lesser role, and the energy of the show stayed at a high level from then on out.

Songs such as �I Like it Loud,� �Love Gun� and �God of Thunder� seemed to be crowd favorites and Simmons� signature spitting of the blood � which he performed under a full moon, right at midnight � was a performance highlight.

KISS ended their set at about 12:20 a.m. with �Detroit Rock City,� casting Singer�s entire drumkit into the air �with him still playing on it. The band then stopped playing for a brief moment, held their positions for dramatic effect, and then kicked back in for a couple musical punches before exiting the stage.

It was obvious the band would come back onstage for an encore, having not played �Rock and Roll All Nite,� but the length of the encore was a bit surprising � about 20 minutes.

For the first song, Singer came off the drumset to sing �Beth,� but as soon as the song ended, Stanley got back on the mic and said something along the likes of not wanting to end the night soft. He then began an A cappella sing-a-long chant to �Makin� Love,� which the crowd ate up and gave full participation. The song eventually kicked in with the full band.

�Shout it Out Loud� was another sing-a-long smash before �Rock and Roll Nite� served as the band�s grand finale with confetti and swirling pyrotechnics, while Simmons, Thayer and Singer were all hoisted about 30 feet in the air on movable floors with their instruments.

The band ended with a bang, literally and not, before taking a bow and exiting the stage for the second time of the night. The big tron then read, �KISS loves Rock USA.�

As a whole, fans seemed satisfied with the performance and from a theatrical aspect, KISS did exactly what KISS always does: Simmons spits blood, band members are hoisted high into the air, confetti blows into the crowd, etc. However, when combined with solid music production, the novelty becomes more charming.

Musically, KISS�s harmonies were spot on, instrumental solos were well crafted and vocals easy to hear. KISS�s sound is so full � and loud � that it�s hard to believe there are just four people performing. Perhaps the dozens and dozens of woofers onstage help out with that.

As for the set list, a KISS tribute band probably would�ve played more hits � sorry Guitar Hero fans, no �Strutter� tonight � and it sometimes hurt that the crowd seemed unfamiliar with songs from �Sonic Boom.�

Overall, the theatrical elements were in place and exciting, the music was well performed and the mic work, as far as engaging the crowd, was arguably the peak at Rock USA.

At the end of the day, it�s supposed to be a rock �show,� and that�s exactly what KISS put on.

It was time for the real thing.

KISS tribute bands have been fluttering through Northeast Wisconsin this past year, but it was finally the right moment for Gene Simmons and the gang to show the boys how it�s done.

The theatrical rock spectacle known as KISS, literally lit up Ford Festival Park in Oshkosh Saturday night, with a stage rig that made 4th of July look like a fountain with a wet wick.

Though Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are long gone from the band, Simmons and Paul Stanley hold down the original KISS lineup, while lead guitarist (Frehley fill-in) Tommy Thayer and drummer (Criss fill-in) Eric Singer have handled their respective duties since the early Millennium. And though some will always yearn for the original all-star lineup, Simmons and company let Oshkosh know that KISS is still alive in 2011.

When the lights came on, so did �Modern Day Delilah� from 2009�s �Sonic Boom,� something the crowd appeared to absorb well as an opener, though most didn�t seem to be singing along.

A few songs later, the band�s signature pyrotechnics picked up with �Firehouse,� and Simmons capped off the song by spitting fire from a flaming torch.

KISS then bulldozed into �Shock Me,� which eventually led to extended solo work by the new guys (Thayer and Singer) by song�s end. Thayer wielded off a circa five-minute guitar solo, while Singer followed with an approximate five-minute solo on the drums. The two would then combine for a circa 10-minute guitar and drum session � a spot where the show�s energy appeared to suffer. Concertgoers seemed restless after about 15 minutes of speechlessness, beginning to go on their cellphones, talk to each other, leave for beer, etc.

However, the band recovered as soon as Stanley got back on the mic. Stanley worked the crowd well all night, as did Simmons in a lesser role, and the energy of the show stayed at a high level from then on out.

Songs such as �I Like it Loud,� �Love Gun� and �God of Thunder� seemed to be crowd favorites and Simmons� signature spitting of the blood � which he performed under a full moon, right at midnight � was a performance highlight.

KISS ended their set at about 12:20 a.m. with �Detroit Rock City,� casting Singer�s entire drumkit into the air �with him still playing on it. The band then stopped playing for a brief moment, held their positions for dramatic effect, and then kicked back in for a couple musical punches before exiting the stage.

It was obvious the band would come back onstage for an encore, having not played �Rock and Roll All Nite,� but the length of the encore was a bit surprising � about 20 minutes.

For the first song, Singer came off the drumset to sing �Beth,� but as soon as the song ended, Stanley got back on the mic and said something along the likes of not wanting to end the night soft. He then began an A cappella sing-a-long chant to �Makin� Love,� which the crowd ate up and gave full participation. The song eventually kicked in with the full band.

�Shout it Out Loud� was another sing-a-long smash before �Rock and Roll Nite� served as the band�s grand finale with confetti and swirling pyrotechnics, while Simmons, Thayer and Singer were all hoisted about 30 feet in the air on movable floors with their instruments.

The band ended with a bang, literally and not, before taking a bow and exiting the stage for the second time of the night. The big tron then read, �KISS loves Rock USA.�

As a whole, fans seemed satisfied with the performance and from a theatrical aspect, KISS did exactly what KISS always does: Simmons spits blood, band members are hoisted high into the air, confetti blows into the crowd, etc. However, when combined with solid music production, the novelty becomes more charming.

Musically, KISS�s harmonies were spot on, instrumental solos were well crafted and vocals easy to hear. KISS�s sound is so full � and loud � that it�s hard to believe there are just four people performing. Perhaps the dozens and dozens of woofers onstage help out with that.

As for the set list, a KISS tribute band probably would�ve played more hits � sorry Guitar Hero fans, no �Strutter� tonight � and it sometimes hurt that the crowd seemed unfamiliar with songs from �Sonic Boom.�

Overall, the theatrical elements were in place and exciting, the music was well performed and the mic work, as far as engaging the crowd, was arguably the peak at Rock USA.

At the end of the day, it�s supposed to be a rock �show,� and that�s exactly what KISS put on.

KISS IN SPRINGFIELD, IL ON MONDAY NIGHT

By BRIAN MACKEY THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER

(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

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.KISS IN SPRINGFIELD, IL ON MONDAY NIGHT

(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

By BRIAN MACKEY 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.�

Devil worship?

Kiss has had its share of detractors.

�Springfield has never seen anything quite like it,� Bob Mahlburg wrote in his SJ-R review of the group�s Feb. 25, 1983 show at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. The opening act was Wendy O. and the Plasmatics. �Both groups demonstrated their ability to wrench the crowd�s attention Friday � but showed painfully little musical ability.�

Mahlburg spent a hefty chunk of his review on the antics of Wendy O., then got around to the headliner: �Kiss showed a little more taste, but were guilty of an even more serious offense for a rock performance � they were just plain dull.

�Despite throwing in every gimmick � from torches to shooting six-foot spark showers and more explosions than a state fair fireworks finale � their heavy metal pounding was more plodding than rocking.�

And beyond the band�s musical merits, there were other types of controversy, stemming in part from the group�s odd appearance and live shows that included fire and fake blood.

There was no hint of it in coverage of the 1974 show, but by the time the band returned to Springfield in 1983, rock �n� roll paranoia was on the march.

Mahlburg noted that the band had �stirred controversy in some areas because of their alleged link to devil worship.�

Members of Trinity Lutheran Church distributed Christian literature outside the PCCC before the show.

�We understand Kiss is not a Christian group,� Paul Hartman told Mahlburg. �We believe you either worship Christ or worship something else.�

Stanley addressed the concerns in his 1983 interview with the SJ-R: �I feel bad for anybody who listens to a self-appointed expert on religion and rock �n� roll.�

�What�s real interesting is that most of these creatures, if you ask them what church they represent, they might as well be Al�s Church because they�re usually self-ordained ministers, who are only trying to make sure their names are spelled right in the newspaper,� he said.

The band�s dangerous image seems to have softened over the years.

In a scene from the A&E reality show �Gene Simmons� Family Jewels,� Simmons was seen recording an audio children�s book.

�Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the young fish used to go and swim in the giant octopus� garden. �How happy we are,� they cried to each other,� Simmons said.

�You know it�s really funny I�m doing an audiobook for kids when people in the �70s used to think I ate them.�

Cannon fodder

Today�s Kiss concerts are family affairs.

Bounds� son Forrest has accompanied his father to several concerts. One such father-son outing gave Bounds� his favorite memory of a Kiss show.

Forrest�s first show was at the Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis in 2004. He was 9 or 10, and as the show progressed, the pair snuck closer and closer to the stage.

The final song, as usual, was �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Bounds lifted his son onto his shoulders.

�They have these confetti cannons,� he said. We were right in front of it, and it was coming out so hard against us that I was having trouble holding him up.�

Afterward, Stanley told the concertgoers to lift their kids up so he could see the new Kiss Army.

As Stanley came by, he tossed Forrest a guitar pick.

�The last couple years we�ve gone over to Indianapolis for the Kiss conventions; the drummer Eric Singer has been there and he�s been very nice to us both times.�

It�s almost like a club, Bounds said, like being a Cardinals or Cubs fan.

Bounds and Forrest, now 15, will be in the second row Monday night.

Austin will be in the row in front of them. It�s the first time he�s had tickets with the coveted Row 1 designation. He, too, has a bond forged through Kiss.

�I met my best friend at a show in Springfield,� Austin said. �They played here in �87, and I decided I was going to go down and hang out outside the convention center, take a couple albums, and try to see if I could get them autographed.�

That�s when Dave Fyke, who lives in Decatur, stopped by to do the same thing. They struck up a conversation, and eventually moved to the Renaissance bar, hoping the band would come to the hotel. They did, and Austin got autographs and pictures and a new best friend.

�Ever since that day � that was in December of �87 � Dave�s been one of my best friends,� Austin said.

�He stood up with me in my wedding � I was best man in his wedding,� Austin said.

And in perhaps an even truer mark of friendship, Fyke will get Austin�s other front row ticket.

Brian Mackey can be reached at 747-9587.

Want to go?:

Kiss will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. Tickets cost $51-$91 and are available at the PCCC box office and through Ticketmaster, (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Thanks to the author for sharing his article with KISSOnline!

by Dave Reffett

Here is where my story with Kiss began. I was in the seventh grade and was a young hell-raising thrash kid into Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, Overkill and Metallica.

One day my best friend had a Hit Parader magazine that he brought to school, and he said, �Dave, check these dudes out." When I saw Kiss on the cover, they had that whole "Japanese Kabuki meets outer-space warrior" vibe to them, and as a 12- or 13-year-old kid, I thought they ruled instantly. I didn�t even really care what kind of music they played or if they even played music at all. I was hooked.

To me, Kiss is the most underrated band of all time. I know some of you out there reading this are saying, WHAT!?!?! But here goes.

When I talk music, I always bring up Kiss because, pound for pound, they are probably my favorite band of all time. It�s a toss-up between them and Megadeth. But from a lot of people what I hear is, �Oh man, I could just never get into Kiss." I really feel like a lot of people are missing out on the greatness they have to offer.Thanks to Dave Reffert for sharing his article with KISSOnline!

by Dave Reffett

Here is where my story with Kiss began. I was in the seventh grade and was a young hell-raising thrash kid into Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, Overkill and Metallica.

One day my best friend had a Hit Parader magazine that he brought to school, and he said, �Dave, check these dudes out." When I saw Kiss on the cover, they had that whole "Japanese Kabuki meets outer-space warrior" vibe to them, and as a 12- or 13-year-old kid, I thought they ruled instantly. I didn�t even really care what kind of music they played or if they even played music at all. I was hooked.

To me, Kiss is the most underrated band of all time. I know some of you out there reading this are saying, WHAT!?!?! But here goes.

When I talk music, I always bring up Kiss because, pound for pound, they are probably my favorite band of all time. It�s a toss-up between them and Megadeth. But from a lot of people what I hear is, �Oh man, I could just never get into Kiss." I really feel like a lot of people are missing out on the greatness they have to offer.

Some say they sold out because of their vast product line, or they say they are not great musicians or whatever, but you just can�t argue with their incredible live show, and the songs are just unbelievable. I just don�t think they get the respect they deserve as songwriters. They have hooks for days, those big over-the-top choruses that hit you like a ton of bricks. That�s what has set them apart from other bands: They have memorable songs that stand the test of time.

To thrive and to still be hugely relevant in the music business for almost 40 years is pretty much unheard of. Yet Rolling Stone has barely acknowledged their existence, and they are still not in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame after a decade of being eligible.

If they were good enough for Dimebag Darrell to love them, then hey, who can argue with that?

I already loved the band�s image, but they blew me away musically with Kiss Unplugged. It�s an absolutely amazing live record. The musicianship they showed in that performance was incredible. Paul and Gene are both spot on with the vocals, the band is firing on all cylinders and Bruce Kulick�s wailing acoustic guitar solos made me a huge fan instantly. I loved it. After hearing that record, I had to own every song the band had ever done. I quickly learned that their back catalog was equally impressive, spanning tons of genres and vibes.

I saw Kiss for the first time when I was around 16. I took a couple of friends with me to see them in concert in Columbus, Ohio. Ted Nugent and Skid Row were opening up for them on �The Farewell Tour."

I remember my friends came along just to get away from our boring little small town. They poked fun at Kiss during the whole car ride there, saying things like �Kiss is dinosaur rock� and making fun of Paul�s legendary in-between song banter.

But when the band fired up and the 100-foot drum risers came out and the fireworks started popping and the pyro blazed, they melted away into a couple of 10-year-old kids. I had a good laugh because when the show ended, the same guys who were talking smack on Kiss were now like, "Oh dude, I need to buy a shirt� and �I�m getting Peter Criss� signature drum sticks." I will never forget it. It was one of the best shows I�d ever seen. The truth is I say that after every Kiss show I go to.

I actually just got back from seeing them last night in Manchester, New Hampshire. The great ones ripped the roof off of the place. If you haven�t seen them yet, go see them. You wont regret it. It�s a blast.

Before I go, everyone knows �Rock and Roll All Nite,� but I feel with those best-of collections, you are never truly getting �the real best of� stuff. So here goes: These are the Kiss songs I feel are �must own� songs. Every rock fan should check them out.

�Shandi,� from Alive IV

This comes off of Unmasked originally, but this version is awesome. It has the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra backing them up. It is a truly great song.




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