Kiss News

By Doug Fox - Daily Herald

One by one, rock fans at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Wednesday night could add up the common denominators of virtually any Kiss concert.

Completely over-the-top grand entrance? Literally. Gene Simmons (bass), Paul Stanley (guitar) and Tommy Thayer (guitar) appeared on a platform at the top of the stage above the already elevated kit of drummer Eric Singer. The conveyor platform rotated forward as the band played "Modern Day Delilah," eventually depositing the threesome at the front of the stage.

Tongue wagging? Absolutely. Simmons's extremely long tongue might as well draw a paycheck as the fifth member of Kiss. The appendage is as big a part of Kiss lore as makeup and costumes. The "Fear Factor" moment of the night occurred during "Cold Gin," when Simmons unfurled his tongue and licked the bottom of Thayer's chin several times during his guitar solo. Yikes! One shudders to think how big that thing actually was on video board close-ups.

A Stanley fly-by? Naturally. Stanley rode a zip line out above the front section of the audience to an elevated platform in the middle of the crowd. The circular perch rotated clockwise while Stanley delivered the lead vocals to "I was Made for Lovin' You."By Doug Fox - Daily Herald

One by one, rock fans at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Wednesday night could add up the common denominators of virtually any Kiss concert.

Completely over-the-top grand entrance? Literally. Gene Simmons (bass), Paul Stanley (guitar) and Tommy Thayer (guitar) appeared on a platform at the top of the stage above the already elevated kit of drummer Eric Singer. The conveyor platform rotated forward as the band played "Modern Day Delilah," eventually depositing the threesome at the front of the stage.

Tongue wagging? Absolutely. Simmons's extremely long tongue might as well draw a paycheck as the fifth member of Kiss. The appendage is as big a part of Kiss lore as makeup and costumes. The "Fear Factor" moment of the night occurred during "Cold Gin," when Simmons unfurled his tongue and licked the bottom of Thayer's chin several times during his guitar solo. Yikes! One shudders to think how big that thing actually was on video board close-ups.

A Stanley fly-by? Naturally. Stanley rode a zip line out above the front section of the audience to an elevated platform in the middle of the crowd. The circular perch rotated clockwise while Stanley delivered the lead vocals to "I was Made for Lovin' You."

Fire breathing and blood-spitting? C'mon ... Kiss would be forced to refund portions of the price of admission were these obligatory Simmons moments somehow neglected. As usual, the fire stunt came at the end of "Firehouse" and the blood-letting preceded "I Like it Loud." The latter song featured Simmons being ripped off the stage via overhead cables, which lifted him to a spot high above the stage where he handled his lead vocals for the duration of the tune.

Gasp-inducing pyrotechnics? Cheesy song introductions? Fans in Kiss regalia and facepaint? All present and accounted for.

Kiss leading a cast of thousands in the Pledge of Allegiance? OK, now there's something that was completely unexpected. That occurred between songs in an extended encore segment as Kiss brought out representatives from the CSRA Wounded Warrior Care Project and presented them with a check for $458,652. The band is donating $1 from every ticket sold during this "Hottest Show on Earth" tour. Stanley then led the audience in a spirited recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.

"Take it from some people who have traveled all over the world and know," said Stanley. "This is the greatest country on Earth."

Some other highlights Wednesday included "Say Yeah," one of three songs the band played off its latest album, "Sonic Boom;" "Shock Me," featuring Thayer on lead vocals; "Crazy Crazy Night," a song which Stanley said the band hasn't played in a long time; and "Black Diamond," which started out with Stanley riffing on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" before Singer took over lead vocals. Other setlist standards included "Deuce," "Calling Dr. Love," "100,000 Years" and "Love Gun."

The pace really picked up at the end as the band unleashed all its biggest hits, starting off with main-set closer, "Detroit Rock City." Stanley truthfully stated that Kiss was not going to handle its encores like other bands, who play one song and leave, then return to play another song and leave.

"What you deserve is the longest encore you have ever heard," Stanley told the crowd.

The band delivered on that promise as Kiss proceeded to play a six-song, 35-minute extra session that opened with the ballad "Beth" and closed with its biggest anthem, "Rock and Roll All Nite."

Which leads to the final given of any Kiss concert.

A good time had by all? Affirmative.

By Adam Folk
Photo by John Curry

The rock band KISS has been sending more than just affection to the wounded soldiers in the Augusta area after visiting the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center last year.

Since the start of their Hottest Show on Earth tour in July, the members of the group -- known more for makeup and theatrics than philanthropy -- have donated more than $440,000 to the CSRA Wounded Warrior Care Project.

They're not done yet.

The band is donating $1 for every ticket sold during the tour. The U.S. leg of the tour is scheduled to end Saturday in Fontana, Calif.

The latest check was donated after their show in San Antonio. A photo of the band on stage with service members is displayed on the KISS Web site after each show.
By Adam Folk
Photo by John Curry

The rock band KISS has been sending more than just affection to the wounded soldiers in the Augusta area after visiting the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center last year.

Since the start of their Hottest Show on Earth tour in July, the members of the group -- known more for makeup and theatrics than philanthropy -- have donated more than $440,000 to the CSRA Wounded Warrior Care Project.

They're not done yet.

The band is donating $1 for every ticket sold during the tour. The U.S. leg of the tour is scheduled to end Saturday in Fontana, Calif.

The latest check was donated after their show in San Antonio. A photo of the band on stage with service members is displayed on the KISS Web site after each show.

The relationship between KISS and the Wounded Warrior project began in October 2009, when the group invited several veterans and service members from the project to a show in Atlanta.

Several days later, three members of the band followed up with a visit to the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

"It's awesome because what KISS has been able to do is to activate not only their fan base, which is pretty incredible, but also to activate a nation," said Laurie Ott, the executive director of the project. "They are getting us into a national conversation in a way we couldn't do otherwise."

Ott said the band's support will be used for several projects, including establishing transitional housing, expanding programs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, and building a retreat center to train more providers to deliver marriage and family workshops for returning service members.

"These are people who have actually been to Augusta and seen the rehab unit," Ott said. "It's pretty personal for them."

Last year, lead singer Paul Stanley told veterans in Augusta that those injured in the line of duty should be recognized for what they have given the country.

"People talk about the ultimate sacrifice," Stanley said. "But isn't it a sacrifice to come back home and discover you no longer have your life? We want everyone home safely and to urge everyone to give these people the respect they deserve."

The project

The CSRA Wounded Warrior Care Project is built on ensuring warriors get coordinated care, family reintegration skills and training and education that will lead to employment, according to Laurie Ott, the executive director of the project. It is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a community-based model for gathering care resources and increasing the coordination between federal, state and local levels. Some of its initiatives include the first-in-the-nation Veterans Curation Project, as well as marriage and family workshops and a mentor program that pairs wounded warriors with veterans.

Rock and roll all nite with Kiss in Nightclub City

By Mike Snider

Kiss virtually could play to its largest crowd ever Saturday as the final show in its North American tour will be broadcast on Ustream and the Facebook game Nightclub City.

In Nightclub City, fans can prepare for the kabuki-styled rockers' show by blasting a special Kiss greatest hits playlist beginning Thursday. Then before the concert (starting at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT Saturday), you can get Kiss makeup for your avatar and entourage. The live show begins at 9:30 p.m. PT.Rock and roll all nite with Kiss in Nightclub City

By Mike Snider

Kiss virtually could play to its largest crowd ever Saturday as the final show in its North American tour will be broadcast on Ustream and the Facebook game Nightclub City.

In Nightclub City, fans can prepare for the kabuki-styled rockers' show by blasting a special Kiss greatest hits playlist beginning Thursday. Then before the concert (starting at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT Saturday), you can get Kiss makeup for your avatar and entourage. The live show begins at 9:30 p.m. PT.

You can listen to the concert in your nightclub and open another window to see Ustream's video. Those who participate will also get other Kiss virtual goods for their nightclub.

"We're celebrating the end of a monster tour by giving everyone a chance to relive some of what they heard and saw at the show," said singer/guitarist and band co-founder Paul Stanley in a statement. "Unfortunately, we will not be responsible for computers melting."

Ustream will also supply its concert video from the Epicenter Twenty Ten Festival in Fontana, California, to the site of LA rock radio station KROQ.com and other CBS Radio rock station websites nationwide.

This is the first time that a major music artist has shared a free concert live via a Facebook game, according to Booyah. The online social entertainment company opened Nightclub City in April; currently, the game, which incorporates real-world music into the game, has nearly 9 million players.