Kiss News

The shows succeeding in this challenging concert-biz climate are the ones with lots of theatrical punch.

Excerpted from article by Brad Wheeler

Fast-forward to 2010, and we see ... the costumed Kiss bringing high theatrics to arenas and amphitheatres - upping the ante boldly in the middle of a music-industry downturn.

"Nobody wants to go to the grocery store and plunk down their hard-earned dollars, and walk out with an empty sack," says Kiss front man Paul Stanley. "If you're going to pay money to see a band, you should at least see something." Stanley, the preening, grease-painted shout-it-out-louder, talked recently about spectacle and rock 'n' shows - the kind of high-wattage extravaganzas his band is known for.

Last week, Kiss brought its expensively produced tour to Toronto's Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, where a full house fanned themselves in the face of hotter-than-hell dramatics and fire-breathing. Asked about the slumping concert business, Stanley expresses disbelief. "You wouldn't know it from the 14,000 fans at our show last night," he deadpans, "and you wouldn't know it from the 15,000 tonight."
The shows succeeding in this challenging concert-biz climate are the ones with lots of theatrical punch.

Excerpted from article by Brad Wheeler

Fast-forward to 2010, and we see ... the costumed Kiss bringing high theatrics to arenas and amphitheatres - upping the ante boldly in the middle of a music-industry downturn.

"Nobody wants to go to the grocery store and plunk down their hard-earned dollars, and walk out with an empty sack," says Kiss front man Paul Stanley. "If you're going to pay money to see a band, you should at least see something." Stanley, the preening, grease-painted shout-it-out-louder, talked recently about spectacle and rock 'n' shows - the kind of high-wattage extravaganzas his band is known for.

Last week, Kiss brought its expensively produced tour to Toronto's Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, where a full house fanned themselves in the face of hotter-than-hell dramatics and fire-breathing. Asked about the slumping concert business, Stanley expresses disbelief. "You wouldn't know it from the 14,000 fans at our show last night," he deadpans, "and you wouldn't know it from the 15,000 tonight."

Indeed, while the summer of 2010 was the season of the tour-industry meltdown, Kiss, Roger Waters and other bombastic barnstormers are still burning up the road.

"I'm a great believer that if acts want to be a live act, they've got to deliver," says Riley O'Connor, chairman of Live Nation Canada, the country's dominant concert promoter. "If you want the adulation of the audience, you've got to give, before you can take."

Tours that suffered cancelled dates this summer included the Eagles and Lilith Fair - shows with steep ticket prices, but little in the way of production or presentation. "It's not a matter of people expecting spectacle," says Stanley. "But you shouldn't pay for spectacle and get simplicity."

Seats aren't cheap for Lady Gaga ($66 to $191.50) or The Wall ($69.75 to $264.75), but the prices would seem to be evenhanded given the high production costs involved. "I think it is completely fair that, if someone shows up with a guitar and a stool, they should be paid less than somebody who shows up with enough of an arsenal to take out a third-world country," reasons Stanley, whose band charges Kiss Army members a reasonable $35.25 to $139.75 to rock 'n' roll all night.

Pop spectacle and high-wire rock are having their way in 2010, but the notion of fair value is nothing new. "The wave of the future is the same as the law of the past," says Stanley, whose bang for the buck includes explosions of gun powder. "People want their money's worth. It's no big secret."

KISS fans looking forward to Friday's concert

By Brad Meyer

The original shock rockers of heavy metal music will be painting their faces, strapping on their platform boots and taking the stage at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday.

KISS, the iconic hard rock band, brings their high energy show to The Woodlands this weekend as part of their "Hottest Show on Earth" tour. The band, known for their elaborate live performances, has a legion of dedicated fans across the country and around the world.

"This will be the ninth time I've seen them live," said Mark Sheffield of Magnolia. "They are an amazing band."

Founded in New York in 1973, KISS burst on the music scene with a hard metal sound and a flamboyant look that included painted faces, exotic costumes and elaborate onstage antics like blood spitting, fire breathing, smoking guitars and levitating drum kits.
KISS fans looking forward to Friday's concert

By Brad Meyer

The original shock rockers of heavy metal music will be painting their faces, strapping on their platform boots and taking the stage at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday.

KISS, the iconic hard rock band, brings their high energy show to The Woodlands this weekend as part of their "Hottest Show on Earth" tour. The band, known for their elaborate live performances, has a legion of dedicated fans across the country and around the world.

"This will be the ninth time I've seen them live," said Mark Sheffield of Magnolia. "They are an amazing band."

Founded in New York in 1973, KISS burst on the music scene with a hard metal sound and a flamboyant look that included painted faces, exotic costumes and elaborate onstage antics like blood spitting, fire breathing, smoking guitars and levitating drum kits.

But it was the costumes and painted faces that separated KISS from other heavy metal bands of the era. So widespread was the popularity of the KISS characters that they appeared on the 1976 Paul Lynde Halloween Special - featuring Margret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch from the "Wizard of Oz." The appearance generated awareness and interest in young people across the country.

"That was the first time I ever saw them," said Sheffield. "I thought they were awesome."

The interest in KISS continued as he grew older - seeing them at the Cajundome in Layfayette, La., during their Asylum Tour. Like a lot of fans, Sheffield has painted his face like the band when attending live concerts. And he's certainly not alone.

Among the group's top hits is the song "Rock and Roll All Nite" - an anthem for youthful rebellion that spans several generations. It's a crowd favorite at every live performance.

Looking like comic book characters and playing hard driving rock music may have established KISS as a major force in the music world, but by 1980, interest in the group was declining. Before long, the group had changes in band personnel, stopped painting their faces and, for a time, revived their popularity.

"The makeup served them well for a while," said Sheffield. "but it was a gimmick so they eventually took it off."

In the 90s, interest in KISS again rose and the band was restored to a top touring band - and the popular makeup returned. In addition to selling albums and filling concerts, the band members discovered merchandising was an important and profitable sideline to their music business.

Over the years, KISS has licensed their image for use on clothing, posters, action figures and hundreds of different types of collectibles. The group appeals to former hard rockers and a new generation of kids.

The group is featured in a pair of Dr. Pepper commercials on television, including one with a KISS tribute band comprised of little people.

Bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons has been featured for four seasons on his own long-running reality show, "Family Jewels" along with his family, former Playboy playmate Shannon Tweed and their children, Nick and Sophie.

"Gene Simmons will make a dollar off anything he can," said Sheffield. "The guy is a genius."

Critics may dismiss KISS as comic book characters playing unremarkable music at loud volume, but it's hard to argue with the group's success. They have been performing for 37 years, sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and been named one of rock's 10 most important bands by television's VH1.

While band members are approaching official retirement age, KISS continues to defy the odds, logic and the passage of time - attracting huge audiences on their recent and current concert tour. It's a case where the make up may help keep the illusions of youth alive for fans who themselves are growing older.

While Sheffield looks forward to Friday's concert, he's a little disappointed in the change in personnel in the group. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons remain from the original group, but Ace Frehley and Peter Criss have been replaced by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.

"Going to the concert is like going back in time - it's a lot of fun," said Sheffield. "I'd love to meet them."

For more information on KISS, visit their website at www.kissonline.com. For tickets to the group's performance at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday, visit www.woodlandscenter.org or call (281) 363-3300.

By Laurie Lonsdale
Photo by Scott McAlpine

Exactly thirty-five years after the release of their first album, KISS celebrated the milestone at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto, with a stage set up reminiscent of their early days and the cartoon-like personas we've grown to know and love. While the band's founders still exist in demon bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and Starchild guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, the rest of the line-up now sees guitarist Tommy Thayer who has comfortably stepped into Ace Frehley's Spaceman boots, while drummer Eric Singer now dons the cat make-up that was originally worn by Peter Criss.

With the venue packed to capacity, the big screens on either side of the stage depicted a satellite view of world, coming ever closer to home as it honed in on Toronto, and then revealed backstage as the infamous New York foursome, in full make-up and dress, were led to the stage by original band manager Doc McGhee. The retro footage was cause for fans to cheer and spring to their feet in anticipation of the show. "You wanted the best, you got the best! Ladies and Gentlemen - KISS!" was heard over the loud speaker, and the excitement of the crowd was palpable as the black kabuki curtain finally fell.
By Laurie Lonsdale
Photo by Scott McAlpine

Exactly thirty-five years after the release of their first album, KISS celebrated the milestone at Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto, with a stage set up reminiscent of their early days and the cartoon-like personas we've grown to know and love. While the band's founders still exist in demon bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and Starchild guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, the rest of the line-up now sees guitarist Tommy Thayer who has comfortably stepped into Ace Frehley's Spaceman boots, while drummer Eric Singer now dons the cat make-up that was originally worn by Peter Criss.

With the venue packed to capacity, the big screens on either side of the stage depicted a satellite view of world, coming ever closer to home as it honed in on Toronto, and then revealed backstage as the infamous New York foursome, in full make-up and dress, were led to the stage by original band manager Doc McGhee. The retro footage was cause for fans to cheer and spring to their feet in anticipation of the show. "You wanted the best, you got the best! Ladies and Gentlemen - KISS!" was heard over the loud speaker, and the excitement of the crowd was palpable as the black kabuki curtain finally fell.

The show kicked off with "Modern Day Delilah", featuring drummer Eric Singer on a riser high above the stage, with Simmons, Stanley, and Thayer on a platform that rose above the drum kit and lowered to the front. The band eventually settled onto the main stage and continued on with "Cold Gin", "Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll", and "Firehouse," the latter of which included the big screen backdrop and a bank of screened amps digitally lighting up with flames and causing the stage to look as though it had been set afire.

KISS has given fans plenty of different looks over the years, including an unmasked glam guise in the '80s and a biker-leather look in the early '90s. They�ve even gone with an elegant air in custom-fitted business suits. But for this tour it's Classic KISS, back to full make-up, black and silver spandex costumes, and impossibly high platform shoes. Their stage antics were also those from yesteryear, as Simmons thrilled fans with his infamous fire-breathing trick, and channelled his inner demon while spitting up blood and flying on guide wires to a platform high above the stage.

Early in the performance, Simmons and Stanley temporarily took a break, allowing Tommy Thayer to take over with a crowd-pleasing solo that featured pyrotechnics shooting from his guitar. The segment then included a solo from Singer, whose drum kit again was lifted into in the air as fog billowed from the corners of the platform. Thayer also was lifted on a fog-spewing riser, and the two accomplished musicians played together until they were lowered to the stage and rejoined by Simmons and Stanley.

With spokesman Stanley delivering well-rehearsed verbiage that segued nicely into song titles, the band continued on together with such classics as "Deuce" and "Crazy Crazy Nights". "Calling Dr. Love" saw Simmons take over on vocals and resume showcasing his legendary tongue while licking the neck of his bass or wagging it with lightening speed toward the audience.

"I'm an Animal", from the band's latest release and nineteenth studio offering Sonic Boom, also came with an announcement from Stanley that it was available "exclusively at Wal-Mart". Directly after, the band flipped right back to the beginning again with "100,000 Years" from their debut album. "I Love it Loud" had the audience singing en masse, as did the classic "Love Gun", and was followed closely by Stanley's delivery of a shortened but nonetheless effective cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". At 58 years of age, he still delivers the sexy moves that had girls swooning in the aisles 35 years ago, and his obvious stamina continues to carry the bulk of the vocals and the show.

"Black Diamond" and "Detroit Rock City" rounded out the main portion of the set, then after a short break, KISS returned for a 5-song encore that included the band's most memorable ballad, "Beth". The sexually suggestive "Lick it Up" also came with a snippet of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again", before the era of disco was revived with "I Was Made for Lovin' You". With fans still on their feet and honouring the band that has given them 35 years of good time rock n' roll along with over-the-top theatrics and unforgettable live shows; fittingly the show ended with "God Gave Rock n' Roll to You" as well as the band's signature song "Rock n' Roll all Nite".

KISS Set List:
Modern Day Delilah / Cold Gin / Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll / Firehouse / Say Yeah / Deuce / Crazy Crazy Nights / Calling Dr. Love / Shock Me / I'm An Animal / 100,000 Years / I Love It Loud / Love Gun / Whole Lotta Love / Black Diamond / Detroit Rock City / Encore: Beth /Lick It Up with a snippet of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"/ I Was Made For Lovin' You / God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You /Rock And Roll All Nite

By Chris Alexander

Ah, the concept album, the rock opera...the ambitious extension of every pop artist who tires of his or her trade and dreams of bigger fish. In the 1970s, as music and mass media leaned towards bloat, with bands like Queen, The Who and Pink Floyd conquering the charts and grand-scale cinema like STAR WARS owning the box office, Kiss decided to give the trashy rock-and-roll pulp they made their name with a rest and pursue loftier creative heights.

The result of their semi-delusional dreaming was 1981's THE ELDER, a baroque, full-blown concept platter charting the story of a Luke Skywalker-esque boy who is called upon to battle the evil Mr. Blackwell and restore order and balance to the land. The album was the work of legendary producer Bob Ezrin (who helped shape the sound of hard rock's first horror show, Alice Cooper), a Toronto native who had previously reinvented the band with 1976's classic DESTROYER and had, at that time, just worked on Pink Floyd's double-disc rock-opera juggernaut THE WALL.
By Chris Alexander

Ah, the concept album, the rock opera...the ambitious extension of every pop artist who tires of his or her trade and dreams of bigger fish. In the 1970s, as music and mass media leaned towards bloat, with bands like Queen, The Who and Pink Floyd conquering the charts and grand-scale cinema like STAR WARS owning the box office, Kiss decided to give the trashy rock-and-roll pulp they made their name with a rest and pursue loftier creative heights.

The result of their semi-delusional dreaming was 1981's THE ELDER, a baroque, full-blown concept platter charting the story of a Luke Skywalker-esque boy who is called upon to battle the evil Mr. Blackwell and restore order and balance to the land. The album was the work of legendary producer Bob Ezrin (who helped shape the sound of hard rock's first horror show, Alice Cooper), a Toronto native who had previously reinvented the band with 1976's classic DESTROYER and had, at that time, just worked on Pink Floyd's double-disc rock-opera juggernaut THE WALL.

Both Ezrin and the band (well, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, anyway) were convinced that THE ELDER would be the record to forge their new "mature" path, a bounce back after the lightweight pop fluff of 1980's UNMASKED. Kiss trimmed their hair and donned new, stripped-down costumes, and the cover was the first in the band's history not to feature the freak four.

It was, of course, a gross miscalculation.

The album tanked, fans recoiled and THE ELDER pretty much drove a stake through the first wave of Kisstory. But time is a great healer, and over the years, many Kiss devotees have come forth and voiced their love for the disc (this writer included). Lush, evocative, frightening, beautiful and very cinematic, THE ELDER is such a breathlessly odd piece of work, so different from anything else in the Kiss lexicon, that it demands respect.

Fango tracked down Ezrin to talk about THE ELDER and share some memories of that pivotal point in the band's myth...

FANGORIA: To say one loves THE ELDER is-even now-not a popular sentiment.

BOB EZRIN: True. Not even amongst those of us who created it!

FANG: What can you tell us about the genesis of the album?

EZRIN: Well, the boys came to me with a bunch of really heavy demos, initially. They wanted to make a very intense record to combat the criticism of the last couple of albums. I had just made THE WALL, and I convinced them to scrap those demos and do something different. So THE ELDER was a victim of THE WALL and our mutual desire to do something "important," which really was antithetical to what Kiss was about. Kiss was never pretentious or precious and never took themselves seriously. They were always about fun, sex and power and were always, in effect, horror cartoon characters, so to suddenly do a concept album, something of "consequence," was an anti-Kiss idea. It was a flawed concept from the beginning.

FANG: Who was the driving force behind the record?

EZRIN: At the time, we were all looking for bigger, better things, and Gene-more so than Paul-jumped on the concept of doing THE ELDER. I'm not really sure if he came in with it or we developed it together, but we both evolved a script for a little film to accompany it. We thought it would be the beginning of multiple projects to go under the ELDER banner. We were wrong, of course. But Paul and Gene were really into it, and they put their all into it. They both had to step out of their personas, and it was really bold of them to do that. They were attracted to the classic rock, almost Beatles-esque, complex structure of the album...they were seduced by that. We were all trying to be artistes. It was a huge mistake.

FANG: It's well-known that lead guitarist Ace Frehley was not pleased with this direction, failed to show up for sessions and quit the band soon after. But you had similar problems with Ace during the recording of DESTROYER as well, didn't you?

EZRIN: People dwell on that, but it's not entirely true. I loved Ace. It's just that DESTROYER was a big project. It was ambitious and grandiose and had to be delivered on a finite budget in a very finite time frame. Gene and Paul were, as always, totally disciplined, but Ace was a free spirit and, like his persona suggests, a real space cadet. Sometimes we couldn't find him when we were in studio and had to record, so we had to proceed with Biff Wagner playing his parts. But when he did play on the album, he was fantastic.

FANG: DESTROYER was huge, a landmark album-but it too was met with fan dissent, initially. Do you remember the backlash when THE ELDER was released?

EZRIN: I do. Here was this larger-than-life fantasy/rock record, filled with myth and violence and passion, and I believe some fans liked it. Some critics liked it too, which rarely happened with Kiss. But most fans couldn't grasp it and they felt left behind, isolated.

FANG: What do you think of THE ELDER now?

EZRIN: There are some great moments in there, for sure, and some classics buried in the mix. But on the whole, it's way too self-indulgent and way too overproduced. It's also not fully realized. There's not enough material, and the story is not fleshed out. It's an interesting failure, I think.

FANG: And what about the commercial viability of the "concept album"...is it dead?

EZRIN: I don't believe so. Look at Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT. It was a huge album and then a big Broadway show. And listen, I hope it's not dead, because I just got in the studio with Alice Cooper to do another concept disc, an album with a connecting thematic thread, so I'm hoping it is still very much alive and well!

Fango #298, coming in October, features lots more about Kiss and its place in the world of horror, including a major interview with frontman Gene Simmons; go HERE
for a preview of the cover!

Are you a fan of KISS on Facebook? Over the past week, the number KISS' Facebook fans have surpassed the 1.2 MILLION mark! Thank you, KISS Army! If you haven't yet "Liked" KISS on Facebook, head over to KISS' official Facebook page to do so.

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Here's what KISS fans on Facebook have been saying about the band's shows this month:

Matt Olson: (St. Paul) - Last night was awesome!!! I've seen them several times and I think this was the best yet! Thanks KISS for a great night and for all you're doing for the vets.

Naomi Lynn Balfanz (St. Paul) - The show in Minnesota at the fair last night was AMAZING..I took my 19 year old and we had a blast I have been to a lot of concerts at the fair over the years and this one was the best and biggest and by far the loudest....Paul lead 18000 strong as we sang BETH in perfect harmony ..it was unlike anything I had ever seen people from 5 to 65 all singing the same " ROCK " song.

Brandon Johnson: (St. Paul) - I was there and they had one epic and phenomenal show! I absolutely agree, bring them back! Hearing them in an outdoor atmosphere was better than any other time I've seen them. No band works harder to put on an excellent show for their fans. I also want to thank KISS for their donations to the Wounded Warrior Care Project. Like they said, our troops do not receive the heroes welcome they deserve and I want to thank KISS for making a difference. Thank you for the greatest and most moving pledge of allegiance! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
Are you a fan of KISS on Facebook? Over the past week, the number KISS' Facebook fans have surpassed the 1.2 MILLION mark! Thank you, KISS Army! If you haven't yet "Liked" KISS on Facebook, head over to KISS' official Facebook page to do so.

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Here's what KISS fans on Facebook have been saying about the band's shows this month:

Matt Olson: (St. Paul) - Last night was awesome!!! I've seen them several times and I think this was the best yet! Thanks KISS for a great night and for all you're doing for the vets.

Naomi Lynn Balfanz (St. Paul) - The show in Minnesota at the fair last night was AMAZING..I took my 19 year old and we had a blast I have been to a lot of concerts at the fair over the years and this one was the best and biggest and by far the loudest....Paul lead 18000 strong as we sang BETH in perfect harmony ..it was unlike anything I had ever seen people from 5 to 65 all singing the same " ROCK " song.

Brandon Johnson: (St. Paul) - I was there and they had one epic and phenomenal show! I absolutely agree, bring them back! Hearing them in an outdoor atmosphere was better than any other time I've seen them. No band works harder to put on an excellent show for their fans. I also want to thank KISS for their donations to the Wounded Warrior Care Project. Like they said, our troops do not receive the heroes welcome they deserve and I want to thank KISS for making a difference. Thank you for the greatest and most moving pledge of allegiance! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Debbie Lee-Picha: (St. Paul) - it was absolutely the best concert, show was awesome, so fricken happy I was there. Thank You GENE, PAUL, TOMMY, and ERIC, for one hell of a night.


Michelle Johnson Welton: (Tinley Park) - We saw them in Chicago & if you get a chance to see them in concert - DO IT!!! They put on an AMAZING show!! The best concert of my life!!

Scott Reschke: (St. Paul) - They had the KISS ARMY in the palm of their hands lastnight. My 6th time seeing them, and 1st time outdoors. Outstanding, Epic, Relentless show lastnight from the Hottest Band In The Land. I think the Mn State Fair might be the way to go in the future. The fireworks at the end... OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jimmy Wamboldt: (Milwaukee) - went 2 the kiss show n milwaukee,wi sept.2nd. awesome show they alway`s put on a great show for their fans they give the fans their money`s worth.

Erik Elsie Johnson: (St. Paul) - Kiss is the ultimate entertainment! What a show! Fantastic , they give the fans a ROCKIN performance! Please come back next year to the State Fair in St Paul - You brought the house down!

Scott Levi: (St. Paul) - worth every penny, still the hottest band in the world, rock on!

Dr Pepper partnership brings together iconic American band, retail giant

KISS is currently traveling North America on The Hottest Show on Earth tour. Four collectible Super Big Gulps courtesy of Dr Pepper, each bearing the likeness of one of the KISS band members - Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer are available in participating U.S. 7-Eleven stores this September through the band's partnership with Dr Pepper.

"KISS has a huge following, and the legendary rockers' appeal cuts across generations," said 7-Eleven vice president and CMO Rita Bargerhuff. "For 7-Eleven to provide these special cups in September while the band is on its concert tour will be a bonus for baby boomer, Gen X and millennial fans."

Each of the sleek, black cups features an individual closeup of a band member in signature black and white makeup. Ross von Rosenberg, art director at TPN, part of the FreshWorks consortium of agencies serving 7-Eleven, spoke of the style he used to create the new cups: "I used metallic ink and rock-and-roll style graphics to emphasize the heavy-metal aspect of these cups and make KISS appear larger than life. And really, I just wanted them to look as awesome as a face-melting KISS guitar solo sounds."Dr Pepper partnership brings together iconic American band, retail giant

KISS is currently traveling North America on The Hottest Show on Earth tour. Four collectible Super Big Gulps courtesy of Dr Pepper, each bearing the likeness of one of the KISS band members�Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer are available in participating U.S. 7-Eleven stores this September through the band's partnership with Dr Pepper.

"KISS has a huge following, and the legendary rockers' appeal cuts across generations," said 7-Eleven vice president and CMO Rita Bargerhuff. "For 7-Eleven to provide these special cups in September while the band is on its concert tour will be a bonus for baby boomer, Gen X and millennial fans."

Each of the sleek, black cups features an individual closeup of a band member in signature black and white makeup. Ross von Rosenberg, art director at TPN, part of the FreshWorks consortium of agencies serving 7-Eleven, spoke of the style he used to create the new cups: "I used metallic ink and rock-and-roll style graphics to emphasize the heavy-metal aspect of these cups and make KISS appear larger than life. And really, I just wanted them to look as awesome as a face-melting KISS guitar solo sounds."

The availability of collectible KISS' cups at 7-Eleven is the latest in a long line of the band's ventures with Dr Pepper, including the Dr Pepper Cherry "Dr Love" and Super Bowl XLIV Dr Pepper Cherry "Dr Love - Little KISS" TV commercial spots.

"KISS, Dr Pepper and 7-Eleven are all icons of American pop culture, so this is a dream team with unlimited power" said Gene Simmons.

Paul Stanley added, "We are fired up to continue our successful relationship with Dr Pepper and partner with 7-Eleven to give their customers and the KISS Army across America a cold drink in a cool collectible."

For The Hottest Show on Earth tour, KISS is giving back to the U.S. Armed Forces by donating $1 from each ticket sold to benefit the Wounded Warrior Care Project

Dr Pepper, a brand of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Plano, Texas. The brand is available in Regular, Diet, Caffeine Free and Cherry varieties. DPS is a leading producer of flavored soft drinks, marketing Dr Pepper and more than 50 other beverage brands across North America and the Caribbean.

Dallas-based 7-Eleven operates franchises or licenses more than 8,200 7-Eleven stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven operates franchises or licenses approximately 38,500 stores in 16 countries. During 2009, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $58.9 billion.