Kiss News

PACIFIC UNIVERSITY'S LEGENDS GOLF CLASSIC IS ANOTHER SMASHING SUCCESS

The Pacific Legends Golf Classic hosted by Tommy Thayer generates
over $425,000 in an exciting two days of entertainment, music and golf

FOREST GROVE (Aug. 4, 2010) - Perfect weather, a star-studded field of celebrities and two days of entertainment, music and golf, has translated into another huge success for the Pacific University Legends Golf Classic.

Hosted by KISS guitarist and Beaverton native Tommy Thayer, the fourth annual tournament grossed over $425,000 to benefit Pacific University's 21-sport NCAA Division III athletics program. For the first time, the event was a sell out with over 400 people attending the Sunday dinner, auction and concert, and 185 people participating in the Monday golf tournament. The event was held at The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club in Aloha.

"I sincerely thank everyone involved for making the 2010 Legends Golf Classic a huge win for Pacific University," Thayer said. "Legends continues to become bigger ever year and 2010 tops them all. We will continue to make a difference in the lives of Pacific University's student-athletes."

KISS co-founder Gene Simmons joined Thayer as the featured celebrity at this year's tournament. Simmons filmed an episode of his reality television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, at the event, focusing on his first-ever attempt at playing golf. The episode is schedule to air early this fall on the A&E Network.

Simmons himself was a moneymaker for the University as the opportunity to play golf with him and KISS manager Doc McGhee raised $30,000 at the Sunday live auction. The opportunity to play golf with tournament host Thayer fetched $10,000.PACIFIC UNIVERSITY'S LEGENDS GOLF CLASSIC
IS ANOTHER SMASHING SUCCESS

The Pacific Legends Golf Classic hosted by Tommy Thayer generates
over $425,000 in an exciting two days of entertainment, music and golf

FOREST GROVE (Aug. 4, 2010) - Perfect weather, a star-studded field of celebrities and two days of entertainment, music and golf, has translated into another huge success for the Pacific University Legends Golf Classic.

Hosted by KISS guitarist and Beaverton native Tommy Thayer, the fourth annual tournament grossed over $425,000 to benefit Pacific University's 21-sport NCAA Division III athletics program. For the first time, the event was a sell out with over 400 people attending the Sunday dinner, auction and concert, and 185 people participating in the Monday golf tournament. The event was held at The Reserve Vineyards & Golf Club in Aloha.

"I sincerely thank everyone involved for making the 2010 Legends Golf Classic a huge win for Pacific University," Thayer said. "Legends continues to become bigger ever year and 2010 tops them all. We will continue to make a difference in the lives of Pacific University's student-athletes."

KISS co-founder Gene Simmons joined Thayer as the featured celebrity at this year's tournament. Simmons filmed an episode of his reality television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, at the event, focusing on his first-ever attempt at playing golf. The episode is schedule to air early this fall on the A&E Network.

Simmons himself was a moneymaker for the University as the opportunity to play golf with him and KISS manager Doc McGhee raised $30,000 at the Sunday live auction. The opportunity to play golf with tournament host Thayer fetched $10,000.

Other highlights of the 2010 Pacific University Legends Golf Classic:

* PGA Professional Tommy Armour III hit a hole-in-one on the par-3, 194-yard 11th hole on The Reserve's South Course.

* A field of 23 celebrities from the worlds of music, sports and golf participated in the tournament. Among those joining Thayer and Simmons were PGA professionals Tommy Masters and Jason Allred, LPGA pros Perry Swenson and Amber Prange, musicians Jack Blades, Ray Kennedy, Danny Seraphine and Johnny Lee, NFL standouts Neil Lomax and Leroy Irvin, MLB stars Scott Erickson, Chuck Finley and Chili Davis; actors Lisa Guerrero and Clint Howard and NASCAR legend Geoff Bodine.

* Lisa Guerrero hosted Sunday night's dinner and live auction, which grossed over $425,000 for the Pacific University athletics program. The auction was followed by a special concert featuring Thayer and Night Ranger front man Jack Blades.

* The tournament concluded with a golf ball drop from a helicopter, which flew overhead at the conclusion of the event. Participants had the chance to purchase golf balls, which were then dropped from a helicopter over The Reserve's driving range. The person whose ball landed closest to the pin won $2,500, which was promptly donated back to Pacific University.

* Tremendous media attention brought the tournament's excitement to the larger Portland area. The Legends Golf Classic was covered on-site by media sponsor KGW Newschannel 8, KPTV Fox 12 Oregon, the Forest Grove News-Times and The Oregonian. Extensive pre-tournament interviews were aired on the "Wheels At Work" show on media sponsor 95.5 The Game (KXTG-FM). The tournament also netted national media attention, which included appearances by Thayer on the Golf Channel's Grey Goose 19th Hole and on Sporting News Radio's Tim Brando Show.

Team winners in the tournament's three competitive flights:

* Celebrity Flight: BP America (Michael Abenhoff, Kurt Eickmeyer, Mark Fontana, Brian Rehm, Scott Erickson)
* PGA Flight: Norton Group (Chad Norton, Charlie Norton, Jimmy Stephensen, Chris Yach, Perry Swenson)
* Boxer Flight: Golf Today (Eddy Goldenberg, Brett Johnson, Alan Skuba, Mike McColgan)

The planning has already begun for the fifth annual Legends Golf Classic, which will take place in August 2011. For more information, to view celebrity biographies or check out the media coverage of the event, please visit www.pacificlegendsgolf.com.

Pacific University Trustee Bill Stoller, left, poses with KISS guitarist and Pacific Trustee Tommy Thayer, Cathy Stoller and KISS co-founder Gene Simmons. The Epiphone Les Paul standard guitar, signed by all four members of KISS, sold for $15,000 as part of the live auction at the 2010 Pacific University Legends Golf Classic on Sunday, Aug. 1. Photo by John Wiley Howington.

"Kiss Legends Golf Tournament Keeps On Rockin!"

By Mike L. and MJ Mc Colgan / Golf Today Magazine

The 4th Annual Tommy Thayer Legends Golf Classic benefiting Pacific University was recently held at the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Oregon. My son MJ( 3 time National Special Olympics Golf Champion) and I were guests of Tommy Thayer. Tommy has his roots in Portland and is on the Board of Pacific University. The University was founded in 1849 and is one of the finest liberal arts, education and health profession universities in the country. There are 1485 undergraduates and 1728 graduate students. This year the tournament rocked and was bigger and better than ever. Celebrity's like Chili Davis, Tommy Armour, Geoff Bodine, Sean Fister, Gene Simmons and many others were treated like royalty for two days of golf and fun.

The tournament kicked off with a silent auction fueled by the famous Kiss Goodnight cocktails(Black Cherry Vodka and cranberry juice.) A 4 course sit down dinner featuring 2008 Desert Wind Ruah Bordeaux blend, 2009 Duck Pond Pinot Gris and 2005 Duck Pond Semillon Desert Wine was perfect with the entree grilled flat iron steak with parsley red skin potatoes, baby carrots and wild mushroom demi-glace. The emcee was acclaimed sportscaster and Monday Night football broadcaster Lisa Guerrero.

The live auction was full of energy and raised lots of money for the university. 3 people bought signed Kiss guitars for $15,000 each. Gene Simmons sweetened the purchase with invitations and back stage passes to a future Kiss concert."Kiss Legends Golf Tournament Keeps On Rockin!"

By Mike L. and MJ Mc Colgan / Golf Today Magazine
The 4th Annual Tommy Thayer Legends Golf Classic benefiting Pacific University was recently held at the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Oregon. My son MJ( 3 time National Special Olympics Golf Champion) and I were guests of Tommy Thayer. Tommy has his roots in Portland and is on the Board of Pacific University. The University was founded in 1849 and is one of the finest liberal arts, education and health profession universities in the country. There are 1485 undergraduates and 1728 graduate students. This year the tournament rocked and was bigger and better than ever. Celebrity's like Chili Davis, Tommy Armour, Geoff Bodine, Sean Fister, Gene Simmons and many others were treated like royalty for two days of golf and fun.

The tournament kicked off with a silent auction fueled by the famous Kiss Goodnight cocktails(Black Cherry Vodka and cranberry juice.) A 4 course sit down dinner featuring 2008 Desert Wind Ruah Bordeaux blend, 2009 Duck Pond Pinot Gris and 2005 Duck Pond Semillon Desert Wine was perfect with the entree grilled flat iron steak with parsley red skin potatoes, baby carrots and wild mushroom demi-glace. The emcee was acclaimed sportscaster and Monday Night football broadcaster Lisa Guerrero.

The live auction was full of energy and raised lots of money for the university. 3 people bought signed Kiss guitars for $15,000 each. Gene Simmons sweetened the purchase with invitations and back stage passes to a future Kiss concert.

The highlight was a special concert with Tommy Thayer and friends. Jake Blades of the famous band Night Ranger, Danny Seraphine original drummer for Chicago, Johnny Lee Urban Cowboy fame and biggest hit Looking For Love, and Ray Kennedy famous song writer with Dave Mason, Brian Wilson and Fleetwood Mac entertained the crowd with lively music, dancing and fun. Former LA Ram Leroy Irvin and others joined this vibrant group on stage to help Tommy and crew do a few songs. Kiss favorite "Rock and Roll All Night Long" had everyone dancing and smiling into the wee hours with many "Goodnight Kisses."

Golf the next day was highlighted by a clinic with one of the top rated teaching professionals Tommy Masters. He is rated as one of Golf Magazine's top 100 instructors. Long drive Champion Sean Fister also hit some long bombs. He told us that he has hit the ball over 500 yards and can carry it 360 yards. A putting contest, lunch and cocktails preceded the 1:00 Shot gun that filled both the North and South courses at the Reserve. A brief opening ceremony featured Tommy and Gene wishing everyone good luck. Gene had the cameras follow him around for his Family Jewels program and has not played much golf before so it will be a very interesting future TV segment.

We got paired with some great golfers and good guys. Eddy Goldenberg and Alan Skuba from Palm Desert and Dr. Brett Johnson a local dentist. We had the good omen of starting out on lucky number 7. Having played in many of these kind of events, I know it was going to be a good day when Eddy nearly aced the par three number seven. We finished 15 under par and won the Pro-Am with each of us getting Callaway drivers. I was lucky and made a 50 foot putt on one hole to secure a one stroke victory. Alan Skuba is a long time manager with Big Horn in the desert and his long time friend Mack Wiebe rode along with us. Mack is the proud father of Senior Professional Mark Wiebe and had some good tips for Alan to lead us to victory. A final awards presentation was held and followed by a golf ball drop. 500 people bought a chance to win closest to the hole when a helicopter dropped the 500 balls on the putting green.

The weather was perfect and Pacific University benefited from very generous patrons. My partner Alan Skuba summarized the day when he said on our last hole, 'I can't believe we are on the last hole already. It is days like this that you never want to end." Tommy said he promises to make it even bigger next year. Great event Tommy! MJ and I are looking forward to "rockin" with you and Gene again next year!

KISS becomes first band to introduce live interactive concert photo experience for fans!

KISS (www.KISSonline.com), the iconic American rock band that has sold more than 80 million albums, played for millions and become an integral part of the American culture, has just notched another first in their long list of stellar achievements: Liveshare by Cooliris featuring KISS (www.cooliris.com/liveshare-kiss), an exciting mobile photo-sharing application that will launch on KISS' The Hottest Show on Earth tour this summer.

Fans attending The Hottest Show on Earth tour, KISS' biggest, loudest, most over-the-top concert tour ever that kicked-off July 23 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, will become the first to have photos of KISS, themselves, and their friends experiencing the raw power and excitement of a live KISS concert, appear live on giant KISS video screens.

Through a free downloadable app, KISS fans can snap photos during the concert with the highlights being displayed on the KISS jumbo screen. Users will also be able to share photos to Facebook and Twitter, bringing their friends into the live concert experience.KISS becomes first band to introduce live interactive concert photo experience for fans!

KISS (www.KISSonline.com), the iconic American rock band that has sold more than 80 million albums, played for millions and become an integral part of the American culture, has just notched another first in their long list of stellar achievements: Liveshare by Cooliris featuring KISS (www.cooliris.com/liveshare-kiss), an exciting mobile photo-sharing application that will launch on KISS' The Hottest Show on Earth tour this summer.

Fans attending The Hottest Show on Earth tour, KISS' biggest, loudest, most over-the-top concert tour ever that kicked-off July 23 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, will become the first to have photos of KISS, themselves, and their friends experiencing the raw power and excitement of a live KISS concert, appear live on giant KISS video screens.

Through a free downloadable app, KISS fans can snap photos during the concert with the highlights being displayed on the KISS jumbo screen. Users will also be able to share photos to Facebook and Twitter, bringing their friends into the live concert experience.

The new KISS Liveshare experience is the first time that the excitement and energy of a concert can be shared in real time with friends and fans that can't be at the live event. Photos taken at the Hottest Show on Earth will appear on Facebook and KISSonline while the event is unfolding, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the concert photos through the popular Cooliris 3D wall.

KISS is excited to be able to bring this awesome concert experience to fans wherever they may be.

The free Liveshare app featuring KISS will be available for download at the iTunes Store and Android Market.

KISS is the first band ever to launch such a highly-interactive and socially-engaging fan photo experience. KISS and Live Nation Merchandise partnered with Los Angeles-based new media firm Riot House (www.theriothouse.com) and Cooliris (www.cooliris.com), innovator of the fastest and most stunning way to engage with media on desktops or devices, to bring KISS Liveshare to fans on The Hottest Show on Earth tour.

Here's the exclusive interview as appears in our August Anniversary Buyer's Guide

KISS

Most lists of 100 things to do before you die involve travel to exotic locations and participating in some sort of extreme sport, but if you are a musician your bucket list should also include attending a KISS concert.

For the last 35 years KISS has staged a spectacle unlike any other in the rock and roll business�one that keeps getting bigger and better every time they go out on the road on tour. This year's tour, called "The Hottest Show on Earth," is a two-hour extravaganza filled with enough fireworks and pyrotechnics "to bring down low-flying aircraft," promises KISS rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley.

"When we go on stage, we want people in the audience to go, 'This is what a rock concert is supposed to be!" says Stanley. "Our show started out by us wanting to get up on stage and show people how it was supposed to be done. We wanted to be the band that we always wanted to see but never saw. We still go out there every night and try to be the ideal band."

Fans can always count on seeing bassist Gene Simmons spewing mushroom clouds of fire, Les Pauls that shoot fireworks, and more confetti than a Wall Street ticker tape parade celebrating a World Series victory by the New York Yankees. This year's tour includes massive video screens that give fans close up views of all four band members in performance, multi-colored flame explosions, and hydraulic platforms that lift band members high into the air while spraying out more fireworks and pyro.Here's the exclusive interview as appears in our August Anniversary Buyer's Guide

KISS

Most lists of 100 things to do before you die involve travel to exotic locations and participating in some sort of extreme sport, but if you are a musician your bucket list should also include attending a KISS concert.

For the last 35 years KISS has staged a spectacle unlike any other in the rock and roll business�one that keeps getting bigger and better every time they go out on the road on tour. This year's tour, called "The Hottest Show on Earth," is a two-hour extravaganza filled with enough fireworks and pyrotechnics "to bring down low-flying aircraft," promises KISS rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley.

"When we go on stage, we want people in the audience to go, 'This is what a rock concert is supposed to be!" says Stanley. "Our show started out by us wanting to get up on stage and show people how it was supposed to be done. We wanted to be the band that we always wanted to see but never saw. We still go out there every night and try to be the ideal band."

Fans can always count on seeing bassist Gene Simmons spewing mushroom clouds of fire, Les Pauls that shoot fireworks, and more confetti than a Wall Street ticker tape parade celebrating a World Series victory by the New York Yankees. This year's tour includes massive video screens that give fans close up views of all four band members in performance, multi-colored flame explosions, and hydraulic platforms that lift band members high into the air while spraying out more fireworks and pyro.

"Whenever we go on tour we always try to top the previous tour by doing more or coming up with a different angle," says Stanley. "We always want to come down from the heavens at the beginning of the show. We want to come down to all of the people and rock them in the church of rock and roll."

"We're involved in every aspect of the production," adds Simmons. "Anywhere, any time, anyhow our logo, name, or likeness appears it's our responsibility to make sure that we can stand behind it. There isn't one iota of any piece that goes out there without us okaying it. We have to be proud of what we do."

Considering that KISS has licensed between 2,000 and 3,000 different types of products, that's much more involvement and responsibility than most bands are willing to devote to their careers. In addition to the usual clothing lines, trading cards and action figures that many bands currently market to fans, KISS has gone even further by offering their own specialty coffeehouse and custom made KISS Kaskets, like the one in which Pantera guitarist and devoted KISS fan Dimebag Darrell was buried.

The incredibly high standards that KISS apply to their show and merchandising efforts also apply to the opening acts that the band brings out with them on tour. Over the years, a wide variety of artists and bands, including AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Cheap Trick, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, John Mellencamp, M�tley Cr�e, Tom Petty, Rush, Bob Seger and many, many others, have opened for KISS.

"From the very beginning KISS has broken a lot of other bands," says Stanley. "We may not have made them famous, but we gave them the opportunity to get famous. We feel it's our obligation to give other people the chance to go out there into the arena as gladiators so our audience can give you either the thumbs up or the thumbs down."

For this summer's tour KISS has partnered with Guitar Center for a unique GC Onstage competition that offers 22 unsigned bands in 22 cities once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to open for KISS. Fans in each city will select their five favorite unsigned bands, and the members of KISS will review each of the five finalists and select one winning band for each show. In addition to opening for KISS the best of the 22 bands, as selected by Kiss, will win a $10,000 shopping spree at Guitar Center.

"All bands are welcome at a KISS concert," says Stanley. "Somebody is going to get up there on stage before us each night. This may be your chance to hit the big time."

While the members of KISS aren't revealing what they're looking for from the bands they're likely to select as winners, they do offer a few words of advice to all aspiring bands that hope to find success in the music industry. "Don't copy us," says Simmons. "Don't grow a beard just because the guy down the street is growing a beard. Don't wear your hat backwards or sideways. Don't do the obvious thing. Do your own thing. Most importantly, be a team. A band should be like the four legs on a table or the four wheels on a car. Everybody has to hold up their share. Get rid of the losers, alcoholics and drug addicts. They're vampires and they'll suck the life out of you. A team in disarray is a team of losers that will not win. To be effective you need to be strong and speak as one. It's all for one and one for all."

Stanley adds: "Listen to your inner voice. You know within yourself what you should be doing. The people around you who tell you that things are impossible are the ones who failed, and people who fail always need somebody else to cry with. Those are the people you don't need around you. You need people around you who will spur you on and will tell you what is possible. But ultimately I recommend that you don't listen to advice. We didn't and you don't have to."

When it comes to building a team, the current KISS lineup is the band's strongest ever. While some diehard fans may still miss original lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer have given the band renewed vitality and energy while keeping the band's original sound intact.

"Most people don't realize that a lot of that sound is due to Paul's guitar playing," explains Thayer. "Keith Richards plays a certain way in the Rolling Stones and that's why they sound like the Stones. Paul Stanley plays a certain style of rhythm guitar and that's why it sounds like KISS. Whenever we've gone in the studio, sometimes it doesn't feel right until Paul lays down his rhythm guitar tracks."

Stanley adds: "We've had a template and a blueprint from the beginning. That was to follow in the footprints of all of the bands that we loved�Humble Pie, Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Who�bands where the guitar formed this iconic, huge sound. By having two guitar players who played together in tandem and played off of each other, we created something that's classic and classical. We've had different guitarists in the band from time to time (Frehley, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick), but it's not about who is in the band. It's about having everybody in the band believe in the same thing. The teams that win the World Series or the Super Bowl aren't always the teams with the best players but rather the teams with the best spirit. Our spirit has never changed, and it's probably healthier at this point than it's ever been."

Stanley has been associated with several guitar companies over the years, but Thayer is a devoted fan of the Gibson Les Paul, and he owns a variety of Standard, Custom and Deluxe models. His main stage guitar is a 1960 Standard reissue featuring Gibson 498 humbucking pickups. One of Thayer's more recent acquisitions is a 2009 Gibson Explorer with a custom silver sparkle finish that he plays during encores.

Last year when KISS was recording their latest album, Sonic Boom, the band decided to go for a classic sound reminiscent of the band's mid-Seventies efforts. As a result, Stanley and Thayer decided to put some of their more recent gear aside in favor of equipment dating back to the Seventies or earlier. Thayer used several of his original Seventies Les Pauls, and Stanley dusted off some guitars and amps that hadn't seen action since KISS released their Dynasty album in 1979.

"We used the same classic vintage tube amps and guitars that our heroes used to play," says Stanley. "It was really a way for us to pay homage to the bands that we loved, but we also paid homage to everything that KISS has created in the past. It was the gear that we always loved�gear that you can still find at Guitar Center's vintage guitar department."

Thayer adds: "The interesting thing with the sound of KISS�particularly the guitar sound�is that it's a timeless sound. It worked very well 35 years ago and it still works just as well today. That sound will live forever, so you never really want to get away from that."

More towards the back of the stage, Singer first started playing drums with KISS in 1991 when the band hired him to replace Eric Carr, who had passed away from a brain hemorrhage. He remained with the band until 1996 when KISS reunited with original members Criss and Frehley for the Alive/Worldwide tour. Singer went on to play with Alice Cooper and Queen guitarist Brian May before KISS finally brought him back as a full-time band member in 2003.

Playing a nine-piece Pearl Masters Premium drum kit with double bass drums, Singer gives the current KISS sound the muscle and punch the music demands. The kit includes the Pearl Eric Singer ES1465 signature snare, a 6.5x14" snare with a 10-ply maple shell. Recently he switched from shells with a Black Comet sparkle finish to clear smoked acrylic shells.

"The change was more for aesthetic reasons than anything else," explains Singer. "We have this amazing, huge video wall behind us and I didn't want to block the view of it. I also wanted the lights to come through my drum kit, which added to the overall look of the stage and the video wall. Fortunately those acrylic drums sound really good, too."

Singer says that he prefers to use the same kit in the studio and on stage: "What I play is what I play. I may change some cymbal weights around depending on what type of music I'm recording. On Sonic Boom I wanted to go for what I wouldn't call a retro sound but more of a classical sound. It was more of a Seventies-style recording process using analog two-inch tape the old school way. We used more vintage gear and went for an organic, traditional sound."

Singer's kit also includes a vast assortment of Zildjian cymbals, including a pair of 19" Z3 Medium Crash (one has an 8" inverted splash on top), 21" K Custom Hybrid Ride, 16" Oriental China trash, 12" Z3 splash, 9.5" Zil bell, 8" and 6" A Custom splash, and 14" Avedis rock hi-hat cymbals. "I've been with Zildjian my whole life," says Singer. "That's what everybody played. My dad was a drummer and my first kit had Zildjian cymbals so I've played Zildjian since I was a kid. Zildjian cymbals were always considered the best and to me they still are. It's really about having gear that works for you and provides the sound that I want and need. That's what Pearl and Zildjian both do."

With Thayer and Singer now permanent members of the band, it seems likely that KISS will live on longer as a live and recording act as well. Despite announcing a farewell tour in 2000 and telling the press that their 1998 effort Psycho Circus was likely to be their last studio album, KISS has gone on several tours since then and made a strong recorded comeback with Sonic Boom. Stanley has even expressed his desire to enter the studio to record another KISS album after "The Hottest Show on Earth" tour wraps up.

After spending nearly four decades rock and rolling all night and partying every day, Simmons and Stanley aren't anywhere close to retiring. Both agree that the current state of KISS is the best it has ever been, which is exceptionally good news for anyone who has "attending a KISS concert" on their bucket list or even longtime fans that want to experience the band in peak form.

Stanley agrees that now may be the best time in the band's history to witness a KISS show: "Eric is bar none one of the greatest drummers in rock and roll, and he proves it every night. It's awesome to have him on stage with us. Tommy just blows us away every night. Gene, for all his hot air and everything else he spits out there, is a monster bass player. At the end of the day this is all about the music. What we put on the outside is all the fancy chrome and color, but man there's an engine in here that's been working 35 years."

Speaking with Gene Simmons: KISS still Alive after 35, and 'better than ever'

Posted by John J. Moser

Four years ago, when Kiss frontman and co-founder Paul Stanley was promoting his first solo disc in 28 years and first solo tour ever, he said in an interview that slipping sales and flagging interest in any Kiss music besides the hits made him doubt the band would ever again record a new album.

It had already been eight years since Kiss recorded "Psycho Circus," the first disc featuring the band's original members in nearly 20 years, amid a five-year reunion tour that brought Stanley and co-founder Gene Simmons back together with former members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.

Fast-forward to today.

Kiss not only recorded a new album, "Sonic Boom," in 2009, but it became the group's highest-charting disc ever, reaching No. 2 on Billboard's albums chart.
Speaking with Gene Simmons: KISS still Alive after 35, and 'better than ever'

Posted by John J. Moser

Four years ago, when Kiss frontman and co-founder Paul Stanley was promoting his first solo disc in 28 years and first solo tour ever, he said in an interview that slipping sales and flagging interest in any Kiss music besides the hits made him doubt the band would ever again record a new album.

It had already been eight years since Kiss recorded "Psycho Circus," the first disc featuring the band's original members in nearly 20 years, amid a five-year reunion tour that brought Stanley and co-founder Gene Simmons back together with former members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.

Fast-forward to today.

Kiss not only recorded a new album, "Sonic Boom," in 2009, but it became the group's highest-charting disc ever, reaching No. 2 on Billboard's albums chart.

And now the group is two years into a tour to celebrate the 35th anniversary of its breakthrough disc, 1975's "Alive," which gave the band its first Top 10 album, as well as its first hit, "Rock and Roll All Night."

They play at Hersheypark Stadium tonight.

In a recent telephone calling from Los Angeles, where the band was appearing on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," bassist Gene Simmons talked about the band, its future and KISS's legacy.

Here's a transcript of the interview:

Lehigh Valley Music: Hey Gene, how are you?

Simmons: "I'm deliriously happy."

Ha! Are you at the Leno show?

"Yes,"

You're on there solo?

"No, KISS was playing tonight."

How's the tour going?

"Fantastic. It really is amazing. Except our crew talks when we do interviews [loud voices heard in the background] so we're going to shut them out. We are having a ball, as you can imagine. How'd you like to get up on stage, wear more make-up and high heels than your mommy does? "

Ha, ha. OK, but this many years into it - still fresh for you? Still exciting?

"Just absolutely love it. Better than ever, no drug addicts or alcoholics in the band, no excuses. No dark clouds. It's just great to have a four-wheel-drive vehicle again. No excuses, no nothing. I mean, after all, we introduced ourselves with 'You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world.' We're calling this the hottest show on earth.' So you've gotta have some king-sized nuts to go out there with two of the guys just dragging their sorry butts around. This has been an ongoing tour now for approaching two years. We started almost two years ago in Australia to 80,000 or 90,000 people and continued on, went through Europe twice. We just came back to American and this is our second time through America. But this time we're playing all the cities but only single nights. We're trying to hit as many places as possible. And we just added three stadiums in Mexico and we're going to Central American and South America. We have a ball."

No offense, but you guys - you and Paul [Stanley, KISS's songer/front man] are not kids.

"You can't offend me. You can offend Paul, though."

Ha. Is it more difficult to do?

"No. No, I think if you see us, you'll see that it's actually gotten more convincing. Because it's like a kid having sex for the first time - you blow your wad in five seconds. The more you do it, the longer you can go, because you know how to pace yourself. It's like nervous fighters who get in the ring the first time, they get knocked out right away; they don't know how to jab and stay in there and go for the knockout when it's ready."

Well, right - you know when to push yourself to the limit and when not to, I guess.

"Yeah, because if the spotlight's on [guitarist] Tommy [Thayer] taking a solo, and I'm jumping up and down killing myself and you can't see me on the screens, or people are looking the other way, it�s a wasted energy."

Along with that, the new album, "Sonic Boom," comes out, -- your highest chart debut ever. How much validation is that for you?

"Not much. It really hasn't ever been an issue. Most important, although it sounds cornball, is the fans. The fact that we can - here we are doing 'Modern Day Delilah' on Leno and not, I don't know, 'Duece' or 'Dr. Love' or something. But you know, the old stuff holds up. There's a Dr. Pepper commercial , 'Calling Dr. Love.' There are any number of other products that use 'Rock and Roll All Night,' and stuff like that. So the old stuff is going great. And we're playing, I don't know, about half the record live. And going into the '80s and doing that stuff. In fact, this tour takes bits and pieces from every decade. I'm proud to say I'm the voice of the new Guitar Hero."

I read that. Congratulations.

"I read that, too, as a matter of fact."

I interviewed Paul back in '06, when he did his solo disc, and at that time he was saying he envisioned no future new KISS albums. What changed your minds?

"Well, I think every day you wake up and you make assessment of life on earth as you see it on that day. The thing that changed is Tommy and Eric. You want to go forward when you feel there's a real team committed to doing everything. And, you know, if you're in a soccer game or a football game or any kind of team situation, you don't feel like getting out on the field if not everybody�s holding up their end. So with Tommy and Eric as part of the team felt - I don't know - convincing and easy to do. In fact, 'Sonic Boom' was one of the easiest records we�ve ever done."

And obviously you like it more than you liked 'Psycho Circus'?

"I like them both for different reasons. 'Psycho Circus,' though, was torture. Ace and Peter were going through their thing again of last-minute sending lawyers in to do all kinds of stuff. And you know what? We just said, 'Stay home,' you don't need to be in the band. And you don't need to torture everybody. You're happier at home and everybody should respect you because you were pivotal members of one of the most enduring bands in rock and roll history. KISS couldn't have done it without Ace and Peter then, and Kiss cannot do it with Ace and Peter now.

"So I think it's best for them - and bless them both. We love them and stuff. It's best for them to rest on their laurels. But we don't have time for the past. We're too busy having a good time right now. We're looking forward to the future."

Your participation in the reality shows - "Family Jewels"...

"Oh, you mean, you mean the oldest, the longest-running reality show of them all. It's the 100th episode tomorrow, as a matter of fact."

Congratulations on that as well. I was not aware of that. Your participation in that and "Celebrity Apprentice," how does that compare to the thrill you get from being on stage?

"Completely different. You know, you get kudos when you write a great article and then when you mow the lawn and your friends come over and say, 'Boy, your house looks spic and span,' they're different pleasures, and they don't compete with each other. They're completely validated by themselves, if you see what I mean. Being on stage with KISS is unequaled for that thing. On the other hand, making a great business deal that throws off millions of dollars, that's pretty satisfying, too."

The reality stuff - is there satisfaction for you in sort of the appearances or is it...

"I don't care. It doesn't matter to me at all. My life's an open book and take it or leave it. Not everybody liked Jesus, either."

The future of Kiss: Obviously you're going to be playing a lot of shows. But from here one out, do you envision another album somewhere down the line? Do you envision a stop to your touring?

"No, no end in sight that we can see. Another record? Sure, why not?"

Physical limitations at all?

"I don't think so. There's going to be a certain point where they're going to have to bury us in the ground. We're all going to get our turn. But so far, so good. If you take a look at the biggest bands on earth, none of them are 20 years old. None. And, in fact, a few of them are quite a bit older. Jagger's got to be 64, 65. And McCartney's even a little older than that."

Do you have any thoughts on the Rock and Roll Hall of fame's snub at this point?

"It's not a snub to us. We've gotten everything we've ever dreamed of and more. There's nobody in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- in fact, if you took all of them and put them together - they couldn't match all the licensing and merchandising we've done and the legacy we've left. I mean, yes, Madonna's important. I have no [darned] idea what she's doing in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Or Grandmaster Flash or any other disco or rap artist. I think it's an insult to them to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I don't want to be in the Rap Hall of Fame. And likewise, rappers shouldn't be in there. It's the wrong place.

"But what band would I rather be? There's not a band in there that has as much fun as we have. None of them are super heroes. We are. We have comic books and all this kind of stuff. So would I rather be in Crosby, Stills and Nash or Kiss? I think I'll take Kiss.�

Yeah, it was particularly galling to me when ABBA got in. I just didn't see that at all.

"Oh. I mean, I see that a lot easier than L.L. Cool J."

Yeah, I guess.

"I'd rather go pop than rap."

Last question and sort of all-encompassing: Why do you think Kiss has lasted so long? And what's the secret?

"There are no secrets. Nothing beats hard work and teamwork. There just isn't. I mean, you've got to be born at the right place at the right time with the right thing. But having said that, nothing takes the place of a great team. People support each other. And nothing takes the place of getting up there and making sure that every single show you ever play in your entire career may be the only thing people will ever remember you by. Which is to say, you must have truckloads of pride. Remember how we introduce ourselves. And I really hope to God the very last show we ever play we will live up to the legend of Kiss."

Listen Gene, I love you, man. You're a great interview, a great musician.

"Don't forget good looking!"

By Brian McManus

The idea is pretty damn solid. Four guys, inspired by the New York Dolls but too ugly to pull off the whole androgyny thing, decide instead to dress like Japanese Kabuki warriors, spit blood, breathe fire and pen songs about staying up all night and partying ev-ah-ree day. That's KISS, who now, after 36 years of lineup and costume changes are once again circling the globe on their Hottest Show On Earth Tour. We caught up with KISS drummer Eric Singer - in the band on and off since '91 - to talk about the KISS machine, the fabric of Americana and what it feels like to be a permanent understudy.

The KISS monster keeps growing. Why is that?

"I think it's a couple of different factors. We noticed a change when we toured Europe in 2008. We noticed that all of a sudden, 'Wow there's a lot of kids here, like teenage kids.' It wasn't just Mom and Dad bringing little kids to the show, like babies, it was teenage kids coming on their own, like you would expect with this brand-new band or a young band. We thought, 'This is just Europe,' because we hadn't been there in a few years. And then we went to South America and Australia and New Zealand, and everywhere we went it was the same thing. It was a younger audience.

"The band has become a part of the fabric of Americana. When you think of America, a lot of people think of Coca-Cola or Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper, McDonald's, Disneyland, Universal Studios. I think KISS fits right in with those things. It's part of American fabric. It's become an iconic thing that you think about as part of America. Everywhere you go, you can show the KISS logo or the makeup designs of the guys, and everybody will go, 'Oh, that's Kiss.' I mean, they'll know it even in Malaysia."

A lot of that is to do with Gene being a master brander, right?

"It's not just Gene. I love Gene and I respect Gene, he's very much a business-minded guy, but he's not the one that invented everything KISS ever did. Ace Frehley came up with the KISS logo. So you've got to give credit where it's due. A lot of our costumes, all the things that we wear now, Paul Stanley sat there and he sketched them and designed them all out himself. When we do photo sessions Paul Stanley goes out and goes to Home Depot, and buys supplies with some of the crew guys, and he puts together the sets of how he wants it to look for the photo sessions. I mean, a lot of the stuff we do is hands-off, but a lot of the creative stuff, I have to give credit, is more Paul.By Brian McManus

The idea is pretty damn solid. Four guys, inspired by the New York Dolls but too ugly to pull off the whole androgyny thing, decide instead to dress like Japanese Kabuki warriors, spit blood, breathe fire and pen songs about staying up all night and partying ev-ah-ree day. That's KISS, who now, after 36 years of lineup and costume changes are once again circling the globe on their Hottest Show On Earth Tour. We caught up with KISS drummer Eric Singer - in the band on and off since '91 - to talk about the KISS machine, the fabric of Americana and what it feels like to be a permanent understudy.

The KISS monster keeps growing. Why is that?

"I think it's a couple of different factors. We noticed a change when we toured Europe in 2008. We noticed that all of a sudden, 'Wow there's a lot of kids here, like teenage kids.' It wasn't just Mom and Dad bringing little kids to the show, like babies, it was teenage kids coming on their own, like you would expect with this brand-new band or a young band. We thought, 'This is just Europe,' because we hadn't been there in a few years. And then we went to South America and Australia and New Zealand, and everywhere we went it was the same thing. It was a younger audience.

"The band has become a part of the fabric of Americana. When you think of America, a lot of people think of Coca-Cola or Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper, McDonald's, Disneyland, Universal Studios. I think KISS fits right in with those things. It's part of American fabric. It's become an iconic thing that you think about as part of America. Everywhere you go, you can show the KISS logo or the makeup designs of the guys, and everybody will go, 'Oh, that's Kiss.' I mean, they'll know it even in Malaysia."

A lot of that is to do with Gene being a master brander, right?

"It's not just Gene. I love Gene and I respect Gene, he's very much a business-minded guy, but he's not the one that invented everything KISS ever did. Ace Frehley came up with the KISS logo. So you've got to give credit where it's due. A lot of our costumes, all the things that we wear now, Paul Stanley sat there and he sketched them and designed them all out himself. When we do photo sessions Paul Stanley goes out and goes to Home Depot, and buys supplies with some of the crew guys, and he puts together the sets of how he wants it to look for the photo sessions. I mean, a lot of the stuff we do is hands-off, but a lot of the creative stuff, I have to give credit, is more Paul.

"But Paul's not the kind of guy who's gonna go out and tell everybody, 'I did this, I did that.' I think people associate Gene as the face or spokesperson of the band. But that's really more Gene marketing Gene through KISS. So he thinks along those lines and he's very creative and comes up with a lot of great ideas. But just for the record, everybody, including myself, have input for things that we do.

"But you know, Gene and Paul have really been there from day one. They started the band. They created this idea of what they wanted it to be, so it really is a partnership of really those two. If you want to think of the one common thread, it's those two guys."

The original KISS lineup is so revered by fans, and I know you've been with the band on and off since '91, but when [original drummer] Peter Criss decides to come back, you get ousted. How do they go about telling you you're no longer needed? Does it make you upset, or do you get it? How does it work knowing you're basically a permanent understudy?

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm an understudy anymore. And I actually never looked at myself as an understudy. The bottom line is that it's a business. Every band can tell you, 'I just care about the music, and I'm an artist.' They can all say that, but the bottom line is, if nobody buys their records or nobody buys tickets to their concerts, guess what, they're not going to be in business for very long. If you don't treat it somewhat business-like and approach it from at least some aspect that would be included in your mindset, you're not going to be in business very long, because you can't just be an artist."

So you didn't / don't take it personally?

"Well, no, because it's business. But look, was I happy when they did the [original lineup] reunion? No. But here's how I looked at it: I knew that if they did a reunion, it's like, I can give you a lottery ticket and say, 'Brian, I have all the winning combinations on the ticket, all you have to do is scratch the numbers off and give them the ticket. But you have to do that, you have to go in and claim your check.' To me, those guys doing the reunion was like a lottery ticket they just had to go cash. So, it was an opportunity they couldn't pass up, and they knew that, and they saw that the time was right, and it absolutely was. And honestly, I don't think they knew how big and successful it was going to be.

"Look, I know what I do is play drums. I sing songs, and I like to think of myself as a very solid background singer, but I also know that I'm not the leader, I'm not the front man of the band. I don't have that ability to go out and front a band. I know that. Some people, their ego can't get out of the way. They think they need to be a star too, but not everybody gets to be. That's not something everyone is capable of doing, even if they'd like to do it. I look at my job as a unique thing that I get to do, but I also realize that if I'm not here playing drums, it would definitely be someone else. Don't ever think you're not replaceable because everybody's replaceable."

'KISS' Scratcher Brings $50,000 in Good Fortune to Alamogordo Fan

ALBUQUERQUE - You could say Judith "Judy" Aguirre got a KISS for luck.

Aguirre, who lives in Alamogordo, New Mexico, won $50,000 playing the New Mexico Lottery's "KISS" Scratcher. "I love KISS and I love Gene Simmons," Aguirre told lottery officials in Albuquerque. "When I heard the game had come out, I just had to play."

Aguirre, a KISS fan since the 1980s and a loyal viewer of reality show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," bought the ticket Tuesday morning. After winning $10 and $15 on "KISS" tickets played earlier in the month, Aguirre said she never expected her next ticket to reveal a five-figure sum.'KISS' Scratcher Brings $50,000 in Good Fortune to Alamogordo Fan

ALBUQUERQUE - You could say Judith "Judy" Aguirre got a KISS for luck.

Aguirre, who lives in Alamogordo, New Mexico, won $50,000 playing the New Mexico Lottery's "KISS" Scratcher. "I love KISS and I love Gene Simmons," Aguirre told lottery officials in Albuquerque. "When I heard the game had come out, I just had to play."

Aguirre, a KISS fan since the 1980s and a loyal viewer of reality show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," bought the ticket Tuesday morning. After winning $10 and $15 on "KISS" tickets played earlier in the month, Aguirre said she never expected her next ticket to reveal a five-figure sum.

"My heart started pounding and I had the biggest smile on my face," she said. "My heart's still pounding."

Now $50,000 richer, the winner plans to buy a new car and treat husband Michael to a vacation.

The New Mexico Lottery "KISS" Scratcher is the world's first lottery game to feature the legendary performers. In addition to cash prizes, the game offers a drawing to win trips to meet KISS in Phoenix for "The Hottest Show on Earth," the band�s biggest concert tour ever. Aguirre wants to win that prize as well.

Since 1996, the lottery has raised $442.7 million for education and more than 61,000 students have attended college on Legislative Lottery Scholarships.

As of the Spring 2009 semester, 2,000 students from Otero County have received $8.4 million in Legislative Lottery Scholarships.

Information about scholarship eligibility is available at www.nmlottery.com .