07/31/2010
CINCINNATI LOVES KISS!
Kiss News
07/31/2010
KISS HELPS WOUNDED WARRIORS
KISS kicks off tour to help wounded warriors
By ELOISE OGDEN
When fair-goers packed the new grandstand for the KISS concert last Saturday night at the North Dakota State Fair, they also were helping military members returning from war who have been wounded.
Minot was the second stop for the rock group's 32-city North American "The Hottest Show on Earth" tour.
Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyo., was the first stop, the night before Minot, where KISS kicked off donating $1 from every concert ticket sold to go to Central Savannah River Area Wounded Warrior Care Project in Augusta, Ga. The tour ends in Fontana, Calif., Sept. 25.
The KISS concert in Cheyenne had a total attendance of 16,715 people and $15,884 will go to the Wounded Warrior Care Project, Cheyenne Frontier Days officials said.
Laurie Ott, of Augusta, executive director of the CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project, hearing the number of tickets sold at the State Fair's KISS show, said, "That's just incredible." KISS also reportedly played to record-breaking crowds in Cheyenne.
KISS kicks off tour to help wounded warriors
By ELOISE OGDEN
When fair-goers packed the new grandstand for the KISS concert last Saturday night at the North Dakota State Fair, they also were helping military members returning from war who have been wounded.
Minot was the second stop for the rock group's 32-city North American "The Hottest Show on Earth" tour.
Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyo., was the first stop, the night before Minot, where KISS kicked off donating $1 from every concert ticket sold to go to Central Savannah River Area Wounded Warrior Care Project in Augusta, Ga. The tour ends in Fontana, Calif., Sept. 25.
The KISS concert in Cheyenne had a total attendance of 16,715 people and $15,884 will go to the Wounded Warrior Care Project, Cheyenne Frontier Days officials said.
Laurie Ott, of Augusta, executive director of the CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project, hearing the number of tickets sold at the State Fair's KISS show, said, "That's just incredible." KISS also reportedly played to record-breaking crowds in Cheyenne.
According to State Fair officials, 15,082 people attended the KISS concert in the new grandstand.
Ott said the rock group got the idea to donate $1 of every ticket sold on their concert tour after visiting wounded warriors in the Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center in Augusta in October. She said KISS was performing in Atlanta when they came to Augusta to visit wounded military members at the medical center. Three members of the band, Paul Stanley, founding member of the group, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer made the trip.
"They came to Augusta personally and visited the inpatient troops who could not make it to the concert," she said.
"They were there for the troops signed autographs, took photos, handed out T-shirts and spent time talking to the troops all the inpatients," she said.
KISS invited about 100 wounded warriors to their concert in Atlanta where the rock group recognized them and gave them back-stage access.
Augusta's Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center has the nation's only active-duty rehabilitation unit located in a VA facility. It has treated more than 740 inpatients and 1,250 total patients, to date, all of them active-duty soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen. The medical center also is home to the VA's 71-bed Spinal Cord Injury Unit, the largest in the system in number of patients followed, and a 15-bed Blind Rehabilitation Center.
Eisenhower Army Medical Center, also in Augusta, is one of the top five military treatment facilities for receiving air evacuees directly from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project focuses on using Augusta's wounded warrior care assets, including the two medical centers.
The project has other initiatives/programs including an employment and training program for Iraq and Afghanistan returnees, marriage and family enrichment retreats, computer training programs and mentor programs.
"What the Augusta model offers is a community-based structure for coordinating those resources," project information says.
Besides their interest in the troops, Ott said the KISS members took an interest in the project's community-based model. "They took an interest in streamlining and harnessing all these resources," she said.
She said transitional housing is one of the present needs of the project. "We get troops from all over the country who come to Augusta for rehabilitation," she said.
Ott said she isn't aware of plans for KISS to return to Augusta. "But we'd welcome them back with open arms. They were here once without us being a stop on tour, we'd welcome them back. It's so significant they're calling attention and using (that) platform to do it,"
"We are so appreciative of the people of Minot and Cheyenne and of KISS. When the final accounting is completed for those particular events we look forward to receiving the funds," she said.
For more about the CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project, visit (www.projectaugusta.org).
By ELOISE OGDEN
When fair-goers packed the new grandstand for the KISS concert last Saturday night at the North Dakota State Fair, they also were helping military members returning from war who have been wounded.
Minot was the second stop for the rock group's 32-city North American "The Hottest Show on Earth" tour.
Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyo., was the first stop, the night before Minot, where KISS kicked off donating $1 from every concert ticket sold to go to Central Savannah River Area Wounded Warrior Care Project in Augusta, Ga. The tour ends in Fontana, Calif., Sept. 25.
The KISS concert in Cheyenne had a total attendance of 16,715 people and $15,884 will go to the Wounded Warrior Care Project, Cheyenne Frontier Days officials said.
Laurie Ott, of Augusta, executive director of the CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project, hearing the number of tickets sold at the State Fair's KISS show, said, "That's just incredible." KISS also reportedly played to record-breaking crowds in Cheyenne.
KISS kicks off tour to help wounded warriors
By ELOISE OGDEN
When fair-goers packed the new grandstand for the KISS concert last Saturday night at the North Dakota State Fair, they also were helping military members returning from war who have been wounded.
Minot was the second stop for the rock group's 32-city North American "The Hottest Show on Earth" tour.
Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyo., was the first stop, the night before Minot, where KISS kicked off donating $1 from every concert ticket sold to go to Central Savannah River Area Wounded Warrior Care Project in Augusta, Ga. The tour ends in Fontana, Calif., Sept. 25.
The KISS concert in Cheyenne had a total attendance of 16,715 people and $15,884 will go to the Wounded Warrior Care Project, Cheyenne Frontier Days officials said.
Laurie Ott, of Augusta, executive director of the CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project, hearing the number of tickets sold at the State Fair's KISS show, said, "That's just incredible." KISS also reportedly played to record-breaking crowds in Cheyenne.
According to State Fair officials, 15,082 people attended the KISS concert in the new grandstand.
Ott said the rock group got the idea to donate $1 of every ticket sold on their concert tour after visiting wounded warriors in the Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center in Augusta in October. She said KISS was performing in Atlanta when they came to Augusta to visit wounded military members at the medical center. Three members of the band, Paul Stanley, founding member of the group, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer made the trip.
"They came to Augusta personally and visited the inpatient troops who could not make it to the concert," she said.
"They were there for the troops signed autographs, took photos, handed out T-shirts and spent time talking to the troops all the inpatients," she said.
KISS invited about 100 wounded warriors to their concert in Atlanta where the rock group recognized them and gave them back-stage access.
Augusta's Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center has the nation's only active-duty rehabilitation unit located in a VA facility. It has treated more than 740 inpatients and 1,250 total patients, to date, all of them active-duty soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen. The medical center also is home to the VA's 71-bed Spinal Cord Injury Unit, the largest in the system in number of patients followed, and a 15-bed Blind Rehabilitation Center.
Eisenhower Army Medical Center, also in Augusta, is one of the top five military treatment facilities for receiving air evacuees directly from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project focuses on using Augusta's wounded warrior care assets, including the two medical centers.
The project has other initiatives/programs including an employment and training program for Iraq and Afghanistan returnees, marriage and family enrichment retreats, computer training programs and mentor programs.
"What the Augusta model offers is a community-based structure for coordinating those resources," project information says.
Besides their interest in the troops, Ott said the KISS members took an interest in the project's community-based model. "They took an interest in streamlining and harnessing all these resources," she said.
She said transitional housing is one of the present needs of the project. "We get troops from all over the country who come to Augusta for rehabilitation," she said.
Ott said she isn't aware of plans for KISS to return to Augusta. "But we'd welcome them back with open arms. They were here once without us being a stop on tour, we'd welcome them back. It's so significant they're calling attention and using (that) platform to do it,"
"We are so appreciative of the people of Minot and Cheyenne and of KISS. When the final accounting is completed for those particular events we look forward to receiving the funds," she said.
For more about the CRSA Wounded Warrior Care Project, visit (www.projectaugusta.org).
07/31/2010
KISS PUTS ON NEW FACE
New members keep band rocking and rolling all night
By John J. Moser, OF THE MORNING CALL
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."
New members keep band rocking and rolling all night
By John J. Moser, OF THE MORNING CALL
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."
So what changed?
Simmons, the band's demon-costumed bassist, says simply that the band dropped Frehley and Criss from the lineup and replaced them with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. The move, he said, saved the self-proclaimed "Hottest Band in the World."
"The thing that changed is Tommy and Eric," Simmons says, calling recently from backstage at "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," where Kiss had just performed the "Sonic Boom" single "Modern Day Delilah."
"You want to go forward when you feel there's a real team committed to doing everything," he says."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, it felt � I don't know � convincing and easy to do."
While the original members' reunion was financially successful and helped renew interest in the band, it also brought back bad elements that prompted the original splits with Criss in 1979 and Frehley in 1982, Simmons says.
"Ace and Peter were going through their thing again of last-minute sending lawyers in to do all kinds of stuff," Simmons says. "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."
Criss quit again in 2001, reportedly unhappy with his pay, and was replaced by Singer, who was drummer for four years before the reunion. Frehley left in 2002 after he missed shows and had to be replaced by Thayer, who was the band's guitar tech.
"I think it's best for them � and bless them both," Simmons says. "We love them. 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."
Simmons says touring now is much easier.
"Better than ever," he says. "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. � 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."
Asked about the physical requirements of such shows and how difficult it is with him about to turn 61 and Stanley 58, Simmons says, "If you take a look at the biggest bands on earth, none of them are [under] 20 years old. None. And, in fact, a few of them are quite a bit older." He points out that The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger is 67 and former Beatle Paul McCartney 68.
"It's like a kid having sex for the first time," he says. "The more you do it, the longer you can go, because you know how to pace yourself. If the spotlight's on Tommy 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."
Asked whether he sees Kiss recording another album, Simmons says, "Sure, why not?" Recording "Sonic Boom" was "one of the easiest records we've ever done," he says. And the fact that the band performs "Modern Day Delilah" on Leno instead of a classic song shows the disc's music holds up.
"But the old stuff holds up, too," he says. He notes a new Dr. Pepper commercial uses the song "Calling Dr. Love," and "there are any number of other products that use 'Rock and Roll All Night.' "
"We're playing, I don't know, about half the [new] record live," he says. "And going into the '80s and doing that stuff. In fact, this tour takes bits and pieces from every decade."
Simmons says the fact that "Sonic Boom" is Kiss's highest charting record doesn't mean much.
"It really hasn't ever been an issue," he says. "Most important, although it sounds cornball, is the fans."
Despite such long term success Kiss is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was nominated for the first time this year, after being eligible for a decade, but not accepted.
Simmons sniffs, "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 � that could 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.
"But what band would I rather be? There's not a band in there that has as much fun as we have. ...Would I rather be in Crosby, Stills and Nash or Kiss? I think I'll take Kiss."
In recent years, Simmons has become just as well-known for his reality television show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," which documents his life with his longtime companion, Shannon Tweed, and their two children. He also participated in Donald Trump's show "Celebrity Apprentice."
Simmons says he doesn't mind how the show portrays him: "My life's an open book," he says. "Take it or leave it. Not everybody liked Jesus, either." And he proudly points out "Family Jewels" recently broadcast its 100th episode.
He also says his business dealings have left him very secure. He notes, for example, that he narrates the new video game "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. " Simmons says "making a great business deal that throws off millions of dollars, that's pretty satisfying," but notes being on stage with Kiss "is unequaled."
"We are having a ball, as you can imagine. How'd you like to get up on stage, wear high heels and more make-up than your mommy does? "
So now that Kiss is back on track, how long will the band last?
"No end in sight that we can see," he says. "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."
By John J. Moser, OF THE MORNING CALL
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."
New members keep band rocking and rolling all night
By John J. Moser, OF THE MORNING CALL
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."
So what changed?
Simmons, the band's demon-costumed bassist, says simply that the band dropped Frehley and Criss from the lineup and replaced them with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. The move, he said, saved the self-proclaimed "Hottest Band in the World."
"The thing that changed is Tommy and Eric," Simmons says, calling recently from backstage at "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," where Kiss had just performed the "Sonic Boom" single "Modern Day Delilah."
"You want to go forward when you feel there's a real team committed to doing everything," he says."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, it felt � I don't know � convincing and easy to do."
While the original members' reunion was financially successful and helped renew interest in the band, it also brought back bad elements that prompted the original splits with Criss in 1979 and Frehley in 1982, Simmons says.
"Ace and Peter were going through their thing again of last-minute sending lawyers in to do all kinds of stuff," Simmons says. "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."
Criss quit again in 2001, reportedly unhappy with his pay, and was replaced by Singer, who was drummer for four years before the reunion. Frehley left in 2002 after he missed shows and had to be replaced by Thayer, who was the band's guitar tech.
"I think it's best for them � and bless them both," Simmons says. "We love them. 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."
Simmons says touring now is much easier.
"Better than ever," he says. "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. � 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."
Asked about the physical requirements of such shows and how difficult it is with him about to turn 61 and Stanley 58, Simmons says, "If you take a look at the biggest bands on earth, none of them are [under] 20 years old. None. And, in fact, a few of them are quite a bit older." He points out that The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger is 67 and former Beatle Paul McCartney 68.
"It's like a kid having sex for the first time," he says. "The more you do it, the longer you can go, because you know how to pace yourself. If the spotlight's on Tommy 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."
Asked whether he sees Kiss recording another album, Simmons says, "Sure, why not?" Recording "Sonic Boom" was "one of the easiest records we've ever done," he says. And the fact that the band performs "Modern Day Delilah" on Leno instead of a classic song shows the disc's music holds up.
"But the old stuff holds up, too," he says. He notes a new Dr. Pepper commercial uses the song "Calling Dr. Love," and "there are any number of other products that use 'Rock and Roll All Night.' "
"We're playing, I don't know, about half the [new] record live," he says. "And going into the '80s and doing that stuff. In fact, this tour takes bits and pieces from every decade."
Simmons says the fact that "Sonic Boom" is Kiss's highest charting record doesn't mean much.
"It really hasn't ever been an issue," he says. "Most important, although it sounds cornball, is the fans."
Despite such long term success Kiss is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was nominated for the first time this year, after being eligible for a decade, but not accepted.
Simmons sniffs, "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 � that could 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.
"But what band would I rather be? There's not a band in there that has as much fun as we have. ...Would I rather be in Crosby, Stills and Nash or Kiss? I think I'll take Kiss."
In recent years, Simmons has become just as well-known for his reality television show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," which documents his life with his longtime companion, Shannon Tweed, and their two children. He also participated in Donald Trump's show "Celebrity Apprentice."
Simmons says he doesn't mind how the show portrays him: "My life's an open book," he says. "Take it or leave it. Not everybody liked Jesus, either." And he proudly points out "Family Jewels" recently broadcast its 100th episode.
He also says his business dealings have left him very secure. He notes, for example, that he narrates the new video game "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. " Simmons says "making a great business deal that throws off millions of dollars, that's pretty satisfying," but notes being on stage with Kiss "is unequaled."
"We are having a ball, as you can imagine. How'd you like to get up on stage, wear high heels and more make-up than your mommy does? "
So now that Kiss is back on track, how long will the band last?
"No end in sight that we can see," he says. "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."
07/30/2010
PRE-SHOW PHOTOS FROM PITTSBURGH
07/30/2010
KISS VISITS ACCESS HOLLYWOOD
07/30/2010
KISS STILL PLAYS WITH FIRE
By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Photo by John Heller/Post-Gazette
When Kiss announced a summer tour that would allow four kids in free with an adult lawn ticket, it was natural to envision a circus-like atmosphere with Kiss toy booths dotting the hillside and vendors selling glowsticks that every kid would have to have.
Gene Simmons did after all learn a few things from Ringling Brothers.
That's not the way it was though Thursday night for the second local Kiss show in eight months. There were more little ones than usual in Kiss T-shirts and painted faces, but the band didn't go all Wiggles on us.
Thirty-six years in, the fab four played a typically hard-hitting and explosive Kiss show with all the requisite pyrotechnic thrills and an expanded set that blew well past the usual 11 p.m. curfew.
It did not start, like so many Kiss shows, with The Demon singing the first line of "Deuce": "Get up, and get your grandma outta here!" Grandma, after all, may have been buying the $40 shirt. Plus, Kiss has relevancy and a newish album to sell, so it kicked things off with the "Sonic Boom" single "Modern Day Delilah."By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Photo by John Heller/Post-Gazette
When Kiss announced a summer tour that would allow four kids in free with an adult lawn ticket, it was natural to envision a circus-like atmosphere with Kiss toy booths dotting the hillside and vendors selling glowsticks that every kid would have to have.
Gene Simmons did after all learn a few things from Ringling Brothers.
That's not the way it was though Thursday night for the second local Kiss show in eight months. There were more little ones than usual in Kiss T-shirts and painted faces, but the band didn't go all Wiggles on us.
Thirty-six years in, the fab four played a typically hard-hitting and explosive Kiss show with all the requisite pyrotechnic thrills and an expanded set that blew well past the usual 11 p.m. curfew.
It did not start, like so many Kiss shows, with The Demon singing the first line of "Deuce": "Get up, and get your grandma outta here!" Grandma, after all, may have been buying the $40 shirt. Plus, Kiss has relevancy and a newish album to sell, so it kicked things off with the "Sonic Boom" single "Modern Day Delilah."
It was one of several changes from the recent Arena show: "Strutter," "Hotter Than Hell" and "Parasite" were scrapped from the set list, replaced by the scorching "Firehouse" (complete with sirens and fire-blowing), "Crazy Crazy Nights," the hit ballad "Beth" and "I'm An Animal," one of the "Sonic Boom" highlights, with its sludgy Sabbath riff and a verse that's nearly rapped.
The kids -- young and old -- got a stage that was pure eye candy with one massive screen and dozens of smaller ones zooming in on the action, as smoke rolled, flashpots flared and fireworks shot up around them.
Musically, however, there are far fewer gimmicks. Star-faced lead singer Paul Stanley, the king of hilarious shrieking stage banter, let us know that it was "just four guys, nobody under the stage," no musical tricks. Sure enough, just as much pyro was coming from guitarist Tommy Thayer, who wears the suit of the beloved Ace Frehley with a fierce purpose. Nearly ever song built to one of his fiery and perfectly executed solos, spanning the range from Berry to Page to Iommi.
All night, Kiss had a blast with the reference points, including Paul teasing "Whole Lotta Love" before "Black Diamond" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" prior to "Shout it Out Loud." Kiss also dug into the Argent songbook for the anthemic power ballad "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," complete with a riff from "All the Young Dudes."
Before getting to "Rock and Roll All Nite," Kiss announced that a check for $8,795 would be donated to the Wounded Warriors foundation, a charity for veterans.
For the kids that did get the thrill of seeing Kiss, Mr. Stanley delivered a promise: "We were there for your moms and dads, and we'll be there for you!"
What They Played
* 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
* Black Diamond
* Detroit Rock City
Encore
* Beth
* Lick It Up
* Shout It Out Loud
* God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II
* Rock and Roll All Nite
Photo by John Heller/Post-Gazette
When Kiss announced a summer tour that would allow four kids in free with an adult lawn ticket, it was natural to envision a circus-like atmosphere with Kiss toy booths dotting the hillside and vendors selling glowsticks that every kid would have to have.
Gene Simmons did after all learn a few things from Ringling Brothers.
That's not the way it was though Thursday night for the second local Kiss show in eight months. There were more little ones than usual in Kiss T-shirts and painted faces, but the band didn't go all Wiggles on us.
Thirty-six years in, the fab four played a typically hard-hitting and explosive Kiss show with all the requisite pyrotechnic thrills and an expanded set that blew well past the usual 11 p.m. curfew.
It did not start, like so many Kiss shows, with The Demon singing the first line of "Deuce": "Get up, and get your grandma outta here!" Grandma, after all, may have been buying the $40 shirt. Plus, Kiss has relevancy and a newish album to sell, so it kicked things off with the "Sonic Boom" single "Modern Day Delilah."By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Photo by John Heller/Post-Gazette
When Kiss announced a summer tour that would allow four kids in free with an adult lawn ticket, it was natural to envision a circus-like atmosphere with Kiss toy booths dotting the hillside and vendors selling glowsticks that every kid would have to have.
Gene Simmons did after all learn a few things from Ringling Brothers.
That's not the way it was though Thursday night for the second local Kiss show in eight months. There were more little ones than usual in Kiss T-shirts and painted faces, but the band didn't go all Wiggles on us.
Thirty-six years in, the fab four played a typically hard-hitting and explosive Kiss show with all the requisite pyrotechnic thrills and an expanded set that blew well past the usual 11 p.m. curfew.
It did not start, like so many Kiss shows, with The Demon singing the first line of "Deuce": "Get up, and get your grandma outta here!" Grandma, after all, may have been buying the $40 shirt. Plus, Kiss has relevancy and a newish album to sell, so it kicked things off with the "Sonic Boom" single "Modern Day Delilah."
It was one of several changes from the recent Arena show: "Strutter," "Hotter Than Hell" and "Parasite" were scrapped from the set list, replaced by the scorching "Firehouse" (complete with sirens and fire-blowing), "Crazy Crazy Nights," the hit ballad "Beth" and "I'm An Animal," one of the "Sonic Boom" highlights, with its sludgy Sabbath riff and a verse that's nearly rapped.
The kids -- young and old -- got a stage that was pure eye candy with one massive screen and dozens of smaller ones zooming in on the action, as smoke rolled, flashpots flared and fireworks shot up around them.
Musically, however, there are far fewer gimmicks. Star-faced lead singer Paul Stanley, the king of hilarious shrieking stage banter, let us know that it was "just four guys, nobody under the stage," no musical tricks. Sure enough, just as much pyro was coming from guitarist Tommy Thayer, who wears the suit of the beloved Ace Frehley with a fierce purpose. Nearly ever song built to one of his fiery and perfectly executed solos, spanning the range from Berry to Page to Iommi.
All night, Kiss had a blast with the reference points, including Paul teasing "Whole Lotta Love" before "Black Diamond" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" prior to "Shout it Out Loud." Kiss also dug into the Argent songbook for the anthemic power ballad "God Gave Rock and Roll to You," complete with a riff from "All the Young Dudes."
Before getting to "Rock and Roll All Nite," Kiss announced that a check for $8,795 would be donated to the Wounded Warriors foundation, a charity for veterans.
For the kids that did get the thrill of seeing Kiss, Mr. Stanley delivered a promise: "We were there for your moms and dads, and we'll be there for you!"
What They Played
* 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
* Black Diamond
* Detroit Rock City
Encore
* Beth
* Lick It Up
* Shout It Out Loud
* God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II
* Rock and Roll All Nite
07/30/2010
KISS BOWS BEFORE PITTSBURGH
07/30/2010
PITTSBURGH WOUNDED WARRIORS DONATION
07/30/2010
KISS ROCKS PITTSBURGH!
07/30/2010
KISS ARMY, YOU LOOK GREAT!
