Kiss News

Legendary Rock Group KISS 'Rocks the Ratings' on ABC'S Hit Show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

KISS gives to family in need while Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ratings spike.

On last Sunday night's episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, rock icons KISS (www.KISSonline.com) showed their good will to a family in need while at the same time helping Extreme Makeover: Home Edition viewership grow by 2 million viewers from the previous week's telecast. Ratings blossomed 32% in adults 18-49; the networks best young adult performance in that hour in six weeks. Also for the episode, Marvel Entertainment designed a Super Hero themed boy's room and created a custom comic book cover for the boy.
Legendary Rock Group KISS 'Rocks the Ratings' on ABC'S Hit Show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

KISS gives to family in need while Extreme Makeover: Home Edition ratings spike.

On last Sunday night's episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, rock icons KISS (www.KISSonline.com) showed their good will to a family in need while at the same time helping Extreme Makeover: Home Edition viewership grow by 2 million viewers from the previous week's telecast. Ratings blossomed 32% in adults 18-49; the networks best young adult performance in that hour in six weeks. Also for the episode, Marvel Entertainment designed a Super Hero themed boy's room and created a custom comic book cover for the boy.

When the hit show told legendary rockers KISS about a family of KISS fans in Gainesville, Florida, who started a home-based, non-profit music school while their own home was falling down around them, the band heeded the call during their recent North American KISS/Alive 35 tour.

Tobin and Jill Wagstaff, a couple with four children, operate Studio Percussion, Inc., a school that currently serves about 200 people, half of which receive financial aid or a full scholarship. The non-profit school can only afford to pay Tobin, 29, a salary, so Jill, 32, must also work as a pre-school teacher to pay the bills. The couple's devotion to their family, school and community leaves little time and resources to tend to their home that was in dire need of repair. The floors and rooftops were completely rotting and the home's electrical system was faulty which posed more than one hazard.

In just seven days, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team leader Ty Pennington, the design team and the Gainesville community successfully rebuilt the Wagstaff's home while the show sent the family on a surprise rock and roll vacation. The Wagstaff's flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to meet KISS whom had just played in Tulsa in support of Sonic Boom, their first album in 11 years.

During a touching episode, KISS and The Wagstaff Family, on behalf of Gibson and Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, a non-profit music group, met at Wilson Middle School in Tulsa to present musical instruments valued at over $50,000 from Gibson to the school as well as their own school back home in Florida.

The Emmy award-winning reality program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, now in its 7th season, is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. It's executive-produced by Anthony Dominici. David Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The show airs Sundays from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET on ABC.

Islington o2 Academy, March 2 2010

Catching Paul and Gene in a club venue four decades after the band first set out to recruit the Kiss Army is a surreal experience.

Everything about the band for the past 30 years has been big. Big arenas, big anthems, big heels and big money. But here they were, back to their rock and roll roots and, quite emphatically, back to their best.

Paul Stanley's fixation with the Appleton sisters (yes, of All Saints fame) proved there's life in the old dog yet, and the Love Doctor was aimed almost entirely at his newest fans. They lapped it up.

And the most obvious blonde bombshells in a venue bursting with beautiful people, frenzied fans and The Mighty Boosh (!) weren't alone. This was a spectacular show from a rock beast you would imagine had nothing left to prove. On this evidence they clearly do.

Opening up with Sonic Boom's Modern Day Delilah might have been seen as a gamble by some, but the majority of those present knew every word. Throwing in Say Yeah for good measure, Kiss were keen to showcase their best album for 20-plus years, and why not? It's a quality record from a classy band.

Of course it does beg the question, why wait so long to roll out an album of original material? Maybe it's all about keeping the fans keen, and those inside Islington's Academy were certainly that.
Islington o2 Academy, March 2 2010

Catching Paul and Gene in a club venue four decades after the band first set out to recruit the Kiss Army is a surreal experience.

Everything about the band for the past 30 years has been big. Big arenas, big anthems, big heels and big money. But here they were, back to their rock and roll roots and, quite emphatically, back to their best.

Paul Stanley's fixation with the Appleton sisters (yes, of All Saints fame) proved there's life in the old dog yet, and the Love Doctor was aimed almost entirely at his newest fans. They lapped it up.

And the most obvious blonde bombshells in a venue bursting with beautiful people, frenzied fans and The Mighty Boosh (!) weren't alone. This was a spectacular show from a rock beast you would imagine had nothing left to prove. On this evidence they clearly do.

Opening up with Sonic Boom's Modern Day Delilah might have been seen as a gamble by some, but the majority of those present knew every word. Throwing in Say Yeah for good measure, Kiss were keen to showcase their best album for 20-plus years, and why not? It's a quality record from a classy band.

Of course it does beg the question, why wait so long to roll out an album of original material? Maybe it's all about keeping the fans keen, and those inside Islington's Academy were certainly that.

A stunning rendition of Black Diamond was a real treat and before that, Cold Gin sounded cracking - even after all of these years.

The decision to drown the audience in a fog of dry ice and a storm of shredded paper during a bristling rendition of Rock And Roll All Nite could have backfired - at times it was hard to breathe and impossible to see the band. But as an overall visual effect it was typically outrageous - betraying a band which has become used to the arena stage and the big production statements.

Encoring with Detroit Rock City was a delicious way to conclude an extremely tasty set, and as far as whetting the appetite for this summer's concerts it did the trick. Haven't got your tickets yet? You'd be a fool to delay it any longer.

Setlist: Modern Day Delilah; Cold Gin; Let Me Go, Rock N Roll; Say Yeah; Doctor Love; Got To Choose; 100,000 Years; Love Gun; Black Diamond; Rock And Roll All Nite. Encore: Detroit Rock City.