Kiss News

Fireworks, blood capsules and power chords: KISS gave Tampa's ageless '70s kids a rock 'n' roll night to remember.

By Jay Cridlin / Tampa Bay Times

Lest there be any doubt that the nation-state ruled by the Kiss Army is a democracy and not a dictatorship -- no matter what the price tag on your tour T-shirt might suggest -- the Starchild is here to ease your mind.

"We got a whole lot to celebrate tonight!” Paul Stanley squealed near the start of Kiss’ farewell tour concert Thursday at Tampa’s Amalie Arena. "Everybody here counts tonight! There are! No! Bad! Seats!"

For the more than 15,000 in attendance, there was never any doubt. This was the end of an era, the end of nearly 50 years of bedroom posters and lunch boxes, Halloween grease paint and Saturday morning cartoons and rock with a capital C. It was Tampa’s last chance to rock and roll all night, and if anyone was going to give it to them hard, fast and with rhinestone-studded flamboyance, it was gonna be the Knights In Satan’s Service.

“How many people have never seen Kiss before?” yelped Stanley, as kids at heart shrieked from floor to ceiling. “That’s cool! And I’ll tell you why! Thursday, April 11, is a night you! Will! Never! Forget! Nobody forgets their first kiss! Nobody!”

On this day in KISSTORY - April 10, 2014 - KISS was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The band was introduced with a rousing speech from Tom Morello.

By Marc A. Thiessen / Washington Post

I have a confession to make. I’m a member of the KISS Army.

In 1976, I bought my first Kiss album. I loved the rock band’s makeup and crazy characters, and quickly I was hooked. I had Kiss posters, Kiss action figures, a Kiss lunchbox, and on Halloween I dressed up in a Kiss costume to go trick-or-treating. Two decades later, I took my future wife out on our first date … to a Kiss concert. (She married me anyway). And now, a couple of decades after that, we just took our kids to Philadelphia to see Kiss on their farewell “End of the Road” tour. Some of us (yes, me) even wore Kiss makeup.

By Matthew Leimkuehler, Nashville Tennessean

For Kiss, the end of the road comes paved by hair-raising flamethrowers and ear-splitting explosions. 

But, did anyone actually expect this band to go out quietly? 

Platform heels, face makeup and plenty of fire took to Bridgestone Arena Tuesday night as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame outfit Kiss returned to Nashville as part of the “End of the Road” tour. 

Presumed to be the band’s last trip ‘round the world (and a second “farewell” tour from Kiss this century), the 1970s favorite brought a 130-minute set of arena-sized rock antics to stage — complete with fire-spitting, high riser rides and an indoor fireworks show. 

“Everybody here tonight is important,” said Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley, introducing the show. “We can feel ya. We can feel ya.”  

The night launched with Stanley and co-founder Gene Simmons descending alongside guitarist Tommy Thayer from rafters above the stage. Fire flared as the group rocketed into back-to-back crowd pleasers,1976’s “Detroit Rock City” and “Shout It Out Loud.” 

Photo by Ryan Fleisher / www.ajc.com

KISS makes a spectacular entrance at State Farm Arena on Sunday, April 7, 2019. The current run of shows is (once again) being billed as their final tour.

CLICK HERE to view more photos from the Atlanta show.