Kiss News

By John J. Moser / The Morning Call

�How are you doing, Allentown?� KISS singer Paul Stanley asked the crowd Thursday at Allentown Fair�s grandstand, two songs into the band�s� first concert in the city in 26 years, first in the Lehigh Valley in 24 years and first in makeup in more than 40 years.

�We�ve got some catching up to do.�

That might have been standard stage patter, but KISS�s 17-song show certainly made it seem like the band was making up for lost time.

Its 97 minutes was filled with blood spitting, fire breathing, members flying, drum sets levitating, smoke, sparks, explosions and the biggest confetti shower the Lehigh Valley has likely seen.

And, oh, yeah, music. And surprisingly good music, that gave the crowd of 7,082 most of the hits they would expect, but also a some surprisingly good choices of lesser-known songs.

But what made the show most successful was that KISS, now more than 40 years into its career, seemed enthusiastic about performing all of that.

From the opening �Detroit Rock City,� Stanley, at 64, was moving about the stage, even dropping to his knees to play. Bassist/singer Gene Simmons, at 68, was lasciviously swirling his hips � and famous tongue. And guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer were playing strong and solid, which is their role.

�There are no singers singing off stage. There�s no band playing off stage. There�s no pre-recorded music and no lip-synching,� Stanley told the crowd a couple of songs later. �And there�s no dancers humping each other on stage. We are a rock �n� roll band, and that�s what you deserve.�

A nice surprise was how good a couple of the deeper songs the band played sounded. �Do You Love Me,� a cut from the 1976 disc �Destroyer� (along with �Rock and Roll Over� celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year) was very good.

�Cold Gin� from the group�s 1974 debut album was well played and sung by Simmons, though he also got theatrical by licking Thayer�s face on it. And �I Love It Loud�  from 1982�s �Creatures of the Night� also was very good, and Stanley had an elementary school girl on stage with him helping him play guitar.

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John J. Moser / The Morning Call

Rock band KISS has never been about subtlety.

From its outlandish costumes and makeup to its over-the-top, fire-roasted stage shows and slogans such as "the biggest band in the world" and "you wanted the best � you got the best," KISS has made its mark by being big and bold.

So when KISS brings its "Freedom to Rock" tour to the Allentown Fair on Thursday, the show won't be burdened with deep cuts. And even though it's the 40^th anniversary of both of KISS' biggest studio discs � "Destroyer" and "Rock and Roll Over" � KISS won't be doing an album show like many other classic rockers. Instead, the concert will be a show full of hits.

"The cream has always risen to the top, and the people expect certain songs and they'll get those," guitarist/singer and founder Paul Stanley says in a phone call from his California home. Recent shows have included them all: "Shout It Out Loud," "Beth," "Love Gun," "Detroit Rock City" and, of course, "Rock and Roll All Nite."

"The idea of playing obscure songs is only appealing to a die-hard fan who knows our albums inside out," Stanley says. "To go up on stage and play unknown songs for a handful of people as opposed to playing the songs that everybody wants to hear is really not in our best interests or the audience's.

"We want to do the best show possible and we want to blow away people who get to see us once every two years, five years, 10 years. Those are the people who we put the show together for. If somebody comes night after night or sees 10 or 15 shows on a tour, well, they may be asking why we don't change the show up much. But the fact is we don't change it up that much because once it's great, you don't mess with it."

Wanting to reach people who see KISS infrequently is why KISS is coming to Allentown � and other "secondary markets" on the current tour, Stanley says. The 35-show jaunt, which started in July, has KISS playing more than 25 cities it hasn't visited in more than 10 years, and four first-time stops.

"One of the great things about this tour is going back to places that somehow, for one reason or another, have been off the touring grid," he says. "And it's a thrill. I mean, I have to say it's great to play these great big metropolises, but truth be told, we made our name by playing the smaller cities.

"And this only reaffirms for us why we should be doing this � is to go full circle and go back to where it all started."

The Lehigh Valley certainly qualifies as one of the places it all started for KISS.

In 1975, the band, which was born in New York City, played two shows on the same day at Northampton's Roxy Theatre, on the very day it released its third disc, "Dressed to Kill," which included "Rock and Roll All Nite."

Eight months later, KISS played Allentown Fairground's Agricultural Hall, days after releasing what would become its first gold disc, "Alive." In 1984, it kicked off its North American tour for its "Animalize" album at Bethlehem's Stabler Arena, after rehearsing the tour there. It was the first area show for the band without its signature makeup.

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 By Frank Ready | The Centre Daily Times

When reviewing potential job candidates, it helps to keep in mind that it�s better to be overqualified than hardly qualified at all.

Army Master Sgt. Gregory Newton doesn�t have a ton of experience, per se, in the role of the rock band roadie, but he does bring certain set of skills to the table that are hard to ignore.

Newton is the operations noncommissioned officer in charge at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle. He monitors day-to-day functions (management experience), keeps an eye on the students (works well with others) and performs many computer-related tasks (technical skills).

It�s hard to say exactly which one of these qualities caught the eye of Hiring Our Heroes, a program that was founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to help veterans and homecoming servicemen and women find gainful employment.

 Since 2011, the organization has held more than 1,000 hiring events � and approximately three tours with the painted faces of Kiss.

�The band wanted to help recognize these local hometown heroes,� Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes, said.

The legendary band�s Freedom To Rock tour has bestowed the title of �Roadie for the Day� upon one veteran or military service member from each of the 29 towns they�ve played so far.

Newton was selected to lend the band a hand in preparation for its Tuesday performance at the Bryce Jordan Center, where he�ll even be the focus of an honorary tribute held later during the show.

Until then, he�ll bust his butt.

�They�re expected to work as a hard as any day they have in the military,� Eversole said.

That includes � but is certainly not limited to � chores like setting up the stage or running materials up to the will-call center.

Newton doesn�t mind breaking a sweat. He was born into an Army family and shortly after graduating high school, realized that he had fallen hard for the lifestyle.

After enlisting, Newton spent three years in Germany working in military intelligence.

The spirit of the Army is what he enjoys most, a natural camaraderie that develops when people of different backgrounds unite under the same cause.

�There�s not really any hate. Everybody works together, we�re all there with the same intent,� Newton said.

These days, finding good help is never easy, so Hiring for Heroes reached out to local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts to locate potential honorees/muscle.

When Newton was offered the gig, he jumped at the chance to rub elbows � or at least be elbow adjacent � with Kiss.

�It�s one of those bands that you grow up listening to,� Newton said.

To hear Eversole tell it, Newton is in for a special night.

The head of Hiring Our Heroes attended Kiss� concert in Fort Wayne, Ind., earlier this month and said that it was one of the most moving experiences of his life.

�The fans were actually lining up to shake the veteran roadie�s hand and thank them for their service,� Eversole said.

For Newton, it�s a fitting grace note to what has been a rewarding career. He recently submitted his retirement package for next summer and is in the process of figuring out what he wants to do next.

Arm Candy for the KISS Army!

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Tonight's KISS hometown hero #roadiefortheday is MAJ Liz Sherr!

By Dr. Nancy Berk  / Parade

KISS co-founder Paul Stanley has been especially busy this summer. With the band�s Freedom to Rock Tour rocking cities across the U.S., and the launch of their new multimedia project KISS Rocks Vegas, Stanley�s schedule has been packed, but he�s not complaining. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icon has always believed in working hard to make creative dreams happen�and he�s been doing it for over four decades now. I was thrilled to catch up with Stanley for my podcast Whine At 9, where we discussed the power of KISS and creative fulfillment.

Not many bands have had the staying power of KISS (Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer). And Paul Stanley recognizes and appreciates that. �I�m blessed, but I work hard to maintain a standard. The bar that we set for ourselves is pretty, pretty ruthless and unrelenting. We expect a lot from our road crew, but they do it because they see we�re just as hard on ourselves. We played our first show of this tour�it was 103 degrees outside and that�s where we were playing. It doesn�t matter. We�re KISS. We have an incredible legacy to uphold, and many people come to see us for the first time and all they�ve heard is a legend, and it�s up to us to live up to that and go beyond it. So we wear that with great pride. Every time I get on stage, for me it�s a victory lap.�

KISS has always been about immersing audiences in an experience. And the band has been going on that journey with their fans each time they play. Whether it�s live or via DVD or CD, the KISS mission is the same. �I want people to come to our show and be there�be present. I�m there�We want to have an experience of celebrating rock and roll, and celebrating life, success, the pursuits of the individual�things that are really important, that are timeless,� says Stanley.

Did the singer/songwriter ever think that KISS would have the staying power and impact he has witnessed 42 years into the game? �To be honest with you, I have always believed that if you do what you love and love what you do you�ll find others who have the same point of view�if you address your needs and if you address the things that matter to you, it�ll resonate with somebody else.

�So did I necessarily think that we would play a stadium in South America and everybody would be singing a song I wrote on my sofa? No. But it makes sense� I think what we do, and what I try to do, is something that�s universal. It�s personal, but in the same way that I�m not really that different than the people who come to the show� if I love something, more than likely they will. Did I think it would be this big? Yes and no. I hoped for five great years with the band and here we are four decades in with many, many people saying that on this tour the band�s never been better, and that the show�s never been better. And I tend to agree with them,� Stanley says.

What advice would the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer give others who hope to find creative success? �I think the key to success is doing what you love and what we owe ourselves in life is to find something we�re passionate about. It doesn�t have to be music. It has to be something that you are fulfilled by. And if you�re fulfilled by something, the success will probably come. And if it doesn�t, you�ll still be fulfilled. There�s nothing worse than pursuing something that you don�t believe in. Then if it fails, what have you got to show for it? If you do something you love doing and you pursue what you in your heart feel is worthwhile, then that doesn�t change. The success is a bonus.� I love it when rockstars are cool and wise.

Read more about Kiss Rocks Vegas on Parade.

Listen to Nancy�s interview with Paul Stanley on iTunes and follow the podcast on Facebook.

By Steve Connelly / http://onwardstate.com
Photo By: Dana Lipshutz

�You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world: KISS.�

State College wanted the 70s rock band, and they got it here to the Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night. This was KISS�s fourth trip to Penn State, with its most recent trip coming in 2000.

This �Freedom To Rock� tour stop opened with the Dead Daises. After a near hour long performance from the Australian-American rock band, KISS finally took the stage.

The band played hit classics like �Shout It Out Loud� in its the early part of its set. The crowd was revved up and the stage was ablaze with an array of pyrotechnics. This may have been the band�s fourth appearance in Happy Valley, but no one treated the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band as a repeat performer.

If there�s one thing Paul Stanley aimed to make clear by the end of the night, it was that the performance was all real and all them.

�There is nobody playing instruments offstage. There is nobody singing offstage,� Stanley said. �We are a Rock-N-Roll band.�
Stanley and Gene Simmons spent portions of the night flying above the stage and gliding over the crowd. The two were showing they can turn back the clock and perform just like its hotter than Hell in 1974.

KISS turned the spotlight later in the show to those who give them the freedom to rock, United States military members. Stanley announced that $150,000 in tour proceeds would go to Hire Our Heroes, a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities.

KISS finished off the concert with their timeless hit, �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Confetti shot into the stands, the stage was lit ablaze one more time, and Stanley said goodbye by smashing his guitar.

So great seeing everyone at the shows!

Thanks for sharing your photos with us!

KISS will rock the Global Event Center stage at WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK on February 24, 2017!

If you are not a member of the KISS Army, join now at www.kissonline.com/kiss-army to get access to the pre-sale.

General public tickets go on sale: Friday, September 2nd.

Visit www.winstarworldcasino.com/event/kiss for more information.

By John Marsh / www.centredaily.com

Photo by Keith Leroux

Iconic legendary rockers KISS will bring the �Freedom to Rock� tour to the Bryce Jordan Center tonight - Aug. 30.

Lead guitarist Tommy Thayer has been with the band since 2002. He didn�t audition to be part of the band or anything � he said it just happened naturally.

�I came into the band after knowing Paul (Stanley) and Gene (Simmons) for nearly 30 years,� Thayer said. �My old band, Black �N Blue, toured with Kiss as an opening act, so I�ve known those guys a long time. That�s how I transcended into the band, actually.�

Thayer was a fan of the band and staple members Stanley and Simmons long before he met them. Though he loved playing music early on in life, he never thought he would make it as far as he has.

�I always loved playing in a band, and all I ever really wanted to do was play in the school band or play an after-game party at the school or someone�s garage at a party,� Thayer said. �It�s interesting in life how one thing leads to another. If you stick with something, and you keep going for a long enough time, it can really be surprising what happens sometimes.�

KISS� music has resonated with fans for more than four decades. Thayer said that the music of the early �70s has shaped his life and remains important.

�The music we grew up with, the bands that we love when we�re first getting into music at 12 or 13, that�s really kind of the soundtrack to your life in a way,� he said. �That�s a huge part of who we are and what we�re made up of.�

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are no strangers to State College or the Bryce Jordan Center. This will be the band�s fourth performance there, but the last show was in 2000. KISS� summer �Freedom to Rock� tour includes 36 cities, with an emphasis on visiting cities the band hasn�t been to in some time or ever at all, according to the band�s website.

�I�m looking forward to getting back to State College,� Thayer said. �I remember one time we were there ... we each got Penn State football jerseys with our names on them, which I thought was pretty cool.�

KISS is well known for its exciting live performances and Thayer said that fans should expect the very best.

�Being KISS, we always have a big show no matter what,� he said. �We say, �go big or go home.� This will be a phenomenal show with lots of fire power, all the bells and whistles, just as big as ever.�

The �Freedom to Rock� tour is based on KISS� Las Vegas residency show.

�We have a DVD/Blu-ray coming out this summer called �KISS Rocks Vegas� that I produced, actually. That show and that stage set is what we�re basing this tour on. It�s quite impressive, and I think everybody will definitely be blown away.�

Life on the road can present interesting and unique scenarios. The band has seen its fair share of zealous and excited fans.

�I remember one time there was a kid in the audience with a prosthetic leg, and he handed the leg up on stage,� Thayer said. �The band signed it. That was very unique and kind of cool in a way too. We get all kinds of stuff.�

Thayer said he appreciates the band�s devoted fans.

�There are great fans out there. There are some fans who are so dedicated, it�s almost like a religion to them,� he said. �They just want to have a moment with you or some kind of personal interaction with you. I can appreciate that because I grew up a fan.�

The band has never been content to rest on its laurels. Thayer believes the event is a �must see� attraction for everyone.

�KISS is an iconic band,� Thayer said. �We put on one of � if not the greatest � shows in rock �n� roll. That�s what KISS is famous for, the live performances and concert experience. That is the reason everybody should go. It�s must see.�