Kiss News

Here's tonight's KISS Set list. This one is Tommy Thayer's actual stage set list.

By Frank Valish / Under the Radar

Caricatures are ripe for satire. Gene Simmons, lead tongue-wagging, fire-breathing bassist/co-frontman of Kiss, is one of rock and roll's biggest caricatures. And Christina Vitagliano's book is terrific satire. Made up of Gene-related aphorisms, silly artwork depicting Simmons as the star of various movies, poems re-written to incorporate Simmons, kids' answers to questions about Simmons (e.g., "How did Gene Simmons' tongue get that long?"), and the occasional wisdom-filled quote by Simmons himself, Gene Simmons Is a Powerful and Attractive Man, is a humorous send-up of all things Simmons.

Many of the aphoristic statements are laugh-out-loud funny, such as: "When Gene Simmons puts a seashell up to his ear, he hears himself," or "God has a 'footprints in the sand' poster to remind him of all the times that Gene Simmons had to carry him." A "Gene-tionary" juxtaposes word definitions with their corresponding Gene-definitions: example, "Generate: To create or bring into being. Gene-erate: To create or bring money into being."

Vitagliano's "Gene-ius" (to borrow a term from her "Gene-tionary") is endless across 177 pages. The book won't take you long to read, but it's well worth the time. You'll get more than a chuckle, and with Simmons himself in on the joke (he writes a third person foreword), everyone will be laughing. (www.penguin.com)

Photo by Keith Leroux

When: Doors open 6:30 p.m. tonight. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

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CLICK HERE to watch KISS Rock Out for Scooby-Doo Gang

By Kory Grow / Rolling Stone

A new animated movie, Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock & Roll Mystery, finds the self-proclaimed "hottest band in the world" playing a gig for the cartoon crime solvers and an angry flying robot head. In this exclusive clip from the film, streaming above, a stadium full of makeup-wearing fans watch the band play "Detroit Rock City" as Gene Simmons sticks out his tongue and Eric Singer concentrates on his drumming. Meanwhile, Scooby, Shaggy and the rest of the gang float around in a spaceship, avoiding the decapitated head's death rays as it breaks free of a volcano.

In the film � out now in both digital formats and on DVD and Blu-ray � the Mystery Inc. gang visit the KISS World theme park for a Halloween gig (at the behest of Daphne, who has a huge crush on Paul Stanley), only to learn that the concert is in jeopardy after the Crimson Witch begins scaring fans away. After getting KISS' blessing, the crew begins its investigation and learns that the Crimson Witch has been trying to summon an evil being called the "Destroyer" hellbent on destroying the planet.

The film also features six KISS tracks, as well as a new, original song by the band recorded for the movie.

The movie's cover art shows Shaggy wearing Paul Stanley's makeup, while Scooby sports Simmons' "Demon" makeup and holds his battle-axe bass. Several celebrities make guest voice appearances in the film, including Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Darius Rucker, Garry Marshall, Penny Marshall, Jennifer Carpenter and Pauley Perrette.

In other KISS film news, Simmons recently launched a new filmmaking venture with the WWE, which aims to make "elevated horror films." The singer explained the term in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. "It's not gonna be slasher films and gore, because the easy way out is the cheap, stupid stuff," he said. "Texas Chainsaw? That's fine. Fine for some people. Not my style.

Our new movie, 'Scooby-Doo and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery' is available now on Blu-ray� combo pack, DVD and Digital HD!

From PE.com

With or without makeup, Kiss is still Kiss.

The same can be said for the group�s ability to rock plugged in or unplugged. Following up a successful acoustic performance at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in 2014, the legendary rock group will be returning to the Highland casino for a repeat performance Thursday, July 23.

Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and the guys will perform a stripped-down set of some of their classics without all the pop and pizazz of a regular Kiss show. Simmons talked about the group�s show, music and more in a recent telephone interview.

Q: When you did the acoustic and storytelling-style show at San Manuel last year, Paul remarked a few times that you didn�t know if you�d ever do it again. What made you decide to bring it back?

A: We enjoyed it. Like all things that we do, we do it only if we want to. Sometimes it takes a lot of work. Sometimes it�s just seamless. Like when we do the Kiss cruises, it�s a lot of work. You�re talking, making sure every person gets personalized signed stuff, pose for photos with every person and do a few shows. Playing at your place (San Manuel) is seamless. You sort of get up and it feels like somebody�s in your living room, compared to the stadiums we play in. It�s easy and we get a chance to not worry about the pyrotechnics and technical stuff. It feels informal.

Q: In an intimate way?

A: Yeah. It�s not so much showbiz. It�s a chance to peel off the outer layer and let the fans see more of the real people.

Q: Does that help you make a deeper connection with the fans?

A: The result is probably that, but it�s not intentional. There doesn�t seem to be a big master plan; there never has been. Although people give us a lot more credit for. We do what we like and, often, what we like works. Big time.

Q: Are there songs that work best for an acoustic set?

A: We�re rehearsing in a couple of days and will dust off some nuggets that we haven�t played. We�re probably going to play some stuff we�ve never played live. We may do a ballad we�ve never played live. That�s a kick for us, too.

Q: Does that keep things fresh and interesting, not just for you, but the fans as well?

A: We take our lead from the fans. We�re very much connected to our bosses and despite the fact that we�re the ones on stage getting the accolades, ultimately we understand that if t�