07/06/2014
KISS IRVINE SET LIST
Kiss News
07/05/2014
PHOTO: PAUL AT ROCK & BREWS STUBHUB CENTER
07/05/2014
STUBHUB CENTER OPENS ROCK & BREWS
07/05/2014
KISS CRANKS IT UP WITH PYROTECHNICS
By Chris Macias
The Sacramento area got an early taste of Independence Day on Thursday night at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre near Marysville, where KISS cranked through tunes from its 40-year career and detonated enough pyrotechnic booms to rival the fireworks following a Sacramento River Cats game.
Sparks poured down on the stage, and exploding flash pots rattled eardrums during the final chords of �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Smoke bombs, fire � and a bit of fire-breathing as well from Gene Simmons � are, after all, just as important to the KISS concert experience as Les Paul guitars and bass solos that double as an excuse to spit stage blood.
But this kind of bombastic concert experience, coupled with tunes that are tailor-made for throaty sing-a-longs and en masse fist-pumping, have made KISS one of rock �n� roll�s most successful bands. This year finds the group celebrating the 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut, plus an April induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.By Chris Macias
The Sacramento area got an early taste of Independence Day on Thursday night at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre near Marysville, where KISS cranked through tunes from its 40-year career and detonated enough pyrotechnic booms to rival the fireworks following a Sacramento River Cats game.
Sparks poured down on the stage, and exploding flash pots rattled eardrums during the final chords of �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Smoke bombs, fire � and a bit of fire-breathing as well from Gene Simmons � are, after all, just as important to the KISS concert experience as Les Paul guitars and bass solos that double as an excuse to spit stage blood.
But this kind of bombastic concert experience, coupled with tunes that are tailor-made for throaty sing-a-longs and en masse fist-pumping, have made KISS one of rock �n� roll�s most successful bands. This year finds the group celebrating the 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut, plus an April induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Band co-founder Paul Stanley, 62, has described its current tour as a victory lap after four decades in rock �n� roll. But its set on Thursday night was closer to a 100-yard dash.
KISS whipped through 14 songs, plus that blood gurgling bass solo from Simmons, in 75 minutes. That was nearly identical to the set length of co-headliner Def Leppard, and about eight songs shorter than a typical show on KISS� �Alive 35� tour in 2009.
This 40-year anniversary would�ve been a perfect time to mine the deeper cuts and less-played tunes from the band�s catalog, which numbers more than two dozen albums. While Thursday�s set included the rarely played �Hide Your Heart,� the bulk of the repertoire consisted of KISS standards (�Love Gun,� �Black Diamond,� �Deuce�).
That�s not to say KISS was phoning it in from the stage. Foot-stomper songs like �Cold Gin� and �Shout It Out Loud� were played with plenty of punch, and still registered as fun for anyone who likes their rock �n� roll with a taste of stage make-up and moon boots. Original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss might be long gone from the band, but guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer do an admirable job of keeping the vigor in KISS� music and face-painted personas.
So, KISS deferred the chance for more extensive set time to have Def Leppard on the bill, which attracted more than 12,000 concertgoers on Thursday. Def Leppard was one of the biggest rock bands of the 1980s, via the multi-platinum albums �Pyromania� and �Hysteria,� and coupled with KISS made for a double whammy of arena rock.
You could practically smell the Aqua Net in the air as the big-haired days of 1980s� rock flashed back during such tracks as �Pour Some Sugar on Me� and �Armageddon It.� These Def Leppard tunes and their mix of ear-friendly melodies with overdriven guitars still worked their magic with the crowd.
Unlike its elaborate in-the-round stage from the �Hysteria� days, Def Leppard was sans catwalks and pyrotechnics on Thursday, and had to stick to the front of the stage to allow room for Singer�s drum kit and other elements of KISS� set design.
That�s to say, it was KISS� night � and its stage. And by the end of the night, that stage had endured smoke, fire, fireworks and Stanley smashing his guitar during the finale of �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Fourth of July weekend had certainly kicked off with a bang.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/04/6533591/kiss-cranks-it-up-with-pyrotechnics.html#storylink=cpy
The Sacramento area got an early taste of Independence Day on Thursday night at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre near Marysville, where KISS cranked through tunes from its 40-year career and detonated enough pyrotechnic booms to rival the fireworks following a Sacramento River Cats game.
Sparks poured down on the stage, and exploding flash pots rattled eardrums during the final chords of �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Smoke bombs, fire � and a bit of fire-breathing as well from Gene Simmons � are, after all, just as important to the KISS concert experience as Les Paul guitars and bass solos that double as an excuse to spit stage blood.
But this kind of bombastic concert experience, coupled with tunes that are tailor-made for throaty sing-a-longs and en masse fist-pumping, have made KISS one of rock �n� roll�s most successful bands. This year finds the group celebrating the 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut, plus an April induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.By Chris Macias
The Sacramento area got an early taste of Independence Day on Thursday night at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre near Marysville, where KISS cranked through tunes from its 40-year career and detonated enough pyrotechnic booms to rival the fireworks following a Sacramento River Cats game.
Sparks poured down on the stage, and exploding flash pots rattled eardrums during the final chords of �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Smoke bombs, fire � and a bit of fire-breathing as well from Gene Simmons � are, after all, just as important to the KISS concert experience as Les Paul guitars and bass solos that double as an excuse to spit stage blood.
But this kind of bombastic concert experience, coupled with tunes that are tailor-made for throaty sing-a-longs and en masse fist-pumping, have made KISS one of rock �n� roll�s most successful bands. This year finds the group celebrating the 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut, plus an April induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Band co-founder Paul Stanley, 62, has described its current tour as a victory lap after four decades in rock �n� roll. But its set on Thursday night was closer to a 100-yard dash.
KISS whipped through 14 songs, plus that blood gurgling bass solo from Simmons, in 75 minutes. That was nearly identical to the set length of co-headliner Def Leppard, and about eight songs shorter than a typical show on KISS� �Alive 35� tour in 2009.
This 40-year anniversary would�ve been a perfect time to mine the deeper cuts and less-played tunes from the band�s catalog, which numbers more than two dozen albums. While Thursday�s set included the rarely played �Hide Your Heart,� the bulk of the repertoire consisted of KISS standards (�Love Gun,� �Black Diamond,� �Deuce�).
That�s not to say KISS was phoning it in from the stage. Foot-stomper songs like �Cold Gin� and �Shout It Out Loud� were played with plenty of punch, and still registered as fun for anyone who likes their rock �n� roll with a taste of stage make-up and moon boots. Original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss might be long gone from the band, but guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer do an admirable job of keeping the vigor in KISS� music and face-painted personas.
So, KISS deferred the chance for more extensive set time to have Def Leppard on the bill, which attracted more than 12,000 concertgoers on Thursday. Def Leppard was one of the biggest rock bands of the 1980s, via the multi-platinum albums �Pyromania� and �Hysteria,� and coupled with KISS made for a double whammy of arena rock.
You could practically smell the Aqua Net in the air as the big-haired days of 1980s� rock flashed back during such tracks as �Pour Some Sugar on Me� and �Armageddon It.� These Def Leppard tunes and their mix of ear-friendly melodies with overdriven guitars still worked their magic with the crowd.
Unlike its elaborate in-the-round stage from the �Hysteria� days, Def Leppard was sans catwalks and pyrotechnics on Thursday, and had to stick to the front of the stage to allow room for Singer�s drum kit and other elements of KISS� set design.
That�s to say, it was KISS� night � and its stage. And by the end of the night, that stage had endured smoke, fire, fireworks and Stanley smashing his guitar during the finale of �Rock and Roll All Nite.� Fourth of July weekend had certainly kicked off with a bang.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/04/6533591/kiss-cranks-it-up-with-pyrotechnics.html#storylink=cpy
07/05/2014
STARCHILD BOBBLEHEADS AT LA KISS GAME SUNDAY
07/05/2014
KISS & MAKEUP: GENE SIMMONS TELLS ALL
By George Varga
Gene Simmons� third book will be published this fall. Entitled �Me, Inc.,� it is billed as a how-to primer for aspiring entrepreneurs.
�It�s a kind of �Art of War,� army-of-one life and business book, kind of like the �books for dummies,� � he said.
"I'm duly diligent. I do a better job of balancing my budget than the U.S. government does with its budget. America is in debt for almost $17 trillion. I've never been in debt."
Not even when Kiss was struggling to make it back in 1973?
"I've always had more money than I spent, which is Rule No. One, which is what I'll talk about in my book," Simmons said. "You are your own business."
Is there any business proposition Simmons won�t consider?
�I turn down things all the time,� he replied. �But if you tell someone, �I want you to run down Fifth Avenue, naked, at rush hour,� and they say �No, I�d never do that, not for any amount of money,� well, that�s not true. If I tell them: �Here�s a billion dollars,� they�ll run down Fifth Avenue, naked, all day. It�s all relative; even God passes the hat around.�
Simmons chuckled. �I�m giving you really good stuff!� he crowed.By George Varga
Gene Simmons� third book will be published this fall. Entitled �Me, Inc.,� it is billed as a how-to primer for aspiring entrepreneurs.
�It�s a kind of �Art of War,� army-of-one life and business book, kind of like the �books for dummies,� � he said.
"I'm duly diligent. I do a better job of balancing my budget than the U.S. government does with its budget. America is in debt for almost $17 trillion. I've never been in debt."
Not even when Kiss was struggling to make it back in 1973?
"I've always had more money than I spent, which is Rule No. One, which is what I'll talk about in my book," Simmons said. "You are your own business."
Is there any business proposition Simmons won�t consider?
�I turn down things all the time,� he replied. �But if you tell someone, �I want you to run down Fifth Avenue, naked, at rush hour,� and they say �No, I�d never do that, not for any amount of money,� well, that�s not true. If I tell them: �Here�s a billion dollars,� they�ll run down Fifth Avenue, naked, all day. It�s all relative; even God passes the hat around.�
Simmons chuckled. �I�m giving you really good stuff!� he crowed.
When it is suggested he could write editorials for U-T San Diego, his response was immediate.
�How much," Simmons asked, "will it pay?�
Kiss and Def Leppard, with Kobra & The Lotus
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista
Tickets: $23.50-$143.50 (plus service charges)
Phone: (800) 745-3000
Gene Simmons� third book will be published this fall. Entitled �Me, Inc.,� it is billed as a how-to primer for aspiring entrepreneurs.
�It�s a kind of �Art of War,� army-of-one life and business book, kind of like the �books for dummies,� � he said.
"I'm duly diligent. I do a better job of balancing my budget than the U.S. government does with its budget. America is in debt for almost $17 trillion. I've never been in debt."
Not even when Kiss was struggling to make it back in 1973?
"I've always had more money than I spent, which is Rule No. One, which is what I'll talk about in my book," Simmons said. "You are your own business."
Is there any business proposition Simmons won�t consider?
�I turn down things all the time,� he replied. �But if you tell someone, �I want you to run down Fifth Avenue, naked, at rush hour,� and they say �No, I�d never do that, not for any amount of money,� well, that�s not true. If I tell them: �Here�s a billion dollars,� they�ll run down Fifth Avenue, naked, all day. It�s all relative; even God passes the hat around.�
Simmons chuckled. �I�m giving you really good stuff!� he crowed.By George Varga
Gene Simmons� third book will be published this fall. Entitled �Me, Inc.,� it is billed as a how-to primer for aspiring entrepreneurs.
�It�s a kind of �Art of War,� army-of-one life and business book, kind of like the �books for dummies,� � he said.
"I'm duly diligent. I do a better job of balancing my budget than the U.S. government does with its budget. America is in debt for almost $17 trillion. I've never been in debt."
Not even when Kiss was struggling to make it back in 1973?
"I've always had more money than I spent, which is Rule No. One, which is what I'll talk about in my book," Simmons said. "You are your own business."
Is there any business proposition Simmons won�t consider?
�I turn down things all the time,� he replied. �But if you tell someone, �I want you to run down Fifth Avenue, naked, at rush hour,� and they say �No, I�d never do that, not for any amount of money,� well, that�s not true. If I tell them: �Here�s a billion dollars,� they�ll run down Fifth Avenue, naked, all day. It�s all relative; even God passes the hat around.�
Simmons chuckled. �I�m giving you really good stuff!� he crowed.
When it is suggested he could write editorials for U-T San Diego, his response was immediate.
�How much," Simmons asked, "will it pay?�
Kiss and Def Leppard, with Kobra & The Lotus
When: 7 p.m. Sunday
Where: Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista
Tickets: $23.50-$143.50 (plus service charges)
Phone: (800) 745-3000
07/04/2014
PHOTO: KISS DESTROYING WHEATLAND
07/04/2014
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
07/04/2014
ROCK & BREWS OPENING AT STUBHUB CENTER!
PAUL STANLEY AND GENE SIMMONS OF KISS EXPAND THEIR RESTAURANT BRAND INTRODUCING VENUE-FRIENDLY ROCK & BREWS RESTAURANT CONCEPT
KISS front men Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons today announced plans to expand their family-friendly Rock & Brews restaurant brand into arenas and stadiums, with the opening of their first venue-friendly Rock & Brews at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., home of the LA Galaxy, this month.
�We spend a lot of time performing in large venues while on tour, and Rock & Brews is a perfect fit for sports and entertainment fans,� said Paul Stanley. �We plan to rock the large venue food and beverage business with a broad selection of international and craft beers and quality American comfort food.�
To celebrate the planned opening of Rock & Brews at StubHub Center, Stanley will sing the National Anthem on July 4, before the LA Galaxy takes on the Portland Timbers, and fans will enjoy a sneak peak at Rock & Brews with the opening of the brand�s beer concession and a sampling of Rock & Brews cuisine.PAUL STANLEY AND GENE SIMMONS OF KISS EXPAND THEIR RESTAURANT BRAND
INTRODUCING VENUE-FRIENDLY ROCK & BREWS RESTAURANT CONCEPT
KISS front men Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons today announced plans to expand their family-friendly Rock & Brews restaurant brand into arenas and stadiums, with the opening of their first venue-friendly Rock & Brews at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., home of the LA Galaxy, this month.
�We spend a lot of time performing in large venues while on tour, and Rock & Brews is a perfect fit for sports and entertainment fans,� said Paul Stanley. �We plan to rock the large venue food and beverage business with a broad selection of international and craft beers and quality American comfort food.�
To celebrate the planned opening of Rock & Brews at StubHub Center, Stanley will sing the National Anthem on July 4, before the LA Galaxy takes on the Portland Timbers, and fans will enjoy a sneak peak at Rock & Brews with the opening of the brand�s beer concession and a sampling of Rock & Brews cuisine.
�We are thrilled to add Rock & Brews to our extensive food and beverage offerings at StubHub Center,� said StubHub Center General Manager Katie Pandolfo. �Rock & Brews is an exciting, new, burgeoning brand, and we are happy to be a part of their expansion as the home of their first stadium restaurant.�
Rock & Brews will have two restaurant-style concessions at StubHub, one offering beer only and the other offering both beer and food.
The beer concession will feature 12 domestic, imported and local craft beers on tap. Domestic and international beers will include Budweiser, Bud Light, Shock Top, Goose Island, Corona Light, Pacifico, Modelo Especial and Coors Light. Local craft beers will include Sabre Tooth Squirrel from Smog City, Galaxy Defender from Monkish Brewing, Golden Road�s Hefewizen and Citra Pale Ale from El Segundo Brewing.
The free-standing beer and food concession will feature a selection of popular Rock & Brews menu items including Spicy Asian Wings, a Giant Soft Authentic Bavarian Pretzel with spicy-sweet mustard, street tacos, and the brand�s signature Backstage Burger. Over a dozen Rock & Brews picnic tables will provide seating for guests in a laid-back, family-friendly area.
Stanley and Simmons, along with co-founding partners restaurateur/hotelier Michael Zislis and concert industry veterans Dave and Dell Furano, are thoughtfully planning for worldwide expansion of the brand with freestanding restaurants, airport locations and venue concessions.
�We have opportunities around the world, and are carefully reviewing each and every one of them and interviewing appropriate partners,� said Simmons. �While the demand is high, we will expand the Rock & Brews brand cautiously, working exclusively with qualified partners who have strong community connections.�
The Rock & Brews StubHub concessions join the brand�s growing roster of locations that include three additional Los Angeles area locations, including its flagship location in El Segundo, one in Redondo Beach, and one at LAX Terminal 5; one in Paia on Maui, its first international location in Los Cabos, Mexico; and its newest location in Overland Park, Kansas. Additionally, Rock & Brews� first Southwest location is set to open in August in Albuquerque, New Mexico and others are in development in Ovieto, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Cabo San Lucas and several other locations.
KISS front men Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons today announced plans to expand their family-friendly Rock & Brews restaurant brand into arenas and stadiums, with the opening of their first venue-friendly Rock & Brews at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., home of the LA Galaxy, this month.
�We spend a lot of time performing in large venues while on tour, and Rock & Brews is a perfect fit for sports and entertainment fans,� said Paul Stanley. �We plan to rock the large venue food and beverage business with a broad selection of international and craft beers and quality American comfort food.�
To celebrate the planned opening of Rock & Brews at StubHub Center, Stanley will sing the National Anthem on July 4, before the LA Galaxy takes on the Portland Timbers, and fans will enjoy a sneak peak at Rock & Brews with the opening of the brand�s beer concession and a sampling of Rock & Brews cuisine.PAUL STANLEY AND GENE SIMMONS OF KISS EXPAND THEIR RESTAURANT BRAND
INTRODUCING VENUE-FRIENDLY ROCK & BREWS RESTAURANT CONCEPT
KISS front men Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons today announced plans to expand their family-friendly Rock & Brews restaurant brand into arenas and stadiums, with the opening of their first venue-friendly Rock & Brews at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., home of the LA Galaxy, this month.
�We spend a lot of time performing in large venues while on tour, and Rock & Brews is a perfect fit for sports and entertainment fans,� said Paul Stanley. �We plan to rock the large venue food and beverage business with a broad selection of international and craft beers and quality American comfort food.�
To celebrate the planned opening of Rock & Brews at StubHub Center, Stanley will sing the National Anthem on July 4, before the LA Galaxy takes on the Portland Timbers, and fans will enjoy a sneak peak at Rock & Brews with the opening of the brand�s beer concession and a sampling of Rock & Brews cuisine.
�We are thrilled to add Rock & Brews to our extensive food and beverage offerings at StubHub Center,� said StubHub Center General Manager Katie Pandolfo. �Rock & Brews is an exciting, new, burgeoning brand, and we are happy to be a part of their expansion as the home of their first stadium restaurant.�
Rock & Brews will have two restaurant-style concessions at StubHub, one offering beer only and the other offering both beer and food.
The beer concession will feature 12 domestic, imported and local craft beers on tap. Domestic and international beers will include Budweiser, Bud Light, Shock Top, Goose Island, Corona Light, Pacifico, Modelo Especial and Coors Light. Local craft beers will include Sabre Tooth Squirrel from Smog City, Galaxy Defender from Monkish Brewing, Golden Road�s Hefewizen and Citra Pale Ale from El Segundo Brewing.
The free-standing beer and food concession will feature a selection of popular Rock & Brews menu items including Spicy Asian Wings, a Giant Soft Authentic Bavarian Pretzel with spicy-sweet mustard, street tacos, and the brand�s signature Backstage Burger. Over a dozen Rock & Brews picnic tables will provide seating for guests in a laid-back, family-friendly area.
Stanley and Simmons, along with co-founding partners restaurateur/hotelier Michael Zislis and concert industry veterans Dave and Dell Furano, are thoughtfully planning for worldwide expansion of the brand with freestanding restaurants, airport locations and venue concessions.
�We have opportunities around the world, and are carefully reviewing each and every one of them and interviewing appropriate partners,� said Simmons. �While the demand is high, we will expand the Rock & Brews brand cautiously, working exclusively with qualified partners who have strong community connections.�
The Rock & Brews StubHub concessions join the brand�s growing roster of locations that include three additional Los Angeles area locations, including its flagship location in El Segundo, one in Redondo Beach, and one at LAX Terminal 5; one in Paia on Maui, its first international location in Los Cabos, Mexico; and its newest location in Overland Park, Kansas. Additionally, Rock & Brews� first Southwest location is set to open in August in Albuquerque, New Mexico and others are in development in Ovieto, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Cabo San Lucas and several other locations.
07/04/2014
FAN-SHOT PHOTOS FROM WHEATLAND
