Preface: If you don't care about KISS, that's not my problem. If you think they suck, that's your prerogative. They are my band, my larger-than-life quasi heroes. I'm perfectly aware that their music isn't opera and that it probably doesn't hold up well against AC/DC, GnR, Zeppelin etc. etc. etc. I know many of you believe their stage show/persona was created to mask (pun) their pedestrian musical abilities. I know their lyrics are often ham-handed and juvenile. I don't care. I really don't. I actually enjoy their entire catalog. I like the music. I've listened to nothing but KISS Army Radio on Sirius since it debuted Feb. 4. I appreciate the work that goes into the show they put on and it moves me. In a lot of ways, being a KISS fan was very similar to being an Auburn fan when I was growing up. There's not much difference between "You're an Auburn fan? Aubren SUCKS" and "You're a KISS fan?? KISS SUCKS!" Maybe that's part of the reason I held on to it so tight for my whole life. So I'm gonna say goodbye to a big part of who I am now. Read it or don't.
I saw my first KISS concert in the late 70s, hooking a ride to Birmingham without my parent's knowledge. The show I saw on stage that night changed my life forever. It was a fire-breathing, blood puking spectacle the likes of which I'd never imagined. Since that night I've seen them countless times in various iterations. I saw the Dynasty, Unmasked, Asylum, Crazy Nights, Hot in the Shade, Alive WorldWide, Psycho Circus, Farewell, Rock the Nation, Alive 35, Hottest Show, "The Tour" (with Crue), Monster and 40th Anniversary Tours. Sometimes multiple dates on those tours. Friday night in New Orleans I ended it. I saw KISS for the very last time in my life (unless some friends of mine convince me to go to Birmingham in April to see them but as of now, I'm not thinking I will). I've taken parents, girlfriends, wives, kids and friends to the various shows. I took seven people with me to New Orleans Friday, two of whom had never seen the band. They all left completely blown away by the spectacle. Even if they didn't know the songs or the words, they caught the vibe.
Over the years I embraced KISS with a reckless abandon. One of my most prized possessions is a vintage 1976 working pinball machine that I restored. I wore KISS patches, collected KISS comics, bought KISS action figures. When I had my furniture store and filmed commercials for it, I used KISS music in the backgrounds. I've got signed posters, photos of me with the band, framed albums, and other memorabilia covering the walls of my office.
The thought that this was the last time I'd stand in the audience (painted or not) and get the full confetti-raining, blood-dripping, firework-blasting, flame-spewing, smoke-billowing, bass-thundering, drum-pounding, guitar-wailing experience was bittersweet at best. I enjoyed it all, but am sad to know that I won't ever have that rush again.
The concert was everything they billed it to be. More fire, more video screens, more bombast, more confetti, more everything. They walked through all the standards. They hit all the spots. But as a long-time fan the one thing that struck me (and went unnoticed by any of the seven people in my entourage) was that they were almost walking through the steps without the barely-contained chaos that once electrified their shows. I won't say it was joyless, but to me, at least, a lot of it looked like 'work' on their part rather than fun.
Was it the best concert I've ever seen? No. But that's a function of age and repetition more than anything. Gene's 70. It's asinine to expect him to have the same snarling, prowling menace he once brought to the stage. Paul is 67. It's unrealistic to expect his voice to carry the same boundless energy he once had. And his voice, even when speaking, was pretty rough in places. Tommy, the new Ace, is probably a better technical guitarist than Ace but as much as I like him and respect his contribution to the band, he'll never have the same presence as Ace. He tried, but he just doesn't have that loose, boozy bend that Ace brought to the stage. A little the same with Eric on drums. I really like Eric and he's a talented drummer (played with Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, ONJ and others). He brings a deeper, fuller sound that really enhances the music. He was also the drummer (and only blonde member ever) on the albums Revenge and Carnival of Souls both of which featured a musically stronger KISS. I like the fact that even though he wears the Catman makeup and performs Beth, he knows he's not Peter Criss and doesn't try to be. I hear the arguments that KISS is a "tribute band" or whatever because the four original members aren't on stage but I reject that argument. Other bands have different members -- including AC/DC. As one music critic put it, the real standard is "are the people who wrote and performed the songs still doing so?" The answer is yes. So it's still KISS.
They started with Detroit Rock City, segued into Shout it Out Loud and then rolled with Deuce. Before the night was over we got Dr. Love, I Was Made, Heaven's On Fire, War Machine, Say Yeah, 100,000 Years (a favorite), God of Thunder, Cold Gin, Psycho Circus, I Love It Loud, Lick It Up, Let Me Go, Love Gun, Do Ya Love Me, Beth, Black Diamond (another favorite) and Rock and Roll All Night.
As setlists go it was a little underwhelming to me. I realize they wanted to hit all eras. I also realize they aren't doing a concert for me -- the serious fan -- because if they did the lesser known cuts I'd want to hear like She, Shandi, Rise to It, Great Expectations, Coming Home, Watchin' You, Parasite, Unholy, Jungle they would have lost the casual fan who was seeing their first or second KISS show.
At the same time, I heard people lamenting after the show that they didn't play enough "known" songs. Those people were missing Hard Luck Woman, Forever, Hide Your Heart, Strutter, God Gave Rock and Roll to You and some others.
So I guess it was about as good as you could expect. Can't make everyone happy. I wish they'd swapped War Machine for Unholy or Parasite, but it was fairly solid and at 20 songs about an average length. They promised more songs than normal and this is one case where they failed to deliver. A 25-song set would have been much better, but age and voice strain are understandable reasons to limit it. I'm still in awe that they closed that show about 11 Friday night, packed it all up, headed to Memphis and did it all over again the next day. How 70 year old men manage that -- and it's a physically-demanding show no doubt -- I just don't understand.
I've seen them for the last time now. Forty-one years after I risked being permanently grounded by sneaking off to Birmingham to see what KISS was all about, I closed that chapter with my (grown) kids and a bunch of other people I love more than my own life around me. All of us wearing the makeup. All of them doing that because they love me and have grown to love and appreciate the band that's been my passion for as long as they've known me. If you'd told me back then how this was going to end I would never have believed you. But I really couldn't ask for a whole lot more. Surrounded by the people I love, dressed in (ridiculous) makeup to honor me, while we watched the band that has essentially been the soundtrack of my life burn the stage up one last rocking time. I'm a really lucky guy.
BTW, we made NOLA.com. Their photographer caught us on the way out of the concert and snapped a pic that ended up in the paper and online from what I understand.
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