In retrospect the "Last KISS" was a disappointment. The final show didn't deviate at all from any of the End of the Road shows held throughout this long run up to MSG. Same setlist. Same rehearsed stage patter. Same encore.
I'd resigned myself to the reality that surviving former members Ace, Peter, Bruce and Vinny weren't going to join them on stage in some kind of moment of unity, those bridges have been burned for years. But they should have.
I was disappointed that the band as it exists now didn't stop for a moment of reflection - maybe between the Black Diamond and the first encore - to reflect a little on what was. Maybe some type of video montage and at least a verbal recognition and appreciation of the contributions those guys -- and Eric Carr/Mark St. John, who have both died -- meant to the band, the fans and the longevity of the KISS brand. They couldn't or wouldn't do that.
The second or third encore, they used to introduce the "new era" in KISS and it wasn't what I expected. At all. The band will continue performing, but only in avatar form. WHAT? Yes, the band has partnered with Industrial Light and Magic as well as Pophouse (which apparently did something similar for ABBA successfully) to create superhero-ish AI versions of themselves that will continue performing in virtual format. These new avatars can do things the band may have wanted to do (fly, shoot fire from Gene's eyes, etc.) but were limited by their physical forms from doing. They've apparently been working for years in secrecy to create this new version of the band, doing motion capture sessions even.
In the interview discussing the "new" KISS, Paul made numerous references to now being immortal.
I don't understand it. As KISS says themselves in Shout It Out Loud ... "don't let 'em tell you that it's too much noise, they're too old to really understand..." This is too much noise and I definitely don't understand. The whole "immortality" thing came off as vanity and really, really creepy.
Who is asking for this? Who wants "immortal" video characters? As much as I have loved this band, no. I don't want it. My kids, who I have raised to be KISS fans don't want it.
And finally.... for the first time I recognized and accepted the truth. It is time for them to leave. Paul's voice is destroyed. He sounds like a drag queen Bea Arthur gargling razor blades. All of them have gotten old to the point that they wander around taking shuffle steps like Biden, and have to have people near them guiding their attention so they don't wander off, making sure they are looking the right direction. I saw that in the videos of them walking around the streets in NY at the pop-up stores, at the Empire State Building, and the Swatch store. Gene's 74. Paul is 71. Eric is 65. Tommy is 63. It's absurd to expect them to walk around in nine-inch platform boots, like they're 30.
I just wished they'd used this last stage to respect what was instead of dragging out this avatar vanity project.
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