You Wanted The Best , You Got The Best! KISS Bids A Fond Farewell

KISS has been crisscrossing the globe on their End Of The Road World Tour. They claim this is their final tour ever. With frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in their 70s, one has to believe they are being honest. Stalking the stage in so many pounds of gear and platform boots surely has taken its toll over the last 49 years. The band still puts on a remarkable show topped by none!

Music Madness had the privilege of catching this monumental tour at Hartford Connecticut’s XFINITY Theatre. Theatrical painter/artist David Garibaldi opened the show. As Alice Cooper’s music was played over the sound system, Garibaldi brushed, splattered, and flung paint on a once bare canvas. As he continued, almost magically, a face began to appear. Of course, given the music, it was the face of the great Alice Cooper. I was rather skeptical of an artist as an opening act but Garibaldi proved to be quite entertaining because he moved about the stage and engaged the audience. His paintings have been raffled off with proceeds going to Crew Nation. Crew Nation helps touring and venue crews during this still topsy-turvy world of covid.

What can be said about a band that has been touring for 49 years that hasn’t already been said? They are a band that presents a visual display that transcends the music. For those who had seen the band before, the show was very similar to shows on past tours. However, that doesn’t phase the KISS Army in the least! That’s because they were there to see their beloved legends of rock one last glorious time. It was a party to end all parties.

The stage was covered by a KISS curtain which dropped as Gene, Paul, and Tommy Thayer descended to the stage amidst rising smoke and flames and falling sparks. Drummer Eric Singer rounded out the fearsome foursome as they kicked the show off with Detroit Rock City. The crowd roared their approval and the show was on! The setlist was filled with a range of songs spanning their illustrious career. Each song received a wild response from the audience.

After almost fifty years of playing, it’s remarkable to see how this band puts its all into their shows. Some long-time bands are happy to just stand in their spots on stage and play their music or worse, “mail-in” their shows. However, this is not so with KISS. This is why their shows have always been wildly popular. The visual effects on stage are stunning if not outlandish. Simmons breathed fire and spit blood. Stanley “flew” over the audience to a remote stage by the soundboard. Thayer’s guitar shot fireworks. Nothing new, but always loved!

When KISS ultimately performs their last show, it will be a sad day in music history. In the 1970s, these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers took what Alice Cooper was doing and multiplied it fortyfold. They changed the face of rock and roll stage performances with a bombastic display of showmanship. Their music is not what their live shows are about. Their shows are nuggets of revelry put together to present a full-blown gold mine of entertainment. KISS has an undying love for their army and vice versa. Thank you Gene and Paul for keeping this rock and roll circus alive. No doubt it would have been easy to pack up the tents and call it a day many times. However, you toughed it out and we thank you for it!