Kiss Tour 2009 ... Kiss Alive 35 North America

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist

Deuce
Strutter
Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
Hotter Than Hell
Shock Me
Calling Dr. Love
Modern Day Delilah
Cold Ginincluding a guitar solo
Parasite
Yeah
100,000 Yearsincluding a drum solo
I Love It Loudincluding a bass solo
Black Diamond
Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

Encore:
Shout It Out Loud
Lick It Up
Love Gun
Detroit Rock City

Review: Winnipeg Free Press
by Rob Williams

Arena rock masters Strutter their stuff

Fireworks, concussion bombs, fog and pyro are a normal part of most big rock concerts these days.
For Kiss, it's their introduction.

The New York rock band who helped invent the arena concert spectacle in the 1970s know exactly what their fans want. Say what you will about them -- still on the road nine years after their farewell tour -- there's no denying they know how to put on a big, dumb, flashy rock show.

"There's something about Canada that just brings out the best in Kiss. You're going to hear all the stuff you came for tonight," frontman Paul Stanley told the sold out crowd of 12,750 at the MTS Centre early last night.

He wasn't lying.

The band is touring in support of their first album in 11 years, Sonic Boom, but despite the fact it's a return to their classic sound, the band only played two new songs, Modern Day Delilah and Say Yeah, preferring to stick to hits from their 1970s heyday.

Much like the Alive! album they're celebrating with the title of the tour (Kiss Alive 35) the band opened with Deuce and Strutter off their 1974 self-titled debut. During the opening number founding members Stanley and demonic bassist Gene Simmons gathered at centre stage with lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, dressed in Ace Frehley's spaceman makeup and nailing every solo effortlessly, for some synchronized moves.

Behind them Eric Singer, taking the place of original drummer Peter Criss, was seated on a riser above the famous lighted Kiss logo, which was surrounded by a line of speakers and three rows of video monitors flashing everything from abstract patterns to fire (of course). Three other video screens showed close-ups of the band, who don't look a day older than they did all those years ago thanks to their makeup.

Stanley played the role of hype man throughout the night with his well-known between-song banter, getting the Kiss Army riled up, especially when challenging them to be louder than other Canadian cities.

"It's up to you to show us that you are number one," he said before the blues-based Let Me Go Rock 'N' Roll.

From the first notes to the last, it was as flashy and over-the-top as ever. Multicoloured flames shot out often, the drum riser rotated during Singer's solo, Thayer shot fireworks from his guitar, Simmons breathed fire at the conclusion of Hotter than Hell and both he and Stanley took wire-assisted flights.

With the exception of the two new Sonic Boom tracks and Lick it Up and I Love it Loud, both from the early 1980s, the set was filled with melodic hard rock favourites from the 1970s with Cold Gin, Parasite, Black Diamond, Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City making the set list.

The only hitch in show was when a light in the rig caught fire at the conclusion of Black Diamond and had to be extinguished.

Over the past two decades Kiss has become more known for their marketing than music, but if you're a Kiss fan the merch booth was filled with everything you could want including panties, a Thayer-autographed guitar strap, a Singer autographed drum head and a USB leather wristband, or CD with last night's show along with the regular shirts and posters.

It's easy to be cynical, but last night it was about the music, and Kiss fans who wanted to hear the best got it.

Los Angeles quintet Buckcherry opened the night with a 45-minute set of sleazy hard rock perfectly suited for an arena, highlighted by the ode to cocaine Lit Up, the pop-edged Everything and the funk-infused Crazy Bitch.

rob.williams@freepress.mb.ca

Concert review

Kiss

MTS Centre

Nov. 9, 2009

Attendance: 12,500

Four stars out of five

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist
1.Deuce
2.Strutter
3.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Shock Me
6.Modern Day Delilah
7.Say Yeah
8.Calling Dr. Love
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.Love Gun
18.Detroit Rock City

Review: LSU Daily Reveille
by Jake Clapp

Fans brave early rain to see Eminem, KISS at Voodoo Experience

More than 150,000 people passed through New Orleans' City Park during Halloween weekend for the 11th ritual of The Voodoo Experience, featuring an explosive performance from KISS, a return to New Orleans by Lenny Kravitz and a reunion of Eminem with his band D12 for his only concert of 2009 and his first Voodoo performance since his 2000 appearance.

People of all ages and backgrounds from dread-locked hippies to clean-cut fraternity members came together during the three-day music festival for notable performances from the headliners and many other bands including Wolfmother, The Flaming Lips, Justice, The Black Keys, Gogol Bordello and The Cool Kids.

"Compared to other festivals, Voodoo does one of the best jobs of bringing really different acts together," said Laci Gagliano, a zombified concert-goer from Mobile, Ala. "Plus, it's Halloween, and this is the Halloween party."

Twenty minutes before its first show at Voodoo, Silversun Pickups had to make a quick decision, either brave the heavy rain and wind or move its 6:40 p.m. main-stage set to a nearby club to play later Friday night.

"It was chaotic right before we decided to go on," lead singer and guitarist Brian Aubert told The Daily Reveille. "One of our amps had blown, and it came down to the last minute - the rain was just bad."

But the band came out and performed its full set to a crowd of several thousand cold, rain-soaked fans.

"I've got to give kudos to these people for sticking it out," Aubert said. "We knew that if they weren't complaining, then we had no reason to at all. Despite all this rain and the set back, we came out at the end pretty happy with the show."

While main-stage acts like Eminem and KISS gathered the biggest crowds - each drawing more than 10,000 people apiece - other sections of the festival attracted large crowds of fans who were dressed for Halloween.

Many people strayed away from the main-stage area, Le Ritual, to the Le Carnival area for indie bands and circus acts and to Le Flambeau for local and New Orleans jazz acts.

"I've been all over Voodoo," said Sam Babin, business senior. "But I just saw The New Orleans Bingo! Show, and it was a blast."

Babin said this was the eighth year he had been to The Voodoo Experience, and he said he always enjoys seeing the indie bands Le Ritual offers as much as the main-stage acts.
Rachel Vette, lead singer for The Vettes, played to several thousand people during her band's main-stage set Friday and said Voodoo pulled off the diverse line-up well.

"Our set position this year was weird compared to the last time we played," Vette said. "When we played last, we were set in between bands that were close to our style, this year we were followed by The Cool Kids. But that's what happens at Voodoo - a lot of different people come together."

Jim Soule, general studies sophomore, attended all three days of Voodoo. He said the lineup was good, but a lot of the local New Orleans flavor was overshadowed by bigger acts.

"It seemed like a lot of people didn't pay attention to the local bands as much as the bigger acts that were there," Soule said. "They all put on a good show, but I think a lot of the local stuff just got pushed to the side."

Steve Rehage, founder and producer of Voodoo, said the main acts are meant to draw people in, and the local flavor is meant to shine equally.

"New Orleans is the main attraction for Voodoo," Rehage said. "So while people will be here to see these big names, they won't be able to avoid hearing what the city is famous for - the music."

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist
1.Deuce
2.Strutter
3.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Shock Me
6.Modern Day Delilah
7.Say Yeah
8.Calling Dr. Love
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.Love Gun
18.Detroit Rock City

Review: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
by Jennifer Christman

KISS still has few tricks, treats left for audience

Could there be a better time of year to attend a KISS concert?

After all, seeing the band live, which performed its Kiss Alive/35 Tour at the Verizon Arena Thursday night before 10,453 fans is a lot like watching the Halloween movies. With the volume cranked high.

There's plenty of plasma (Gene Simmons still spews blood). The same music always plays. The characters dress in all black (in the case of KISS, bling and platform boots too). Different players sometimes step in (Simmons and Paul Stanley are still there, but Ace Frehley is played by Tommy Thayer and Peter Criss is played by Eric Singer). They favor face coverings (makeup is to KISS as mask is to Michael Myers). Just when you think they're finally gone (didn't we review the band's Farewell Tour at the arena back in 2000?), they always come back. And the entire effect is far more campy than creepy.

Still, witnessing is always a charge. If a predictable one. (The first part of this double feature: opening act Buckcherry, which rolled out 45 minutes of rockers like "I Love The Cocaine" and "Out of Line.")

With a few new songs from the group's latest album Sonic Boom fit in, KISS focused most of its two-hour set on forceful fan favorites like "Deuce," "Lick It Up" and "Detroit Rock City."

But the song "Black Diamond" was not as beloved as Stanley thought and fell flat as a sing-a-long when the audience didn't know the words. "We were great. You sucked," he joked in his New York accent.

It wasn't shocking when band members play their instruments behind their heads. And when sparks shot out of a guitar. And when Simmons repeatedly unfurled his serpentine tongue. And when fire bursts punctuated performances. And when Thayer banged out his solo from a raised and rotating platform. And when confetti snow blanketed the crowd for "Rock and Roll All Nite." Such events are anticipated traditions.

But if Simmons previously rose up into the rafters to play and if Stanley flew over the crowd to perform on a stage in the back, we had forgotten. Those tricks were treats to us.

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist
1.Deuce Play Video
2.Strutter Play Video
3.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll Play Video
4.Hotter Than Hell Play Video
5.Shock Me Play Video
6.Modern Day Delilah Play Video
7.Say Yeah Play Video
8.Calling Dr. Love Play Video
9.She Play Video
10.Parasite Play Video
11.100,000 Years Play Video
12.I Love It Loud Play Video
13.Black Diamond Play Video
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud Play Video
16.Lick It Up Play Video
17.Love Gun Play Video
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: Nashville Scene


KISS at the Sommet Center, 10/28/09

OK, we get it: We're Nashville and KISS loves us. Paul Stanley reminded us of that ad nauseam last night at the Sommet Center, where we de-virginized ourselves of the KISS concert experience. How was it? It was exactly what we expected: a totally awesome, face-melting onslaught of gargantuan camp, fire, galloping riffs and fist-pumping shout-alongs. We came to see all those things, and we got what we wanted: the best.

First things first, though. Buckcherry. What an atrocious band. We were hoping we'd get into the arena late enough to miss these clowns, but the KISS-related festivities on Lower Broad had already wrapped up, leaving us with little option other than to go inside and drink to the tale of the "Crazy Bitch"--a song we're now unequivocally dumber for having heard in its extended live arrangement, which included a verse of Billy Squire's "Stroke Me." There are scores of bands like this on the Sunset Strip--why did this one have to get famous? Like Poison without the hooks or Firehouse without the balls, they are musically hopeless, generic and predictable. Moreover, singer Josh Todd thinks that the 79 tattoos on his torso suffice for a shirt, and his squealing high-pitched caterwauling makes him sound like a feral cat succumbing to an industrial strength vacuum cleaner. Fuck this band and their Chuck Berry reference.


As we waited for "the hottest band in the world" to take the stage, we milled around to observe the KISS Army in action. Par for the course, it really did seem like one out of every four or five people we saw had KISS make-up on. In fact, there were even booths where a make-up technician would airbrush a KISS character onto your face. Followers of the cult mixed and mingled with your garden-variety heavy metal parking lot crowd, creating a festive rock 'n' roll all night atmosphere. Not bad for a Wednesday.

These people all lost their shit when the lights went down and--with a startling blast of pyro--the curtain dropped, revealing the band in all their iconic glory, as they went head first through a one-two punch of "Deuce" into "Strutter"--two of our favorite KISS gems. Right off the bat, the show spared no cliché, and we mean that in a good way. We didn't come to the KISS show to use our right brains, we came to let go of our inhibitions and be entertained--and entertained we were.

Let's go down the list. Pyro in the chorus and big finish of nearly every song? Check. The platform shoes and black spandex? Check. Gene Simmons spitting fire? Check. Gene Simmons coughing up blood? Check. Spotlight guitar, drum, and bass solos where all other members leave the stage? Check. A spinning drum riser? Check. Bottle-blondes in the audience flashing the band? Check. We even got Gene Simmons singing "I Love It Loud" on a platform atop a lighting rig that he levitated to. Not to be outdone, Paul Stanley took flight over the audience to his own platform to sing "Love Gun." Between all these shenanigans we got all the classic KISS moments with which they defined the arena-rock experience.

And, of course, there was the make-up. We'll just get it out of the way--founding members Peter Criss (drums) and Ace Frehley (lead guitar) are not in the current incarnation of KISS, but their trademark Catman and Spaceman make-up designs are now donned by their replacements. For many in the KISS Army this is a deal-breaker, but obviously not too many as, while not sold out, the arena appeared damn near close to it. The most egregious fake make-up moment came when guitarist Tommy Thayer--playing the part of The Spaceman--took center stage to sing the Ace Frehley-penned "Shock Me"--leaving more than a hint of awk-rawk lingering in the air.

Just as the stage production left little to be desired, so did the '70s-centric setlist, which featured nearly all of the band's most recognizable hits, from "Hotter Than Hell" to "Calling Dr. Love," "Black Diamond" to "Lick it Up" and the inevitable "Rock and Roll All Nite." They even played a bit of "Stairway to Heaven." We'll admit that by the time the band had brought about their "Detroit Rock City" finale, we were a bit fatigued from hearing 25-or-so songs that all sound roughly the same--but music was secondary to what is easily the rock show equivalent of a Ringling Bros. three-ring circus. After a straight two hours of both ironic and un-ironic headbanging, we praised all might rock 'n' roll as the lights came up to reveal an arena smokier than a Southern California wildfire.

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist
1.Deuce Play Video
2.Strutter Play Video
3.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll Play Video
4.Hotter Than Hell Play Video
5.Shock Me Play Video
6.Modern Day Delilah Play Video
7.Say Yeah Play Video
8.Calling Dr. Love Play Video
9.She Play Video
10.Parasite Play Video
11.100,000 Years Play Video
12.I Love It Loud Play Video
13.Black Diamond Play Video
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud Play Video
16.Lick It Up Play Video
17.Love Gun Play Video
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: to follow

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: The Birmingham News
by Mary Colurso


Sealed with a KISS: Fans renew pact with band at Birmingham concert

KISS, Saturday night at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. Review rating: Four out of five stars.

You want subtle? Well, not at a KISS concert.

When the four-member band performed in Birmingham Saturday night, words such as "visceral," "ritual" and "high decibel" came to mind.

After more than three decades in the business, this hard-rock group is rather like a vinyl LP - enormously popular for a while, then out of fashion, then back in vogue with a nostalgic vengeance.

KISS' 8:50 p.m. show here drew a hyped-up audience of thousands, filling the lower levels of the BJCC Arena and reaching about two-thirds of the way into the upper tier.

No one expected great literature or symphonic nuance from the evening; fans wanted loud, fast, repetitive tunes that would inspire them to bang their heads or pump their fists.

Mission accomplished, with a set list that included "Strutter," "Lick it Up," "Detroit Rock City," "Calling Dr. Love," "Hotter Than Hell" and "Rock and Roll All Nite."

Some of the group's signature songs were missing, but KISS reached deep into its catalog for cuts such as "Parasite," "100,000 Years," "Black Diamond" and "Shock Me."

The agenda also included a newly minted single, "Modern Day Delilah," from the just-released "Sonic Boom."

Each of the band members - bassist Gene Simmons, singer Paul Stanley, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer - had the opportunity for a flamboyant solo, and the overall presentation was loaded with special effects. (Think pyro, smoke and confetti.)

As any fan will tell you, it's not a KISS concert unless Simmons spits fake blood, breathes a plume of fire and flies high into the air. On Saturday, he did all three with gusto.

Thayer's guitar shot out sparks and downed a piece of the overhead lights. Singer's drum kit raised on a scisssor lift and revolved. Stanley rode a pulley over the audience's heads and landed on a remote stage.

Oddly enough, KISS' trademark costumes and makeup helped to mask the performers' seniority, turning them into ageless characters with a glam Halloween flair.

Simmons, 60, and Stanley, 57, have been constants from the start and it's hard to imagine KISS without them.

Purists might complain that Thayer, 48, and Singer, 51, aren't original members, but the two played with energy and consistency -- qualities that founders Ace Frehley and Peter Criss lacked in their latter years with the band.

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: to follow

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: Tampa Tribune
by Jeff Houck


Kiss still knows how to rock the house

When they finally get around to stuffing Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley into the Rock 'n' Roll Time Capsule, (no doubt manufactured and trademarked by Kiss), it will no doubt include much of the highlights from Wednesday night's show at the Forum.

Does anyone use as much dry ice as these guys? Certainly nobody bothers to shoot sparks from a guitar neck anymore. And the blood-spitting and fire-breathing, well, that went out with the Ford administration.

Their two-hour concert, part of the "Alive 35" tour, was like a trip through the wayback machine as the band busted out hits fans hadn't heard in decades.

Sure, they started with the swaggering "Deuce," using pyrotechnics like musical punctuation. And, yes, there were the chestnuts of "Strutter," "Dr. Love," "Shout It Out Loud" and the venerable "Rock & Roll All Night."

But who thought we would hear "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" after spinning it on vinyl on "Kiss Alive" in 1975? Even their rendition of "Hotter than Hell," with requisite flames and sirens, seemed fresh again 32 years after its release.

Stanley and Simmons, the two remaining members of the original band (guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss left about a decade ago) appear invigorated by playing the old music. And lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer played their traditional roles like seasoned pros.

Thayer expertly sang and played his way through Frehley's trademark "Shock Me." And Singer performed an extended drum solo on top of a swiveling drum kit that was, gasp, entertaining.

The group performed "Modern Day Delilah" off their new hit "Sonic Boom" album. The good news: It matched the texture, energy and ballsy grit of their first albums.

Amid all the confetti and flames and campy theatrics, there was more than a hint that the band might have enough juice to make it into another decade

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: to follow

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: to follow

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City



Review: WRAL
by David Sweeney


Kiss rocks Va., brings back fond memories

At the tender age of 14, the first rock concert I attended was a group dubbed "The hottest band in the world." Yep, it was Kiss, a four-member band wearing costumes, makeup and high-heeled shoes, with a stage show that included pyrotechnics, fire breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars and confetti cannons.

After 35 years, not much has changed. Kiss performed for a sold-out audience Friday night at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia. The crowd was a somewhat strange mixture of very young and very old, and more than a few wearing Kiss makeup and full regalia.

My son is now 18, but I was excited to be able to share this experience with him while reliving a great moment from my childhood. Kiss took the smoke-filled stage to Deuce, from their 1974 self-titled debut album Kiss. Maybe it was the make-up or the explosions, but the band looked exactly as I remembered them. I had to remind myself that the original members of this band are old enough to be grandfathers.

Only two founding members of Kiss remain: Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. Drummer Eric Singer joined the band in 1984, and guitarist Tommy Thayer took over in 2002. 35 years and over 80 million records later the newest incarnation of Kiss sounded like a well-oiled machine.

At an age when retirement and relaxation should be a staple in ones life, I fully expected a low-key, geriatric show, unlike I witnessed in my childhood. Boy was I wrong! My son was treated to a theatrical concert unlike anything he had ever seen. Nearly identical to what I had witnessed in 1978. Gene Simmons spit blood, breathed fire, and even flew up to the top of the stage lights to play God Of Thunder. A shirtless Paul Stanley blew kisses to the crowd, broke a guitar, and even rode on a cable to the middle of the arena to perform the song Love Gun.

For over two hours the band played such hits as; Deuce, Strutter, Hotter Than Hell, Got To Choose, Modern Day Delilah, Come On And Love Me, She, Parasite, 100,000 years, I love It Loud, Black Diamond, and ended the set with the classic Rock And Roll All Nite. Next came as what Paul Stanley described as "the longest encore ever" with, Shout It Out Loud, Lick It Up, Cold Gin, Love Gun, and, finally, Detroit Rock City.

After collecting our breath, we were able reflect on what we had seen, and it was gratifying for me to have shared a small piece of my childhood with my son. In fact, as timeless as Kiss looked on this night I wouldn't be at all surprised if my son one day got to share a similar experience with his kids... and you can bet that I'll be there with them!

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City

Review: Washington Post
by Christopher Porter

A Shoot and a Work: Kiss, Live at Verizon Center

FORGET KISS' CRAPPY 1999 association with WCW, which featured the group mucking up "God of Thunder" on "Nitro" and introducing The Demon, a wrestler based on Gene Simmons' stage persona. The band and sports entertainment really are kindred spirits, sharing a similar storyline, one that includes a spectacular rise, an uncertain fall and a resurrection as PG entertainment for the entire family.

In the 1970s, kids didn't know if professional wrestling was real (a shoot) or fake (a work), and the over-the-top cartoon characters in the ring might as well been real to a child. The same goes for Kiss, whose growth from cult band to cultural icons was helped along by the ongoing mystery of who was behind the spooky makeup, what they were really like when they weren't spitting blood, and was Ace Frehley really from outer space?

So, when singer-guitarist Paul Stanley invoked Stone Cold Steve Austin's name while teaching the multi-generational Kiss Army how to sing "Black Diamond" on Tuesday at Verizon Center, it brought the whole rassin' and rockin' combo together once again. Plus, they share a mostly working-class fan-base - one that often spans from father to son and mother to daughter, all clad in official gear - who really couldn't care what you think about their tastes.

And just as pro wrestling eventually had to admit it was fake, and then evolve into more family-friendly fare, Kiss had to take off the makeup - even though it's back on now - and let people know the faces behind the paint, all while licensing its classic image to appear on every conceivable product, including those things marketed toward kids despite the band's frequently lascivious lyrics.

As wrestling and Kiss evolved with the times, the artistry of the athletes and the musicians were suddenly on display without the added benefit of smoke and mirrors to help create the magic - yet both forms of entertainment have survived and, despite some ups and downs, often thrived to the tune of millions of dollars of income.

Ultimately, that's why Kiss is out on stage for yet another tour - to earn a lot of money. It's pure capitalist art. Kiss' leaders are salesmen first and artists a distant second. It's not so much a musical group anymore but a Vegas show that travels from town to town, and the band will almost certainly be franchised, a la Blue Man Group, when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons hang it up. (They've already replaced original Kiss members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss while retaining their makeup designs.) Then you'll have multiple Kiss performing acts, playing everywhere from the Strip to Branson, that can entertain the future offspring of the many, many kids who were with their parents at Verizon Center. read full review

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist

1.Strutter
2.Deuce
3.Modern Day Delilah
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Come On And Love Me
6.Watchin' You
7.Got To Choose
8.I Love It Loud
9.She
10.Parasite
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Cold Gin
18.Detroit Rock City

Review: to follow

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist

1.Deuce
2.Strutter Play
3.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Modern Day Delilah
6.Got To Choose
7.C'mon And Love Me
8.She
9.Parasite
10.I Love It Loud
11.100,000 Years
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Cold Gin
17.Love Gun
18.Detroit Rock City

Review: to follow

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist *unconfirmed

1.King Of The Night Time World
2.Deuce
3.Got To Choose
4.Modern Day Delilah
5.Hotter Than Hell
6.I Stole Your Love
7.C'mon And Love Me
8.Parasite
9.She
10.100,000 Years
11.I Love It Loud
12.Black Diamond
13.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

14.Shout It Out Loud
15.Lick It Up
16.Love Gun
17.Detroit Rock City


Review: Toronto Star
by Carola Vynhnak


KISS and make upAfter winning contest and then being left off tour, recession-weary Oshawa finally feels rockers' love

It was the KISS of life Oshawa needed.

Thousands of music fans and regular folks revelling in the positive vibes turned out to welcome one of the biggest rock bands in the world to a city hungry for good news.

"There's bad news all over the country but this is terrific," beamed Joe Bosco, 76, outside the General Motors Centre where the concert took place Wednesday night.

As the show started, a giant Google map appeared on the screen and zoomed in on Oshawa.

After the second song, guitarist and singer Paul Stanley asked the crowd: "How ya doin', good people of 'shwa? So lemme ask you a question - did you really believe that we weren't coming to see you? No way!"

The audience cheered wildly - because it was the concert that almost didn't happen.

The band had initially left Oshawa off the list of stops on their fall tour, despite the city winning an online contest to host a concert. The apparent snub of the recession-battered city of 152,000 hit the headlines, airwaves and television screens, and two days later outraged fans got their wish when an Oshawa date was announced.

Ubit McCoff, a 40-year-old engineer from Oshawa, said "Being born and raised in Oshawa, I never thought anything would happen to me and going to the KISS concert was a dream come true."

But Steve Rowe, a 42-year-old construction worker from Oshawa who has seen KISS in concert 10 times, said the band's famously massive show suffered by being downsized for 5,600 fans. "It's watered down ... the stage, it sucks. ...Oshawa can't provide a venue for a concert of that magnitude."

The chilly winds didn't stop fans from arriving hours before show time.

"I am going to be the favourite mom in Oshawa tonight!" shrieked Debbie Craig as she scored three last-minute tickets at the box office. All 5,600 seats had sold out within minutes weeks ago but a block of 20 suddenly opened up as the stage was being set up.

"They're huge fans," Craig said of her sons, aged 13 and 15. "Woo hoo!"



"For KISS to come here - it's huge," a thrilled Janis Mullins said as her son Liam, 9, had his face painted in trademark black and white KISS makeup under a Dr. Pepper tent across from the GM Centre.

Councillor Robert Lutczyk, who spearheaded efforts months ago to get residents voting for a concert, showed up in the morning to bask all day in the glory.

"This will put our GM Centre on the map and on the radar screen of every concert promoter," he said.

"It's the biggest thing in entertainment since the Rolling Stones played Oshawa 30 years ago."

For Jenn Lynch, 13, the thrill factor hit "90 on a scale of 10." Introduced to KISS by her parents at age 6, she celebrated her first concert with a Gene Simmons' makeup job.

The occasion prompted Dan Smith, "46 going on 17," to take the day off work as a labourer with Ontario Hydro so he could go shopping at Value Village for a black three-piece suit and pointy-toed boots.The show was Smith's third and 14-year-old son Ozzy's second.

Mayor John Gray walked over from city hall in the blustery weather for a sneak preview of the preparations. "This puts us on a par with the big city venues."

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist *unconfirmed

1.King Of The Night Time World
2.Deuce
3.Got To Choose
4.Modern Day Delilah
5.Hotter Than Hell
6.I Stole Your Love
7.C'mon And Love Me
8.Parasite
9.She
10.Watchin' You
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
18.Love Gun
19.Detroit Rock City


Review: Boston Herald
by Jed Gottlieb


Even without its Ace, KISS still rocks 'n' rolls all night

You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the land, one half of KISS!

There was neither Ace Frehley nor Peter Criss at the two-thirds-full TD Garden last night, but there were two guys in their makeup on stage (Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively) and a few dozen more in the audience. But the sober half of KISS - Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons - did a damn good job of pretending the band was unchanged.

Before the show, Simmons boasted to the Herald that this was the largest tour they'd ever done. He was probably lying, but it was hard to tell.

The hits were the backbone of the show. "Deuce," "Hotter Than Hell" and "Black Diamond" - with its hook that could snag Moby Dick - were wicked nice. "Cmon and Love Me" and a sleazy, slutty "She" were brilliant. Even spotlight solos by Thayer and Singer were pretty damn cool (sorry Ace and Peter).

But KISS is still a band of 70's shtick, and the old gimmicks were in full effect. Gene breathed fire and barfed blood. Paul fired the right and left sides of the stage up into shout-offs. There was plenty of strutting and swaying in unison to go with guitars that bazooka-ed sparks and a drum riser on a rotating, fog-spewing hydraulic lift.

As the epic encore - "Shout It Out Loud" into "Lick It Up" into "Let Me Go" into "Love Gun" (where Paul flew through the audience on a wire) into "Detroit Rock City" - blasted on and the canon booms and flame bursts continued, it seemed clear Gene was right. Not that this was the largest KISS tour ever, but that - as he also told the Herald - KISS will live on long past Ace and Peter.

They've done it before and did it again last night with a legendary show.

Buckcherry opened the show with its throughly rocking brand of party metal, including a decent take on Deep Purple's "Highway Star." After some lame ballads, the band closed with its one KISS-level raunch hit, "Crazy Bitch."

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist *unconfirmed

1.King Of The Night Time World
2.Deuce
3.Got To Choose
4.Modern Day Delilah
5.Hotter Than Hell
6.I Stole Your Love
7.C'mon And Love Me
8.Parasite
9.She
10.Watchin' You
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
18.Love Gun
19.Detroit Rock City


Review: Hartford Courant
by Kenneth Partridge

Kiss Lacks Energy, Audacity At Mohegan

If nothing else, the idea behind Kiss has always been a good one.

Formed in the early '70s, when rock 'n' roll was beginning to take itself too seriously, the group has long used its demonic superhero garb and elaborate stage shows to celebrate the power of sex and spectacle.

Unfortunately, Kiss' music has rarely lived up to its outsized comic-book ambitions, and Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena, the band lacked the energy and audacity needed to obscure this fact.

This latest tour, "Alive 35," is meant to commemorate the enduring popularity of the 1975 concert album "Kiss Alive," and as such, the band aimed to recreate the kind of show it put on back in its heyday.

Consummate front man Paul Stanley, reprising his "Starchild" character, pouted, sucked his cheeks, and wiggled his rear, imploring the audience to pump its fists and make some noise, lest it be outshone by crowds in other cities.

Bassist and marketer extraordinaire Gene Simmons, the quartet's other original member, dutifully played "The Demon," stomping around like Godzilla, flapping his famous tongue, and sneering at the audience like a Scooby Doo villain. If he was calculating profits in his head, it didn't show.

The presentation made for a handful of thrilling moments, but when Simmons wasn't flying through the air and the pyrotechnics crew wasn't shooting ribbons of red fire into the rafters, what remained-and this is Kiss' dirty little secret-was fairly standard '70s hard rock.

There's a reason most people are only familiar with Kiss' two or three major hits: Such non-singles as "King of the Night Time World," "Hotter than Hell," and "Parasite," all of which the band played Saturday, are simply not that memorable.

Strip away the makeup and special effects, and you're left with a slightly harder and louder version of Foghat or .38 Special.

Although the audience gamely suspended its disbelief and remained enthusiastic for the duration of the show-even during the underwhelming guitar and drum solos played by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively-it saved its heartiest cheers for the anthems: "Shout It Out Loud," "Detroit Rock City," and of course, "Rock and Roll All Nite."

It was during these moments that Kiss came closest to silencing the cynics and living up to its original promise. It just didn't come close enough.

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.King Of The Night Time World
2.Deuce
3.Got To Choose
4.Modern Day Delilah
5.Hotter Than Hell
6.I Stole Your Love
7.C'mon And Love Me
8.Parasite
9.She
10.Watchin' You
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
18.Love Gun
19.Detroit Rock City


Review: Toronto Sun
by Jane Stevenson

KISS electrifies ACC despite rocky start


Sure, they wanted to rock and roll all night, but KISS short circuited just one song into their Air Canada Centre show Friday night.

After an explosive fire display, the veteran rockers were about half way through their opening song, King Of The Night Time World, when they appeared to lose power causing the audience to boo loudly.

Without an active microphone, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley held up his hands and mouthed that the group, rounded out by bassist Gene Simmons, drummer Eric Singer and lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, would be back "in about five to ten minutes" and they walked off stage.

Shortly thereafter, and with little in the way of further reaction from the KISS army, the quartet returned and Stanley explained what was going on: "There is a problem with the electricity and the power at the ACC, but we have fixed it and we are here to kick your ass," he said.

After checking their gear, the group then launched into Deuce and the show, as they say, went on for another two-and-a-half hours.

"It started to look like we might have to reschedule," said Stanley, 57, afterwards, prompting more boos. "Last night (on Thursday), Montreal said they'd kick your ass. Tonight, Toronto, you have to prove them wrong."

KISS were in hot water in these parts earlier this year when they failed to announce an Oshawa date on the first leg of their KISS Alive/35 Tour even though the city had won an online poll to have the band play a concert there.

They since scheduled a show for Oct. 7 in Oshawa, the day after the release of their first studio album in 11 years, the guitar-rock driven Sonic Boom, which was represented in Friday night's set list by the new single, Modern Day Delilah.

Basically, other than the sound and electricity problems, it was the same KISS act, different decade.

Some 37 years after forming in New York City, with original lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, the black leather and studs, platform boots and black and white Kabuki makeup were back along with the loud sound, pyrotechnics, dry ice and stunts galore.

Simmons, 60, pulled out his fire-eating routine during Hotter Than Hell and later spewed blood, showing off his famous long tongue, and flew up to the lighting stand to sing lead vocals on I Love It Loud in the best bit of the night.

Stanley also sailed over the heads of the audiences on a pulley and wound up on a smaller rotating stage on the floor for Love Gun.

Their streamlined stage, meanwhile, was dominated by the word KISS in large white lights and rows and rows of small video screens resembling TV sets.

Thayer put on a major guitar solo display, with yet even more fire and explosions, and Singer did the obligatory drum solo on a rotating stage but nothing really matched the white confetti, steam and fire, and the three mini stages that elevated Simmons, Stanley and Thayer, during the set-ending Rock And Roll All Nite.

Still, the encore songs, Shout It Out Loud, Lick It Up and Detroit Rock City, came awfully close.

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.King Of The Night Time World
2.Deuce
3.Got To Choose
4.Modern Day Delilah
5.Hotter Than Hell
6.I Stole Your Love
7.C'mon And Love Me
8.Parasite
9.She
10.Watchin' You
11.100,000 Years
12.I Love It Loud
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
18.Love Gun
19.Detroit Rock City


Review: to follow

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist *unconfirmed ... order may be incorrect

1.Deuce
2.Strutter
3.Got To Choose
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Nothin' To Lose
6.C'mon And Love Me
7.Parasite
8.She
9.Watchin' You
10.100,000 Years
11.Cold Gin
12.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.I Love It Loud
18.Modern Day Delilah
19.Love Gun
20.Detroit Rock City

Review: London Free Press
by James Reaney

Fans still loving KISS

CONCERT: The veteran rockers, who first played London way back in 1974, were back and in fine form again last night


Sweet 35 and still being KISSED like the first time.

Downtown London time-warped back to the 1970s last night when KISS headlined at a sold-out John Labatt Centre.

With 8,682 fans, many of them wearing the facepaint of their heroes jamming the downtown London arena, there was a whole lot of rock and roll all night.

KISS veterans Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are still around from the band that rocked London again and again -- 1974 being the first time when the band was young and visited twice.

The band and the fans knew what to do when it was time for Rock and Roll All Nite, as the spectacular finale to the main set. Spectacular as in Simmons and lead guitarist Tommy Thayer being lofted on huge platforms with stage smoke billowing from them like jet exhaust.

Spectacular as in the fans singing and shouting along because they love the band, the song and what KISS means to them after all these years.

KISSIN' hot it was "last nite" with a multi-song encore still to come. Stanley smacked around his guitar to prompt the pyro blasts. He then allowed the crowd to egg him into smashing the guitar.

Earlier, Thayer had managed to shoot some of the lights out with a long, long, long guitar extravaganza that saw fireworks from his instrument apparently bringing some of the lights crashing to the stage. Does anyone know if he does that every night -- or was it a downtown London special light show?

KISS had promised a lot of action on its KISS Alive 35 tour. Last night, it delivered to fans of all ages, some of them no doubt the little KISS fan grandkids of the original worshippers.

"If you want us to remember you, you better get a little louder," Stanley teased mid-set, mentioning KISS still had to play Toronto and Montreal.

Loud? Louder? Loudest? No Free Press review of KISS in the Forest City has ever failed to mention the volume. Let this review be no exception. Let it be recorded that the cheering which greeted such main set items as Deuce (the opener), Nothin' to Lose, C'mon and Love Me, Watchin' You and 100,000 Years was truly a joyful noise.

Touring in full makeup and KISS regalia alongside the fire-breathing Simmons and the talkative Stanley are Thayer, the lead guitarist, and Eric Singer, the drummer.

Thayer has stepped in for guitarist Ace Frehley, while Singer has the drum role played -- and sung -- by Peter Criss.

Singer was allowed to take the title of 100,000 Years literally with one of those interminable drum solos that should have died in the 1970s, but will live forever because the fans love them. In a typical KISS touch, Singer's platform pivoted so fans could see his brawny back as he thundered on into the night.

From well back in the arena the band looked like cartoon figures. One of the band's most famous props, that lizard-length tongue Simmons loves to flick, would be an eraser-sized nubbin were if not for huge screen projections. Unfortunately it was not enough for one KISS Army berserker who was ejected during the second song. Tsk. What a KISS off.

"London," yelled Stanley during the opener, Deuce, which is one of the 35-year-old gems KISS can still count on.

KISS can always count on London even if the band's first visit in years showed the wear and tear on Stanley's vocals and his stage talk.

"Here's one those gems, one of those obscure KISS songs people love," he announced at one point. "This one is a classic among classics," he mused at another. Stanley also seemed astonished one of the main set tunes had been on Dressed to Kill and Kiss Alive.

Even when he was kidding around, Stanley knew how to keep rocking.

"I get the message," he said after boos -- booing! -- greeted a nod to a Led Zep classic before he found his way to Black Diamond. That led to Rock and Roll All Nite and all was KISS-worthy once more.

The band had arrived almost 90 minutes earlier after icy smoke covered the stage with the front line -- bassist Simmons and guitarists Stanley and Thayer -- lifted up by stage machinery and accompanied by the first of many pyro blasts around the band's logo, prominent at centre stage.

It must be said the 1970s were much better in at least one respect -- opening acts.

Back in the 1970s, Rush and Cheap Trick were among the openers in London for KISS. Last night, it was L.A. creepoids Buckcherry. Kids of all ages know the KISS act takes talent. Buckcherry, begone.

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist

Deuce
Strutter
Got to Choose
Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll
Modern Day Delilah
Hotter than Hell
Nothin' to Lose
C'mon and Love Me
Parasite
She
Watchin' You
100,000 Years
Black Diamond
Rock and Roll All Nite

Encore:

Shout It Out Loud
Lick It Up
I Love It Loud
Cold Gin
Love Gun
Detroit Rock City

Review: Cleveland Plain Dealer
by John Soeder

'Kiss Alive!' and well as Rock Hall nominees revisit classic album in concert at The Q

The Kiss Army frowns upon fans who aren't loud enough. In this army, we're talking about dereliction of duty.

"If you want to be quiet, go sit in front of your television sets and watch 'Melrose Place,'" singer-guitarist Paul Stanley scolded.

"Melrose Place"? What year is this, anyway?

That was the big question Monday night at The Q in Cleveland, where Kiss took a middle-aged crowd back in time.

Rewind to 1975. Gerald Ford was in the White House, "Saturday Night Live" first went on the air and everyone's favorite makeup-wearing rock 'n' roll band from New York City scored a breakthrough with "Kiss Alive!"

The latter milestone is the focus of the Kiss Alive 35 Tour, despite the fact that the album actually came out 34 years ago. If the math was fuzzy, at least "Deuce" and "Strutter" added up to an exhilarating one-two opening punch.

Group co-founders Stanley and singer-bassist Gene Simmons were joined by Tommy Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums.

Cleveland native Singer laid down the backbeat with authoritative panache throughout the two-hour performance. He also capably handled lead vocals on "Nothin' to Lose" and the hard-driving "Black Diamond."

In reviving "Kiss Alive!," the band took liberties with the running order and omitted a couple of songs, including "Firehouse." The emphasis on the landmark album was a mixed blessing. While it reminded you of the merits of lost gems such as the punk-tinged "Parasite," it also meant that other deserving tunes ("God of Thunder" and "I Stole Your Love," for starters) from later albums went unplayed.

Ever shrewd when it comes down to business, Kiss did manage to work in "Modern Day Delilah," the stomping first single off the new "Sonic Boom" album, out Tuesday, Oct. 6.

A generous encore featured non-"Kiss Alive!" favorites, including "Lick It Up" (revamped with a nod to the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again) and "Detroit Rock City."

The momentum lagged occasionally, no thanks to one too many hyperextended codas and unnecessary which-side-of-the-arena-is-louder antics. The venue was two-thirds full, with the uppermost level curtained off.

Still, when Kiss was firing on all cylinders, there was no denying the enduring appeal of "Hotter than Hell," "C'mon and Love Me," "Rock and Roll All Nite" and other glammy anthems. The music was accompanied by the usual pyrotechnics and lots of tongue-wagging by Simmons, who also dusted off his ever-popular fire-breathing and blood-spitting routines.

Stanley and Simmons are 57 and 60, respectively, so they moved a tad more gingerly in those 7-inch leather heels. Nonetheless, they weren't too old for fearless stunts. Simmons belted out "I Love It Loud" from a platform in the rafters, while Stanley rode a zip-line over the heads of concertgoers to a rotating stage in the back of the arena, where he serenaded us with "Love Gun."

Kiss has been nominated for induction next year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although the group made no mention of the honor. Minor setbacks aside, this extravagant nostalgia trip was a reminder of the band's worthiness.

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009


Setlist

1.Deuce
2.Strutter
3.Got To Choose
4.Hotter Than Hell
5.Nothin' To Lose
6.C'mon And Love Me
7.Parasite
8.She
9.Watchin' You
10.100,000 Years
11.Cold Gin
12.Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
13.Black Diamond
14.Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:>/b>

15.Shout It Out Loud
16.Lick It Up
17.I Love It Loud
18.Modern Day Delilah
19.Love Gun
20.Detroit Rock City


Review: WJRT
by James R. Chesna

Kiss plant final smooch on Detroit's Cobo Hall

Clown Princes of Rock Kiss took a shot at traveling back in time Friday and Saturday night in Detroit, and for the most part, legendary co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons -- receiving marching orders from the loyal ranks of faithful fans enlisted in the Kiss Army -- enjoyed a successful tour of duty.

The iconic grease-painted and platform-shoed 1970s glam rockers were in Motown this weekend to celebrate a very special anniversary, and couldn't think of better followers to invite to the festivities than some of the folks who made the band's storied career possible way back in 1975 when the Demon, Starchild, Cat and Spaceman recorded their landmark multi-platinum best-seller "Alive!"

Using as a backdrop the Motor City's Cobo Hall -- the hallowed venue that started it all, now facing an uncertain future -- the band kicked off its 2009 "Alive!/35" tour in typical bombastic fashion, albeit while relying on a suffocating and predictable script and stingy choreography.

Leaning heavily on the paper-thin gimmick of performing in-concert an entire album -- and in this case, a live album, no less -- Kiss at least had history going for them in shaking loose Cobo's dust and cobwebs. And it certainly didn't hurt that this truly felt like an event for the ages, possibly the beginning of what could be one of the band's final treks

Tom Ingalls of Commerce Township, a 52 year old who got his mitts on a set of tickets Friday, was part of the throng who bore witness at Cobo when "Alive!" was chronicled for all time.
"Coming here I knew it would take me back a long way, just for the entertainment of it all," he said. "I always say, if you don't see these bands right now, who knows if you'll ever see 'em again?"

Detroit's beaten and battered economy didn't hold back turnout, as Friday's show was sold out and Saturday's stretched the arena's capacity just as efficiently. And the band embraced its mantra of being entertainers first and worrying about serious musical chops at some date yet to be determined.

The show was fun. And to a Kiss fan, that's all that matters.

Los Angeles sleaze rockers Buckcherry served to get the crowd revved up, sauntering through ode-to-cocaine "Lit Up" and a smoking cover of Deep Purple's "Highway Star." The band earned a few additional screams in the affirmative from half-naked women down low when it tore into a few bars of Billy Squier's "The Stroke" during "Crazy B****."
But there was no question who concert-goers came out to see.

Faces on the floor and in the multiple tiers -- some smeared with the mug of their favorite Kiss character -- ranged in age from grizzled and gray-haired veteran soldiers to mid-lifers sporting enlarged midsections. Some parents brought their awestruck and innocent young to their very first rock show.

Enormous Kiss Army banners draped the hall's walls stage left and right, and were complimented by giant closed-circuit monitors that put the group's thick, trademark makeup and black, Spandex-and-chrome-studded costumes smack-dab in front of fans' Cheshire grins.

The lights blanked out just before 9 p.m. and the big screens provided a glimpse of the classic rockers as they progressed from the bowels of the arena to the backstage curtains. The familiar booming bass rumble of the group's intro -- which caused the floor and walls to vibrate as if an airliner had touched down on Cobo's roof -- heralded the band's arrival onstage.
"You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the world, Kiss!" came the rallying bellow, and fans collectively sprung to their feet and the rock 'n' roll pawty exploded to life -- literally, courtesy of copious amounts of face-melting pyro, thunderclap flash pots and pops of fireworks and confetti. read more

Click Here for Kiss Tickets 2009

Setlist

DEUCE
STRUTTER
GOT TO CHOOSE
HOTTER THAN HELL
NOTHIN' TO LOSE
C'MON AND LOVE ME
PARASITE
SHE
WATCHIN' YOU
100,000 YEARS
BLACK DIAMOND
ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE

SHOUT IT OUT LOUD
LICK IT UP
I LOVE IT LOUD
MODEN DAY DELILAH
LOVE GUN
DETROIT ROCK CITY

Review: Detroit Free Press
by Ben Schmitt

Kiss kicks off tour, rocks Cobo Arena in Detroit

There was fire.

There was an explosion or two, followed by flashing red sirens.

And we're not talking about a Detroit freeway. We're talking about Kiss' return to Cobo Arena on Friday night.

Kiss renewed its love affair with Detroit Rock City by kicking off its North American tour with the first of two shows at the venue where most of its history-making "Alive!" album was recorded in 1975.

The face-painting, tongue-wagging, fire-spewing hard rockers were led by founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, who gave a loving welcome to the crowd along with late-era additions Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums.

As the skies darkened, fans crammed inside Cobo, screaming, high-fiving and spilling beer. They tried to guess the first song.

The lights went out at 8:50 p.m. Large video screens showed the band walking down the hall and onto the stage.

They opened with "Deuce" and went right into "Strutter."

"Cobo Hall!" Stanley said during a breather, paying homage to the venue that's slated to be shuttered some time next year. "Man, let me tell you something. For us, this is the holy land. This is where it all started."

This was religion for a crowd of jovial rockers who wore Kiss makeup, spiky shoulder pads and shiny platform boots. Some dashed around in makeshift Kiss armor, tights and capes, emulating their icons from the '70s.

For Gary Mannone, 44, of Grosse Pointe Woods, the show would mark the 28th time he'd seen Kiss - each time in Michigan.

"This is legendary," Mannone said. "Cobo is legendary. This is history in the making."

Simmons was up to his fire-spitting tricks by the fourth song, "Hotter Than Hell." The sold-out crowd stayed on their feet, bobbing their head through "Nothin' to Lose."

Stanley asked: "Is it good?"

"Yeaaaaah!" the throng answered.

You have to go to extratv.com and sign up to get a chance to be a roadie for Kiss