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From: PAUL STANLEY.com There are millions of people that can say they have seen KISS live. It truly is an unforgettable experience. The bombs, the fire, the blood, the pyro, and of course the makeup all deliver a show that no other band can truly provide. Seeing KISS with 25,000 other people is always a blast. You can count on running into people you haven't seen in years and revisiting old memories while creating new ones. I've seen KISS live a lot of times myself. Dating back to the Dynasty era, I've attended shows in different states all across the United States. In 1989 I watched PAUL STANLEY play some gigs at small clubs and it was unlike any KISS show I ever saw. It was stripped down, and all that was left was the music -- the reason I started loving KISS in the first place. There was an energy in these club gigs that showed Paul had something to prove. He performed KISS classics but mixed in solo tunes from his 1978 effort as well as a Led Zeppelin cover tune (Communication Breakdown) and a then-unreleased gem that would wind up on the 1990 KISS release, Hot in the Shade (Hide Your Heart). After that small tour ended there was speculation that Paul was planning a second solo effort, but it was just a rumor. Some 18 years, a slew of KISS records and a reunion tour or three later, Paul finally put out a second solo effort – Live to Win. After 18 years, I've changed a lot too, I have two kids and a second wife, and we're one happy KISS-loving family. I remember the thrill of seeing KISS live for the first time and wanted to pass that onto my kids. It was also an important evening for my wife who has seen KISS on numerous occasions, and is among the most avid of fans, but missed Paul's fist solo tour because she was a mere 14-years young. We took in the Chicago show of the Rock the Nation tour and it was awesome -- but no offense to anyone, it wasn't the same as seeing the original band. I knew that if Paul was going to tour for his solo CD, that would be the show to take my kids to. It simply doesn't get any better than seeing Paul in a small venue playing to 600-3000 people. Besides the energy level that Paul always brings to the show, he almost personalizes it for you. He talks directly to the crowd -- instead of trying to address 20,000 screaming fans, he caters to each one in attendance. You can get as close as you like to the stage, and you don't have to fight off 20,000 other people to get a guitar pick or a good seat. Of course the fact that he brings out a couple of tunes like "A Million to One" or "Magic Touch" that he's never played live certainly doesn't hurt either. I took in two shows on the tour, Chicago and Portland. On both dates, Paul was simply the man. He was a bundle of energy and just nailed each and every song, both old and new. The Chicago House of Blues show was sensational and it was filmed for a potential DVD release. It was a flawless performance and would be the perfect way to show fans that Paul is without a doubt the driving force behind the music of KISS. As great as Chicago was, Portland was even better. He ripped through song after song a mere day after having a root canal and didn't miss a beat. There were many awesome moments, including an impromptu version of "Hotter Than Hell" after a fan gave Paul a dollar to play it (he tucked it in his pocket and said "I'm keeping this, too!") and a short speech about Gene's Family Jewels show, but this night was all about Paul and his relationship with his true fans. He showed he is among the very best front men, if not the best. Touches of seriousness and comedy were all part of his stage banter and he is truly funny. Fans that heard his rap before the song "Move On" in Portland will know exactly what I mean. Another humorous moment took place when Paul chastised a few audience members for sitting down during his show - one of them being my wife, who was holding our 2-year-old son in her lap. He had fallen asleep wearing a noise-canceling headset, and while I knew she wanted to be rocking out with the rest of us, she proudly cradled him in her lap and was singing along to every song. But when Paul called the seated fans out to get on their feet, she proudly stood and held our little guy up in the air as if to say "I don't exactly want to be sitting, Paul!" Paul's expression said it all - he laughed, she was forgiven, and she again found her seat. It's that kind of person-to-person reaction that I'm sure almost everyone in the theater felt with Paul at some point during the show - the intimacy of a small venue is an experience that simply cannot be equaled. As soon as the Rock Star house band and Paul hit the stage, you knew it was going to be a great night for rock and roll. These guys can play, and it made me want more. I was thinking about what a studio album with them would sound like. I also of course know it's probably the only way to get new music from Paul, because it doesn't sound like KISS is going into the studio anytime soon. So here's to keeping Paul solo and keeping the new music coming. Paul and his band went on at 9 p.m., but the show started long before the openers Slunt left the stage. Just before the band was going to sound check, comedian Craig Gass hit the stage and did his awesome GENE SIMMONS impression. Ask him about KISS Chili if you ever see him, and don't tell Gene about it, or someday your butt might just shoot out pyro while your stomach growls "You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best...KISS Chili." During the sound check, Paul and the band performed three songs for radio station prize-winners and then did a meet and greet. He made my daughter's day for the second time in a week when he took time to sign her hat, posed for a picture and made sure that she got a guitar pick he tossed from stage while playing Live to Win. He also took a photo with my son that you can see on his website. You could just tell he likes kids and we talked a bit about his newborn son, as he is such a proud father. That's when it hit me...I felt just like I did when I saw them for the first time in 1979. Thanks Paul. |
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