Gus Griesinger | Backstageaxxess.com

Gene Simmons has got his hands in everything from restaurants to record companies to now having a stake in a new partnership with John & Paul Janik of Rock Steady Sodas. The brothers company which is located in Niagara Falls, NY has partnered with Simmons to launch MoneyBag Sodas.  What a better way to get the word out than to have Simmons make an appearance (September 13) at the 7-Eleven on Hyde Park Boulevard in the Falls to promote the new line of sodas.  Simmons may have a lot of bravado, but when it comes to his fans and veterans, there a few (if any) who are better to show their sincere appreciation for both of them. Simmons and MoneyBag Soda teamed up with Veterans One Stop Center of WNY (WNY Veterans); for every person that came in and made a $20.00 donation,  they were given a 4 pack of MoneyBag Soda which Simmons autographed and posed for a photo with them. It was a great gesture by Simmons to not only get up close and personal with his fans, but to raise money for a cause that means so much to him; raising funds for veterans. The event ran beautifully. The Janik’s along with the staff at 7- Eleven put on an amazing event that about 400 people enjoyed. Everyone walked away with smiles on their faces and it was hard to tell who was having more fun, the fans or Simmons himself?

After the meet and greet was finished, BackstageAxxess were lucky enough to grab a short interview with the KISS legend. We of course focused the interview on both the MoneyBag Sodas along with his new book “27-The Legend and Mythology of the 27 Club,” which will be his first publication in a new series called “Simmons Books.” We also talked about his current solo band (Gene Simmons Band) which are getting rave reviews everywhere they play.  Lastly, we touched upon the news that KISS will be announcing a final tour that is slated for early next year. Let’s see what the Demon has to say…