…And pot every day? KISS’ Gene Simmons discusses his involvement in Canadian cannabis company

WIMZ

KISS bassist/singer Gene Simmons recently revealed that he’s become the spokesman for Invictus MD Strategies Corporation , a Canadian company that produces cannabis products for medicinal use.  It’s also positioning itself to expand if and when recreational use of the drug is legalized in the country.

While Simmons has always abstained from using drugs and alcohol, he’s known for recognizing a good business opportunity when he sees one, and says Invictus’ financial future “looks very bright indeed.”

Regarding his involvement in the company, Simmons explains to ABC Radio, “[I]n the interest of full disclosure, I am a partner in Invictus…and they did pay me a few million dollars in cash and $10 million in stock.”

Gene, who’s taken the title of Invictus’ “chief evangelist officer,” tells ABC Radio that, despite his dislike of drugs, his views on cannabis have changed greatly in recent years.

“I was guilty as charged of being judgmental and dismissive of cannabis as a whole,” he admits. “[But] researchers every day keep coming up with information that’ll blow your mind [about its positive uses medicinally].”

As an example, Simmons notes, “[T]here are little six-year-old girls who are suffering from epilepsy and, almost miraculously, you rub a cannabis-based product on their hand, and in a very short time, if they’re not cured then clearly the epilepsy is minimized.”

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See the KISS Museum Pop-up Store along with Tribute Band Alive 75 this Saturday in PA

KISSmuseum.com

Come see the KISS Museum Pop-Up Store in Pennsylvania this Saturday, June 2, 2018 along with KISS Tribute band Alive ’75 playing a full KISS set in their new re-vamped show! The KISS Museum will have tables and tables of KISS merchandise for sale. Come on down and enjoy the show with us!

KISS Museum Store with Alive 75 KISS Tribute Band. Info is HERE 

Why Gene Simmons Took $2.5 Million to Promote Cannabis

Brian Sozzi | The Street

After years of being anti drugs, Kiss front-man Gene Simmons is now bullish on pot.

“I was judgmental, I was dismissive and a little arrogant — I was wrong [on cannabis],” Simmons told TheStreet. Simmons says he did research on cannabis and decided to change his tune. A boatload of cash probably helped Simmons’ decision-making process, too.

Simmons said he was paid $2.5 million in cash to serve as Chief Evangelist Officer for upstart cannabis growing company Invictus. He also snagged a $10 million stake of the company in the deal. Pretty smoking hot transaction for Simmons, who Forbes estimates has a net worth of $300 million.

According to Invictus CEO Dan Kriznic, the Canadian-based company is fresh off an $80 million capital raise that valued Invictus at about $200 million

“There is a ton of consolidation right now in the space, and it’s likely to continue,” Kriznic said. Kriznic added Invictus is not in any discussions for a deal at the moment.

Paul Stanley would prefer third solo album to new KISS LP

Ultimate Classic Rock

Paul Stanley said a new Kiss album had him thinking in terms of a “built-in letdown,” and that he’d rather record a third solo LP instead.

His self-titled solo debut in 1978 was followed by 2006’s Live to Win, while Kiss’s most recent full-length release was 2012’s Monster.

“It’s not impossible,” Stanley said of solo work in a new interview with SiriusXM. “That, to me, in some ways, is more interesting than another Kiss album – although I wouldn’t mind doing a few Kiss songs. But the idea of doing another album, I don’t know. It seems kind of a built-in letdown. People tell you they want a new album, but then they go, ‘That’s great. Play ‘Shout It Out Loud.’

“So could I do another album? Yeah. And if I did another album, it would be much closer to the first one. The second one was me making a concerted effort to not do what I normally do, and it certainly accomplished that. But, yeah, if there was another album, it would be a guitar-driven album.”

You can listen to the interview below.

Stanley recently reinforced his previous comments about the chances of Kiss continuing without any original members, arguingthat the band had earned the right to “evolve” beyond his tenure. “I think that Kiss is a concept, it’s an ideal,” he said. “It’s a way of performing and giving to an audience, and that goes far beyond me. I’m a big fan of mine – I think I’m really good at what I do – but it doesn’t mean there’s not somebody else out there who can bring something to the band.”

He also recently reported that Kiss were planning the “biggest tour” they’d ever done for 2019.

Rock legend Gene Simmons makes a pit stop at Rock Falls Culver’s

Sauk Valley

ROCK FALLS – Here’s a fun headline you don’t see every day: Rock star rocks it with fans in Rock Falls.

Musical legend Gene Simmons and The Gene Simmons Band made a pit stop Thursday afternoon at Culver’s, where the 68-year-old famous Kiss frontman grabbed a Reuben and a caramel custard on his way to rock ‘n’ rolling all night at a gig at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.

The boys strutted into Culver’s with Gene dressed head to toe in his signature black shirt, black leather coat, blue jeans and sunglasses.

“Our crew immediately recognized him, and we sort of had to do a double take,” said general manager Ashlee Alber, 30, of Sterling, who took his order.

“He wanted to try our custard because he has never had it before.”

Simmons, known for his geniality with his fans, posed for photos with the Culver’s crew and customers before taking off.

“He was really friendly and a very nice guy,” Alber said.

Paul Stanley reveals plans for ‘major’ tour to start next year

CNBC

KISS frontman Paul Stanley rocks art tour at NJ gallery from CNBC.

Kiss frontman Paul Stanley announced on CNBC on Friday that the iconic rock band is putting together a new tour for 2019.

“A major Kiss tour, I would say, starts at the end of January. It hasn’t been announced yet,” he said in a “Squawk Box” interview.

“So, don’t tell anybody,” he joked. “Breaking news.”

“This will be the biggest tour we’ve done, the biggest show we’ve done,” he added, but didn’t give any other details.

Kiss currently has a few dates on its 2018 schedule, all in July in Spain and Portugal.

Stanley alluded to a new tour on ABC Radio on the red carpet for the ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles on Monday.

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