From: Glenn Sherman

KISS brought the Psycho Circus to Hartford, Connecticut on November 25, 1998, and to be honest, the lowlights outweighed the highlights. I've seen KISS 16 times, and this show adds to the legacy, but it does not enhance it.

On a positive note, the sound and video quality were excellent. This was one of the first KISS shows that I could actually hear Gene's bass. The vocals were crisp, and Ace's guitar tone was great. Paul's flying excursion to the back of the auditorium during Love Gun was a definite crowd pleaser. Peter's drum solo was very much improved since the reunion tour.

On the negative side, the 3D effect was pure cheese and was more of a distraction than an enhancement. How many times can a guitar neck coming out of a video screen be interesting? The set list was as predictable as it could possibly be. It was pretty much the same as the rest of tour except for the omission of Makin' Love, which I thought had been a great live tune when I saw the band in Boston. Do You Love Me should definitely be put to rest. There was absolutely no energy put forth by the band. Except for the choreographed moves, such as during Deuce, the band just stood there! There were no risers at the end of Black Diamond which lessened the song's impact. The stage wasn't as extravagant as the reunion tour's; the effects weren't as spectacular; the flames weren't as large; and the explosions weren't as loud or as often. The fire breathing and blood spitting occurred as expected at the same points in the show as the previous tour. During the 70's, KISS tours changed and evolved. Risers were used on the Love Gun and Alive II tours. They were then replaced on the Dynasty tour by Gene flying. This tour really hasn't built on anything that was presented in the reunion tour. It was just a repeat with less impact.

In Hartford, there were many empty seats, and the crowd was unenthusiastic. It almost appeared that KISS was going through the motions to make a buck. This was reinforced in a recent Peter Criss interview. Peter stated that he might hang it up after this tour. Since he just bought a new house and recently got married, he said that he pretty much accomplished what he set out to do.

If you are a dedicated KISS fan like myself, then you should probably see this show. If you aren't sure about the band, then stay home. The Psycho Circus concert will not turn the doubters into believers.

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