From: Steve W
Being at the Allstate Arena to see KISS perform for the 12th time was thrilling enough, but seeing Ted Nugent first really added to the event. I have never been a big fan of Skid Row, but must admit they were really great on stage. Uncle Ted was as alive as he was the last time I saw him, which was in the late 70's. And he can rock, there is no doubt about it.

Then it was on to KISS. The first time I saw them was at the old International Ampitheatre in Chicago in 1975. I was hooked, and have stayed hooked ever since. On this night, I was joined by my wife, my 21 y/o son (7th KISS concert), my 18 y/o son (6th KISS concert) and my 14 y/o daughter (5th KISS concert). In addition, my 18 year old brought along two girlfriends (what a stud!), neither of whom had ever been KISSED.

From the moment the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" came on, I was having chills. At 41 years old, a guy shouldn't get so worked up over a rock band, but this was a part of my life since the wild teenaged years, so it couldn't be helped. When the lights went out and the humming of the amps started, I admit to getting teary eyed right away, realizing this was the last time to take in any of this.

DRC cooked from the opening. The guys seemed tight from the moment the platform lowered them down. While the moves are still the same choreographed ones we've seen over and over, it is still a joy to watch. Having read all of the reviews, I pretty much knew what the lineup would be, but I was surprised at how badly Gene botched the beginning of Deuce, missing the entire first stanza. Plus, he looked around at the others as if to say "it's gotta be your fault". He looked totally bewildered, but recovered quickly enough to catch the second line. Paul went over and said something to him, and he looked really pissed. It was clearly his fault, as all the others were on cue. But being the master performer he is, he recovered so professionally, it was soon forgotten.

I watched the big screen alot, and noticed one thing consistently...Peter Criss was grinning from ear to ear all night. This guy looked like he was truely having the time of his life. I have always been a Peter Criss fan, and it was great to see him enjoying himself. Ace was probably the best I have ever seen him. Reading the reviews, I was prepared to see him under the influence of "something", but he seemed perfectly straight. His licks were clean and crisp, he moved around as gracefully as ever (sans once when he slipped while walking on the speaker cases), and the closeups also showed him smilling all night.

All in all, the show was great. Not the best I have seen of them, but something to remember forever. Emotionally, it reduced the old man to tears when "Beth" came on, and holding my 14 y/o daughters hand while we both sang along. And for RARAN I made it a point to stand in the middle of my kids while we saw them perform the final song. Throughout the challenging teenage years, KISS was always somewhat of a bond, and standing together with my kids for the final song was the best ending in the world. I love the band, the music, the shows, but on this night, the thing I loved the most was being with my kids for the ending of it all.

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