From: Shawn Speck
One word would describe the show at Fargo. PERFECT!!! This is my 3rd time seeing KISS (1990 and 1997) and this was the best overall. I missed Skid Row and most of Ted Nugnet (what I did see was good) but came to see KISS so no big deal. The crowd of 10,000 was ready to rock and did we get a show!! The set list was the same as what has been played the past month and sound quailty was very good despite the fact that we were in a dome. Here are some highlights of the show....

Opening with DRC was VERY cool!!! The stage colors were awesome and KISS dropping down from the ceiling is a great way to open the show. The stage was huge and the main tv screen behind Peter and two smaller screens to the sides of the stage were great to watch the band. An early show highlight was Do You Love Me?. The video that played along with the band is EXCELLENT!!!! It was hard not to get misty eyed while watching it, lots of neat memories. The crowd went nuts at the end of the song when the video was replaced with the words "WE LOVE YOU". Another highlight was the flames during HEAVENS ON FIRE. They were HOT!!!! Paul made the comment about how they were going to dry out the dome that nite ( it had 8 feet of water in it 2 weeks before during a flood in Fargo). 2,000 man was also great. The video that played along was neat, kind of a video game type story showing KISS fighting aliens. Ace then went into his solo. Very good. His guitar was really smoking. God of Thunder started off with Gene's solo and blood drooling. LOTS OF IT!!!!! Both before and after flying up, Gene had the look of crazy demon on his face. He was really getting into it!!!! Before flying out into the crowd for Love Gun, Paul had said that he had spent some time in Fargo about 10 years ago, just hanging out, traveling across the midwest. He said that he loved how honest people in Fargo were and then flew out to the stage in the crowd. Everybody went nuts. Paul then flew back and played a short solo piece of I Still Love You. Lighters were everwhere and then they went into Black Diamond. At the end of the song, Peter's drum riser went WAY up and the song ended. Now time for the encore. Peter came out and sang Beth. Once again GREAT. He thanked the crowd at the end for a great 27 years. Then all the guys came out to take a bow. They were all playing around and Gene started chasing Ace to the back of the amps and cornered him!! Really funny!! Ace just about fell down trying to get away!!! Paul then got on the mike and thanked everyone and reminded the crowd that they are the bosses. If you are not being treated with respect from a band, don't listen to them. They then tried to launch into Rock and Roll All Nite but Peter was not up to his drums yet!! He finally got up there and tried to say something but his mike was not on. He started laughing and then launched into the song. Lots of confetti!! I have never seen so much!!!! It was shooting out during the entire song. Once again Peter's drum riser went up and Gene and Ace also went up on risers. Paul smashed his guitar after 5 attempts and then told the crowd to never forget them because KISS will never will.

To review some things: Paul was awesome. His voice was excellent and is the ultimate frontman. Gene was less mobile but his voice was much better than other times I have heard him live. He always had a shit-eating grin on his face and really seemed to be having fun. Ace was Ace. Sang great, played great, really was interacting with the crowd. Both Ace and Paul can really throw them guitar picks. Peter also played a great show. You can tell that his arms are not 100% but his vocals were dead-on and he played solid. Peter gets my respect just for being up there everynite-it must hurt like hell. It was a great show and if you want to see the show to end all shows, you need to go. I went with a friend who had never seen them before ( and he has seen 100's of shows) and he said that after witnessing KISS live, he will never go to another concert. Everything else is less. I guess I feel the same way. As we were leaving, I saw a lot of people with stunned looks on their faces, people singing KISS songs together, kids chanting "KISS rules-alternative sucks"; it was a very strange thing to witness. In closing, thank you KISS for showing how a band should treat their fans. I hate to thing how boring music would be if you guys had not gotten together. You will live on forever!!!!

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