From: Mike Campion
Well.........after 101 KLOL reported that some Animal Rights Activist called in a BOMB threat and the show was cancelled, I knew that my review of the show would be short and sweet! ............APRIL FOOLS!!!!!!

Traffic was awful from Houston to the WOODLANDS, Tx! The show was SOLD OUT and had been surrounded by so much hype, that you could feel the electricity in the air as we got closer to the arena! I am the GENE SIMMONS in the KISS TRIBUTE BAND, THE BAND NOT FORMERLY KNOWN AS KISS, and we played the night before (March 31st) so I was not in make-up! However, almost every other car I passed on the freeway had someone with greasepaint on.

Skid Row started early (tickets said 7pm, they started at 645pm!) so I only got to hear the end of I Remember You and the most of Youth Gone Wild. Did not sound bad.....but was not the same without Sebastian Bach, oh well!!!!! Crowd seemed to have enjoyed them. I looked at the stuff for sale and realized that my credit card company was going to be very happy! I ran into so many people from local rock bands and also former members of THE BAND NOT FORMERLY KNOWN AS KISS (Hi Chuck and Paul!). Our former Paul was decked in KISS make-up and said the SKIDS were awesome. The Pavillion was already packed and people were still pouring in.

Ted Nugent took the stage and seemed to be a big crowd please (not for me!). It also seemed that he read some of the newpaper reviews of his show and he seemed to not be too fond of the media (Isn't he considered media also?!?!?). He did the normal "TED" stuff (ie- bow and arrow, talkin' smack, etc). He also made a comment about it being so HUMID and HOT that maybe some of the "fat people will sweat some of it off!" I wonder if GENE took offense to that?!?! JUST KIDDING! Ted finished the set and the energy rose even more!

Before I get into KISS......I still am upset that they did not get bands that are promoting HARD rock and a new product, like BUCKCHERRY and UNION to open the show....it only makes sense..!!

"Won't Get Fooled Again" came on the system and on cue....the KISS curtain fell into place. From where I was sitting, I could see Gene and Paul take to the "lowering stage" and it raised. The arena WAS PACKED! LOUD!!!! OH MAN!!!!! Just like every other night, the curtain dropped and there they were.....reminiscent of ANIMALIZE except coming DOWN! The screams got deafening and off they went into DRC. Next was Deuce and so on and so on! They all seemed to be in GREAT MOODS! Gene was his usual self.....too concerned with stage monitors and hearing his own vocal. Ace was (I THINK) in tip top form. He hit it all and was smiling and enjoying it. Every time the lights would hit the audience and you could see the capacity crowd....ACE WOULD LOOK OUT and stare. Peter smiled and was having fun! Paul was PAUL! Let Me Go Rock N Roll stood out the most for me, it was FRESH! they enjoyed playing it. TRUST me....being the GENE in the KISS tribute band, I know how sick you get of singing the same songs over and over......and I have done it less than 1% of the numbers of times, GENE really has, so maybe that is why there was some more life in that song.

All the 'special effects" worked great! The crowd went nuts on GENE flying, Paul flying and Peter raising up! All in all.....it was a great show.....A GREAT FINAL SHOW.....I bought my three kids KISS shirts (Hi Rush, Alex and Darby!) Darby thinks I am the real GENE ! hahaha

Of everything that happened this coolest thing I saw was when I was coming back to my set after getting the shirts during LICK IT UP! I walked thru the crowd and spotted someone with a KISS "CREW" SHIRT on. He had the passes and everything and he was walking around giving KISS PICKS to every child he saw. He just happened to start walking towards my seat up front and as we got closer....SURE enough.....he would spot a child and lean over several aisles to hand the youth a pick. I must have seen him hand out 12-15 picks and EVERY TIME.....the KIDS would not know what he was doing immediately and than realize it and the children and the parents start freaking out. He was giving it to the kids in the upper area of the arena, not the floor. When I got to my seats, sure enough...he spotted the child sitting in front of me and walked to hand the child one. Once again, the child was scared but the FATHER started jumping up and down and the CHILD....patted the father on the back and seemed to be very happy that he saw his DADDY having a good time....ALMOST BROUGHT a tear to my eye (wiping away a small tear!) It was great to witness something like that.......and it proves that KISS and there crew RESPECT there crowd and care about them.

The show was great......the mood was perfect....and again, seeing the father and son having fun in front of me and seeing the look on the sons' face when the father sang KISS songs out loud......it is one of those things that is very emotional. KISS, once again, made a connection and made some people come together closer and gave memories for that father and son, that will live on forever!

Therefore, KISS will live on forever!

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