From: Jim Herrera
Greetings Fellow Fans, I have been a member of tyhe KISS army for the last 22 years and have always enjoyed the very magic and essence of their music and talent unfortunately, I never had the chance to see the band during my childhood. I missed the reunion tour due to terrible reasons!!! I am currently studying sculpture at New Mexico State University and little did I know my luck would change. I did everything I could to make sure I would not miss my golden opportunity. My school did a very shitty job promoting the show but the KISS army did not disappoint me at all. The PAN AM CENTER in Las Cruces was jam packed and ready to rock with the HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD, KISS! The venuie sold an estimated 9,500 tickets (the hall only holds 10,000 seats. KISS is the only band to date to have fans as young as 5 to 50yrs old attend the farewell tour. The venue had t-shirt and program sales people both iside and outside. I wasn't quite impressed with the unprofessional way the sales were being conducted but I don't blame both KISS' management or the fans. It's all business.

The opening act was not impressive in any way. I have never seen such a flat and lifeless musical performance in years. I have to keep in mind that SKID ROW is no longer fronted by SABASTIAN BACH. I last saw SKID ROW at this same venue during AEROSMITH'S PUMP tour in APRIL 1990. Oddly enough SKID ROW seemed more energetic and did a better show than AEROSMITH did that night. A terrible performance that would come to resemble SKID ROW's 2000 attempt.

SKID ROW'S frontman seemed less excited about singing the songs and only interested in pushing back his long hair everynow and then. There was nothing to the performance on any level. It was no suprise that the hall at this point was less than half empty! The people sitting next to me kept asking what the hell ever happened to SABASTIAN BACH? or who the hell are these guys? wait, they sound like POISON? After a solid hour of performing old songs and empty meories the band packed up went backstage only to draw a couple of whistles from a few fans. After a few minutes (15 min)TED NUGENT hit the stage like a wild bat outta hell! The NUGSTER mustered all he could take with his wild stage antics and explosive performance. By the third song the hall started to fill in as people sang and cheered through my isle.

The NUGSTER and his animalistic band took charge in a magical performance that must have reduced SKID ROW to a vast and microscopic memory. The only mistake that pissed off the crowd was TED NUGENT racist remark about people who couldn't speak ENGLISH. The will probably be the last time we'll see the NUGSTER and his band in my school. It was a horrible remark since more than half the of the KISS ARMY is both bilingual and HISPANIC. Yes, the farewell tour drew a huge number of people from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico!!!! The record breaking attendence included people from EL PASO, TEXAS (bilingual community),Las Cruces (bilingual community), Albuquerque, NM (bilingual community), and many other parts of the VAST bilingual tri state community. I don't think TED NUGENT knows that there many rock bands in Mexico who have stated KISS as a major influence. NOTE: KISS' magical reunion performance sold out more than two shows in Mexico city. The important thing here being that MEXICO loves KISS and that is a FACT! It was pretty stupid for TED NUGENT to open his big mouth and piss off a bunch people out of sheer ignorance. Well, I guess you can't have idiot music without the idiot?

After the explosive performance by the NUGSTER the crowd bid him farewell...and never again! But that did NOT put a damper on the show since the reason we went there hadn't hit the stage yet. The band that made all the other bands pale in comparison, KISS. The band the lived and won the battle over public credibilty and harsh criticism, KISS. The band that taught and set the standards for the latest show monsters without even trying, KISS. As the NUGSTER'S set came down a huge black curtain went up with the famous logo that read KISS in silver letters. The crowd went mad as they screamed and applauded as they chanted the band's name, KISS, KISS, KISS!

At exactly 9:15pm the band hit the stage like a tidal wave. Descending from a round platform from their huge light rigs, GENE SIMMONS, PAUL STANLEY, AND ACE FREHLEY came down to assume their magical positions and please the masses that had waited for almost 4 years since the reunion tour in 1996. The band sported their legendary 1976 DESTROYER outfits with some new alterations. The band broke into Detroit Rock City as the fans screamed, whistled, and sang in unison with Paul Stanley. The show resembled that of the reunion tour as documented in the band's video 1998 documentary. Paul Stanley flew across the sea of fans to sing LOVE GUN after he positioned himself close to the sound booth people. This crazy move drove those closest to the starchild nuts as they tried to touch his legendary silver boots! As the show gained more and more volume in both sond and passion the crowds screamed and screamed to the point where some people took small breaks to just sit back or cry in knowing that this would be the last time. Some fans just wanted to observe and enjoy this magical moment in time, in history, in KISStory. A few people around us did cry as they sang to some of the songs. It was wonderful to see KISS alive and well after so many years and without a sign in loosing a bit of energy and love for their fans. The show did have a few things that set it aprt from most KISS shows: 1.) Peter's drum riser did NOT go up! 2.)Pete did not have a drum solo at all and I think that was due to that fact the he had surgery and has had problem with his hands. 3.) The bad was NOT announced (which in a sense took everyone by suprise!) Where was the legendary announcer at this show??? 4.) the boys did a really hot performance of I WAS MADE FOR LOVING YOU shortly after announcing that they weren't sure how this unrehersed number would turn out? Well, it kicked ass because it made all the ladies dance from isle to isle. Pete's BETH performance I must say was a show stopper! He handed the ladies some blue roses and just hearing his soulful voice one last time made me remember why we all liked KISS in the first place, variety! The magic behing KISS' appeal was quite evident in this final show.

After 22 years of listening Paul summed up the meaning of what KISS was all about, ENJOYING LIFE! Paul addressed the audience about having fun and the fact the there wasn't and NEVER was a hidden agenda. As the show drew to a close the band joined the crowd in both huge confetti tidal wave and ever KISS army anthem, ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE. And that is exactly what the multitude of fans did both young and old as they screamed and pumped their fists in the air. Many fans reached out only to collect the pounds and chunks of confetti showering over the hall. I joined them as we put the confetti into our stuffed pockets as the last momentos that WE were there! Yes, may people commented on the madness and the fact that their chunks were going straight to their KISS collection or suitable for framming. Which is excactly what I did with both my ticket stubs and confetti.

As the show ended the band bid their final farewell and left the stage in what will always be the biggest and most enjoyable moment in our rock and roll lives. Many bands come through this small southwest city and get recycled one after the other and give some people a moment of fun. KISS gave us 27 years of fun, ups and downs, and legendary song anthems, great musicians, crazy fashions, bad videos, bad and good times, destroyed the competition, and pissed off may people. KISS became part of an all American growing pop culture and that wasn't easy to achieve by any means. Only a select few ever manage to survive the craziness of the rock world. KISS is and will always be a staple of what America should be about, the freedom to express yourself and the freedom to educate the masses about learning on how to have one.

KISS proved that on March 14, 2000 in a littel town named Las Cruces, New Mexico. As I walked out of the hall with my make up running and in great disbelief about finally seeing KISS my first and last time I stopped and read the slogan on a shirt. It read KISS SOME LEGENDS NEVER DIE.

If I could sum up what this band has meant to me and how it all drew to close 22 years later I would say that those would be the words that would best discribe my love and respect for GENE SIMMONS, PAUL STANLEY, ACE FREHLEY, PETER CRISS, BRUCE KULICK, ERIC CARR, AND REIC SINGER. Long live KISS and the KISS army. It has been and will continue to be a beautiful journey.

THANK YOU KISS
THANK YOU KISS ASYLUM FOREVER

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