From: E.M.
Great show in Ottawa! Ace was totally sloshed -- the happy drunk. Paul was Mr. Poser -- non-stop. (What do you mean you can't hear the rhythm guitar? Good thing they had someone playing guitar behind the stage...) Peter is old and weak and it shows. He could not have played those drums any more gently. Gene... what a champion! Remarkable performance. Rock solid, his voice was thunderous. His presence, commanding. It was truly a great sight to see: all of the boys were "on" this special night. I genuinely felt that they were completely laying it on the line. Not one ounce of complacency in these ol' farts! There is no doubt that the musicianship level is not exactly comparable to other bands but, as all real KISS fans understand, that is beside the point. What has always mattered is the energy, the electricity and the excitement (not to mention that the boys learned early on that you don't play your instrument with your mind but with your dick!) Although the Corel Centre crowd was ready and pumped, KISS had to work hard to maintain the momentum. This gig was no gimme for the Masked Four and what I found most admirable was their resolve to go all out, all night. As you can tell, I do not adhere to the blind admiration that other KISS fans may posess. In my books, a KISS show (or record, for that matter) is quite capable of sucking on a grand scale. A KISS show for me is an event,(not unlike wrestling, actually). I expect to be transported back to a time when a spectacle mattered and showmanship was not dependent on the mood of the players. I do not look at Peter, Paul, Ace and Gene as "musicians" but rather as "performers" who happen to play instruments. That is why I'm not disappointed when, as was the case on occasion during the show, the sound lacks any kind of definition between the instruments or that Paul sings flat on most of the songs or that Peter continually struggles to "hang on" to the most basic or rhythms. What matters are the songs and the joy that they bring to the band and fans. The set list, same as listed in all the other reviews, was solid and well-paced. It became clear to me that the Ottawa fans were veteran KISS fans when Paul reminded us that this was a farewell show and tour. The audience reaction was simply one of acceptance: "thanks for all the years of solid entertainment but you're right to be bowing out at this time-- the time is right" is what they seemed to be telling the band.

Looking forward...A Broadway production of the KISS story is a logical next step --especially now that the're already charging Broadway show prices! I'm glad to say that the $100 I spent for this "final" Kiss-off was well worth it. KISS retire champions. Rightfully so.

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