From: Chuck Potocki
I've been a devoted fan of KISS since I bought the "Alive!" album late in 1975; since then, I've seen them in concert a grand total of 23 times, spanning nearly every phase of their career. Of all the KISS shows I've been to over the years, I've anticpated every one with excitement and enthusiasm, but none more so than this one; what is there NOT to love about seeing two rock legends like KISS and Ted Nugent on the same bill?? It's been a week now since the Phoenix show, and that's how long it's taken to really come down from it! My opinion of this show can be summed up in one word: AWESOME!!! The others who wrote in saying they were disappointed with this show obviously were not paying attention--KISS ROCKED!! From the first note to the last, I was in complete awe, as I nearly always have been. The pyrotechnics were slightly toned down because of the relatively low ceiling of Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion, but I was not at all disappointed by what WAS there! The opening video album-by-album "retrospective" was pretty cool, with special reference given to Eric Carr, which nearly brought me to tears. Curiously, the only album not presented was "Carnival Of Souls"; I think KISS took a wide left turn down the wrong street on that album, so I'm not totally surprised that it wasn't included. As for the music, KISS was in great form nearly the entire night; about a quarter of the way into the show, Paul's voice was raspy and on the verge of cracking when he spoke, but he somehow overcame it and like always, sang his ass off!! Ace played by far the best he's ever played, although I think his solo went on a little too long--time that could've been given to Peter for a drum solo; that's the only thing that I was slightly disappointed with. And Gene? Well, it was typical Gene, make no mistake! Sure, he did the "flying" up to the lighting rig again this time and the blood spitting, but no matter how many times I've seen him perform the fire breathing, my pulse races every time, and this time was no exception! Musically, KISS would've sounded even better if they had a better sound engineer--the mix was not too good overall: the bass was WAY too loud, the backup vocals were at times louder than the lead vocals, and Ace's solos were either too loud or for the most part, not loud enough. As for Ted Nugent, he too was awesome, and he doesn't really look a day older than when he was in his prime; the scraggly beard was gone, and the Motor City Madman looked fresh and vibrant. I personally could've done without some of Ted's political ramblings, although some of them were right on the mark, and also pretty funny: Janet Reno and Al Gore were frequent targets during the song "Kiss My Ass"!! The sound mix during Nugent's show was also bad, with his guitar cranked up WAY loud, the bass nearly non-existent, and the lead vocals muddled and buried. Despite these minor flaws, it was a great show, and I left the place smiling, having ! gotten my money's worth--KISS said goodbye as only they can, going out with a bang, literally! It's been a fun and wild ride, guys...farewell and God Bless!! :)

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