From: Corey
Back in 1996 i experienced my first concert of any sort in boston ma. Kiss, the hottest band in the world absolutely blew my mind, and gave me a basis to compare all other concerts that i go to. On that hot summer night i did indeed see the hottest band in the world. On this night over four years and 13 concerts later, i did not see the same band.

I'm not going to put my favorite band on a pedistal any lower than that of which they deserve, but they're age has caught up with them, and they just don't love what they're doing anymore, well at least a couple of them don't.

As was the case in Mansfield, MA, this past june, kiss opened with detroit rock city and continued to fly through the old classics (deuce, firehouse, shout it out loud, etc) while throwing in some of the great eighties hits like lick it up and heaven's on fire. The problem was, they're wasn't any change in the setlist at all, variety and new ideas has become sort of the lost art of kiss, something that made them who they are in the mid to late 70's. Of course the flashpots and pyro is timed and scheduled to go off at an exact point during the show, but after playing two shows over 3 months ago, the set could have varied a little bit. There wasn't even a change in the order of the 20 (21 i still love you) songs that they played. And to top that off, Paul decided to recite the same exact thank you's and goodbye's that he has been using at all of the farewell shows. Dont get me wrong, i appreciate the fact that they appreciate all of the fans going to the shows for the last 27 years, but c'mon paul we're hard rock/heavy metal fans who can put up with only so much of the mushy stuff. It was extremely repetitive and predictable.....and at times annoying.

I brought three close friends to this show, promising that they'd see the best show in the world. I told them that nothing would ever compare to the visual aspects of this kiss concert. The three of them not knowing much of kiss' music at all were very hesitant and skeptical at the idea of throwing out $51.50 to see a band, that as they thought,(like most non-kiss fans) were a complete joke. The three of them loved the show for about 4 or 5 songs, then they all sat down and left me to be the only person in our section standing. I felt bad, i realized that if they knew more songs then they'd have at least a little more fun, but the show really wasn't that good. Pyro was weak and very limited (gene must be saving for retirement :) ) and Paul was just boring people.

As far as the music went, they were decent at best. Ace was much more sober than he was in june (believe me i work at the tweeter center, he was holding on to two guys when he got off the bus, A DIFFERENT BUS THAN THE REST OF THE BAND, WHICH SHOWED UP ALMOST AN HOUR LATER). Peter was himself, playing his big-band, jazz drumming style in the heavy and hard kiss. Paul was better than usual, flowing through his limited soloing and all of the rhythm sections. Gene, well he was gene, NOT much was ever said about his ability playing the bass, by himself or anyone else.

I'm extremely dissapointed that i will never again have the opportunity to see this band that i have tattooed on my back. I went from witnessing the greatest show on earth 10 times, to seeing a good show, still better than the rest, but just good the last three months. I cried in june when i thought it was the end. I cried monday night, because i wished it had been.

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