From: Anthony Childress
The old adage about that third time being the charm is absolutely true, and I have the KISS to prove it! Friday evening, June 30, the first family of rock and roll brought an overflow crowd at Raleigh's Alltel Pavilion to its feet from the opening verse of "Detroit Rock City" and simply did not let up (or let anybody down) through the last chord of "Rock and Roll All Nite." It was, the quintessential KISS show and those who were fortunate enough to be on hand certainly got their kicks and a night full of memories.

Having seen the guys nine times (including tonight), each show is memorable and seems to have a special meaning. But this one stood out, mainly because it marked the first time I had ever seen them outdoors. You know, with the elements and that smell of fresh air, sprinkled with some hard liquor aroma and "other" substances. Hey, most of the folks in attendance are veterans of the 1970s, so give them a break! As for the show, I actually missed Skid Row (though I did catch them in Little Rock on April 5 and Memphis on April 25). However, I strolled up to my awesome seat (dead center, first set of rows) for a good portion of Ted Nugent's performance/sermon in far-right extremist political rantings.

I have always despised musicians who feel the need to spew out some political views on issues they typically do not know anything about, Pearl Jam being the best example that comes to mind. That is, until Mr. Nugent starts slashing at "foreigners" and gun control advocates, not to mention leaders he disagrees with, and the homosexual community. The Motor City Mad Mouth needs to hang up his guitar and take up this level of hatred on an entirely different plain - the white trash talk show circuit. He could host any of those shows because he portrays all the WRONG things about this nation we ALL live in. To tell people whose beliefs are not the same as his to get out of America is just wrong, any way you slice it. I certainly defend his right to free speech, but a concert is not the place to do it. That is one of the main reasons I have always loved KISS. They are concerned with trying to force-feed their opinions down our throats. They just want us to have fun.

So I say to Ted, scoot on out of the way. Your brand of bashing went out of style with the former Confederacy. Being a native Southerner myself, I think it is time to take such statements and throw them away. But enough about that . . .

Once the REAL reason most of us came to the show appeared, the magic was there and it mattered not what had just transpired. KISS took their energy level to new heights, feeding off the hysterical crowd, which included me. It is always amazing to turn around and see all the 30-something people (like me) who are once again living out their childhoods. We all share a common bond that flows through Ace, Paul, Gene and Peter. When they get up on that stage, something incredible happens and we as fans get the privilege to experience with the guys. One of the things I really enjoyed about the outdoor setting is that the stage appeared to be a bit bigger. It allowed the three front men to move around more and interact with fans more than usual. Raleigh is to be commended for having such a great, classy facility.

All the signature things happened - from Ace's guitar smoking and firing rockets to Gene spitting blood and flying up above the stage to Paul cruising out to the sound board during "Love Gun" and Peter pounding the skins during "100,000 Years." Every song has special meaning, but on this night I really thought "Deuce" and "Black Diamond" stood out as crowd pleasers. These guys still have it, after 27 years. Knowing that KISS will soon be ending the greatest show on stage is a bit disheartening, but hey, we all have some terrific memories that last the rest of our lives. Raleigh will rank as one of the best for me. St. Louis is next in August. Cannot wait. The long KISS goodnight continues . . .

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