From: Dwayne Baron
Good. I saw KISS for the 18th time on Tuesday. I didn't get around to writing a review of the show until now (it's Saturday). Another great show. A great, great show. If I sound like John Cleese in "Scott of the Antarctic", well, good. Great. Bloody great. If Paul shook his ass all night, which he did, well, good. I hope every woman at the show loved it. He's not shaking his ass for the guys. He's playing loud KISS guitar for the guys. And the women. Actually, everything he does is at least partially for the women. That's what this guy Paul's all about. His voice sounded great. His voice is downright powerful. Ace, Peter, and Gene's voices sounded good, too, but there's something about Paul letting rip that fills an arena. He said during the show that he once had a job pumping gas. I don't know if that had anything to do with Aerosmith's latest album art, but he said that he needed money for a guitar, and after 27 years of KISS, aren't you glad he bought a guitar. I know I am.

I still get the same feeling of excitement when I'm buying KISS tickets as I did in 1976. And why shouldn't I. And why shouldn't you. And why shouldn't Paul shake his ass for the women. And why shouldn't some women in the audience lift their shirts. It's all OK. Look up at the video screen. Another pair. Oops-a-daisy.

Ace played well all night. During Calling Dr. Love, the solo section sounded a lot like it did on Rock And Roll Over. It had that same spacey feel, with Peter throwing in some beats that stood out. Ace did some full-toned string bends throughout the show, which were clear because the sound in the arena was good. When I saw KISS this past June at an outdoor arena, the sound wasn't as good. Ace's playing on I Love It Loud was real good. The song itself sounded real good, and I thought that Ace's playing on it was just right. The song really stood out at this particular show. I think they just, basically, got it right, that night. Ace's voice sounded good on 2000 Man, too. The sound in the arena was good, so some things stood out here and there, and I just thought that he sounded good on that song. I'd rather have heard Hard Times, or Rocket Ride, or Into The Void, or Save Your Love, but it sounded good. And Ace's extended solo section in the song was good. A lot of smoke from the guitar, and two shots of fireworks from the guitar. He talked to the audience, cracked a joke. I've heard him do that joke before, but so what. I've seen KISS 18 times, and I like it every time.

Gene seemed to be having a good time. At one point in the show, he said "I like it" into the microphone. I'm not sure what he was talking about. Chances are, a pair. But then again, if he was talking about a pair, he possibly would have said "I like 'them' ", or "I like 'that' ". Or maybe he would have, in fact, said "I like 'it' ". A topic for an English discussion, somewhere, some other time. Maybe he was just having a good time. When he breathed fire, it was great. The red lights and sirens during Firehouse are dramatic, and then he breathes fire. When he spit blood, it was great. The lighting before he spits blood, before God Of Thunder, spotlights him eerily, and then he provides his own soundtrack on bass, and then he spews blood. If you glance up at the video screen, you see a close-up of his tongue and the blood and the whites of his eyeballs, and it's great, and then you look back at the stage, and then he flies up into the light rig. He starts God Of Thunder, and ! the flames rise up from the stage. There's nothing like the flames rising up from the stage at a KISS show. The flame-throwers during 100,000 Years are always a favorite part of the show for me. Along with the fact that 100,000 Years is one of my favorite KISS songs. Ace's soloing on the song is some of my favorite Ace guitar playing. And Gene starts the song off on bass. It always reminded me, in some way, of Led Zeppelin's Achilles Last Stand, except that it was on KISS's first album, which came out before Zeppelin's Presence. Whatever. Both songs are favorites of mine. And if we're gonna talk about music, let's talk about music. Two great songs. Ace was influenced by Jimmy Page, and who the hell wasn't.

Peter played well all night. He seemed to be having a good time. All four of them were having a good time. Throughout the night, he played good, solid, full-toned beats that stood out in the songs. And he played to-the-point, well-timed fills. A good drum sound. During Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll, when the song goes into the part where it's just Peter and Gene, and then Peter hits some full beats, before Ace and Paul come back in, it sounded great. And then, at the end of the song, Peter shouts to the audience. That's always a distinct part of the show. His voice sounded good on Black Diamond. When his drums rise at the end of the song, and the two cats are unveiled, it's always a great part of the show. Pairs everywhere. Like the Love Gun album art. In fact, I think Deuce was the second song in the set. But regardless, Deuce is a favorite of mine. A great, great song. To this day, I think Ace does some of his best soloing in Deuce.

The lights and the fireworks and the explosions and the flames and the smoke and the dry ice were spectacular. The KISS logos were so bright, with such clarity. It's something to see. When Paul flew out to the mini-stage on Love Gun, the mini-stage was just a few rows away from where me and my brother were sitting. The lighting was great. Some green lighting, and some blue lighting, and some clear white lighting really stood out. A few times during the show, Ace stood on some of the amp stacks and the stairs next to Peter's drum set. And the show ended spectacularly with Rock And Roll All Nite, and Paul smashing his guitar, and one last flash and explosion of everything. That's the way it should end.

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