Dave Lifton | Ultimate Classic Rock
Michael Ochs
Few bands in rock history have had critical appeal in disproportionate amounts to their commercial success as Kiss. However, two writers, J.M. Blaine and Chuck Klosterman, have long treated the band with genuine love and seriousness, and recently got together to talk about their face-painted heroes.
The fun and lively discussion, which ran over three parts at the Nervous Breakdown, had its origins after Blaine had finished writing a book and was obsessing over old metal videos. Wanting to talk with someone who felt the same way, he contacted Klosterman, who once wrote a book called ‘Fargo Rock City,’ about growing up a metal fan in North Dakota in the ’80s.
One of the most vivid memories both men had of Kiss was seeing the band profiled on ABC’s ’20/20′ program in 1979. “I remember hearing Gene [Simmons] say, ‘You can be whoever you want to be. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are or what you can’t do,’” Blaine said. “For a kid with a young single mother, living in a one-horse town — where the best you could hope for was a high school diploma and a job at the paper mill — that message combined with the music and the look, was incredibly empowering.”
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family have decided to move on from the show. It depicted his out-of-makeup life with his colorful family.