Cassius Morris

Steven Hyden | Grantland

Submitted by Neil Gido

“I am a fan of Middle America. Remember, it was mass culture that created rock ‘n’ roll. Our tastes happen to coincide with theirs.” —Gene Simmons, 1977, in Rolling Stone

The video begins — the 17-minute-and-18-second version that’s posted on YouTube, anyway — with a medium close-up of a carnival barker carnival-barking at a group of gawkers outside of a freak show. The tape is blurry but the metaphor is clear to the point of obviousness. And yet Edwin Newman, the unflappable veteran reporter carved out of hickory and tweed who has been dispatched by NBC News to get to the bottom of this evening’s investigation, isn’t afraid to underline it several times. He alludes to P.T. Barnum and the suckers who are born every 60 seconds. He warns against a “vast machinery of hype” threatening to sucker the suckers of today — which in the video is 1977 — into mindless oblivion. Even by the murderously lax standards of the network-news hatchet job, Edwin Newman has dispensed with all subtleties. He is out to bust balls.

Hype is this newsman’s primary concern. Hype is the subject of his special report, helpfully titled Land of Hype & Glory. Suddenly, the setting shifts to a rock concert, and we meet Newman’s Exhibit A. “These four men have been performing for four years. In that time they’ve been responsible for selling records worth $30 million,” he intones grimly. “By some accounts, they are the favorite rock group of American teenagers. Their name, for no reason immediately apparent, is Kiss.”

Kiss is playing “Black Diamond,” the final song on the band’s self-titled 1974 debut. “Black Diamond” is sung primarily by drummer Peter Criss, the Catman, but the Catman is the one member who is not in view. Instead, we see Gene Simmons stomp from stage right to stage left like Frankenstein doing the funky-chicken. We whizz by Ace Frehley playing a guitar solo with his Gibson held at a mathematically precise 45-degree angle. We venture to the outskirts of Paul Stanley’s black forest of mossy chest hair.

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Michael Brandvold

Ashley Baylen | Shalom Life

Frank Frazella

‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ producer, Scott Steindorff, has partnered up with KISS musician and business mogul, Gene Simmons, for a re-imagined version of ‘Icarus’.

According to Variety, the sci-fi version of the ancient tale of ‘Icarus’ does not have a confirmed logline, “other than it is centered on two characters, one the hunter and the other hunted”.

‘Icarus’, a concept created by Simmons, will be loosely based on the character in Greek mythology. Icarus is the son of Daedalus, who makes wings out of wax and feathers to escape from Crete, only to drown after ignoring instructions to avoid flying close to the sun.

Steindorff is currently working on ‘Jane Got a Gun’ with Natalie Portman and Michael Fassbender and ‘The Master and Margarita’.

Steindorff is producing through his Scott Pictures banner.

KISSmuseum.com

The new KISS Sonic Boom Action figures will be released soon – slated for the 3rd week of January, this month! The KISS Museum is now taking pre-orders and will ship out on the release date, (exact day is yet to be determined – we will update all info on the website when it becomes available).

As with the two recent KISS Figure releases, these highly articulated and detailed figures come in both 8 inch and 12 inch variations.

Reserve your set today – the first orders placed will be the first to ship!

KISS SONIC BOOM FIGURES available at KISSmuseum.com

Melissa Ruggieri | Atlanta Music Scene

In case you thought there was one industry that KISS hadn’t cornered, well, keep looking.

Last fall, the band’s new slot machines debuted at the Borgata in New Jersey and have now made their way into the Las Vegas casinos.

This isn’t the first time the quartet has been immortalized with their own row of reels, but the visuals and multimedia elements that accompany this latest incarnation are impressive – and no doubt the timing of their release was to coincide with the band’s robust new album, “Monster.”

Since I had zero luck when I first played the game in Jersey in November, never experiencing the all-important bonus round that truly shows a slot’s entertainment value, I was wary of feeding the beast more money at the Venetian in Las Vegas last week.

But, I’m glad I did, as this machine was much more accommodating, frequently rolling into Continue reading →

From: Jeff

It was my 50th b-day surprise party throw by my wife and my partner in crime, my son ‘lil jeff. My son had designed the cake and his friend at Gencarelles bakery in Wayne NJ made it for me – what a blast! Been a kiss fan since day 1 and will be till the last breath!!!!

Brenda Gazzar | Pasadena Star-News

Keith Birmingham

ARCADIA – When it comes to KISS frontman Gene Simmons’ new role at Santa Anita Park, mystery and ambiguity may well be his trump cards.

Although the savvy businessman has clearly been tapped by The Stronach Group to help promote Santa Anita and its other racetracks nationwide, Simmons coyly remarks that he doesn’t have a formal title – and speaks in grandiose but vague terms about his plans.

“I don’t like titles but I move mountains,” Simmons, donning a black-pin-striped blazer, red handkerchief and his signature black leather pants, said recently from Santa Anita Park.

“Do you want to find out in July what you’re getting for Christmas?” he said behind his big, dark sunglasses at the racetrack’s executive offices. “Let’s just say that 80 percent of the year, this track is empty. There’s nothing going on. That’s changing from today. … We’re going to make magic here. Santa Anita may as well be called Magic Land.”

When asked if the racetrack could host KISS concerts in the future, he replied “yes.”

“Keep going. You have 80 percent of the year to fill – so make it up,” he said.

Stippers?

No. But nightclubs, shopping and lifestyle attractions are real possibilities, he said.

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Nathan Rabin | A.V. Club

Gene Simmons is the preeminent villain of Kiss mythology. He isn’t just notoriously selfish and leering in a realm where those qualities are ubiquitous; the man pretty much embodies rock-’n’-roll greed and lust. The great Jon Wurster does a devastating impersonation of Simmons on The Best Show and Best Show Gems in part because he doesn’t have to exaggerate much to make Simmons seem hilariously self-serving and mercenary. In Peter Criss’ Makeup To Break-Up, which I just wrote about for this column, Simmons is certainly the bad guy, a cold-hearted, money-grubbing bastard who ran the band like a dictatorship during the boom years and treated drummer Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley like disposable employees during their lucrative comeback tours, all despite the original vision to have Kiss be like The Beatles—four individual superstars with strong personas in one band. (While plenty of bands emulate the Beatles, note that none of them ever envision themselves as being composed of “four Ringos”.)

Simmons has embraced the role of heavy in his public life—sneering defiantly at critics, extending a middle finger to punks/true believers who think music should be about art and integrity and not chicks and money, and lasciviously waggling his famously long tongue at the highbrow gatekeepers of culture who are aghast at the nakedness of his sexism and greed (most notably Terry Gross of Fresh Air). There’s an unmistakably preemptive quality to Simmons’ confrontational, unapologetic shtick: A man who loudly professes to have no integrity or values cannot be accused of betraying his integrity or values. And a man who makes it clear that he cares only for power, money, and women cannot be accused of losing his way.

But what does the villain have to say about himself and his path to infamy? That is the question behind Kiss And Make-Up, Simmons’ relentlessly self-aggrandizing, intensely unedifying 2001 memoir. In the book, Simmons pats himself on the back for having the courage to deliver the unvarnished truth about Kiss in spite of what fans might think, but that mostly means he’s comfortable repeatedly trashing Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. To
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Jeff Giles | Ultimate Classic Rock

Former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick gave his girlfriend Lisa Lane a yuletide to remember in 2012, popping the question in London on Christmas Eve.

Kulick shared the news via Facebook, telling his social media family that “I am ringing in the Nee Year [sic] by letting you all know I’m engaged to my lovely girl, Lisa Lane. I proposed on a London holiday on Xmas eve. It’s been a great holiday season!”

Kulick joined Kiss in 1984, following previous guitarist Mark St. John’s diagnosis with Reiter’s Syndrome, and remained until 1996, when the original lineup regrouped for a reunion tour. In between, he appeared on a string of studio albums (including 1987′s platinum-certified ‘Crazy Nights’) as well as the live sets ‘Alive III’ and ‘Kiss Unplugged.’

Following his departure from Kiss, Kulick has kept busy with a variety of projects over the last 15 years, including the short-lived Union — featuring interim Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi — and most recently the reconstituted Grand Funk Railroad, which currently features Kulick playing alongside original members Don Brewer and Mel Schacher as well as keyboard player Tim Cashion and former 38 Special vocalist Max Carl. His most recent solo LP, 2010′s ‘BK3,’ featured contributions from a host of classic rock artists, including Gene Simmons, Toto‘s Steve Lukather, and Doug Fieger of the Knack.

Epiphone

There has never been an American rock and roll band like KISS, recognized around the world for their hard-rockin’ and spectacular stage show. Over the last decade, while many of their colleagues have struggled to keep an audience, KISS has enjoyed a renaissance with sold out tours around the world, great record reviews, and a renewed spirit.

Much of that can be attributed to lead guitarist Tommy Thayer. Thayer had been a behind-the-scenes member of the KISS family since 1985 working as a songwriter, guitarist, and even a video producer. But in 2002, Thayer joined KISS full time as the legendary “Spaceman,” giving the rock legends an explosive new sound and attitude. Now, Epiphone is proud to present the Ltd. Ed. Tommy Thayer “Spaceman” Les Paul Standard Outfit, a beautiful Les Paul Standard in a one-of-a-kind Silver Flake color finish that’s worthy of KISS’s 21st century “Spaceman.” Epiphone spoke with Thayer about his Les Paul, joining KISS, and his first trip to Hollywood in the early ’80s.

Tommy, thanks for speaking with us and congrats on your Ltd. Ed. Tommy Thayer “Spaceman” Les Paul Standard. Epiphone fans have been very excited about this guitar. What when through your mind when you realized that you could design your own guitar?

I’ve always been a traditionalist when it comes to amps, guitars and gear in general. When the opportunity came up for an Epiphone Tommy Thayer signature guitar, the first thing I thought of was offering a pro guitar for musicians that looks amazing and is also affordable. I wanted it to be the guitar I play onstage with KISS but also a classic looking instrument that would catch the eye of any player.

You grew up in Beaverton, Oregon which some might not consider the best place to see a lot of live rock n’ roll.

To the contrary, Beaverton is a suburb to Portland, Oregon where I saw tons of great rock shows at the Paramount Theatre and the Memorial Coliseum through the 1970s and early 80s. I went and saw literally every rock band that came to town. At the Coliseum you could walk around the top section of seats that went behind the stage. Before the show started, I was fascinated looking down at the amps, guitars and gear the bands were using. I dreamed of someday owning a stack of amps or a Les Paul guitar. I used to hang out at the local guitar shops in Beaverton or Portland and stare at the guitars on the wall, dreaming about owning one. I never would have imagined that one day I would have my own Epiphone Tommy Thayer Signature Les Paul!

Tell us about the signature model: what were you looking to do with this model that you’ve never seen before?

I’m proud of the Epiphone Tommy Thayer “Spaceman” Les Paul Standard. It’s modeled exactly like my silver sparkle top Gibson Custom Shop LP Standard I’ve played onstage for years with KISS. People don’t realize it, but I wanted my first signature guitar to be an Epiphone. It’s a quality-constructed instrument utilizing the same parts I use on all my Les Pauls, including Gibson 498 pick-ups and Grover™ Deluxe tuners. It’s a truly professional guitar for real musicians but available at a price that’s afford able for everyone. The guitar comes in a custom silver hard-shell case together with a very cool studded black and silver leather guitar strap just like the ones I use. I’m playing my Epiphone signature model onstage with KISS now and I couldn’t be happier with the sound, the look and the performance of the guitar, it’s outstanding!

Tell us about how you got started in the business. What inspired your move to Southern California? That’s a brave move for a kid from Oregon.

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Michael Brandvold