New KISS shop at Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square NYC

Paul Stonick

kiss_hardrockKISS Asylum,

My name is Paul Stonick and I work right in Times Square for a global entertainment company and there is a great new KISS Shop installed at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, New York City. They are selling limited-edition merchandise, primarily t-shirts and pins, and per the Rock Shop website: 

“Your purchase of this pin supports City of Hope’s efforts to conquer cancer, diabetes, HIV/Aids, and other life threatening diseases. 15% of the retail price will help City of Hope shorten the time it takes to get from bold innovative ideas to powerful medical treatments.”

Here is a link to the shop. https://rockshop.hardrock.com/Lifestyle/Shop%20for%20Good

There is a terrific window installation, a video marquee on the Hard Rock Cafe sign in front and awesome point of purchase displays. I have attached a picture of the window display.

Thank you. I have been reading and following KissAsylum for over a decade and attend the NY/NJ Kiss Conventions regularly and it’s always great to see your presence there. Keep up the great work!

Best Regards,

Paul

Rock star Gene Simmons to auction truck for Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital

The News

REGINA – Kiss rock star Gene Simmons is helping to boost the health of children in Saskatchewan by auctioning off a custom 1956 Ford F-100 truck.

The truck, named Snakebit, will be up for sale this week at auctioneers Barrett-Jackson in Arizona, with proceeds going to the new Saskatchewan Children’s Hospital.

The hospital is in Saskatoon, where Simmons’ wife, Shannon Tweed, grew up.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says the highest a ’56 Ford has sold for at Barrett-Jackson is $180,000, and the hope is that this auction will raise even more money for hospital equipment.

Snakebit was built in Saskatoon and the front end of the revamped truck is a Shelby Mustang.

Wall — a self-confessed car nerd who owns a 1967 Dodge Coronet — says even though he’s not a Ford guy, the truck is beautiful.

Decibel Geek episode 119 – Gary Corbett part 1

Chris

Screen Shot 2014-01-13 at 7.55.11 PMGary Corbett may not be a household name along the lines of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tom Keifer of Cinderella, or Cyndi Lauper but he’s worked closely with all of them. In part 1 of this long-form discussion, Gary shares his experiences in the music business working with Cinderella and KISS.

The discussion opens with Chris telling Gary about seeing, or more appropriately hearing, him perform with KISS in Nashville on the Hot in the Shade tour. Gary goes on to share how he wound up relocating to Nashville from New York years ago and also talks about the Scrap Metal project that he’s been part of with also-Nashville-resident Mark Slaughter, Scrap Metal.

We then discuss the announcement of KISS’ upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Gary’s thoughts on who still deserves to be in the museum.

Gary shares the story of how he was brought into the KISS fold during pre-production for the ‘Crazy Nights’ album. He was then brought in to tour for the ‘Crazy Nights’ tour and he recounts the struggles the band went through on the road due to low ticket sales in the face of dismal returns on the album.

Soundcheck for KISS is a time when the band members can cut loose away from the audience while still being on stage. Unfortunately for Gary, his first tour with the band didn’t provide a fun atmosphere in which to soundcheck due to Gene Simmons razzing the keyboard player in a particular way.

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LA KISS Arena Football team plans Saturday open tryouts at Santa Ana College

Daily News

AR-140119993SANTA ANA – LA KISS will hold open tryouts Saturday at Santa Ana College, with the Arena Football League team hoping to sign five players for its inaugural training camp, coach Bob McMillen said.

The tryout will include the 40-yard dash, a short shuttle run, long jump, medicine ball toss, the “L drill,” where players run around cones shaped like an L, and positional drills, McMillen said.

The registration fee for the tryouts is $75 in advance and $100 on Saturday. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and tryouts at 9 a.m. More information about the tryouts is available by calling (714) 462-KISS.

During his three seasons as coach of the AFL’s Chicago Rush, McMillen conducted open tryouts he said attracted players who “hadn’t played in a few years that were still hungry to try to get an opportunity to play professional football.”

“We were able to find a few players that helped our football team,” McMillen said.

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‘I spent £25,000 on my Kiss obsession – after they helped me come to terms with life as a dwarf’

Wales Online

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A Kiss fan has spent £25,000 on the band’s merchandise and following his favourite band all over the world – and admits his obsession has cost him a few girlfriends.

But devotee Dan Griffiths, who is a dwarf, said the band “who look like freaks” helped him come to terms with who he is.

Having battled with negative feelings about his height, Dan from Aberystwyth credits the American rock band  with giving him confidence during his teens.

Now aged 45, Dan, who has been to 48 of the band’s gigs, and met his heroes on numerous occasions, has a tattoo which covers his entire back with the faces of each band member, and the Kiss logo complete with lightning bolt in the middle.

“I have tried to get their autographs tattooed as well but, even signed with permanent marker, they have never lasted long enough for me to have a tattoo session,” he said.

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KISS Hall of Fame show won’t include original members

Lazer 103

kiss1-620x400KISS frontman Paul Stanley has wrecked fans’ dreams of watching the original members of the group performing together when they are inducted in to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April, insisting a reunion “seems unlikely”.

The colorful rockers will join Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens and Nirvana, among others, in the museum’s class of 2014 and Stanley insists they will perform at the ceremony – but it won’t be an original line-up reunion.

The singer made his feelings clear after a fan asked him about the possibility of including Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in his and bassist Gene Simmons Hall of Fame plans.

Stanley initially wrote, “No way”, and then added, “Seems unlikely”.

And that paves the way for another Hall of Fame feud – because guitarist Frehley is keen to perform and replace current KISS star Tommy Thayer onstage.

Frehley has said, “You can’t have me and Tommy both in makeup… I don’t have a problem with Tommy and (current drummer) Eric (Singer) being there out of make-up if I’m in make-up, because they’re a big part of KISS today. (But) they had nothing to do with the beginning of KISS, or the designs or the costumes or the make-up… This is about the celebration of KISS and how it all began and started, and it should be honoring the four original members.”