In the five years since Alive! ’75 burst onto the scene, KISS fans have had the pleasure of experiencing a new and different kind of KISS tribute.  Not content to simply dress-up and play KISS songs, Alive! ’75 has been entertaining fans in and around the northeastern United States with their “ultimate classic KISS tribute” experience.  Their shows focus on period-specific recreations of performances and classic concert moments of the original 1970s era, and the fan response to their efforts has been huge.

Each year they’ve challenged themselves to bring more to the table and 2020 is looking to be no exception.  We spent some time with Anthony De Lucia, Jr., (the band’s  manager and “Demon”), fresh from their year-end show at the Sherman Theater to discuss a few highlights from the past year, as well as their plans for 2020.

“This may be the most personally satisfying year we’ve had yet!” says Anthony.  “2019 has been a year of rebuilding and refocusing our efforts and we’re energized about what the coming year will bring – we’ve got BIG plans for 2020!”  Those plans include returning to their original Alive! album production, including their full-on 1975 “time-warp” experience – as well moving into Alive II territory, complete with new costumes (again!) by the end of the year.  “We’re working to keep it interesting for the fans.” Anthony continued, “We’re looking to take fans on a journey with us –  to re-live past KISS-toric moments as well as providing new experiences that no other tribute has.”
 
And what a journey it has been for Alive! ’75.  They followed-up their initial tour of the Alive! album / time-warp concept shows by moving systematically through KISS’ early touring schedule and catalog.  Alive! ’75 began to performed shows based on the actual Alive! tour, followed by the early ‘76 European tour, then the Destroyer tour and finally the Rock and Roll Over tour.  “We were essentially taking our fans – KISS fans – back through the same evolution that KISS followed in the mid-70s.” says Anthony.  “This included our moving to new costumes and a revised stage design.  Fans recognized what we were doing, and they absolutely loved it!”

Other KISS tribute acts were taking notice as well and Alive! ’75’s impact on the KISS tribute scene is undeniable.  “We surveyed the landscape when we started this whole thing,” says Anthony, “and we’ve clearly noticed other established KISS tributes upping their game.  And that’s a great thing – it’s especially great for KISS fans, as it provides more opportunities to enjoy this great music and get more from the shows that are out there.”