The band are showing no signs of slowing down on their last ride around the globe
As they begin the 2020 leg of their lengthy Final Tour, KISS are showing no signs of slowing down. Last night, the band continued to shine with an explosive performance at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. While this truly is the longest of goodbyes, fans are still packing arenas and stadiums to see the legendary band one more time before they wipe off their makeup and put away their pumped-up boots.
As soon as Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” finished blasting from the speakers, the stage was set a blaze while bassist Gene Simmons, frontman Paul Stanley and guitarist Tommy Thayer descended from the rafters. They tore into into menacing opening riff of their heavy metal hit “Detroit Rock City.“ Frontman Paul Stanley cried, “Get down, everybody’s gonna leave their seat,” but the capacity crows was already way ahead of him. After using more pyro than most bands do in an entire set, KISS seamlessly swung right into another seminal classic “Shout It Out Loud.” A textbook arena anthem, the track truly set the tone for the evening.
Other highlights included “Deuce,” “War Machine,” “Calling Dr. Love,” the rare gem “Psycho Circus,” and “Love Gun,” which saw Paul Stanley sing from the crowd on a remote stage. At one point, Stanley made sure to take fans on a mental trip down memory lane. “Cold Gin,” “Say Yea,” and “I Love It Loud” also made the capacity crowd roar.
“All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who’ve filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years,” KISS said in a statement before the launch of the tour. “This will be the ultimate celebration for those who’ve seen us and a last chance for those who haven’t. KISS Army, we’re saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we’ll go out the same way we came in – unapologetic and unstoppable.”
KISS are one of the most successful acts in music history, having sold over 100 million albums worldwide. The band broke into the mainstream in 1974 with their self-titled debut album. In 1977, the band won the People’s Choice Award for Best New Song for “Beth.” KISS were nominated for a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best Hard Rock Performance.
From 1996-2000, the band garnered 16 Metal Edge Reader’s Choice Awards. KISS were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2015 at the Barclays Center in New York. The band was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone in April 2014 for the first time in their career in light of their induction into the Hall of Fame.
