After an almost three-year absence, KISS returned to the Bay Area, stopping off at the Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord with tour mates Motley Crue for an evening of music, guitars, and pyrotechnics. Billed simply as "The Tour,” both bands proved that although they are all significantly older, they still know how to entertain a crowd.
Coming down from the rafters on a platform complete with its own lighting rig and plenty of explosions, KISS hit the stage and immediately launched into "Detroit Rock City,” and barely stopped to catch their breath for the next eighty minutes after that; Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons alternated between their microphones and the edge of the stage, giving the near sold out crowd all the blood, fire, and showmanship that they are known for. Gene was constantly licking his bass and pointing to the crowd in the front row, while Paul took center stage on more than one occasion and struck all of the poses that have graced the pages of glossy, full-color magazines over the last (almost) forty years.
The set list was what one could suspect it would be for a summer package tour, and the band made sure not to disappoint anyone. “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” and "Love Gun" were all crowd favorites, while the new song "Hell or Hallelujah," of the forthcoming new record entitled Monster gave the fans a taste of what to expect in the future. It was a solid set and, with so many classics to choose from, the band did a great job in selecting the songs that their fans wanted to hear.
Although they have been doing essentially the same thing for almost forty years, KISS never seems to not give their fans their money's worth. Whether it's spitting blood or fire, a top notch light and pyro show, a killer set list, or just the performance as a while, KISS still know how to entertain, and sometimes that's all you really want from a rock show.
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Photos:
KISS – Sleep Train Pavilion – Concord, CA – 08/15/12 – [Photos]
Tour:
The Tour featuring KISS and Motley Crue continues. Click here for an updated list of shows.
