Here are some photos of what leads up to the beginning of each night's KISS show opener! These pictures were taken Saturday night in Jones Beach, and they show the lift that Paul, Tommy and Gene step onto to rise over Eric's drum kit at the beginning of each show!

Photos by Keith Leroux for KISSonline.

Posted by The G

Though I've never been the biggest fan of Kiss' music, I've always had great respect and appreciated the bits and pieces I've seen of their stage shows, their legions of devoted fans and the fact that they've been around since 1973 and are still going! As I've been so blessed to see so many amazing artists perform, I owed it to myself to see the legendary Kiss. They are worth all the accolades they receive as they are phenomenal live. Jones Beach in New York is located literally on the water, so that by itself makes for a magical night and seeing the legendary Kiss on August 14, 2010 at this venue is definitely one for the books.

They had a really great LED screen behind them projecting trippy visuals, a huge flashing KISS logo, fireworks, rising bits of the stage, and of course most importantly, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decked out in their finest Kiss gear! The audience was a very eclectic mix of people and I saw so many kids (literally 5 years old and less) with their parents in Kiss makeup!

Check out these live clips of "I Was Made From Lovin' You" and "Black Diamond" from KISS' Jones Beach show last night.

The HOTTEST SHOW ON EARTH hit the Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center tonight and the SONIC BOOM can still be heard echoing throughout the countryside hours later!

There is an electricity in the air at the before KISS hits the stage at every concert that can only be truly understood by someone who has experienced it. It is a feeling that I felt at my first show years ago and still hits me every time that huge KISS curtain is lowered. This is my 17th KISS concert and that feeling before the show starts is a strong in me today as it was when I first heard the opening to KISS Alive II (my first KISS album). If you are a fan, you KNOW what I am talking about!!!

From the first deafening explosion at the beginning of Modern Day Delilah to the snow storm of confetti during the perennial classic Rock and Roll All Nite, KISS proved once again that they are not only still ALIVE and kicking, but also THRIVING!!! With KISS touring on the heels of the triumphant return to the studio with Sonic Boom and the promise a new release in 2011, does it get any better? These are magical times!!!

The lineup of Gene, Paul, Eric and Tommy is simply incredible and should NOT be missed!!! The interaction among the band members gets more intense with each tour. This show is not all spectacle... The band is tighter than ever and you could imagine them easily slipping into any tune from the vast KISS library. They look so at ease on stage that it makes each progressive show that much better...AND I thought they killed 2 weeks ago when I saw them and Pittsburgh!!!

Once again KISS brought out the classics as well as a nice sampling from "THE BOOM". Crazy Nights was a great addition and the crowd ate it up. The resurfacing of Beth with the new LIVE accompaniment just KILLS!!!

The KISS army was once again out in full force and was on their feet clapping, screaming and fist-pumping their way through every song. KISS performing in front of thousands of fans and friends...WOW!!! It always satisfies!!! I think I asked earlier: Does it get any better than this?

The answer is...NO!!!!

Thanks again, KISS, for one of the coolest Friday the 13th's of my life!!!

Mike Mariacher

Photo by Doug Cataldo for KISSonline

Here are two photos of the Wounded Warriors check at KISS' Wantagh show. To date, KISS has raised $137,423.00 for the CSRA Wounded Warriors Care Project on the Hottest Show On Earth tour!

KISS is donating one dollar from every admission sold throughout the Hottest Show On Earth Tour to the CSRA Wounded Warriors Care Project.

Photos by Dean Snowden for KISSonline.

Kiss commits to great performance

Susan Koomar, Features Editor

Drummer Eric Singer offers some compelling reasons to see Kiss at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Sunday.

"Bring the family. It's Kiss for all ages. Even if you never liked Kiss or never saw Kiss, you'll walk away with a smile on your face," he said.

There's also the band's iconic status.

"You should see Kiss once in your life - like seeing Mount Rushmore or Yellowstone or the Statue of Liberty," Singer added.

Singer offered a glimpse behind the scenes - and the group's elaborate makeup - during a phone interview with jumpstart!

Singer starts painting his face about two hours before each show.

"The one thing I've learned is you have to go for consistency and find a system of what works for you. You can't rush it," he said.

The prep process is far more involved for front man Gene Simmons, who gets help donning his heavy, bulky costume.

Here's KISS in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Nikon at Jones Beach amphitheater!

Photo by Dean Snowden for KISSonline.

Here's a photo of the Wounded Warriors check at KISS' Buffalo, New York-area show last night. KISS has raised $122,891.00 for the CSRA Wounded Warriors Care Project so far on the Hottest Show On Earth tour!

KISS is donating one dollar from every admission sold throughout the Hottest Show On Earth Tour to the CSRA Wounded Warriors Care Project.

Photo by Dean Snowden for KISSOnline.

Here's KISS in front of a packed Darien Lake Performing Arts Center near Buffalo, New York last night!

Photo by Dean Snowden for KISSonline.

KISS stunningly overwhelming in Darien gig

By Jeff Miers

Love 'em. Hate 'em. But good luck ignoring them.

For nearly 40 years, Kiss has reigned supreme over theatrical arena rock. Marrying the thump, wallop and strut of late 60s British and American guitar-boogie to a show blending the macabre, the over-the-top, the just plain fun, and the deafeningly decibel-infused, Kiss birthed a glitter, glam and greasepaint-adorned hard rock spectacle.

On Friday, the band brought its "Hottest Show On Earth" tour to Darien Lake and made plain yet again just what the critics have never gotten their eggheads around, but the little girls (and boys) have always understood - Kiss is rock 'n' roll fantasy writ large and played loud.

Of course some of those "little girls and boys" are now in their 40s and 50s, and many of them came to Friday's packed show with their offspring - themselves representing a new generation of Kiss fanatics-in tow. In a recent conversation with The News, band cofounder and front man Paul Stanley spoke of the Kiss audience as "a tribe," and reflected with obvious pride on the multiple generations of fans now flocking to the band's shows, in the process making this summer's Kiss tours one of the few to do solid business in just about
any market imaginable.

Here are a few photos from last night's meet & greet in Darien Lake. Check out those great KISS tattoos!

Photos by Dean Snowden for KISSonline.

Check out these great photos of the KISS Army taken at KISS' Darien Lake, NY show last night.

Each one of these photos was taken by fans at the show who shared their great pics with the world via the KISS LIVE SHARE CoolIris application. KISS is the first band in the world to launch this app, and the KISS ARMY is being called upon to start taking great pictures! Want to join in the fun?

Download the free app from iTunes or Android Market at KISS LIVE SHARE and get started!

Check out the latest KISS merchandise additions to the official KISS online store:

The Hottest Band 2010 KISS Tour Tee

KISS Baby Shoes

KISS Super Bass Headphones

Rock And Roll Over Dinner Table

KISS had been thinking about the end of the line.

Singer Paul Stanley wondered publicly about whether there would ever be new KISS music. He and Gene Simmons weren't sure how many tours they had left.

Recently, however, lots of things fell into place. Last year, the band released "Sonic Boom," making its debut at No. 2, the band's top chart position ever. Now, in the midst of the band's "Hottest Show on Earth" tour, Stanley said the band is looking to give rock 'n' roll to a new generation.

Question: What made you focus on kids this tour, offering four free tickets for kids in some cities for every single ticket sold?

Answer: KISS is naturally fascinating to young kids. ... With those tickets, we were just trying to make it a little bit more possible economically for people to come out to see us. Times are tough now. Our shows have always been more like a tribal gathering than a concert where fans are more age-specific. Our shows are more like a gathering of a secret society on a massive scale.

Here's a national radio spot running for Dr. Pepper, the sponsor of KISS' summer tour! The ad features Gene Simmons as Dr. Love dispensing love advice on a radio talk show.