Photo by M. Sullivan / Wire Image

Gene Simmons throws out the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium on July 5, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

CLICK HERE to view a gallery of photos of Gene at Dodger Stadium

by Alan K. Stout

Paul Stanley talks about the new KISS tour, the next album, his former band members, Eric Carr and "KISSOLOGY IV." He also shares his thoughts on his solo albums and his surprising vision on the future of KISS.

When concert venues began announcing their summer lineups earlier this year, one band that appeared on some of those lists was a pleasant surprise, particularly to its self-proclaimed "Army" of fans. KISS, which had toured throughout much of 2009-2010 and is in the midst of recording a new album, wasn't expected to be on the road this year. And yet on the road they are, including a stop at the Mt. Laurel Pocono Mountains Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, July 13.

KISS co-founder Paul Stanley, in an interview with the Weekender, says that at one point the band had conducted an online poll asking its fans where they'd like to see a show. And while it wasn't always possible for the group to get to some of those places on the 2009-2010 tours, some of the stops on this summer's road jaunt are now indeed in those regions.

"There were cities that we just didn't get to, and we felt an obligation to go there," says Stanley. "Quite a few of the cities we're hitting are not your major cities, but were cities we felt we owed a show."

Stanley says this is not the first time that KISS has briefly halted the recording of an album to return to the road. He says the band did the same thing circa 1975-76 while working on its classic "Destroyer" album. "We did 'Destroyer' in two segments," he says. "We recorded quite a bit of it and took a break. We were still touring on 'Alive' and then we went back and finished the album. Not to draw any parallels, but we have done it before."

Here are the latest KISS merchandise items now available in KOL's KISS SHOP.

New - KISS 2011 Lost Cities Tour Tee

New - KISS Band Photo Raglan

New - 2011 KISS Tour Poster

New - KISS Destroyer Pint Glass

KISS FIRED UP FOR BAYFEST

By TYLER KULA, THE OBSERVER

Expect a "big, bombastic blowout" when KISS retake the Bayfest stage on Wednesday, says lead guitarist Tommy Thayer.

The iconic rock band played a sold-out show in 2009 that Bayfest organizer Michele Stokley has called the most memorable in the festival's 13-year-history.

"It's going to be just as much, if not more, this time," Thayer said in a recent interview with The Observer.

Crews are adding extra trussing to the $300,000 Bayfest stage to accommodate the band's performance, Stokley said.

The band — Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer — is known for explosive stage shows, said Thayer, promising the Sarnia performance will be a fiery extravaganza.

"The KISS show is actually very choreographed because of all of the effects and pyro ...," he said. "But we are mixing a few songs up."

by Greg Halinda

Iconic rock band KISS didn't rely on its flamethrowers and fireworks at Saturday's Macdonald Island concert to prove their show is still hot.

The nearly 10,000 fans at the night's show took care of that, stoking their own excitement to a frenzy and revelling in the heat thrown off by the flames and sparks flying above the stage.

While many were fuelled by nostalgia for the band they grew up listening to from the mid-1970s onward, others were carried by the excitement of being part of the biggest rock and roll show to ever hit Fort McMurray.

As they would attending any world-class large outdoor venue, fans had hours to build their anticipation as they rode transit or walked to the site, stood in a long entry lineup, passed a security screening, perhaps stood in another lineup for food, drink, or merchandise, and then listened to the opening acts.

The Envy and Bad City got the nod to warm up on the same stage before KISS played.

REMAINING US & CANADIAN TOUR DATES

July 6 - Sarnia, ON
July 9 - Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
July 12 - Manchester, NH
July 13 - Bushkill, PA
July 15 - WALKER, MN
July 16 - Oshkosh, WI
July 18 - Springfield, IL
July 24 - Montreal, QC
July 26 - Orillia, ON
July 27 - Windsor, ON
July 28 - Verona, NY

Visit the KISS Tour page for ticket info

Thanks to Macarena Quirola for sending us this video of his little brother rocking out as Paul at "Talent Night." Nelson won the competition!

Thanks for the great meet and greet experience I had in Abbotsord, on June 27. I was wearing a t-shirt that paid tribute to my late son, Sanjeeve, who passed away 2 years ago in a car accident. Sanjeeve was a huge KISS fan. Gene commentated on my shirt and asked me what the shirt was about...I told him what had happened to Sanjeeve...Gene was deeply touched...he said to me..."Im sorry...my heart goes out to you"...that said it all. When I was getting ready for my picture with KISS, it was Gene who informed the rest of the band about my son. Paul later signed a picture of my son, he sent Sanjeeve the following message in his autograph..."Heaven's on fire"...very fitting and ironically, this was Sanjeeve's favorite KISS song. Gene also penned his autograph to Sanjeeve. A fitting tribute to Sanjeeve from our favorite band...enclosed is a pic of KISS honoring my son, Sanjeeve.

Sanjay

LETTERS

We wish everyone a happy and safe July 4th. Let's all remember the meaning of this day and celebrate all the great American heroes who won our independence and those who continue to keep us free.

Paul, Eric, Tommy & Gene

Here's KISS with the record-setting crowd in Fort McMurray last night.

_{Photo by Dean Snowden for KOL}

Here's Gene balancing one of Eric's sticks on his nose at the Dawson Creek show.

_{Photo by Dean Snowden for KOL}

Last year I hosted a band from Sweden through the Seattle Swedish club. The director didn't know if they were a punk industrial band or a marching band. I didn't care. I love music. I often host musicians. I love people and I love meeting world travelers and showing them my fantastic city. I didn't even know if they were going to be men or women. Turned out to be 4 guys in their early 30's from Goteburg. I am a single gal, late 40's. They were a clean-cut, acoustic folk band and super groovy guys. We knew we had our Viking heritage in common and we weren't sure what else.

Within moments of their arrival, it turned out, we had both recently been to KISS concerts, from our different places across the world. We were different ages, different genders and lived clear across the globe, but we had all been KISS'ed. When we arrived at my house, from their airport pick up, we went straight to the stereo, put on some old vinyl, (on the record player, not our bodies!) and cranked up KISS. Language barriers and age differences made way for the commonality of KISS. From my albums, we headed to youtube and computer photos, and then they showed me KISS shreds. I had never seen a 'shred' before and we laughed with the utmost respectful devotion to our pagan gods of rock!

KISS created the connection for strangers through their music. The boys spent four days of their US tour with me and they are forever my buddies and brothers, bonded at the start, by the songs and band that we both love. KISS created that for us, beyond music to the mere humanity of connection and friendship. Thanks KISS, your impact can be more than you imagine. Your affect can be big and brash, loud and bright, or simply subtle and sweet when strangers meet. Sweden KISS'ed Seattle and we all loved our KISS music, concerts and crazy shreds!

ThanKs for that Konnection, KISS!

Kitten

While tickets to KISS — the most anticipated summer concert in Fort McMurray — were sold out in record time, those quick enough to buy them are now selling them at more than double for profit.

MacDonald Island Park announced Friday that tickets were sold out in just under 25 minutes, 30 minutes quicker than last year's Northern Classic.

VIP tickets cost $250 and general tickets cost $99. A total 9,000 tickets were sold.

Meanwhile, on sites like Kijiji, tickets are being sold at double the price ranging from $250 to $500.

One seller is putting up $500 for a premium seat, row 8 for a VIP ticket.

Another seller had 16 tickets, selling 12 in just one day at $250 each.

Scalping may not come as a surprise as Fort McMurray is KISS's only stop in Alberta.

Thanks to Nick Xenos for sending KISSOnline this picture of his girlfriend and her Hello Kitty KISS Tattoo.

LETTERS

Today was my birthday. My daughter who is 10, made this card just for me. Needless to say, it was the best ever!!!!

John H

LETTERS