08/10/2012
KISS ROCKS DENVER!
KISS at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre, 8/8/12
By Billy Thieme
Photo by Karson Brown
After four decades as a band, the things about a KISS concert that stick are those you might imagine. KISS has released some of the most significant collections of live material (non-bootlegs) in rock � which means just about everyone on the planet has experienced KISS �live� in one way or another. The real deal, though, is incomparable.
I finally caught that real thing Wednesday night at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre, and I can tell you that the iconic foursome, indisputably, still brings it.
From the laser-bottlerockets and bazooka fire that spaceman Tommy Thayer and feline percussionist Eric Singer exchanged, to the demonic blood-vomiting and fire-spewing of Gene Simmons, the show offered everything a fan could want. Of course, Paul Stanley played the consummate frontman in the style he damn-near originated, constantly throwing out call and response challenges in that familiar New York accent.
KISS stuck with a comforting selection of classics, starting with �Detroit Rock City� and �Shout It Out Loud� in quick succession. Stanley mentioned old McNichols Arena shows � showing the band�s age � before jumping into �Love Gun,� with a zipline transport to a raised platform in the middle of the crowd. They filled out the set with �Shock Me,� �God of Thunder,� �Lick It Up� and a brilliant version of �Black Diamond� before an encore featuring the mega hit �Rock �N Roll All Nite.�
By Billy Thieme
Photo by Karson Brown
After four decades as a band, the things about a KISS concert that stick are those you might imagine. KISS has released some of the most significant collections of live material (non-bootlegs) in rock � which means just about everyone on the planet has experienced KISS �live� in one way or another. The real deal, though, is incomparable.
I finally caught that real thing Wednesday night at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre, and I can tell you that the iconic foursome, indisputably, still brings it.
From the laser-bottlerockets and bazooka fire that spaceman Tommy Thayer and feline percussionist Eric Singer exchanged, to the demonic blood-vomiting and fire-spewing of Gene Simmons, the show offered everything a fan could want. Of course, Paul Stanley played the consummate frontman in the style he damn-near originated, constantly throwing out call and response challenges in that familiar New York accent.
KISS stuck with a comforting selection of classics, starting with �Detroit Rock City� and �Shout It Out Loud� in quick succession. Stanley mentioned old McNichols Arena shows � showing the band�s age � before jumping into �Love Gun,� with a zipline transport to a raised platform in the middle of the crowd. They filled out the set with �Shock Me,� �God of Thunder,� �Lick It Up� and a brilliant version of �Black Diamond� before an encore featuring the mega hit �Rock �N Roll All Nite.�
