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The evening of Aug. 9 was remarkable as heavy metal roared, fire blazed high to the ceiling, smoke billowed, and there was an intense military presence at Bluesboro.
Juxtapose such audiovisual and emotional forces with rainbow liquor snow cones, fluffy, pink cotton candy and golden, buttered popcorn, and you have a carnivalesque thrill ride thrown by “The Coolest Band in the World,” the Kiss Army.
The venue served multiple functions. First and foremost was to kick ass and have a blast with some drinks and great heavy music, and it was a tribute to our men and women in the armed forces, where a military I.D. equaled a free pass.
Most know Kiss and their legendary music. However, not everyone is aware that it is possible?no, likely?that with tribute band Kiss Army’s performance perfection, you will completely forget they are not Kiss.
The members’ stage personas were spot on.
Paul Stanley was belting familiar, pouty-lipped lyrics, while Gene Simmons was actually in Bluesboro blowing plumes of fire and spitting mouthfuls of blood onto stage and self, while pounding away on the bass. Peter Criss punched and crashed his 13-piece drum set and rocked through an extended solo performance. And yes, Spaceman Ace Frehley was right there onstage, rippin’ through recognizable riffs. The expected classic tunes were there, and yes, you know them whether you are a Kiss fan club member or not.
Many rockers and more casual show goers noted how accessible and personable the band was, as they spent considerable time with their fans before and after the show. For example, Debbie Jastre was the lucky winner of a guitar signed by the band.
“Hell yeah! I never win anything?this is too cool! What a fun night!” she exclaimed.
Debbie was not alone in the fun department. Jeff Brown, with several military friends and family from Smyrna for the show, had nothing but praises for the good time he and his had.
He said the Kiss Army were “great guys. We were able to chat in the pool room, and they never let their head get outside of their hair.”
Perhaps locals were surprised at the band’s humility and charisma, knowing the Army is the No. 1 touring Kiss tribute band in the entire world, and has been kicking ass for 15 years, routinely performing in front of crowds ranging from several hundred fans to over 15,000 recently at Universal Studio’s Citywalk.
I asked Steve Clark, who plays Peter Criss onstage, what the most difficult aspect of being in such a relentless touring tribute band is, especially after 15 years. He explained much of the difficulty *was simply the pull of the fans’ expectations of the band, because of the iconic group they represent. “Because we’ve pretty much seen it all, it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated to pay attention to the incredible detail the fans expect,” Clark said. “We’re not Kiss, we’re level-headed guys with our heart, soul and passion in this. Otherwise there would be no thrill for us.
“We critique our sets nightly. To have seen one end of the world to another, from motorcycle rallies, theme parks, The House of Blues, and The Hard Rock, we all push ourselves and each other to perform.”
This powerful, hard-hitting carnival of a crazy show was incredibly well received, and I have no doubt respect runs deep between Murfreesboro and the Kiss Army. We look forward to number two.
For more information and upcoming events, check out: kissarmyrules.com
