Last night KISS played at Jones Beach Amphitheater with opening act Motley Crue. It was a rock concert to end all rock concerts, straight outta the 80's, and soooo not my scene these days. But KISS has been in my life in one way or another for so long that I'm always up to see them. Besides, it's not just me, but my brother Dave and my sisters Linda and Ann Marie who are all fans, and so usually whenever they come into town we all go together.
I rode in to Jones Beach with my brother and his pal Billy. I've got to say here that Dave and I are and have always been polar opposites in almost every way imaginable. I was always the timid one back in the day and he was not shy in the least and he always had a lot of friends...and he and them were always a little on the wild side, again the opposite to my more reserved nature. Billy is one of his friends from back then and he's just as wild, if not wilder, than my bro, as I got to see last night.
So there, setting the stage...my Madonna-loving self tagging along with my straight as straight can be brother and his pal, and several of their friends who they met up with at the concert. "Yeah baby, Crue and KISS! Freaking awesome!!!" Oh, and beer...lots of it!
We tailgated in the parking lot getting our pre-concert buzz on almost until showtime and then headed off to get VIP tickets so we could drink more beer! God, I don't think I've ever had that much beer in one night in my life! But it was all good. Everybody was cool, and of course I made friends with two of the wives that were in the group, lol. We watched, or rather heard, most of Motley Crue's set from the VIP section, which I didn't mind. I really hadn't come to see them anyway.
Afterwards it was time for more beer. We drank and laughed and I just took in the whole scene, fascinated. Most people were our age, in their forties, the dudes almost all sporting KISS t-shirts and beer bellies and their ladies all dolled up for a night out. My brother actually impressed me, too, for since he was on medication, he'd offered to drive home so Billy could drink and not have to worry. Bro stopped drinking early on, which was very cool!
So it was Billy and I who kept chugging along, me trying to match him, but failing to keep up with the big guy. Unfortunately, he ended up having so much fun he missed the whole main event, the ones we really came to see...
KISS is a band like no other! Sure, there have been imitators and wannabe's, but there is no other rock band that could ever match their showmanship. And to think that they're in their 60's (at least Gene and Paul are!) and still doing it like they were in their 20's is simply amazing and a testament to them. As always, the roar of
"You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the land, KISS!,"
brought the excitement level to a fever pitch as the greatest show on Earth, now almost 40 years running, took to the stage.
Now I have to admit, I wasn't as impressed with this show as I've been in the past. Maybe it's because I'm older...they're older...and really much of their show hasn't changed over the years. Yes, they are still very entertaining, whether you like their music or not, and one can never be bored at a KISS concert, that's for sure. Maybe I've just been to too many of their shows.
The band played many favorites like God of Thunder, Lick It Up, I Love It Loud, Rock and Roll All Nite, and even one or two I'd never heard before. This one, one of my all time favorites from the 1977 album of the same name, features front-man extraordinaire Paul Stanley flying off to a small stage in the middle of the audience to belt out, and it was one of the better moments of the night for me! Enjoy and Happy Sunday!
A great write-up, John! I too have been a fan since childhood, and have seen every St. Louis show since the age of nine. Unfortunately, the outrageous ticket prices this time forced me to miss them this time. The budget simply would not allow it! I was SO completely BUMMED!
ReplyDeleteThanks buddy!
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