KISS ALive 35

November 14, 2009

Like clashes of thunder, KISS stormed into GM Place Saturday night, taking the stage to smoke and fire and sending the packed stadium into uproarious cheers.

Decked out in new costumes, platform boots fit for rock royalty and full faces make-up, the band kicked off the spectacle with KISS classics “Deuce” and “Strutter”.

With an overwhelming display of pyrotechnics and effects, the band whose original members rose to stardom in the 1970's, puts other rock acts to shame with their through-the-roof performance.

KISS fans, young and old flocked to the Garage to celebrate the life of this legendary rock band.

The excitement in Vancouver was evident walking to the stadium, passing a father and his two young kids, all three faces’ painted. Another man stood outside with his dogs, decked out KISS t-shirts.

Up to the task of opening for one of rock's biggest stage performers, was L.A. based Buckcherry, who hit the stage, getting the show started with a loud, rocking set that included popular hits “Everything”, “Sorry” and “Crazy Bitch”.

Continuing to raise the bar for rock concerts, KISS, consisting of founding members The Starchild, Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar, vocals) and The Demon, Gene Simmons (bass, vocals) and newer additions The Spaceman, Tommy Thayer (lead guitar, vocals) and The Catman, Eric Singer (drums, vocals), were screeching and strutting at their rocking best.

Midway through their KISS ALIVE 35 tour that kicked off in September in Detroit, the group played greatest hits, including “Hotter Than Hell”, “Shout it out Loud,” and “Detroit Rock City,” as well as songs off their latest album Sonic Boom.

With smoke billowing across the stage, Thayer rifted his way into the hearts of KISS loyalists during his guitar solo “Cold Gin”, in front of a starry backdrop and pyrotechnics that downed some stage lights and sent the crowd into hysterics.

The band followed up with “Parasite” off Sonic Boom, their 19th studio album and the first in 11 years, and “Say Yeah”, before Singer had his moment to shine for “100,000 Years”.

Simmons in his show-stealing fashion, with his infamous tongue-wagging and blood-spitting on display, rose above the stage during his bass solo before joining the rest of group for “I Love It Loud”.

The band ended the show with classics, “Black Diamond” and “Rock And Roll All Night”, and invited the thousands of fans that filled the stadium to do just that.

The air was thick with smoke, the ground covered in confetti, and everyone’s ears ringing when KISS returned to the stage to appease the relentlessly cheering crowd with an encore that included, “Shout It Out Loud”, “Love Gun” and “Detroit Rock City”.

Celebrating 35 years and counting, KISS shows no signs of slowing down.

Alive indeed.