Newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers KISS made their first Cleveland area performance at Blossom Music Center Tuesday night since being inducted into the Hall back in April. The hour and 15 minute set was jam-packed with KISS classics such as “Hotter Than Hell,” “Calling Dr. Love” and “Black Diamond.” Although it was a shorter set due to sharing the bill with Def Leppard, KISS jammed as much entertainment as they could within that time frame. KISS always gives you the biggest bang for your buck and Tuesday night was no different. This included Eric Singer’s levitating drums, Tommy shooting rockets out of his guitar, Paul flying across the arena, Gene spitting blood and breathing fire, pyrotechnics abound and, of course, confetti. Yes, They had it all!
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley made a connection with the crowd talking about the old places KISS used to play, like The Agora and Gund Arena. He also asked the parents to hold up their children and said, “We were there for your parents and we will be there for you as well.” The band then proceeded to play a hidden gem off of the “Hot in the Shade” album titled “Hide Your Heart.”
Gene continues to sound the same as he always has and belted out “God of Thunder” (after spitting blood) and “Calling Dr. Love.” Guitarist Tommy Thayer is everything you would want in a lead axeman. A solid player and he complements what the band is trying to do while onstage. Drummer Eric Singer handled lead vocals on “Black Diamond” and enjoyed playing in front of his hometown fans (Eric is originally form the Cleveland area).
Paul Stanley got a rise out of the locals by talking about how Cleveland measures up to other cities like Detroit and Columbus. He then said “Cleveland rocks!” He also talked about rock and roll being in your heart and being honored to play for this crowd as the band kicked into “Detroit Rock City.”
Besides the many business ventures Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have (AFL Team LA KISS and their chain of restaurants called Rock & Brews to name a few), music is what drives the band and will always drive the band. Still after 40 years, the band is driven to provide a great show. It’s the music baby and some people like RRHOF chairperson Jann Wenner will never get that!
Setlist:
Psycho Circus
Deuce
Shout It Out Loud
War Machine
Hotter Than Hell
I Love It Loud
Lick It Up
Bass Solo
God of Thunder
Hide Your Heart
Calling Dr. Love
Love Gun
Black Diamond
Detroit Rock City
Rock and Roll All Nite
We would like to thank Natasha Desai from LAN-ENT for the credentials to review the show.
