We Gave You a Show, Now Give Us Our Money

Tonight, KISS played at Casino Rama. This is one classic rock band I have not been able to shake since discovering Christian music. Maybe I have fond memories because it's "the music of my youth". Maybe it's the amazing circus-like light show, the pyro, the rising platforms, the fireworks shooting out of Tommy Thayer's guitar, or the confetti finale - ya, it's probably all that!

Before the show, two guys dressed like Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley stopped for photos with fans.

The costumes were great. And they never fell off their 7-inch leather heels once! The light show was as amazing as ever. The fans were wild, well ok - "moderately wild". The average age was 50. And the house was packed. 5,000 and everyone but me and my wife were wearing KISS tshirts at $40 a pop. (I would have worn mine but my wife shrunk it and threw it out in 1983.

Paul Stanley's voice - uh, not great. A bit pitchy! His chatter between the songs - super cheezy. I dunno - it worked in 1985 just fine. Oh wait - hold on. It was 1975! Right!

Paul dissed the crowd by telling us how quiet we were. "You guys are sitting down like you're watching TV! Stand up - it's a rock show!" So we stood up - and halfway thru the next song, everyone in our section was sitting down again. Maybe it IS an age thing.

The cheesy "which side of the venue can yell louder" is so 70's. I've always hated it, and bands still do it. I guess their imagination is limited and they know it will get a noise.

"Beth" sung by Eric Carr, uh, not good.

A minute of "Won't Get Fooled Again" in the end of "Rock and Roll All Nite" - not good.

Paul Stanley improving the only Canadian song he knew, which happens to be called "American Woman" - - real bad. He didn't know the words and he made a mess of a Canadian classic. Sometimes Paul was just awful.

It's ok to get older and not have the same beefy voice you did in your 20's. It's ok to run the same schtik if that's what the fans want. I'm a die-hard fan but I felt like Gene and Paul were saying - "ok we gave you a big fat show, now "give us our money".

If you have never seen KISS, you need to see them. See what a big pyro show is all about. You probably won't get the same value at a Christian show.

Comparatively, the all-Canadian band Trooper - no big lights, no effects, none. Just great songs, sung by a guy who is the same age but easily hits every note. (I mean it, Ra!)