Review by Val Tapia, Contributing Writer
Promoter: Live Nation
Venue: Ak Chin Pavilion
Date: Sunday September 26th, 2021
Tour: End Of The Road Tour
The first weekend of the 2021 fall music season in the Valley commenced on quite a high note. The Eagles played a two-night stand Friday (9/24) and Saturday (9/25) at Footprint Center, while veteran hard rock band KISS took the stage at Ak-Chin Pavilion Sunday night (9/26).
Admittedly, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to cover a large event right now, given the COVID-19 transmission rate in Arizona is still in the “high range”, according to AZ. state public health officials. Keeping that in mind, I wore my mask and I’m fully vaccinated. So, I thought, “Well, I’ll give it a try and hope for the best”. Not much more I can do, unfortunately.
Speaking candidly, I’m sure that’s what the members of KISS were thinking as well. In late August, KISS had to abruptly postpone a few shows on its End Of The Road summer tour due to founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley testing positive for COVID.
Via Twitter, Simmons said he wasn’t feeling any symptoms, while Stanley reported mild symptoms that “kicked my ass”. Both, however, were grateful to be vaccinated. By all appearances on Sunday night, they seemed to be in good health and spirits onstage.
KISS made their usual grand entrance from descending platforms and opened its 19-song set with Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud from the album Destroyer, released in 1976. If I had to estimate, I’d say the crowd in attendance was about eight or nine-thousand. That’s certainly nothing to dismiss either, especially after having no live music the past 18 months.
According to some fans I spoke with after it ended, Sunday’s show was scaled down somewhat from KISS’ first End Of The Road stop in Feb. 2019 at Gila River Arena. In this writer’s opinion, in spite of a scaled-down show, KISS is at its best indoors rather than outdoors. No matter how many “bells-and-whistles” there are visually.
Next up was Deuce from their 1974 debut album. In a word, it’s quintessential KISS. Prior to this, Stanley proudly boasted that the multi-generational audience was “seeing a band up here that’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame“. That unfortunately isn’t entirely true. But please, allow me to briefly explain.
For the record, it’s not the current incarnation of KISS (with lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer) that was honored in the Hall in April 2014. It was the original lineup only that was inducted: Simmons and Stanley, along with former lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss.
At the time, there was reportedly fierce debate between the KISS camp and Rock Hall execs about which members should be inducted. Long and short of it, Stanley wanted the Hall to also honor members “who didn’t wear makeup”, whereas the Hall had other plans.
According to Stanley, during a brief CNN interview the day of KISS’ induction, discussion about honoring any other KISS members apart from the original four was a “non-starter”.
Translation: end of argument —-rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly.
Be that as it may, no matter how critical Stanley (and Simmons to a lesser extent) are of the Hall, make no mistake: they’re clearly proud to be inducted. And frankly, they should be! It was way overdo and a huge slap in the face to other hard rock groups.
Fun fact: This encore performance of the End Of The Road tour marked the 23rd time that multiple incarnations of KISS have played in the Phoenix area between August 1976 and Sept. 2021. Without question, it’s undeniable that Phoenix has been very good to KISS over the years.
Back onstage, songs such as War Machine, Calling Dr. Love, Tears Are Falling, Love Gun and Black Diamond still go down well with most of the audience. Rightly so I might add. However, a problem has remained when it comes to KISS’ setlists in recent years, particularly over the last decade— if not longer.
One could rightly argue that KISS tends to be very complacent when it comes to the setlist. Yes, most fans concur that certain songs must be played— nobody even suggests otherwise.
But there is absolutely no reason (or excuse, take your pick) why the band shouldn’t throw a few rarely or never-played album cuts (at least six) into the mix.
With a catalog as big as KISS has, why not play Let Me Know, Ladies Room, Room Service, Almost Human, or even Is That You? Honestly, I don’t care how “obscure” those songs are– the fans’ jaws would drop.
On the outside looking in, I believe KISS sadly underestimates its audience when it comes to their music. This “final tour ever” could’ve been something truly special. Yet again, they chose to take the predictable route they’ve followed for the last 25 years.
Now… the verdict. I contend it was just “another” KISS tour. Good, but not great. Just glad the rain stopped, if nothing else.
I’ll give the End Of The Road tour a courteous three (out of five) stars. Feel free to comment below– pro and con. Stay safe everyone, and so long KISS— I think. 😉
(Side note by Editor: I agree that it would be nice to hear other lesser-known songs. However, if this is truly KISS’s last tour, then I believe they owe the fans nothing but their greatest songs. This is KISS’s swan song and they need to go out on a very high note and with a bang, which in my opinion they did.
As far as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, they are finally recognizing hard rock and metal groups. I agree with the band, it took way too long for them (and other hard rock & metal bands) to be considered and inducted. It is also hard to figure out which band members to induct when bands go through multiple lineups. AC/DC, Deep Purple and Genesis are classic examples of with version of a band to induct. Personally, I am glad that the original KISS members were inducted. For me this is the classic KISS lineup.
I was there for the first 3 songs (I photographed the start of the show and had to leave) and it was amazing to witness their entrance. It was as if KISS, the hard rock gods, were descending from on high to the masses at Ak Chin Pavilion. With the lights, smoke and pyrotechnics around them, it was truly a sight to behold. If you are a KISS fan or want to see an amazing stage show, then you must see this show.)
Photos by Fred Kuhlman, All Rights Reserved
SET LIST:
Detroit Rock City
Shout It Out Loud
Deuce
War Machine
Heaven’s On Fire
I Love It Loud
Lick It Up
Calling Dr. Love
Say Yeah
Cold Gin
Tears Are Falling
Psycho Circus/100,000 Years (condensed versions with Eric Singer drum solo in-between)
God Of Thunder
Love Gun
I Was Made For Lovin’ You
Black Diamond
ENCORE:
Beth
Do You Love Me?
Rock And Roll All Nite
