Blog Entry, 12.05.09 Front Row Bar & Grill You’ve heard the saying that “all good things must come to an end”…but in our case it’s just temporarily. Last night was our 27th and last show of 2009. We pulled into the Front Row Bar & Grill in Brook Park, Ohio shortly after 6:00 PM to unload the show for the last time. Only having played here once before which was back in May we were hopeful that we could build on our following with the KISS fans in the area. I must mention that here in Cleveland people can be very territorial. That’s not to say that we don’t have some fans that will come and see us just about anywhere because we do. I also found it interesting that even before I sat down with the band to commence the make-up routine for the show that the club owner approached me to make sure that we confirmed at least two shows at his place for 2010. That’s what we like to call job security. If you’ve been following my blogs for the entire year I want to thank you. It’s really a labor of love to wake up the next day and recreate in my mind what we experienced the night before on my keyboard for those of you that couldn’t be there. For the most part we worked with a show that flowed well musically thanks to Andrews’s attention to our set list. But for last night’s show we pulled out all the stops. As is usually the case with club shows we need to extend the length of the show to accommodate the hours of 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM. For this show we certainly made sure that we used everything that we had in the tank, so to speak. From the opening notes of “Detroit Rock City” to the thundering tom-fills of “War Machine” our mission was to give this show our all. At recent rehearsals we had been working on a few songs that we have never performed “live” before. As we stood in the dressing room before the show we looked at one another and decided that if the vibe was right we would give a few of them a shot. So for the first time with this version of the band we performed an edited version of “100,000 Years” and the soon to be released second single from Sonic Boom “Say Yeah”. Both songs were very well received and we looked at each other after they were performed and thought “not bad”. It’s enjoyable for us to try newer songs from time to time and these both added a fresh musical shot in the arm to both us and the fans. There were also a few other songs that we added like “Rock Soldiers” and “Heavens On Fire” even “C’mon & Love Me”. For the most part it was a veritable feast of classic KISS. You can bet that by the time we hit the stage again in 2010 we’ll have even more tracks from the KISS catalog to wet your appetite with. So as I put the final key strokes on our calendar year of 2009 I want to thank everyone that helped to continue making my dream come to life. To Joe, Rob and Andrew…I’m nothing without each of you. From my poster-filled room as a kid to the stages that we walk on together, thank you for everything that I remember and even the things that I forget. To Tina and Ann…I don’t trust my dreams to just anyone and the two of you continue to make it possible for me to dream with my eyes wide open. I love you both. To Rodney…thank you for giving the world our vision with your computer. We’ve never looked so good. To Karen and Pete…thank you for sharing us with the world through your photos. To all of the fans…thank you for sharing your life with us and for giving us memories that we’ll talk about forever. To anyone that carried an amp, lifted a drum case, tuned a guitar or just lent a hand in some small way THANK YOU! Lastly…thank you KISS. Thanks for allowing us to continue to share with our fans the legend that you have created. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…it is an honor to walk in your shadows. See you all again in 2010… Blog Entry, 11.21.09 Slim & Chubbys Show day in Strongsville once again and Slim and Chubbys is the place. Our arrival at the club was pretty typical as darkness fell and the cool grip of the November air was all around us. We had quite a week within the confines of the MR.SPEED camp but we knew that we could make everything seem alright with a good show. Our normal sound man Bill was unable to work the show with us so he arranged for a replacement. We really missed Bill. By 8:45 PM we had sound checked a few songs and felt good enough to leave the stage and go begin the make-up ritual that we all love. Chubby gave us the green light to hit the stage at 10:30 PM and that’s exactly what we did. To our surprise as we entered the stage area from a back entrance the surge of heat that hit us was unbelievable. I was the last one to hit the stage and the sea of fans that greeted us was truly inspiring. They must have had a can opener at the front door to allow as many people into the club as they did…the place was packed! There were quite a few familiar faces staring back at us and just as many first timers too. We unleashed another classic set of tracks on the SRO crowd and it didn’t take long to work up a sweat. This crowd was intense and it really makes us feel great when their responses match the intensity to which we’re performing the songs. For me personally I love seeing the smiles and watching the crowd doing the choreography right along with us. That validates for me that we’re reaching them deep inside. As usual with a club show we break up the set into two different stages. For this show we added another special song that we recently began working on. Not a KISS song per say but one from Ace’s “Frehleys Comet” called “Rock Soldiers”. Having seen Ace recently here in Cleveland and fielding requests through our site from fans we were inspired to add the song as soon as possible. It was pretty clear that we had quite a few rock soldiers with us last night. To the delight of the fans we were able to add a few extra songs to the show. They were “Heavens on Fire”, “Parasite” and “Rip It Out”. One of the attributes about our band is that when someone is in need of a little help during the show we lend support to make it work for us and the fans. Andrew has had a tough bout with tonsillitis recently and so he asked if I could help him with “Black Diamond”. This would be a first for me as I’ve never had the chance to sing the song much beyond the usual intro. So I decided to give the guys an extra break by extending the beginning of the song. I started with the first verse of “Shandi” and then moved on to the first verse of “I Still Love You”. From there I enticed the crowd to clap along with me for the transition into “Black Diamond” as we all sang the intro together…tonight we had them under our thumb. As the gear was shut off and all of the chords were unplugged on the stage many fans approached us with extremely nice things to say. One fan in particular came up to me and said that she had seen us at least five times. I was really grateful for her continued support. She followed that up by continuing to say that tonight’s show for her was “phenomenal”! She told me that she wanted to make sure that I knew that. Thank you Lisa, that was very kind and we all really appreciate it. We’ll be back to Slim & Chubbys in 2010. If you get the chance to catch the show there please do…it’s a great place for us and for classic KISS! Blog Entry, 11.07.09 Fremont American Legion What a show! I don’t know how else to put it. To be honest going into this event we were a little skeptical of how things would turn out seeing as this show was being promoted by the opening band. But in the end we were amazed at the efforts of everyone involved with seeing this show to fruition. We have nothing but admiration for Angie McConnell and the guys in Down Under Thunder for allowing us to be a part of such a great, great show. We arrived mid-afternoon to find a hall that echoed of 1970’s nostalgia and before. Crushed velvet drapes hung silently at the back of the stage almost as if they were guarding the history of the hall itself. Opening the door to our dressing room you could smell the years of pride and courage of those that had come before us. The atmosphere was truly lending itself to that of a rock and roll show that many of us there could have only dreamed of growing up. The opening band was a local AC/DC tribute called Down Under Thunder. We had performed with them in Tiffin, Ohio back in June so we were somewhat familiar with what they were going to offer the sold out crowd. They tore into their set with both old and familiar tracks from many of the classic AC/DC albums that their fans love. The crowd’s response after each song was incredible and we knew that by the time we hit the stage that they would be ready to tear the roof off this place. We hit the stage right around 10:00 PM. The fans had surged towards the front of the stage. Many there wore the t-shirts of the band that they were representing and there were quite a few KISS t-shirts strewn throughout. Many parents brought their kids to the show and they were pressed right up against the stage straining to get as close as they could to us. As is normally the case it takes a few songs for everyone to process what it is that they’re seeing. They stare at us but quickly look away if we catch their eye. Our boots and guitars were not safe even with the ornamental railing affixed to the front of the stage as a barrier between us both. I must have given out close to 40 guitar picks which I have to tell you is a lot. Our set was nothing short of classic to say the least. We quickly got out of the gate with “Detroit Rock City” right into “Deuce” and then “Do You Love Me”. With each song the crowd loosened up just a little bit more. Their response rivaled the same response that we received in Toledo just one week earlier…it was loud! We had taken “Cold Gin” out of the set for this show but due to an overwhelming response we added it along with “Strutter” about half way through the show. Performing in a new town for us is great. But getting the reaction that we did from the fans there last night was one we won’t soon forget. For this small town they have a lot to be proud of when it comes to knowing classic rock and roll and appreciating those that are playing it. We ended typically with “Rock And Roll All Nite” and just when I thought they couldn’t get any louder I was proven wrong. It amazes me sometimes when I think why it takes so long for some crowds to get as into the show as they do when we play this song. I think it really boils down to the fact that if you play it well enough and you have real passion in the room for what the song says it makes for an unbeatable combination. After the show many fans approached us and asked when we’ll be coming back to Fremont. I can honestly say I hope it’s much sooner than later. We had a blast! Blog Entry, 10.30.09 The Omni I couldn’t think of a better place for us to have a show on the eve of Halloween than the Omni in Toledo. We arrived at the club and entered the cavernous room as the sound and light crew were making hasty preparations for our arrival. Everyone was in extremely good spirits with great anticipation moving throughout the club. We always look forward to the crowds that we get when we perform at this place as they really know how to have a great time. Tonight would be no exception. After slipping out for dinner we arrived back to find a small crowd gathering in the parking lot for the show. Inside we made a few last minute preparations to the stage and the doors were slung open welcoming those who arrived for a good spot. Our set list tonight would be one full of classic cuts from most of the KISS albums. This would include “Modern Day Delilah” which received a thunderous response when it was through. We felt that the crowd really appreciated the effort that we put forth in performing a track from Sonic Boom, KISS’ new studio album. One cosmetic change that we made to the stage for this show was the addition of an extra vocal mic on a platform in the center of the stage. We talked about the use of the microphone before the show started citing that it wasn’t very “KISS-like” but it did offer an extra advantage if we found ourselves out of place and needed to add a vocal part in a pinch. The best advantage that it offered was during my intro to “Black Diamond”. I utilized the platform and was able to sing an extra verse of “I Still Love You” before leading the crowd through our usual call and response of “Black Diamond” that we’re all very used to. Finishing the show in typical KISS fashion with tremendous participation from the crowd was exactly what we were hoping for. The fans in Toledo are loud and proud of their passion for rock and roll. This night would be another example of why we love playing at the Omni. After the show we met with fans for almost an hour taking photos and signing autographs. Thanks to everyone that hung around with us and made us feel as welcomed as always. We’ll look forward to seeing everyone once again in 2010. Blog Entry, 10.17.09 The Sly Fox The cool chill of fall was in the air last night as we arrived at The Sly Fox. Not having performed in a club setting for some time we knew that our fans were going to be ready for a long night of rock and roll. We quickly transformed the empty duct tape covered stage into a reasonable facsimile of a rock and roll show. The guys were soon ready to sound check but I discovered a technical glitch with my guitar rig which unfortunately caused me undue stress and also set me back with my make up preparation. We quickly ran through one song to get things close to where we needed them to be and it was off to the dressing room. By this time a decent crowd had started to gather and the adrenalin began to flow. Cramped in our beer…I mean dressing room, we really do get ready in the room where they store all of the alcohol for the club the rest of the guys were well ahead of me in the prep. But I rose to the occasion and we all crossed the finish line neck and neck. To be honest, all I have to do is a lousy star on my face, right Andrew? So just before 10:30 we began the short walk to the stage. An enthusiastic crowd greeted us with many new faces looking back this time. We sometimes find ourselves so pumped up when we hit the stage that we seem to race through our opening set faster than we would like to. But tonight we kept the tempo of each song very steady and the show worked out very well. Once again we performed our two newest songs…Modern Day Delilah and Tears Are Falling. Many fans agreed that we perform the new KISS single very well and that’s a great compliment for us. It’s very gratifying to know that our hard work with this new material is reaching the fans in that way. We have talked at rehearsal about which other songs from Sonic Boom we’d like to try and add to the show. Once we narrow it down and begin rehearsing which ever song it is we’ll be sure to add it to the live show soon after. I can’t say that this was our best effort but it had some shining moments for sure. A number of clichés come to mind but in the end it gives us something to work towards. I’m certain that many that attended the show went home with a satisfied feeling and a renewed sense of why they listened to KISS to this day. I did meet a very nice couple after the show ended that told me this…they came to the show with some friends and really didn’t know much about KISS. By the time the show was finished they were thrilled with what they had seen and wanted to know more about KISS and will definitely be coming to see us again. Mission accomplished. Blog Entry, 09.26.09 A Homecoming KISS - Cadillac, MI As I begin writing this blog I quickly become aware that I will struggle to put into words exactly how I felt this past weekend in Cadillac. It seemed like only yesterday that Jim Neff and I starting putting the blueprint together for what would ultimately become one of the defining moments in our bands history. A tremendous amount of anticipation surrounded us for the ten months leading up to this show. Let’s fast forward to Friday, September 25th. We had arranged with a good friend of ours to travel in style for this weekend on his motor home complete with a 16’ trailer. This way everyone could sit back and relax and take in the 6 hour trip into northern Michigan. I must interject that Cadillac wasn’t our only stop along the way. We did manage to catch the opening night of the KISS tour at Cobo Hall as well but that’s a completely different story in itself. So after leaving the KISS show we continued our trek north into Michigan arriving at our destination just before 4:30 AM on Saturday. Everyone quickly grabbed a few hours of sleep before we were on our way to the high school for our load-in and sound check. Jim met us at the high school with a great group of friends that also doubled as MR.SPEED roadies for the day. Their help was invaluable. We turned a quiet and empty auditorium stage into a lurking monster about to unleash it’s fury on an unsuspecting victim. Before long we were almost ready to go. Our vocals were giving us a problem so we took a break and headed into town to be the guest judges at a “70’s style” dance competition. Back at the high school we put the finishing touches on our sound check. We then all took some time to grab lunch at our favorite restaurant in Cadillac called Maggie’s Saloon. By now it was closing in on 3:00 PM and the show was five hours away. We gathered back at the high school and put the finishing touches on all of the incidentals associated with the show. Also along for the trip this weekend were three friends of ours that were collectively working on two different video projects for us. Dustin has been employed to create our new promo video. Jim Sweeney and Lynn Ischay are working on a short film or documentary about MR.SPEED. I also must mention that Karen and Pete Menyhart were there too taking hundreds and hundreds of photos making sure that we documented this momentous occasion with still photographs as well. We wanted to make sure that we took advantage of our time with Karen so we put together a photo shoot in one of the school hallways. In the end we discovered that the worst time to try and accomplish a photo shoot is on the day of a show. Things really didn’t go as planned and we all sort of felt a sense of emptiness as time ran out on our opportunity. By this time it was nearly 6:30 PM and Jim had arranged for us to meet with a group of VIP’s for photo opportunities. Many city officials and alumni posed for pictures with us including the 1975 Homecoming Queen and even Coach Dave Brines. Mayor Bill Barnett and his wife Denise were there too. Bill would be instrumental during our show as he would accompany Andrew on piano for a very special version of the KISS classic “Beth”. The photos were finished and the show was about to begin. Electric anticipation was in the air as over 700 fans packed the auditorium seats for our show. Not since October of 1975 had there been quite this same feeling running through the halls of Cadillac High. At precisely 8:00 PM a special video segment from Kissology1 was played on a giant video screen above the stage. As the video ended the curtain opened and we hit the gas and headed for “Detroit Rock City”. Through the darkness we could see many painted faces throughout the crowd. Not quite to the magnitude that KISS may have seen but surreal just the same. After a few songs Joe enticed the crowd to come up to the stage and really let loose and that’s exactly what they did. From the final notes of “Do You Love Me” the room was filled with the intensity of Tiger Stadium and Cobo Hall all wrapped into one. It was very apparent to us that these fans had waited a long time to see something that would resurrect the magic that KISS brought to their town some 34 years earlier. As with each show we strive to add something special not only for the fans but for ourselves as well. In the few weeks leading up to this show we began rehearsing two new songs to add to the show. They were “Tears Are Falling” and the soon to be KISS classic “Modern Day Delilah”. The reaction to both songs was overwhelming and you can be sure that these two songs will become staples of our live show from now on. With each song that we performed the crowd seems to get more and more into it. Their responses to our songs at times were deafening. It was sad to know that with each song that the end of the show was drawing near. Before we finished in our usual fashion with “Rock And Roll All Nite” we presented Jim with his very own honorary membership in MR.SPEED. We presented him with a plaque commemorating the special event. It was a tremendous pleasure for me to do this and it was a special moment between Jim and our band that we will always remember. We closed the show with everyone giving it their all. The call and response between us and the crowd has never been so loud. As an added surprise we showered the first few rows with gold streamers as the final chorus of the song began. Afterwards we met with almost 100 fans for photos in the lobby of the school. The biggest thrill in meeting the fans came when a student from the ’75 class handed us each an original KISS flyer that the band threw out of the helicopter as they left the football field at the end of that historic visit. We were blown away, truly the coolest way to end an amazing day for us all. Exhausted and exhilarated were the feelings that came over me as I made my way back to the dressing room after the show. I can only hope that the outpouring of appreciation for our tribute will bring us back to Cadillac before another 34 years passes us by. I miss them already… Blog Entry, 08.22.09 Holmes County Fair For anyone that knows what it’s like to grind it out during the work week like we do the weekends offer us the best therapy that we could hope for. As is typically the case when we have an outdoor performance the wind is usually swirling. As we arrived at the Holmes County Fair for our first ever performance there we were met with beautiful blue skies. The stage was set on a grassy field that was separate from the midway full of rides and concessions. As is typically the case with a fair the aroma of manure could be sampled quite frequently even with the wind beginning to pick up as evening drew near. We found ourselves with a little bit of a time restraint seeing as there were two other bands performing before us. So we all worked together and set up our show in record time…I believe it was pretty close to a half an hour. We were extremely pleased with our progress but I’m sure that the band that performed right before us was less than enthused. Nonetheless we transformed a rather unattractive stage into one that was chomping at the bit for some classic KISS. Once we were set up we took in a quick meal and relaxed before beginning the make-up process at 7:30. Darkness fell just before our show was about to begin. The temperature also dropped which seemed quite unusual for the end of August. But once we hit the stage a great crowd was awaiting us. Many young fans had their faces painted with their favorite member's design. Once again KISS and MR.SPEED tee shirts could be seen throughout the crowd. We wanted this show to be a stand out performance seeing as we would be taking a few weeks off before our next event. Kicking off the show with “Love Gun” everything seemed to be right on track. The sound was very good and the initial reaction from the fans was extremely positive. Quite a few familiar faces were among the crowd along with many that were new. The young fans can’t ever seem to get close enough straining for a better view or even a guitar pick. One woman even held an infant right in front of the stage. The amazing fact about this was that the child was unaffected by the sight of us or the volume that was pouring forth from our Marshall amplifiers. Andrew tried some new pairings of songs for our set list including one that had us play “Watchin’ You” into “Hotter Than Hell” and then into “Shout It Out Loud”. One of the drawbacks to performing live at times is the adrenaline rush that we get when we’re on stage. We really try to pace ourselves so that the tempo of the show remains even all the way through. But inevitably we find ourselves adding extra songs to compensate for the energy rush. We managed to add “War Machine”, “I Love It Loud” and “I Stole Your Love” to the delight of the fans that were requesting many different options to us. As the show drew to a close we brought the fans remaining closer to the stage. Smiles could be seen on many of the faces as they sang along to “Rock And Roll All Nite” with us. The temperature didn’t seem to matter much any longer. Fists were pumping in the air creating enough energy to light a small city. As my boots came to rest on the stage from my last leap of the evening we gathered with a good number of fans for photos near our merchandise table. The response from many expressed a sincere hope that we will return to the fair again next year. I met with many on the committee after the show and the likelihood looks very promising that we will return. We look at that as another victory for both KISS and our tribute to them. We’ll look forward to our return next year and to seeing you there as well. Blog Entry, 08.14.09 Rally in the Alley After having not played for some time we were chomping at the bit to get back at our “live” show. But this wasn’t going to be just any show. This show is the show in town especially because two of us live here. With each outdoor show we keep a close eye on the weather forecast to make sure we know what we’re in for. Thankfully the rock gods were smiling on us as we brought the show to the alley behind the Main Street Café in Medina, OH. We were somewhat reluctant that we would be able to fit our whole show on the stage after having attended a few previous performances to sort of scope things out. But all of our worries were laid to rest once we arrived on Friday afternoon. We fit our show perfectly on the stage and the sound and lighting crew that worked the show with us could not have been nicer. We really want to tip our hats to them for a job well done. Our dressing room was set up in the back room of Woodsy’s Music, a great local music store next door to the venue. Thanks to Greg and Brad for all of their help in keeping us cool and helping us to get into our gear for the show. Our show was split into two sets. We hit the stage right at 7:30 for the first hour of our set. A very good crowd met us as we exploded into “Detroit Rock City”. It didn’t take long for our on stage antics to be sweat covered from the near 90 degree temperatures that persisted into the early evening. There were lots of KISS and MR.SPEED tee shirts strewn throughout the crowd which always makes us feel good. It’s very satisfying to know that what we’re doing as a tribute to KISS is bringing fans back time and time again to see us. I could tell by the faces that were staring back at me that a good bit of the crowd at this point wasn’t quite sure what to make of us. So we turned it up a notch as the first set came to close with a smoking version of 1977’s “Love Gun”. We took a much longer break than normal which is customary for the event each week. So from 8:30 – 9:30 we met with fans by the side of the stage. There we posed for photos and signed tee shirts and 8x10’s. By this time the crowd was growing in size. It was becoming difficult for us to maneuver among them to accommodate the requests that many of them had. Soon it was time to retake the stage for the second half of the show. If you listened closely you could almost hear the needle drop on the record of “ALIVE!” as we tore into “Deuce” to start the second half of the show. For any performer it’s extremely satisfying to know that what you believe in so much is making an impact on the fans that are coming to see you. By this time the crowd has swelled to an unbelievable number with some fans even daring the heights of nearby rooftops just to be a part of the show! This night we witnessed an amazing display of emotions as Mother Nature and the KISS Army met at the holy church of rock and roll for one unforgettable night. By the time we brought everyone to the climax of the show with “Rock And Roll All Nite” it was very evident that our long wait to be a part of the Rally had paid off. Everyone will attest that this will most definitely not be the last time that classic KISS is brought to the alley just off the main square in Medina. I guarantee that when it returns it will be brought on the platform boots and chrome covered drums of it’s hometown KISS-heads…MR.SPEED! Blog Entry, 07.10.09 Ritz Theater The last time that we performed in Tiffin, Ohio was just about 10 years ago. So I guess you could say that this show was long overdue. The eight months of preparation and waiting for this show to arrive went by with the blink of an eye. There we were on the stage of the Ritz. What a beautiful place. It truly is a gift to be able to play at places like this. The stage held our back line and KISS sign perfectly almost as though we were meant to play there. Of course we weren’t the only band performing but in our minds the only band that mattered. For this show we were sharing the stage with a local tribute to AC/DC and Draw the Line, a tribute to Aerosmith. Our set up routine seemed effortless and our sound check was an absolute treat. The PA sounded great and the feeling that came over me as I stood on the stage was one of real accomplishment. In true MR.SPEED fashion we arrived on time and got right to work. Once our set up was complete we had time to take in a local pizzeria for a pre-show meal. Back at the venue shortly thereafter we put the final touches on our gear and our instruments before heading back to our dressing room. The Ritz was set up with not one but two dressing rooms so we had plenty of room to set up our kits and lay out our costumes. Our show time was on the earlier side at this show, 7:50 PM and our set was to last 75 minutes. As usual our normal banter took place as we got into our “war paint” for the show. By the way…don’t leave your cell phone unattended in the dressing room. Everyone was ready with time to spare so we made our way to the stage a little earlier than planned. The crowd was beginning to sense the start of our show and we began feeding off of their energy. As our intro concluded we ripped into “Love Gun”. The crowd was stunned at first with many showing looks of shock and amazement. We didn’t hold back and as each song passed we could feel the crowd beginning to loosen up. Joe’s smoking guitar solo seemed to be just what we needed to ignite the flame. We put together a set of KISS classics knowing that the crowd was looking for the songs that they knew the most. But in true MR.SPEED style we did add “Mr.Speed” to the list as a result of an on-line fan vote that was held prior to the show. When we played “Lick It Up” it seemed that the flood gates just burst open. Fans began dancing in their seats and pumping their fists in the air. From there Rob dug deep for an extended version of his blood routine just prior to “God of Thunder”. Andrew seized the moment to add an impromptu drum solo as a prelude to the finale of the show that included “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock And Roll All Nite”. Sometimes you don’t want to see the show end and this was one time that I had hoped for just that. I was very happy with our performance and I felt that we left the fans wanting more. We quickly exited the stage and gathered in the main lobby. There we met with fans for photos and autographs. It seemed that many of the fans that met with us were extremely pleased with our performance, many seeing us for the very first time. Overall we really had a great time being a part of this event. Since we have retuned home we have had a few emails from fans that already are asking us when we’ll be back in Tiffin. Time will tell and I hope that it won’t take as long between show dates for us to do just that. We want to thank George Vastag for his passion and desire to put on a show like this for the fans. George is just like us…he’s a fan too. We hope that in the end your Relay For Life team gets one step closer to helping those in need to see a brighter future. Blog Entry, 06.28.09 29th Old Fashioned Days Many of you may not realize how much time and effort we put into securing performances at festivals each year. We approach these types of events with a different vision then say an area bar show for example. So as we arrived at the site of last nights performance we viewed our glass of optimism as half full, not half empty. The weather was in full cooperation as this was an outdoor event. The sky was crystal blue with very little clouds to speak of and this is of considerable note to be sure. Just two nights earlier we attended the Def Leppard show at Blossom Music Center and Mother Nature delayed the start of the show with howling winds and consistent rain for more than an hour or so. So we were thrilled with the way things were headed. Right from the start the organizers of the event greeted us at the backstage area and could not have been more accommodating. We were left to do our load in without having to deal with any other acts or events on the stage and that is critical for a band like ours that has so much to set up. We filled the stage with our backline and KISS sign while our sound man made last minute preparations for our sonic assault. With a quick sound check complete we were driven just up the road to an undisclosed location to prepare with our make up and costumes. At 7:30 PM a sweet motor home arrived to drive us back down to the stage. Upon arrival we were amazed at the size of the crowd that had gathered. We ascended the stairs to the stage and prepared our instruments as the crowds curiosity began to rise. We had agreed to begin our show in the same fashion that KISS did on their Rock The Nation tour by walking out as we performed “Love Gun”. To be honest I think we found our new show opener for sure. It took a few songs for the crowd to come to grips with what they were seeing but by the time Andrew was pounding out the intro to “Do You Love Me” we could feel the energy in the air begin to thicken. There was an area below the front of the stage for people to gather that had remained empty until I threw a guitar pick to a young boy. Before we realized it a swarm of kids converged on the stage with their hands held upwards wanting a souvenir of their own. As entertainers we were thrilled by the reaction from the crowd. Many there were smiling and singing along with each song. It didn’t matter the age, both young and old alike were feeling as one with all the hits that we performed. As agreed upon before the show we took a short break halfway through our set and met with many fans at our merchandise tent. We took photos and signed photos and spoke with anyone that had something to say. Before too long we were back up on the stage and headed for “Detroit Rock City”. We never looked back and the crowd grew more and more enthusiastic with each song. As we once again dedicated “Rock And Roll All Nite” to the United States Armed Services the roar from the crowd was incredible. It’s extremely gratifying for us to feel that we can supply the release for so many people with a hobby that for us has itself provided so much pleasure over the years. As the show concluded and the amps were silenced we met with many fans once again at our tent. So many fans had such complimentary things to say to us and we in turn thanked them for coming out to spend some of their time in return. It’s great for us to connect with both parents and kids that can share the event together and this night was one to set the bar to. I spoke with the event coordinators and thanked them for running such a professional and efficient event. They were thrilled with the reaction of the crowd and our performance was everything that they had hoped for. A local police officer commented to Joe’s wife that our crowd was the largest crowd they had ever seen at their festival and if that’s indeed true we’re grateful for being a part of it. I can tell you that we briefly chatted about the possibility of returning in 2010 to bring classic KISS rock and roll to the Old Fashioned Days festival. This time they would like to include full pyrotechnics with the show. Only time will tell but if anyone knows me well enough you can bet that Brunswick is going to feel the heat of the legend that is KISS come the warm June nights of the summer of 2010. Blog Entry, 06.13.09 The Omni Last night was another smoking’ hot night at The Omni in Toledo, Ohio. This was our fourth visit to the place that for us resembles a true rock and roll environment. Great management along with a great staff keeps us honest and aware of just how grateful we are to be a part of their success. We arrived with every intention of establishing ourselves once again for the die hard rockers that come out for each show. Just before we hit the stage we took part in a photo shoot just outside of our dressing area. Keep your eyes on our site in the next few days for new images of each band member along with group shots taken by our very good friend Karen Menyhart. There were quite a few familiar faces mixed into the crowd along with just as many new faces too. What I like best about our crowds here is that they let you know they’re there…they’re LOUD! I wish that you could know how it feels to stride across the stage in front of a sea of KISS fans that are just waiting to explode. You don’t even have to do anything and you can feel the passion lift you as they cheer your arrival. We experimented with a new opener, “I Stole Your Love” and followed that up with “King of the Nighttime World”. What we soon discovered is that straying from what is familiar isn’t always the best thing. This test didn’t seem to have the impact that we had hoped for and we seemed to struggle to establish that immediate adrenaline rush that we’ve become so accustomed to. We rebounded with “Do You Love Me” and the momentum seemed to pick up soon after. Fans were pounding their fists in the air with every song. We did our best to accommodate the camera phones and their distant relatives the SLR cameras with every move. I could tell by the smiles that everyone was having a great time. For us that is the immediate satisfaction that we hope for which validates the hard work that we put into each performance. Many in the crowd were seizing the moment to shout out song titles to us in between each song that we played. What’s interesting about that is that after a while it becomes apparent which songs the fans are really hoping to hear. We keep a keen ear to what they’re shouting and make sure that we consider each one very carefully. This show was played pretty close to the vest except for 1998’s “Into the Void” from Psycho Circus. Attempting to maintain a high octane flow to the show we mixed in “Cold Gin” and “Strutter” to the set at a time when time and our energy level seemed to be our enemy. Andrew added his Detroit ’77 bootleg influence to his drum solo during “God of Thunder”. Fast becoming known for his wanton desire to constantly mix things up in our sets the crowd really came alive during his spotlight in the show. Both Joe and Rob did their best to splatter and smoke out the front of the stage during their respective solos. I kept it clean with my intro to “Black Diamond” while trying to construct a healthy competition of crowd response from all four corners of the room. In the end this was another successful trip to a great club. I’m not sure of the exact numbers but I think it’s pretty safe to assume 400-500 fans witnessed the most recent story that we written in our history. We’ll return to the friendly walls of the Omni this coming October when ghouls and goblins will rise to once again stand together to sing the praises of almighty rock and roll. Blog Entry, 06.10.09 Riverstar Sports & Entertainment Complex It had been two years since our last performance in Cincinnati and that was at a KISS Expo. We went into our 4 hour trip with great anticipation of what was in store for us later in the day. After arriving shortly before 3 PM we commenced our load in and had the show ready to go in no time. Last minute preparations were made to the sound system which delayed our sound check longer than we would have liked but it didn’t bother us in the least. We ran through a few songs to get things show ready and then it was off to the dressing room for our pre-show prep. A small crowd had gathered early outside the front doors of the venue with some fans wearing the make up designs of their favorite member. We found this to be very encouraging with a few hours to go before show time. However, the crowd would not exceed 100 people and the cavernous design of the room made it feel like a glorified dress rehearsal for us. But as is always the case we never let the number of people that show up deter us from giving it everything that we have. We played a great show. Those that were there had a tremendous energy and we fed off of it. Our set consisted of many of the classics as is usually the case but we did manage to add “Magic Touch” to the second half of the show. We took a short break to help support www.OperationTroopAid.org and meet with many of the fans that were there. Once we climbed back on stage the energy level seemed to increase and a few fans began shouting song titles to us. As we came to the end of the show we felt that it was only fair to add a few extra songs to the show so we performed “Strutter”, “War Machine” and “Rock Bottom” to their delight. Of course we ended with “Rock And Roll All Nite” just before the encores and it still didn’t seem to be enough to pacify the desire that raged from the fans that remained. After the show had ended we took a few photos and even did an impromptu interview. We felt very good about what we had accomplished and hope that someday soon we’ll return to the Cincinnati area. Blog Entry, 05.23.09 Slim & Chubby’s In the past we’ve been a little gun shy about performing on holiday weekends and this one would cause us concern as well. The weather couldn’t have been any better on Saturday. So we loaded up the show and delivered the goods to Slim & Chubby’s one more time to rock one of the coolest places on the west side of Cleveland. We love this club for the great food and great crowds that we usually draw when we’re there. Load in was finished a little after 7:30 PM and we took some time to have dinner together before we did our sound check. Everyone was in a very loose and relaxed mood as we played through “Deuce” and “Shout It Out Loud”. Everything seemed ready to go and the final touches were made to our gear and the stage. A small group of fans had begun to arrive by 8:30 PM and the four of us disappeared to the dressing room at 8:45 PM to do our make up. In the dressing room we all took our own places to spread out our things and get comfortable in order to apply our make up. The normal poking at one another commenced with each of us sharing the spotlight with light hearted humor towards one of the others. This is extremely normal for us and really lends to lighten the mood even more. We usually don’t listen to music as I’m sure is the case with most bands but instead we tend to use this time to reconnect with one another and share a few laughs. The more we play the quicker we all seem to get with our application. I guess you could say that practice makes perfect? Unlike most of the clubs where we perform we descend from the dressing room and exit the building to get to the stage. This way we don’t have to walk through the crowd in order to reach the stage. As I mentioned earlier we were concerned about the number of fans that would show up but much to our surprise the room was fairly full as the show began. Early on I could feel that once again we were firing on all cylinders. The music just seemed to flow from the stage and everything seemed effortless. I’ve mentioned this in my last two blogs as well that we really seem to be hitting a stride with our performances lately. For us that makes the rehearsals seem so much more worth it. The fans benefit too. Song highlights for me were “Take Me” and “Lick It Up”. But it would be fair to say that most of the songs that we played were well received and gauging by the smiles on peoples faces they agreed. All of the show highlights were there. The smoking guitar and a thunderous drum solo from Andrew. Rob really got into his blood routine and even had to step away from the mic during the first verse of “God Of Thunder” as all of the blood didn’t find the floor as it should have. Sensing Rob was in trouble for a quick second I jumped in and sang the first verse of the song. Rob recovered and we finished without any further incident. The second set followed right where the first one left off. We did manage to make one change by adding “Rip It Out” in place of “Christine Sixteen”. By the time we reached the finale of the show everyone that remained had surged toward the front of the stage. The energy that filled the room was intense and many fans found it within themselves to help us to sing the entire song…of course that being “Rock And Roll All Nite”. Overall we were very pleased with the show and the fact that we have put together a good string of successful shows in a row. We’ll look forward to returning to Slim & Chubby’s in the fall but not before we visit many more new and exciting places this summer. We’ll see you all at a show very soon. Keep rockin! Blog Entry, 05.10.09 Front Row Bar & Grill We were openly optimistic arriving at the Front Row Bar & Grill last night for our first performance at this venue. Everything leading up to the show in regards to preparation had gone very well so we anticipated a great night of classic KISS was in store. The stage was a bit on the smaller side but in great shape. The seating in the club is a bit elevated which sort of added a unique perspective of the stage and the show. We had to scale back the amount of our backline in order to fit what we could and still have room to maneuver during the show. We began our sound check shortly before 7:30 PM and found this to be a lesson in patience for sure. Once too much of our time was wasted while the sound guys tried to figure out their equipment a few of the guys grabbed a quick meal and we then disappeared backstage to begin the make up application. By the owners standards a very good crowd had gathered to witness our show. To be honest I’m not 100% sold on the fact that everyone was there to see us but I’ll go with it. We all looked great as we hit the stage shortly after 10:00 PM. It seemed as though the crowd wasn’t quite sure what to make of us from the very first notes of “Detroit Rock City”. Andrew provided the intro of “You Wanted The Best and You Got The Best…” seeing as the club did not have a CD player in which we could utilize our intro CD. I had stated in last weeks blog that I felt that as a band we played really well. Tonight was another efficiently performed show. I could feel the energy in the music from the stage and contrary to how the sound seemed to us a few close friends reinforced that we sounded really good out front. We fired through “Take Me” and “I Love It Loud” with great enthusiasm. Joe unleashed an in your face rendition of “Shock Me” when he stepped off of the stage and let the smoke from his Les Paul pour out in into the crowd. After finishing our first set with “Love Gun” we took a much needed break to regroup. The temperature on the stage felt as though it had risen about twenty degrees since the start of the show. The four of us were dripping with sweat so to be able to relax and reenergize for the second set was time well spent. The second set seemed effortless as well. The crowd seemed to diminish just a bit but we were not bothered in the least. Opening with “I Stole Your Love” into “Deuce” seemed to be just what those who remained needed to keep the night going. Before too long we were winding down with our last songs of the show. A few of the fans began shouting out song titles for us to attempt. Seeing as we were unable to perform “Beth” due to the lack of the CD player we added “Rip It Out” from Ace’s solo album. Andrew provides an inspiring display of chops leading up to the solo that would make even Anton Fig take notice. Nicely played my friend. Finishing up with “Rock And Roll All Nite” in typical KISS fashion had everyone that remained really letting loose. The crowd response was incredible and the only thing that struck me at that point was why they waited so long to come alive? It appears as though a return date for the Front Row Bar & Grill will take place in the fall. Stay tuned for upcoming details and we’ll hope to see you and ten friends at a show very soon. Rock On! Blog Entry, 05.02.09 Mentor Wing House Last night was our second trip to the Wing House in Mentor, Ohio. We weren’t exactly thrilled with our first trip there back in January due to sub-zero temperatures and close to a foot of snow on the ground. But all that was a memory as we pulled in shortly after 6:00 PM. This time we were working with a different sound man and we were extremely optimistic about what he had to offer us. Much to our surprise Steve was way beyond what we had hoped for so things were definitely looking up. We set up our backline and finished our sound check just before 8:00 PM. We ran through “Ladies Room” and “Nothin’ To Lose” to get ourselves loosened up. The mood was very light and everyone seemed to be in good spirits as we headed into the dressing room to prepare for the show. Just after 10:00 PM we emerged from the dressing room to a modest crowd. There was a good mix of both familiar and unfamiliar faces strewn throughout the crowd. Nothing about our set list changed from our last show with the exception that early on in this show we were playing really well. Our first set consisted of 18 songs. Just about every one of them was a familiar classic from the KISS catalog. Stand out numbers that I felt went really well were “I Want You”, “Lick It Up” and “Take Me”. The crowd took a little more time than at our last show to ease themselves into the vibe that we were attempting to lay down. Rob seems to be coming more and more out of his shell with his blood routine. His mannerisms and facial expressions seem to be coming a little more naturally due to some additional coaxing from us at rehearsal. There was a small group of fans sitting right in front of me that really seemed to ignore the less than enthusiastic response from many of the rest and they roared their approval after every song. This was their second time seeing us as they told me this earlier in the evening during our set up. During our break we posed for just a handful of photos with a few fans and spent most of our time chatting with fans about their favorite KISS memories. By the time we were well into our second set the number of fans had dwindled down to just a few dozen but the passion that remained more than made up for the number of faces that we could see. We managed to add “Rocket Ride” to the end of the second set just before “Rock And Roll All Nite”. All in all it was great to get back out there and continue to establish ourselves on the east side of town. We’ll be back to the Wing House in the fall and our hope is that many of the fans that have attended our two shows there so far will be back…with a hunger for classic KISS. Blog Entry, 04.05.09 Jimmy’s Bar & Grill The more things change the more they stay the same. The last time that we played this room it was a little over three years ago. It was great for us to return and find that KISS is still in big demand on the east side of town. We began our load-in just after 6:00 PM and in true MR.SPEED-style we had everything ready to go within an hour. For this show we were sharing the stage with two other bands so time was at a premium in order to make sure that all three bands were set up in time. Once we completed our stage set up we moved next door to a salon that would act as our dressing room for the evening. We did a short interview for a local internet television station shortly before we made our way to the stage. At 11:00 PM we hit the stage. A great crowd greeted us as we unleashed our 18 song set of KISS classics. Opening with “Detroit Rock City” seemed to be effortless for us but unforeseen guitar problems caused numerous delays throughout the show. Joe’s wireless system didn’t quite want to cooperate so he quickly ran direct through his amplifier and the show continued without a hitch. Many of the faces among the crowd were familiar to us which as I’ve mentioned in the past really helps us to settle in to the show. I had recently worked on another new long sleeve body suit which I unveiled at this show. It isn’t quite finished but I felt comfortable enough to wear it and give it a shot. It held up really well and is a nice addition to the tank top that I usually wear. Early on the crowd seemed as though they were going to make it tough on us to show them a good time. Even half way through the show I felt that I wasn’t quite grabbing their attention enough so we picked it up a notch. “Lick It Up” and “I Love It Loud” seemed to kick the door open a little bit more as many in attendance began to relax and really let loose with their inhibitions. I also unveiled the new Washburn PS7200 that Andrew won at the recent Indy KISS Expo. I had new pick ups installed this past week and the guitar really plays and feels great. I’ll be sure to make this guitar a mainstay at all of our shows from here on out. A true testament to us was how we were able to hold on to the crowd for the entire show. By the time we reached the finale of “Rock And Roll All Nite” the dance floor was filled with rabid KISS fans. We managed to add “Firehouse” to the end of the show seeing as we were unable to perform “Beth” due to the lack of a CD player at the soundboard. The most special moment of the night for us came after the show was completely over. We were asked to pose for a photo with a fan that was there who had terminal cancer. I was informed that he was unable to speak but that he absolutely did not want to miss our show. For us that’s really what it’s all about. All in all this was a good show. I know that the owner has requested us for a return date which looks like it might happen later in the year. Of course check our “Tour” page for all of the details surrounding our calendar as new shows are added weekly. We’ll see you all soon… Blog Entry, 03.18.09 Indianapolis KISS Expo It seems to me that our “unofficial” home away from home is Indianapolis, Indiana. For the past few years we’ve been fortunate enough to have performed at numerous KISS expos there. In that time we’ve established a strong fan base that seems to grow larger with each event. People from Iowa and Arkansas, Colorado and even Mexico made the trip and many of them are fans as well. This was an exceptionally well attended event so here are the dirty details. We arrived in town on Saturday afternoon shortly after 1:00 PM. With just enough time to drop off our bags and get checked in we were off for a little while on our own. We took in a local winery that wasn’t too far from the hotel. This was actually a really great time and would prove to be even better a little later on in the day. After that initial stop we attempted to visit another winery in the area but sort of lost our way. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world as most of us were getting hungry by this time so we took in a late lunch not far from the hotel. Evening had arrived and we had met up with a few of our close friends in the ballroom for our load in. The stage and backline went up very quickly. Everything looked great and the excitement began to build. Keith from KOL and Steve from Kiss Army Warehouse had arrived and were hastily unloading hundreds and hundreds of t-shirts to sell the following day. Joe, Andrew and I took the opportunity to browse through many of them and even pulled some aside to buy when we were ready. Once everything in regards to the show was in place we made our way down the hall to Damon’s for dinner. By this time it was getting to be close to 8:00 PM and everyone was pretty hungry. Other fans had begun to gather in the restaurant too with many of the faces very familiar to us. The atmosphere was really settling in and you could sense that the expo was shaping up to be one that would provide a great day of excitement for all of us. By this time we met up with a few other friends in the bar and took a little time to share a few drinks with fellow fans. Not wanting to succumb to the real rock star night life we thought it best to turn in shortly after midnight. The following morning rolled around quicker than most of us were prepared for and the adrenaline of what was ahead quickly kicked in. We met for a quick breakfast, enjoying the meal with other fans that had made the trip and who were also familiar to us. Some shared photos of meeting KISS with us and others just wanted to say “hello”. By 11:00 AM we made our way into the ballroom for our sound check. We quickly ran through “All The Way” and “Comin Home” to get the levels on our gear for the show. After sound check a few last minute preparations were made to the stage and our sign and then it was time to enjoy the event. Joe decided once again that he would treat some of the kids in attendance to face painting. All in all he helped to make up thirteen kids with various make up designs of their favorite members. Many fans gathered near our merchandise table and purchased t-shirts or 8x10’s of each of us. I chose to take in all of the merchandise that had been carefully set up on each vendors table. I did manage to purchase a few things but the coolest was an actual KISS road case that I bought from Steve of Kiss Army Warehouse. It was used as far back as 1977 and up until 1994. It has now become a permanent fixture here in my office. We all took in the day in our own way and by mid-afternoon it was time to head back to our rooms for make-up and show preparation. We finished our make-up fairly quickly and decended back down stairs to get ready to go on. Much to our surprise as we made our way through a door near the stage a raffle was being held for a very special prize. The prize just happened to be an autographed Paul Stanley Preacher guitar! Earlier in the day we had entered the contest ourselves and even commented on what we were going to do with the guitar when we won it. As fate would have it as we cleared the doorway Keith called out the lucky winner’s name…our very own cat man, Andrew! We were more or less caught off guard but Andrew leapt onto the stage and accepted the guitar from Keith. Without hesitating he turned and called my name. He had told me that if he won the guitar he would give it to me and that was exactly what he did! I was shocked. What a surprise to have a member of our band win the coveted prize that so many fans there that day were hoping to win themselves. We posed for a few photos with the guitar and then held and impromptu photo shoot with our friends Karen Menyhart and Al Soluri from Kiss online. Very soon afterwards it was time to begin the show. The crowd had surged its way to the very front of the stage. We didn’t have a lot of room to maneuver up there but we made the most of it. We opened our show with four songs from the KISS Solo albums. First it was “Rip It Out” then “Radioactive/Move On” into “Tossin and Turnin”. For us this was a milestone never having performed four songs from the solo albums at any of our shows…ever. From there we commenced with the entire “Hotter Than Hell” album. I’m not sure if this has ever been done before but it was a true labor of love for us. Songs like “Mainline” and “All the Way” were a blast to play. The fans really seemed to appreciate the work that we had put into the show. The highlight for us came in “Hotter than Hell” when we replaced the normal chorus near the end of the song with the one used in “KISS Meets The Phantom”. You know…”Rip, rip…rip and destroy/You know the hours getting late/Rip, rip…rip and destroy/break it down and seal your fate”. The crowd went crazy and I have to admit that it made the hair on my arms stand up. It was very cool. We ended our set with “I” from “Music From The Elder”. We really felt that we had hit a home run with this show but the fans weren’t as content as we were and they demanded that we play a few more songs. So not wanting to cause a riot we obliged with “Love Gun”, “War Machine” and “King Of The Nighttime World”. Satisfied and exhausted we climbed off the stage and met with many fans for photos and autographs. The dealers had broken there tables of merchandise down by this time and many others were on their way home. We cleaned up quickly and began the load out process. Joe and Rob headed home while the rest of stayed behind. We took in a late dinner with a few friends and were in bed by midnight. Collectively we all had a great time. Many new memories were made and friendships were strengthened. We’ll see what’s in store for us in 2010…Indianapolis, WE LOVE YOU! Blog Entry, 03.10.09 The Omni After almost one year between return trips to Toledo, our show at The Omni this past Friday night more than made up for lost time. A rabid crowd of just under 600 gave us all the energy that we needed. This proved to be what the doctor ordered seeing as three of us were nursing some variation of a cold. But all of that disappeared as we donned the make up and costumes for the show. A local band called the Skeleton Crue warmed up the crowd with a ‘70’s-style mix of original tunes. We hit the stage at 10:00 PM to deafening applause. Opening our show with “Detroit Rock City” seemed to set the crowd on fire. This venue is the closest that we have found to a real concert atmosphere and that allows for great interaction between us and the fans. Many of the faces throughout the crowd looked familiar but there were just as many that we had not seen in our previous two visits. Most of our set consisted of all of the classic songs that KISS fans have come to know and love. But on this night we managed to throw in one tune that we’ve never performed “live” before. Many of you will be surprised to find out that of all the songs that we could have done that song ended up being…”Tossin’ and Turnin’” from Peter Criss’ solo album! I’ll be honest with you, this song is a blast to play. It’s completely unlike any other song in our set. Andrew proposed it to us a few weeks ago and after a number of rehearsals it seemed as though it was more than ready to go. So we thought what better place to unveil it than The Omni with all of the KISS-crazies that were in attendance. Since the show our friend Jeff Standley has added a video version of the actual performance to “youtube”. Log on and reference “mr.speed omni” to see if for yourself. We also managed to add “Room Service” back into the mix which is always a favorite one for us to perform. The riff during the guitar solo is great fun. Collectively we all had a great night. The songs seemed effortless and with the crowd so responsive it was a shame that it had to end. After the show we met with over a hundred fans. They had gathered for a meet and greet near the stage. This is truly a gratifying time for us in that we can connect more closely with those fans that make what we do so worth it. The kind words and emotions expressed by the fans validates for us that what we’re doing is really reaching them in many different ways. All in all this show was a 10. There was a great vibe with pure emotion and that blended with the classic KISS music made for an unbeatable combination. We’ll for sure be returning to Toledo before the year is over. If you get the chance try to make to the next show. The club is great and the band isn’t too bad either. Blog Entry, 03.01.09 The Sly Fox The temperature dropped once again as we headed into The Sly Fox for our third show of the year last night. But inside a packed house was heating the place up and looking for a rock and roll party. We emerged from the dressing room shortly before 10:30 PM and discovered the KISS virus had not been cured in North Olmsted. Fans were ready for us and for another dose of classic KISS music for sure. There was a really good mix of new and old faces among the crowd. This always reaffirms for us that what we’re doing is reaching new fans as well as bringing many of our die-hards back each time. The sonic blast of our new intro CD complete with Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police” into Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” bounced off of the club walls as we took our places on stage. The classic intro of “You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best…” led us straight into “Love Gun” and there was no turning back. Andrew and I reworked the set list recently and it paid off tremendously tonight. We mixed songs that we’ve played for some time with a few fresh tracks like “King Of The Nighttime World”. Most of the songs lived up to the legend that is KISS. We did have a few where the arrangement fell just a little off the mark but that’s what makes it rock and roll. The only rare track that we performed was “Mr.Speed”. In addition to reformatting the set we worked in all of the solo sections for each member as well. Rob really gave extra effort with his blood routine and Joe filled the stage with smoke that poured from his Epiphone Les Paul. Andrew mixed in many characteristics of Peter’s mannerisms and playing within his solo too. The majority of his solo was very reminiscent of the one you hear on KISS ALIVE! I capped off the first set with the crowd joining me in a high spirited version of the intro to “Black Diamond”. We took a short break to catch our breath but before too long we found ourselves on stage again. We opened the second set with “Detroit Rock City” and immediately followed that up with “Deuce”. By this time many of the fans had pushed their way to the very front of the stage…with some coercing by Joe. It really adds to the dynamic of the show when we can see the faces of the fans that are there with us. Many sing along with every song…sometimes not all the right words but entertaining all the same. The great thing about last night’s crowd was that it seemed as though no one wanted to leave. We really held the crowd until the very last notes of “Rock And Roll All Nite” were silenced. We are very fortunate to have a few places where we play that each time we go in to them we know that the spirit of KISS will be well represented. Last night was no exception. Overall the show was a very good one and we know that when we return to The Sly Fox in November the KISS Army will be there in full force. Blog Entry, 01.08.09 Private Party – House of Blues, Cleveland Ohio They say hindsight is 20/20. Looking back on our first show of 2009 I think no statement could be truer. Even though this performance was closed to the public we wished that we could have let you in. We created a great amount of energy on a stage that couldn’t even handle our entire backline. But for the 100 or so that were there by the time the night was over they were on their feet and shouting for more. We really felt that in our hearts we were going to good even with the limited amount of rehearsing that we had done. We arrived in stages that night and hastily but efficiently constructed our stage set up. A few of the party goers had begun to arrive so we quickly ran through “Shout It Out Loud” to get the instruments and vocals in check. Then it was off to the dressing room to prepare for the show. Of the many dressing rooms that the House of Blues has to offer we ended up in an upstairs lounge just above the main stage. Everyone took their places and began their normal ritual of the make up application. I chose to use one of the restrooms down the hall as I tend to do very little talking when I do my make up. I had a sense of electric anticipation because not only was this our first show of 2009 but this was also our first show with Andrew as our new drummer. He adds a tremendous amount of energy to the line-up and is really a breath of fresh air for all of us. Not long after we began we were ready to go. I had invited a friend of ours by the name of Karen Menyhart to the show. Over the course of the past year she has really captured some great “live” shots of us so I thought that we could document this show with her help. So we made our way downstairs and gathered in the loading hallway. You can now see the end result of those images on our home page. From there we made the long walk to the stage and took our familiar places to await the start of the show. We knew going in that we were only performing for an hour so this show consisted of strictly “hits” from the KISS catalog. Opening once again with “Detroit Rock City” into “Deuce” and then into “Shout It Out Loud” gave us a great shot of adrenaline to begin the show with. From there the crowd loosened up with each song and we were feeling as if we hadn’t missed a beat with the few weeks off that we had. Sure there were some minor timing issues here and there but for the most part we were extremely thrilled with the way that things turned out. We’re all looking forward to what lies ahead for us in 2009. As we closed the show with “Rock And Roll All Nite” just about every one that was in attendance was up in front of the stage rocking with us. I for one am thrilled with the new direction of the band. We made a great choice with the addition of Andrew on the drums. We hope that you’ll continue to follow us throughout the year as we make our way from city to city and stage to stage. We’re calling our tour this year the “You Wanted The Best…” Tour 2009. We promise to give you everything that you as KISS fans deserve. It’s going to be a great year…we’ll see you on the road. Blog Entry, 11.22.08 The Sly Fox Looking back on our calendar year of 2008 we’ve certainly had a year to be proud of. Last nights show at The Sly Fox turned out to be the perfect ending to remember all of the places that we’ve been. Load-in took place just before 7:00 PM. Not the most enviable of tasks especially when the temperature dips below 70*. Ok, maybe not to that extent but you get where I’m going with this. A great group of friends had gathered early to enjoy the show. This always reaffirms for us the impact that what we do with KISS’ music touches people to spend some of their time with us. As with our last show we were once again unable to utilize our new sign due to space restraints within the club. Thankfully we still carry our old workhorse sign as a backup. Everything was ready to by 8:00 PM even with a small technical problem that we encountered with my amp. Thankfully we were able to get it worked out and my stress then dropped back to a respectable level. A moderate crowd had shown up for the start of the show. I say that in comparison to our last show two weeks ago when you couldn’t get another person in the bar with a shoe horn. But it has been said that good things come in small packages and the crowd was every bit as enthusiastic nonetheless. I felt a really strong energy on stage that flowed through the entire show. Every song seemed to bridge the space between ourselves and the crowd more and more. A few stand out tracks were “Hotter Than Hell” and “Let Me Go, Rock And Roll”. As we always do when performing in a club we take a break half way through the show. I took this moment to prepare something really special for myself and for our fans Matt & Kris from Toledo. If you pay attention to www.kissonline.com you may have read her story a few weeks ago. Kris was the lucky winner of an autographed Washburn Paul Stanley Preacher guitar at the “ONE LIVE KISS” party in Indianapolis. She asked if I would be willing to play her new guitar at our show so that she could hear how it sounds as she herself does not play guitar. I was honored to be given the chance and after working a few last minute details we were able to pull it together. So as we started the second set I layed the guitar over my shoulder and without hesitation counted off into “Detroit Rock City”. Kris and Matt had moved from their safe seat a little further back in the crowd to right up front. Matt recorded the two songs that I used the guitar in for their sake, the second song being “Deuce”. It really played well and I’m pretty sure that I didn’t rub any of the signature off by the time I was through. What a great moment for all of us. As the show steamrolled to a climax it was a bittersweet feeling for me. It will be some time before we set foot on stage again. We are looking forward to the break in order to repair a few of the props as well as some of the bones in the process. We won’t soon forget the response as we closed with “Rock And Roll All Nite” and the smiles that adorned the faces of the die-hard fans that remained. Each one of them giving their best effort especially on the chorus. This truly was a fitting end to 2008 for us. Twenty-two shows, thousands of miles driven, many friends made and all in the name of KISS. It really doesn’t get any better than that. We’ll look forward to seeing many of you once again in 2009 as we’ve already begun confirming dates with many more in the works along with a few surprises too. So on behalf of Rob, Criss, Joe and myself we would like to thank each and every one of you that came out to see us this year. You continue to make our dreams come true and in some small way we hope that we’re helping you to relive yours. Blog Entry, 11.08.08 Slim & Chubby’s – Strongsville, Ohio It was somewhat refreshing to wake up in our own beds this weekend if you know what I mean. The past few months had us traveling so much on the weekends that it seemed as though we should consider finding a hotel chain to sponsor us. We hadn’t played a club show since the first week in June so we now possessed the luxury of having more time to attend to personal things before having to leave for the show. Having cancelled our last show at Slim & Chubby’s in May we were curiously optimistic about what the evening had in store for us. We arrived shortly before 6:00 PM and commenced with our usual load in process of setting up the stage. Before too long we were ready to go and quite a crowd had gathered for dinner and the show. Right around 8:00 PM we ran through “Strutter” and “Shout It Out Loud” as our sound check making sure that everyone would be satisfied with the fidelity of their equipment. You would be surprised how a neon sign for a beer company can reek havoc with an amplifier. Once the sound check was finished we each made our way to the upstairs dressing room for our pre-show ritual. Everyone in the band except for Joe was feeling the effects of some sort of bug that’s been going around but as we’ve all heard before…the show must go on. While we were transforming ourselves into the comic book heroes that we portray we were able to keep an eye on a surveillance screen that monitored the entire club. To our surprise the people just kept coming in one after the other. By 10:00 PM we began to make our way down stairs and out a back door for a short walk through the dimly lit parking lot. This led us to a door next to the stage that we entered to take our places for the show. I was extremely surprised to find a packed house waiting anxiously for us to arrive. Once inside we made our last minute adjustments to our gear and then took our all too familiar stances as our intro CD faded from the PA speakers. “I really love you baby, I love what you got” I sang as the crowd exploded with approval. You never tire of the feeling that something that you work so hard at gives so many people a reason to let loose. We typically open with “Detroit Rock City” but the guys asked if I would change things up a bit so tonight we started with “Love Gun”. It keeps everybody on their toes and adds an element of surprise for those few fans that see us from show to show. For the most this performance was a good one. Lots of familiar faces stood just an arms length away intermingled with the staring glances of just as many unknown as well. Some smile at us and some can’t stand to be seen but it all adds to an incredible vibe that really is surreal. The set consisted of a healthy dose of tracks from the first five studio albums. The one stand out song that we performed was Psycho Circus’ “Into The Void”. “Beth” was not performed as Criss was not feeling well enough to sing the song as usual so we added a few songs to make up the time. One was “Heavens On Fire”…sorry Kelly. Overall I’d rate the show a B but I would definitely give us extra credit for giving it our all. I know that we’ll return to Slim & Chubby’s in 2009 as I negotiated two shows with the owner prior to our performance. Please check back with us in a few days for all of the details surrounding those dates. Show # 21 for 2008 is now in the books. One more to go in two weeks…we’ll see you there. Blog Entry, 11.01.08 Monsters of Rock Halloween Bash – Cadillac, MI To say that we were excited as we pulled into Cadillac at 1:30 AM was an understatement. Sure we had just traveled some six and a half hours from home but when you realize that you’re going to do something special you seem to find the energy no matter what time of day it is. We were headlining what appeared to be a very cool show later that day but we had a different agenda once we got a few hours of sleep. A few hours later I shot out of bed and woke the rest of the crew. We had an 11:00 AM meeting with Jim Neff and I wasn’t going to be late. In case you don’t know who Jim is let me refresh your memory. You’re probably aware of the story of an unknown band called KISS that descended upon a small northern Michigan town in October of 1975. They had a parade, played a concert at Cadillac High School and left in a helicopter from the football field while dropping flyers that read “Cadillac High – KISS Loves You”! Jim was the mastermind behind that eventful weekend and I had arranged for us to meet with him and get the VIP treatment of all of the same landmarks that we as KISS fans have come to know all these years. Just before 11:00 AM we gathered in the hotel lobby awaiting Jim’s arrival. I had only spoken to him via email and the phone so we were all meeting one another for the first time. Moments later Jim arrived and I once again had a renewed sense of pride in being a KISS fan. Joe and I furiously opened our KISSTORY books to have him sign the two pages dedicated to the Cadillac visit. Once all of the formalities were out of the way we jumped into his truck and sped out of the parking lot for our whirlwind tour. From there we drove back into town and Jim showed us the route that the parade took which led us directly in front of the old firehouse. The firehouse itself is still there but it is now being used as an advertising company of some sort. The building is in beautiful shape and my mind conjured up the images of the band on the fire truck out front that can be seen in the book “KISS – The Early Years”. Also along the way we passed the bank that is in the film footage. It is now a Fifth Third Bank and the ticker tape sign has been removed but we saw it for sure reading “Cadillac Welcomes KISS”. First stop…Cadillac High School. The trip lasted about 5 minutes and before I knew it we were entering the same doors that were used to load in KISS’ massive stage show. Jim told us that they could get everything in through the doors except the KISS sign. At one point the sound of a chainsaw could be heard which quickly got the attention of the school faculty. One of the roadies thought that they could redesign the doorway in order to get the sign in with the use of the chainsaw. But cooler heads prevailed and the door was saved. That’s why in photos taken at that show their sign is not visible and banners made by the students adorn the drum riser and backline. Once inside Jim took us to the different rooms that were used for various photo opportunities during the day. We walked the hall where Gene and members of the football team stood in unison which led to the gymnasium where the concert took place. This was very special to us. To know that those students were treated to such a special performance just prior to the whole world becoming infected with the KISS virus was awesome. The room itself has been transformed from the original state in which KISS found it but that didn’t matter. For instance, the stage that they used at that time was in fact a permanent part of the gym. The photo here shows me standing where the stage originally was. The band used the locker rooms on either side of the stage for their dressing rooms. Jim told us that there used to be windows at the top of the gymnasium walls that on that night were left open in order to let the smoke from the pyro leave the building. It is said that people as far away as two miles were sitting on their front porches listening to the concert! It was inspiring to be in the room where 2000 people once stood to cheer on a band that was just about to take the world by storm. From there we took a short drive to the football field. It was literally just around the corner from the gym. Jim thought that maybe the field would be unlocked and we could go out on to it but the lock was firmly in place. Believe me that didn’t hinder the goose bumps that we got as we played back the footage from KISSOLOGY in our minds. I saw visions of the band clowning around with the majorettes and the marching band. There was Paul jumping into the air with the football in his hand and Gene blowing into a tuba. It all seemed very surreal and I listened for the chopping sounds of a helicopter off in the distance but it never arrived. I found myself overwhelmed at one moment after realizing that in all the years that I’ve been a KISS fan here I was standing where history was created. Simply because one guy believed enough in himself to tell the world that here was something special and that we should pay attention to it. It seemed to us that time was not on our side as we drove here and there. Almost two hours had passed and we realized that time does fly when you’re having fun. We parted with Jim but only for a short time so that we could grab a bite to eat. It seemed almost too easy to forget that we had a show to play that night as we were caught up in the excitement of our tour. I will share with you that Jim was gracious enough to grant us access into his home which was not part of the plan. He shared more personal stories with us along with one of a kind pieces of memorabilia that he has saved from that weekend and subsequent years after. I’m sorry but I’ve promised him that those stories are his and his home is private and I respect that. Now on with the show. The weather couldn’t have been more cooperative for us. We were told that the previous week saw temperatures in the teens and the years first snow. So we unloaded our trailers and prepared our stage set for our performance some eight hours later. Most of the bands had arrived and were busy bringing in their gear as well. It became very apparent to us that the other bands were impressed with our backline and our new sign. We felt very proud of that. Before too long everything seemed to be in place. Jim had shown up once more and we chatted about music and KISS other topics of interest. I had arranged for Jim to introduce us as we hit the stage later that night and little did I realize just what a great job he was going to do. Darkness fell over the WEX and the doors were open. We didn’t get a sound check or even a line check. The opening band called Bonfire hit the stage at 7:45 PM. Their tribute to AC/DC kicked things off to a small crowd that had gathered. One by one the hours ticked away and three other bands showed their stuff. We had taken over the dressing room shortly after 9:00 PM to begin our make-up preparation and were feeling fairly good about what we had to do. Once we were done Jim arrived for a photo opportunity that I had set up. He brought along with him a plaque that KISS gave him in ’75 that dubbed him an honorary member of the band. We posed for a few photos with him because in my opinion he was an honorary member of MR.SPEED that night for sure. Our show time had finally arrived. We strolled to the stage and took our places above what was left of the small crowd that had gathered. I gave Jim a glance and he shouted “Awwwwright Cadillac…you wanted the best and you got the best…the hottest tribute in the land MR.SPEED”! It was game on! We tore into “Detroit Rock City” and never looked back. Most of the songs that we played were classic hits from the KISS albums. “Deuce” and “Shock Me” blended perfectly with “Do You Love Me” and “Strutter”. We were poised to play for 90 minutes only to find out that our set was cut short by a half an hour. Sure we were upset but you have two choices in that situation…you can get angry about it or you can adapt and rock like professionals. We took the high road of course. Closing the show just before 1:00 AM had seen us put a fitting kiss on an incredible day. We went back in time and visited history while writing a chapter of our own in the process. Plans are already in the works for our return to Cadillac in the fall of 2009. It will be worth being a part of. Keep your eyes on our site in the next couple of weeks for details surrounding our plans? Until then… Click here for Blog Archives Home  •  Introduction  •  The Band  •  Tour Dates  •  Promo Page  •  A Few Kind Words  •  Links  •  Contact