Blog Entry, 05.14.12
Cedartown Performing Arts Center
This wouldn't be a typical trip for us as we headed south to Cedartown, GA. In all of the years that we've been traveling this is by far the most miles put between us and home since 1994...by car that is. So by 7 AM we were on our way. There's not much to tell seeing as we spent pretty much the entire day in the car. What I can tell you is that we used a lot of gas, spent 2 hours rewinding through a detour outside of Knoxville, TN and didn't reach our destination until after 10 PM. Sleep was the first order of business after we arrived as Saturday would be a busy day.
On Saturday we met up at 12 noon with Shawn, our contact for the day and began a short PR trip on our way to the Performing Arts Center. First up, believe it or not was a stop at McDonald's. You heard me...that McDonald's. The one with the golden arches. One of the local McDonald's was a big sponsor of our show and so we pulled into their lot and went inside to visit with the staff. Upon entering we found a giant poster of our show flyer behind the counter! Now I don't eat at McDonald's...ever...but it was cool to see our image on display there. So we grabbed a few photos and even signed the poster for the manager. After leaving the McDonald's we went across the street and grabbed lunch and then proceeded to the Arts Center for
the remainder of the day. We didn't have far to go and before we knew it we were unloading the show on to the stage. We had lots of extra hands helping us to move our gear into the facility so everything went very quickly. Unfortunately, we ran into a huge time delay with the sound crew that day. For whatever reason there was some confusion about miking the drums and whether or not we needed monitors for our vocals. Forgive me but I've been doing this for some time and these are two key elements in making a band sound their best so I'm not sure why the guys on Saturday found it unusual that we were adamant about both. After over 2 hours we finally got our sound check. We ran through "Hide Your Heart", "Rocket Ride" and "Watchin You". After we were through we fine tuned a few things on the stage and then grabbed a quick bite to eat across the street. Back inside each of us took some time to kind of relax before we began the make-up process. There was an opening band on the bill, Mr.Meanr (If you think about it it really sounds like "misdemeanor"). They played a short 45-minute set to get the crowd warmed up.
By 7:45 PM we were making our way to the stage. I paced around on stage left making sure that all of my things were in order. Joe joined me shortly thereafter. Andrew and Danny weren't far behind. By 8:15 PM we were ready to go and the rhythmic assault of "Love Gun" was soon piercing the Arts Center air. A crowd of about 200 people had joined us for the show. It was far less than what we expected and even hoped for but I'll take nothing away from them...they were loud! Our back line looked great on stage. With everything that we had been through in sound check everything seemed to come together as the show progressed. We pulled out all the stops. Of all of the songs that we performed we felt that "Hide Your Heart" and "I Was Made For Lovin' You" were two of the standout tracks that night. Joe filled the stage with smoke during "Shock Me" and Danny showered the stage with blood before "God Of Thunder". I went back to 1984 with a little of my intro to "Black Diamond", recalling Paul's intro on the Animalize Live Uncensored video that was shot in Detroit.
As the show came to an end we pulled the crowd close to us and fed off of the energy. Of course we ended with "Rock And Roll All Nite" and those in attendance were pressed against the stage with their fists in the air. Afterwards we met with a small number of fans for photos on the stage. Each one of them had something very nice to say to us and most appreciated that we made the trip to play for them. We're not sure if we'll be back in Cedartown but if those that were there have anything to say about it...we will.
Blog Entry, 05.06.12
Murphy Theater
Our second trip to Wilmington, Ohio this weekend was more than a labor of love to pull off. Many of you will never know exactly what goes on behind the scenes with many of our shows. You merely see the end result, the show. From time to time there are demons that show themselves and really push us to see how badly we want to put on a show. Saturdays show was one for the books. But I'm only going to tell the good parts...that makes for better "copy" as they say, right?
The Murphy Theater is a classic, character-filled venue that was built in 1918. We were thrilled to add our name to the list of acts that have stepped onto it's stage. Our load-in and set up took the normal 90-minutes to accomplish. However, the stage hands were caught a little off guard by our stage set up and were somewhat unprepared to handle a few of the requirements that we find to be simply "normal". Some time had past before we were ready to give a few songs a try. We ran through "Snowblind", "Hide Your Heart", "Love 'Em & Leave 'Em" and "Black Diamond". Cautiously we agreed that things were to our liking and we descended to the dressing room area beneath the steeped history of "The Murphy". Each of us set up in our own room. With the age of the building some of the normal luxuries such as lighting were a challenge especially when it came time to apply our make up. But we soldiered on and finished about 7:15 with show time minutes away.
We changed things up a bit with the opener for this show having replaced "Detroit Rock City" with "Love Gun". We entered from stage left, which was reminiscent of KISS' Rock the Nation Tour. The crowd was intense to say the least. The show was moderately sold in my opinion but those that were there provided plenty of enthusiasm for our efforts. More people at this show had never seen us before, a small percentage had seen our previous performance in September just a few blocks away. There were fans of all ages in attendance, some even did their best to arrive wearing make up of their favorite KISS member. The crowds response to each and every song was extremely heartfelt and we fed off of it. Our adrenaline was pumping for sure as the first set wore on. We called out the doctor and ended the first half of the show with "Hide Your Heart"...a personal favorite of mine to perform.
During our intermission we met with many of the fans in the lobby for photos, autographs and merchandise sales. We'd like to thank everyone that helped to support our band by purchasing a t-shirt, band photo, cup or simply wanted to take a photo with us.
The second set picked up right where the emotion of the first set left off. Emotion was not in short supply during this show. Each one of us was pouring our hearts into our performance and the crowd was paying us back. Their was a distinct feeling in the air during the show that a connection between the band and the crowd was definitely being made. The majority of the second set consisted of "Deuce", "Shout It Out Loud", "War Machine" complete with an impromptu drum solo from Andrew prior to the song beginning. "Beth" and "Black Diamond" brought the crowd to their feet for the climactic "Rock And Roll All Nite" which traditionally ends every one of our shows. After the show concluded we once again met with many of the fans in the lobby for more photos, autographs and t-shirt sales.
As we loaded out just prior to midnight one of the stage hands passed along a comment from one fan that attended the show. He told me that when the individual entered the room he stopped, listened and asked if we were using tapes to create the music that he was hearing. After learning that the only pre-recorded music accompanies "Beth" he said "they sound incredible". Enough said. The show was simply a rock and roll party...MR.SPEED-style.
Blog Entry, 04.22.12
Front Row Bar & Grill
After what seemed like forever since we were last on stage together we met up again last night at the Front Row Bar & Grill. So much has happened since the turn of the year and yet this is only our second show. This room has lots of demons, so to speak, working within so each time in is an experience.
Having played here for a few years now we pretty much know what to expect. The stage is small and cramped. There is very little room to move and somehow we manage to make the limited amount of space resemble a KISS show. The dressing room is directly behind the stage, a storage room for the overflow of alcohol and condiments that stand waiting for the call to the big show. As usual our sound check was time spent working out the kinks in the sound system and playing through a few tunes to warm up. As we prepared with our make up the low din of conversation began to build. By the time we hit the stage shortly before 10:30 PM we were pleased to see a very good crowd waiting for us.
Remember earlier I mentioned the "demons" within the club? Well one presented itself during the very first song and knocked out the lighting that was illuminating the stage. So we stopped momentarily as the problem was looked into. Before long we were back on track with "Deuce" and then into "Shout It Out Loud". Tonight presented the second opportunity for us to perform "Rock And Roll Over" in its entirety. We've been struggling with this concept in as much as we're not sure that it's being received the way that we really feel that it should. To be honest there are so many good songs on that record that should be performed we merely feel confused by the reaction of the two crowds that have heard it so far. Towards the end of the first set we mixed in a few more well known tracks such as "War Machine" and one that we've rarely played "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Mercifully the first set came to an end. By that I mean that we were having quite a few monitor issues and performing mostly in the dark had our emotions a little amped up. We needed a break.
The second set got off to a great start with "Detroit Rock City" and things just seemed to right themselves from the start. The sound and lighting issues were gone and it was a really good set. Sweat dripped off of us as if the temperature outside had risen to an unprecedented height. Each song began to take hold of the crowd. A few had left by this time but those that remained were transfixed to the stage. We added a new track from Ace's 1978 solo album with "Snowblind". The reaction was curious at best but for us it was great fun to play something new. "Hide Your Heart" and "Cold Gin/Strutter" were solid as well. With time running out we managed to add "Parasite" for one fan that has been coming to see us for years. He asked me during the break if we would play it and to me it was an easy request. In the end the show tried to jump the tracks early on but we managed to stay committed to giving it our best and I feel that we succeeded.
So even with fans crawling on stage to grab guitar picks, the lights blowing fuses and the monitors sounding like they were submerged in mud we finished the show. Not the best performance by our standards but then again you're only as good as your last show. Thank the rock and roll gods that we've got a few more chances this year to get it right.
Blog Entry, 03.15.12
KISS by Monster Mini-Golf Grand Opening
We arrived in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening around 7 PM. Soon after we were checking into RUMOR, our swanky home away from home for the next 2 days. After check in we walked across the street to grab dinner and then it was off to bed.
Thursday morning we woke up to an absolutely beautiful blue sky and warming temperatures that would reach into the low 80's. We had breakfast and made our way to the site which was right next door to our hotel. Preparations were still underway inside but we snuck in to catch a glimpse of what was in store. There was a vintage KISS pinball machine.
There were mannequins with costumes on and concert photos on the walls. But the coolest most eye-catching prop was a giant fish tank surrounded by mini Marshall amplifiers! Inside of the tank was a giant KISS logo! Now that's not something that you see everyday. We milled around outside in the parking lot while the stage was being constructed. Eventually we met up with the sound crew for the day and put a plan together to prepare for our show. We soon found out that it would be some time until the gear that we would be using would arrive so we went back to our hotel and started our make up preparation.
Around 12 noon I received a call from one of the stage hands and he asked me "how many guitar amplifiers do we need"? What? For a split second I thought he was kidding...but he wasn't. This is shocking due to the fact that I needed to submit an equipment list three weeks in advance of the show which itemized everything that we would need. I followed up to make sure that our needs would be met but my messages were never returned. Funny that I didn't see the writing on the wall. Only one guitar amplifier was delivered and it would be another hour until a second one would arrive. We were set to go on stage at 2 PM. Thankfully we started our make up when we did. When the second amp finally arrived we played
through a few songs which all sounded really good. Things seemed to be back on track. We went back to our hotel to finish our make up and get ready for our first set. Back on stage the crowd that had gathered was anxious for us to begin. With another slight delay behind us we opened the show with "King Of The Nighttime World". This set would be shortived. Only four songs in we were asked to stop. The reason...a film crew was inside and KISS were being filmed for something and they couldn't have any noise while filming was going on. So we had to stop. Our next set was due to begin at 4 PM. So we once again found ourselves passing time. We entered the building to hopefully see the band who were in the middle of a Q and A session. We couldn't even get close.
After the Q and A we moved a little closer but to no avail. Before we knew it we needed to be back on stage for our second set. So we ripped into "Modern Day Delilah" and everything seemed to be right again. Until we were told that more filming was now taking place inside and we had to stop. What was going on? So we took some of the time to meet with fans but by this time we were a little frustrated so I decided to slip away to my hotel room to relax a bit. Our next set was scheduled for 6 PM. Sitting in my hotel room
I received a phone call telling me that the other three guys just had their photo taken with Doc McGhee. So I put myself back together and made my way back over to the facility. Once inside it was hard to move. So many people had arrived and the band were spread out throughout the building signing autographs. We ran into our friend Keith for a brief moment. We thought that maybe we could get some time with the band but it wasn't to be. We waited for a short while until of all people Eric Singer approached us. He looked at me and asked why we were standing here when we should have been playing. We told him that we thought we might have a chance to meet Paul but it wasn't to be. Eric said he felt that we should not wait around any longer and go play.
He was right. It wasn't meant to be so we headed back to the stage. Once on the stage the frustration of the entire day seemed to manifest itself in our playing. We opened our third and final set with "Detroit Rock City" and never looked back. Each song seemed to flow from us and the stage with an intensity that was nurtured through missed opportunities.
By this time things were winding down inside and we had heard that the band would be leaving soon. We had hopes that they would at least hear us as they left. The parking lot was cooling off now that the sun was setting and the biggest crowd that we had all day was waiting for our last set.
Each song felt better and better as we rolled along towards the end. Halfway through that final set we brought a young girl named Alexey up on stage decked out in her best Peter Criss outfit. She climbed up behind the drums and led us through "Strutter" and "Do You Love Me". The crowd loved her. She has a ton of talent for an eight year old rocker. Andrew then rejoined us for the remainder of the set. All of a sudden through a back door in the building the band appeared. First it was Paul, then Tommy and then Eric. I never saw Gene leave. They climbed into two stretch limousines but for some reason did not leave. We later found out that they could not locate the driver of one of the cars. So for a few songs at least I know that KISS was listening to us perform.
As we got to our last two songs "Lick It Up" and "Rock And Roll All Nite" we noticed that Doc McGhee was standing on the side of the parking lot watching us. With a big smile. We pulled the crowd as close to the stage as possible and let everything out of the cage for the finish. As the song was coming to an end I spoke to Doc and told him that he was watching a band that truly believes in what it does. I told him that I hope he and everyone else enjoyed what we had done and that we were thankful for his efforts in helping to keep KISS going for all of us to enjoy. He smiled and gave me two thumbs up. We were told that he really enjoyed us as a band and apologized that we couldn't spend any time with KISS.
As the show came to an end we quickly broke down our gear and disappeared into the shadows. We got cleaned up back at the hotel and by the time we returned later that evening the stage was completely gone and so was the crowd. The dust had settled and the grand opening was now a memory. Bittersweet but one that we are proud to say that we were a part of...at least for a while.
Blog Entry, 02.19.12
Sly Fox
UNBELIEVABLE! I don't know what else to say. Last night at the Sly Fox in N.Olmsted was beyond our expectations. I knew something was blowing in the wind when we came out to do our sound check and there was pretty close to 100 already in the room. This was over an hour before we even were scheduled to go on! What really surprised me was the number of kids with their faces painted like their favorite KISS member. I came to find out later in the evening that they along with their parents drove in from Columbus, Ohio! That's pretty cool. I'm also aware that we had fans from as far away as Buffalo, NY and Toledo, Ohio make the trip too. Please don't tell me that there isn't a connection between what we're doing and how it's impacting you as fans...that would be a tough sell. Let's talk dirt...
We made the "Elvis walk" at about 10:15 PM. I can remember one other time at the Sly Fox when we had to fight through the crowd to get to the stage and tonight definitely beat that. I literally had to hold on to fans so that I wouldn't trip as I made my way through. Once on the stage I was then overwhelmed with an impressive increase in temperature that was embracing the room. It may have been cold outside but it really was heating up inside for sure. So with a new year comes a new intro CD. This year it's Lenny Kravitz "American Woman" and Ozzy Osbourne "Over The Mountain".
This was the first show at which we were performing the entire "Rock And Roll Over" album...every song. It may not have been received as well as we would have hoped but it was a great challenge nonetheless. We started with the original audio recording of the television commercial to kick it off and then when right into "I Want You". I really enjoyed performing "Love 'Em & Leave 'Em". That's become a favorite of mine. I'm sure that we'll get better with the routine of playing the album at each show as the year goes on. The first time is always the most challenging and I felt that it was a good change and that we handled it well. The first set ended with a few of the more well known tracks like "Shout It Out Loud" and "Black Diamond".
The second set was nothing but the hits...for the most part. We didn't lose very many people during our break. It was quite difficult at times navigating through the mass of fans but I tried to accept it for what it is. One fan that I've seen at quite a few shows told me that they were almost
denied entry into the club because of the number of people that were already inside! I wish we always had that problem. I was thrilled to know that they did get in and seemed to be enjoying the show immensely. Another of my favorite tracks is "Crazy, Crazy Nights". That is always a lot of fun for me to play. The usual tricks were played out as Joe's smoking guitar ignited and cracked presenting a billowing cloud of sulfuric smoke into the faces of those in the front row. I'm pretty sure that Danny even projected a few splatterings of blood onto a few in the very front as well prior to "God Of Thunder". All in all we felt that our first full show in a few months couldn't have gone any better.
The crowd, the heat, the passion, the support, the energy, the memories...cannot be faked. The best KISS tribute band in the world showed up and was welcomed by the best KISS fans in the world. Together we created an unstoppable force last night at the Sly Fox.
Blog Entry, 02.02.12
Fox 8
Typically we would just be leaving a club show or arriving back at the hotel at 2:30 AM but this was not your typical day. You see, we were appearing on the local Fox 8 News morning show and typical just didn't apply. So only after a few hours of broken sleep we were up and on our way to the station by 4:30 AM. Hot off of our dream win in Las Vegas a few days earlier we were a little anxious to tell our story and jam a few KISS tunes for good measure. Once we arrived we unloaded what we were able to fit on to the floor of the studio that would be our home for the next few hours. We really scaled things back but still were able to give the illusion that a KISS style show would be taking place.
The entire time that we were setting up the live newscast was going on only a few feet away. Normally we wouldn't be too concerned about making noise while setting up. But this time we had to do things very quietly so as not to disturb the anchors at work. Periodically we would have a minute or two to check the drums or a guitar. Once everything was in place we went to our dressing room and began to apply our make up. Space was at a premium so I
chose to head down the hall and use a bathroom as my own private dressing area. This proved to be an efficient move as I was done in under an hour. However, once I made my way back to the dressing room I soon discovered that I had left my bodysuit behind at home. So we platooned our only option...that being Tina to make the trip back to get it. Originally we were given 5 spots with which to perform but my absentmindedness eliminated one of those spots very quickly. So just after 8 AM we made our way to the set.
We got a few levels set with the sound engineer and waited for our cue to perform. The way it works is they give you a time limit, say "30 seconds" and we get ready. Then someone tells us to begin playing and then the cameras come back "live". Our cue to stop would be the same person lowering their hands and we would come to slow and grinding halt. They asked us to perform a few of the more well known KISS songs to ensure that their audience would enjoy what they were seeing and hearing.
We did bits of "Detroit Rock City", "Calling Dr.Love", "Shout It Out Loud" and "Rock And Roll All Nite". What's crazy is that we spent more time setting up than we actually did playing. It didn't matter however. The five minutes of "air time" is priceless and the response from our fan base has been tremendous.
We finished just before 9 AM. A few of the people on the morning program wanted a photo with us afterwards which we obliged. Then it was off to the dressing room to remove our make up and then load out. We really enjoyed the brief experience and were told that the producers at the station were thrilled with our appearance. As with every one of our shows we hope that something else will come to us as a result of appearing on their program. If not, it was still fun for us and something that we won't soon forget.
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