Erik Ofgang | CT Post
For the members of Kiss Alive, every day is like Halloween.
The band members get decked out in the iconic Kiss white-face paint and gear, faithfully recreating the music and wild stage antics of the hard-rock super group.
Kiss Alive will perform at the Ridgefield Playhouse on Friday, Dec. 6, a fundraiser to benefit Breath From An Angel, a memorial fund in honor of Tommy Chisholm, who died at age 2 in 2011.
Since 1999, Kiss Alive has been faithfully recreating the look, feel and sound of a Kiss show. We recently caught up with Tom Pressano, who sings and plays bass with the group, and who — when he applies the white Kiss war paint — takes on the alter ego of The Demon, aka Gene Simmons.
Q: What can fans of Kiss expect at your show in Ridgefield?
A: They can expect the closest approximation to the real Kiss from the late ’70s, with some popular and more current songs thrown into the mix. Add to this, blood-spitting, fire-breathing and smoking guitars and any Kiss fan will feel like they have seen the real deal.
Q: How did you guys form? Did you always wear full Kiss costumes?
A: Back in 1999, we formed pretty much on a goof with the idea of playing a party in a friend’s backyard. As we delved deeper into the songs and style of Kiss, we started getting more serious about emulating them. Our costumes were very crude in the beginning, with parts taken from old Halloween costumes and leftover attire from the ’80s. Now, our costumes are as close as you can get to what Kiss wears — which in actuality, equates to thousands of dollars spent on getting it right.
Q: What’s the hardest thing about a Kiss show to recreate for you as a band?
A: The hardest thing for me is getting comfortable in the 7-inch platform boots! As the night wears on, it gets harder and harder on the balls of my feet. Also, the war paint and costumes take about two hours to put on and sometimes we push it very, very close to show time.
Q: What do you think it is about Kiss that makes the group so iconic?
A: Obviously, the makeup and theatrics are a huge part of Kiss’ iconic status. But, the songs are not to be dismissed because they really did help define a generation of rock. Maybe this year the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will get it right and induct them once and for all.
Q: Any Kiss songs in particular that are personal favorites of yours, either to listen to or to perform?
A: Actually, watching our Space Ace (Kiss Alive’s guitarist Pat Porpora) play the extended guitar solo in “Shock Me” really is a highlight of the show, complete with the smoking guitar and virtuoso licks. Also, getting the audience to participate in joining us in the chorus of “Rock and Roll All Nite” is always great, too.
Q: What’s the craziest thing you ever saw a Kiss fan do?
A: Hmmmmm, who’s going to be reading this anyway (laughs)? Well, I can say that we do have some very devoted fans that come out to see us multiple times a year, which is crazy to me because they are seeing the same Kiss show, you know? I know I couldn’t do that, go out to see a band and they play the same material over and over. I guess that says something about Kiss fans as well; they just can’t get enough of it.
Erik Ofgang is a freelance writer in Connecticut; erikofgang@gmail.com
The Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield. Friday, Dec. 6, 8 p.m. $45, $30. 203-438-5795, www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org.