From: Kent Salas

October 31, 1998

Kiss Concert review
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
by Kent Salas

Welcome to the biggest circus-freak-costume party in the world. I remember seeing KISS back in '79 in their heyday but was not prepared of what I was about to be exposed to. Upon entering the gates of good 'ol Dodger Stadium and givin' my pair of 3D special effect glasses it seems I had left reality and entered a twilight zone episode of "Cirque du Soleil," on acid! As I walked to find my seat, there on the Dodger field I witnessed, a death ball multi-motorcycle act, clown geeks eating glass, crickets, maggots and worms alive, a women who blew herself up with 2 sticks of dynamite and a man who swallowed, spit and lit himself on fire. And I'm still looking for my seat! There were high wire acts from brazil, demonized clowns walking around on stilts, chainsaw jugglers and Ringmaster.

There are very few bands left today that can fill a concert venue like Dodger Stadium both in attendance and presence. I mean really fill it. Although I did see a several upper level sections that were a little sparse, the field level seating and floor were jam packed. The audience was almost as amusing as the circus acts. Almost everyone was sporting some sort of Halloween garb, from elaborate KISS costumes to Darth Vaders, Vampires and Mummies.

After all the freakish circus acts did their thing the Stadium lights dimmed to black and who exploded on stage . . . "The Beatles?" It seems the Smashing Pumpkins were also in the Halloween spirit as well donning Beatle suits and mop style wigs. After a few songs Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan ripped off his Beatle esc wig and sported his more recognizable bald head. They did a pretty good job of getting the crowd prepared for what was to come.

Then a few more twisted circus acts entertained the audience as KISS roadies readied the stage. I always wanted to see a psycho clown drink milk and barf it up through his nose and mouth into a glass and then another sicko clown drink it with what seem much anticipation, yummy, I almost lost my beer on the lady next me.

The Ring Master then informed the audience to be prepared to don the 3D glasses for a "Visually stunning show."

Then with out much warning the stadium lights went black and one of the famous lines in all of rock 'n roll blared through the massive sound system, "AWRIGHT LOS ANGELES YOU WANTED THE BEST! YOU GOT THE BEST! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD, KISS!" With what seemed enough explosives, lights and pyrotechnics to eliminated IRAQ off the face of the earth, KISS exploded onto stage. Huge clouds of smoke quickly filled inside of Dodger Stadium and flowed out/over into the parking lots. Dozens of fireworks shot into the night sky and green lasers flashed and vibrated throughout the stadium. The first song was the title track off their newly released album "Psycho-Circus." The fans responded as if witnessing the second coming, some screaming at the top of their lungs others just standing and looking with their mouths agape.

The stage was an open design, no obstructions, with three IMAX sized screens hung on both sides of the stage and one in the middle behind Peter Criss's the drum podium. I quickly remembered to put on my 3D glasses and was treated to a six-story sized Gene Simmons tongue, in 3D no less! Now I have that image to cherish for the rest of my life.

They cranked right into the second song, "Shout It Out Loud" with yet more bombs, fireworks and lasers. The rest of there music set contained stuff off their first couple of albums including "Let Me Go Rock & Roll", "Shock Me", "Do You Love Me", "Calling Dr. Love", "Firehouse", "Cold Gin", "Nothin' To Lose", and "She." Two more songs off their newly released album were "Into the Void" and "Within."

Some of KISS's other onstage antics where Ace Frehley's flaming guitar, Paul flying out to the other side of the field to sing "Love Gun," Peter's drum kit levitated up, out and over the audience. Gene Simmons seemed to regurgitate what looked like a lung filled with blood and blew a twenty foot ball of fire.

They ended with a 3 song encore that included "Beth" "Black Diamond" and the rock n' roll anthem itself "Rock & Roll All Nite." I really enjoyed this concert. If you like good 'ol fashion fire, blood, bombs, fireworks, lasers and really loud rock then you would have had a blast, literally. Now if I could just get my ears to stop ringing and visions of dancing tongues out of my head.

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