From: David Stephenson

Sorry for the long post but here it goes. I would like to break this review up in a couple of parts: 1) Stage, Effects, Lighting, Pyro; 2) Group Performance; 3) Individual Performance (highlights, lowlights--very few here); 4) Overall impression.

I live in Northern VA but due to company commitments in Chicago at the time of the MCI Center date, I had to travel to Philly for the show. I have seen them 2 times in the 70's and this is my 4th post 1996 viewing. I would have loved seeing them at the MCI arena but Philly was GREAT!!! I had 15th row on Gene's side and I would urge any of you to get as close as possible. It is almost as much fun to watch the interaction of the band and what they say (that you cannot hear--but lip-read) that makes it great. Keep in mind the criticisms are small and you folks should try to see KISS within the first 20 rows. There is just so much more to see close up.

Econoline Crush opened up and were not bad. They had a Billy Idol grunge type of sound. Philly is their homebase and the crowd was very positive.

The set list was the same. Nothing new. Onward!!!

I. Stage, Effects, Lighting, Pyro

Overall, the stage is the same as the Reunion. It was cool to see the KISS Army banners on either side of the stage and the huge display screen in the back is a great addition. The KISS signs on either side are not used much but when they are, it is very effective. No Psycho Circus performers (yea!). No risers for Gene, Paul or Ace--very big mistake. They did have the "Two Cats" banner--left over from the Reunion--under Peter's drums during the final encore of Black Diamond. I am still wondering, were are the 8 or 9 foot tall Egyptian Black cats with piercing green eyes that used to rise up with Peter's drum solo? On a small note, Randall amplifiers were prominently displayed. What happened to Marshall??

Effects were a plus. The live 3-D camera shots are fun and add depth but can become annoying. I had close seats and shed the glasses several times just to watch the members. Overall though, the effects work and are pretty cool. The variety needs to improve. Peter's drum riser was outstanding--smoke poured out to reflect the direction the riser was headed. Paul's trapeze deal was way longer than on the "Lost Cities Tour." It was too fun to watch him dip is leg down and try to get fans to touch him. What is very effective is the images of the band (some 3D) and variety that are integrated. Case in point: When Ace is playing the solo for 2001, on the screen, his guitar is blasting off and headed into space and later a real cool navigation of the guitar into a planet (like the PC video but it goes a step further) and heads through a maze. Nice touch. Another one is during "Detroit Rock City," there is the image of the KISS car doing 360's and heads straight for a huge truck and explodes into a ball of fire right at the time in the song reflects the car wreck.

Lighting is entertaining but nothing spectacular. I did not notice any lasers just some high intensity stuff.

Pyro was cool on "Black Diamond:" Huge gushers of orange and green flames shot way up--at least 20 or so feet. The confetti on the floor was a fucking snowstorm. At the end, it was a least 3 inches deep. I have never seen so much confetti in my life. I was laughing my ass off. The fireworks that they have were 3 tiered: the initial boom, the effect, and then they added a "star effect" at the end. That was really cool. And the variety was good too. Reds, greens, orange, some blue. Tons of smoke. It was very effective. Lowlights: it could have been more consistent and evenly paced. There were times when you would go 4-5 songs without any explosions and stuff (fire!!!! fire!!!! fire!!!!).

II. Group Performance

Overall, they were technically very good/solid. Not the best I have seen because the mix of the vocals were quite muddy. Several times Gene and Paul were pointing to the mike and pointing up, which would mean increase the vocals. The bass drums were heavy as well. These issues are due to sound mixing--not the band. The band appeared to be having a great time. I know that a lot of it is scripted but it still seems genuine: Gene or Ace would be on the far sides of the stage and look at Peter and smile or acknowledge a good move or beat. Lots of double timed kicks with Ace and Gene. They joked around as well. When Ace came up to snag a pick from Paul's mike, Paul shouted: "See, he hit me!!! This is why people think we don't get along--you come in here, hit me and take my shoes!" All the band members, especially Ace were laughing hysterically. I would also use Black Diamond to end the main set and RARAN to end the show. Lowlights: No risers for the front men and some minor pryo mishaps on Black Diamond.

III. Individual Performance

Peter: This guy jammed. The best drum solo that I have ever heard him do--very original and YES entertaining. The riser effect and his attitude (smiling and singing along with every song) are wonderful. To those Peter haters: Get over it. This guy was the best technically. Vocally solid as well. Lowlights: Nothing--YES NOTHING.

Gene: Gene is the dominator. He is the gargoyle of rock!!!! He was smiling, thrusting, lurking and well...just having a great time. When he was about to lick Ace's neck, he looked out to the crowd and appeared to gesture "Do you want me to lick his neck???" and he did. I have seen this before but it is still entertaining as shit. The blood spitting was the best I have ever seen. After an impressively spooky bass riff, he leaned his head back and it came down both sides. It got interesting when, he stuck his tongue out with his head back and it appeared to spurt straight up--like he gagged on it. This made even ME gross out. A word to the wise if you are in the section below Gene when he is up in the lighting rig: Watch out for the hole in the Plexiglas--he let 3 or 4 long strands of goo go down right into the crowd. Truly disgusting but funny as hell. It did not make and appearance for at least 7 songs or so. Lowlights: "Within." I love this song on CD but it is just too different live to justify it in the set list. Also, the Ax bass was only sporadically used. It did not appear until the 8 song or so and was switched with the original Punisher Bass.

Paul: He singing of intros was minimal. He is amazing for having surgery in August on his knee. He was a damn maniac on "Love Gun" thrashing and dancing on the stage in the middle of the arena. It is still too funny to look around and EVERYONE is looking away from the stage at Paul. Vocally, he was dead on--even during IWMFLY. His contact with Ace and several gestures that he made towards Ace (like saying this guy is hot...) seemed genuine. Lowlights: Paul's intro to Black Diamond. I cannot stand it. It could be really cool but it comes off as noise.

Ace: Ah, Ace...my favorite member. Tonight was an off night for the space man from a technical standpoint. Overall, he was very good. In life, we get two kinds of Aces: When Ace concentrates on the music, he is not as animated. When he is animated, you get a great show but sometimes subpar playing. Which did we get??? We got a great show: lots of knock-kneed jumps, cool facial expressions (that "I just sucked a strong lemon with my lips look" was abundant), as well as some well done teetering and kicking. He had that great facial expression that said, "I rule this place!" His singing was strong and his solo was good: tons of smoke and a really cool effect when he got to the edge of the stage with all of that smoke--it shot straight up. There was so much that Ace actually was trying to backpedal away from it and still got a full face full of smoke and started to cough for a couple of times. I was dying. It was too cool and funny. His new guitar effect on RARAN is cool and blowing out a bank of light is the same from the Reunion but still very entertaining. Lowlights: Ace's solo during Black Diamond was a full step off. It screwed up the timing for everyone. What I thought was great was that no one gave him a dirty look: Everyone was laughing their ass off--including Ace, who seemed to say: "My error." Peter was in hysterics: he was laughing and looking down and said: "what the fuck do you want me to do??" It is moments like these that are a great concert experience. They are all pros but people screw up. It was so cool to see the reaction and the resolution come off so well. If you were not up close and had a background in music or the song, you probably did not notice. They did a great job masking it.

IV. Overall Impression

Do not listen to how fat Ace and Gene supposedly are: THEY ALL ROCK!!! Go see this show!!! It could use some variety in the set list but it is a minor thing. Even with the above lowlights, I would much rather see this show than any other out there. Well worth the price and 3 hour drive. I will be seeing it again soon. I would add more from PC but this show was equal--and in some respects--better than the 3 Reunion shows I saw, IMHO.

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