From: bsjm@email.msn.com
What a night to experience. Where do I start? ........... There is so much to write ………The day before my birthday in my home town. A lot of my dreams came true. I was all decked out as ACE (see pics); I wouldn't go any other way ...... Some lady "out of the blue" walked up to me and told me that Rock 107 (local radio station) was giving away front row seats. I was almost at the gate when she told me. Much thanks goes to you if you are reading this! The contest was if your face was painted then you'll qualify. What the hell, I'll give it a shot. If I don't win then so what; I'm here anyway. There must have been like 30+ fans there from little kids to the aged. It was great to see the ARMY and those whom I met at the Hershey show Wed; "SHOCK ME" to all you out there reading this! You all kick ass! At 6:45 they started pulling names and nobody responded. After the 6th name or so he was ready to say the next and I heard the 1st few letters, then he paused. I felt it was me. Then he said it and YES!!!!!! I was like in Space-ACE heaven .......... Is this real and is this happening to me? FINALLY after all those 25 years! ........... So there I was front row center ......... First the Skids ....... sounded good yet hardly anybody was standing up ......... Then Ted .... He (as usual) freakin' rips! He must fry a freakin' wah pedal every nite. I wanted to stand-up but looking around, hardly anybody was standing. He played his ass off just like at Hershey. I was at Hershey on the 5th and everybody was standing and screaming when Ted was shredding. .......... Now for the main course ....... The crowd went ballistic when the curtain unraveled. The curtain dropped and ACE, Paul and Gene were like 3 freakin' feet from me. ACE seemed to chuckle and give me a wink when he seen me. Later he gave me a pick and thumbs up a few times............ Gene was rairin' up everybody. This couple was like makin' out to my left and Gene ate it up. He was pointing his fingers together like a crab and making that sinister face. From 3' away and all riled up; he can be intimidating ...... like a freakin' demon set loose from the abyss. It was a treat to see him in all his glory at 3’ away............ The band ate up the electricity in the air that nite. There was plenty to go around. I remember the concert at Philly back in '98 during the Psycho Circus tour. That concert was incredible because we were incredible. It was no exception here. Something like 16,000 ravaged fans here. A freakin' missile could have dropped 100 yards away and I don't think we could have given a rats ass. We did ourselves proud in Northeast PA. Reading some reviews from concerts were the audience was lame and they seemed to just go thru the motions. Ever experience "bad carma"? Think about it. Personally, I think the mayhem here made the performance even better ................ The drum solo wasn't long but so what. Peter pointed his drumsticks right at me and had a great smile throughout he night .............. I had seen all the intricate details from how the neck pickup plate on ACE's Les Paul swings away and activating the smoke bomb to the flame generators igniting. The smoke from the ACE's Les Paul was bellowing-out much better that at Hershey .......... The set list was the same as in other reviews....... Personally, I'd prefer Take Me, Shandi, Makin' Love, Parasite, What Makes the World Go Round', and others. There is way too much to play in 2 hours. My favorite ACE solo is like that from the Love Gun era, it's way different now ................ There is nothing new in the show. I'd like to see blood ooze out from Gene's axe, ACE shoot out a couple of rockets over the crowd (with little ACE storm troopers parachuting down). That would be freakin wild! ........ Before the encore, I turned around and seen a starry night from everybody lighter. Lots a love out there for the band that rules the world ............... Peter sang Beth from 3' way and handed a rose to the girl I was with. He was so cool .............. Nearing the end I didn't want it to end. Reality started to set in. The confetti was like a freakin' noreaster. I ASKED Paul for the neck after obliterating it. He HANDED it to me. This freakin' clown lunged forward for the neck and pushed into her and trampled on the rose that she had. I felt like beating him over the head with it. What a freakin' goof-ball. ACE gave me a thumbs up at the end. There wasn't fireworks during the playing of GOD Gave R/R to You like at Hershey. At Hershey, the fireworks and the roller coaster in the background was a real treat. I was sitting next to this guy from Sweden and we were laughing on how this was just like KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park ..........…... To me, a KISS concert is like forgetting all your problems, a bizarre dream and waking up still believing that you are there ................ Thank you KISS for all the music and memories, for re-affirming us to believe in ourselves (and not others), follow our dreams thru and see what happens, and to ACE for providing me an influence and inspiration on the Les Paul ....... The newspaper coverage afterwards was accurate and was on the positive side ……........ I'll miss not being able seeing them again but you can't touch the memories. One I remember is riding my bike into town to check the tv guide listing for Don Kirchener's rock concert and waiting up till midnight just to see 5 minutes of them. It was like it was just yesterday ............. If a radio station doesn't play KISS music so freakin' what; I'll freakin' PLAY it myself. Come to think of it, those Detroit automakers were freakin' smart; they probably said let’s accommodate Cassettes and CD's and ahhh those 8-tracks so THR ARMY will be satisfied! DETROIT ROCK CITY!!!!!! Nuff said! The good Lord fulfills all (KISS, 25 years later, front row center and in my hometown).

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