KISSTORY - June 30, 1977

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KISS KICKED OFF US ROCK THE NATION TOUR

On this day in KISSTORY - June 10, 2004 - KISS opened the US leg of the Rock The Nation Tour in San Antonio, TX. This was the first full US tour of the Paul, Gene, Tommy and Eric lineup, and included forty-two shows. The Washington, DC and Virginia Beach, VA shows were recorded for KISS' Rock The Nation DVD.

Set list most nights includes:

Love Gun / Deuce / Makin' Love / Lick It Up / Got To Choose / War Machine / Christine Sixteen / I Want You / I Love It Loud / 100,000 Years / Unholy / Shout It Out Loud /I Was Made For Lovin' You / Detroit Rock City / God Gave Rock And Roll To You II / Rock And Roll All Nite

KISS also performed the following songs at some US shows on the tour:

Tears Are Falling / Creatures of the Night / Dr. Love / She / Strutter / C'mon and Love Me / Parasite / Love Her All I Can / All the Way / Hotter Than Hell / Cold Gin / I Stole Your Love / Psycho Circus / King of the Night time World

Here's "She"  from the Tour.

Paul Stanley on the End Of The Road!

Geezer Butler on the time KISS outshined Black Sabbath on their own tour: “It was like, ‘Oh, my God. What’s going on here?’”

“We went on just as an ordinary band, with no effects or anything, and everybody else still had their mouths wide open from seeing KISS.”

Corey Irwin / https://loudwire.com

Geezer Butler says he and his Black Sabbath bandmates felt a sense of shock when they watched KISS for the first time.

It was 1975 and Gene Simmons and company were out opening for Sabbath on their U.S. tour. During a recent conversation with Rock Cellar, Butler admitted his band was taken aback by the theatrics of their opener.

“KISS was the first band that ever used stage production,” the bassist explained. “Up until KISS came, bands like Black Sabbath used to just go on and plug in and play. KISS was the first one to use pyro. You’ve never seen that. I mean, the shock of that. And they were supporting us, so they weren’t even headlining.”

Butler further noted what it was like to see KISS’ fiery antics.

“I went out and watched them. There were all these flames coming out the stage and everything,” he recalled. “It was like, ‘Oh, my God, what’s going on here?’”

'What the Hell Just Happened?’

While fans were undoubtedly impressed by KISS’ stage production, Black Sabbath couldn’t help but feel outshined.

Read More: Geezer Butler's Reaction When KISS Opened for Black Sabbath | https://loudwire.com/geezer-butler-reaction-kiss-show/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

On this day in KISSTORY - June 25, 1996 - KISS 'You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!' hit the stores. The live album was issued to coincide with our 1996-97 Alive/Worldwide Reunion Tour.

Track listing: Room Service / Two Timer / Let Me Know / Rock Bottom / Parasite / Firehouse / I Stole Your Love / Calling Dr. Love / Take Me / Shout It Out Loud / Beth / Rock and Roll All Nite / Kiss Tells All - an interview with Jay Leno

On this day in KISSTORY - June 24, 1976 - KISS' legendary New York City photo shoot with photographer Barry Levine took place. Photos were taken on streets throughout the city, and in stops at Central Park and the Empire State Building, where one of KISS' most iconic photos ever was taken.

Paul & Gene comments on the Empire State Building shoot:

Paul: We were all scared shitless. You could see one arm and one hand of each guy and the other hand was holding on for dear life. It's pretty awesome to be up there and look and see three states. We climbed the ladder in those boots. It was a pretty interesting time.

Gene: We were nuts! We would do anything you would imagine. Let's go on top of the Empire State Building and hang over the side for a photo. That'll look cool. Let's go!

Here's 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' by KISS, but as if Metallica wrote the song. I was aiming for 90s era, with late 80s, but many other album influences can be heard. - Denis Pauna

On this day in KISSTORY - June 23, 2014 - We opened the KISS & Def Leppard US Summer Tour in Salt Lake City. The sold-out show set an attendance record at USANA Amphitheatre with a crowd of over 20,000!

On this day in KISSTORY - June 22, 1977 - Gallup Poll named KISS the number ONE band in America!

Rock legend Gene Simmons to return to Northwoods for restaurant grand opening

By Sean White / www.wsaw.com

CRANDON, Wis. (WSAW) - Get ready to rock this July, as legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Co-Founder of Rock & Brews, Gene Simmons, will cut the ribbon to open Wisconsin’s second Rock & Brews restaurant location on Tuesday, July 2 at Potawatomi Casino Hotel Carter.

The rock-inspired restaurant and entertainment concept’s brand-new three thousand square-foot restaurant is equipped with a stage for live entertainment, in true Rock & Brews fashion.

The menu is full of tried and true guest favorites including Rock’n Hot Wings, the Alice Cooper Poison Burger, and the Demon Chicken Sandwich, a menu item created as an homage to Gene Simmons. Guests can also choose from 24 beers on tap, including the best domestic and imported beers.

This opening celebrates the ongoing partnership Potawatomi Casino Hotel has created with Rock & Brews founders, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. After opening their first Wisconsin location in Milwaukee in August 2023, and closing out the summer with KISS’ End of the Road Tour in Crandon last September, this new endeavor will launch the 25th Rock and Brews location.

Read the full story at www.wsaw.com .

Rock legend Gene Simmons to return to Northwoods for restaurant grand opening

By Sean White / www.wsaw.com

CRANDON, Wis. (WSAW) - Get ready to rock this July, as legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Co-Founder of Rock & Brews, Gene Simmons, will cut the ribbon to open Wisconsin’s second Rock & Brews restaurant location on Tuesday, July 2 at Potawatomi Casino Hotel Carter.

The rock-inspired restaurant and entertainment concept’s brand-new three thousand square-foot restaurant is equipped with a stage for live entertainment, in true Rock & Brews fashion.

The menu is full of tried and true guest favorites including Rock’n Hot Wings, the Alice Cooper Poison Burger, and the Demon Chicken Sandwich, a menu item created as an homage to Gene Simmons. Guests can also choose from 24 beers on tap, including the best domestic and imported beers.

This opening celebrates the ongoing partnership Potawatomi Casino Hotel has created with Rock & Brews founders, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. After opening their first Wisconsin location in Milwaukee in August 2023, and closing out the summer with KISS’ End of the Road Tour in Crandon last September, this new endeavor will launch the 25th Rock and Brews location.

Read the full story at www.wsaw.com .

KISSTORY - June 2014 - Gene Simmons graced cover of Optical Prism Magazine.

KISS ROCKED MASSIVE CROWD IN RIO!

On this day in KISSTORY- June 18, 1983 - KISS rocked over 137,000 fans at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This and two other stadium shows in Brazil would be the last time KISS would perform in their signature makeup until the KISS Reunion Tour in 1996.

FIRST OFFICIAL US KISS CONVENTION

On this day in KISSTORY - June 17, 1995 - KISS launched the North American leg of the first Official Worldwide KISS Convention Tour in Burbank, California. Peter Criss makes a surprise appearance at the Convention and joins Gene, Paul, Bruce and Eric on stage, singing two KISS classics -"Hard Luck Woman" and "Nothin' To Lose".

The unique and revolutionary KISS Convention tour featured a traveling KISS Museum displaying vintage KISS stage outfits, instruments, and memorabilia. Performances by KISS tribute bands, KISS collectors/dealers buying, selling and trading KISS merchandise, precedes an evening appearance by KISS themselves, appearing live and in person, conducting a question and answer session, autograph signing, and a two-hour plus unplugged set comprised mostly of spontaneous fan requests. Both Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick also performed clinics at the events.

Official KISS Conventions were held in Australia, Canada and the United Sates.

Songs performed at the KISS Conventions:

Comin' Home / Plaster Caster / Goin' Blind / Domino / Nothin' To Lose / Sure Know Something / Calling Dr. Love / C'mon and Love Me / Spit / I Still Love You / God Of Thunder (Country version) / See You Tonite / Do You Love Me / A World Without Heroes / Every time I Look At You / Rock Bottom / Shandi / Strutter / Hide Your Heart / Black Diamond / Heaven's On Fire / Rock And Roll All Nite

KISS also played (at least portions of) Strange Ways / Love Her All I Can / Love Gun / Take Me / Love Theme From KISS / Just A Boy and many more!

Happy Father's Day to all the KISS Dads out there!

Enjoy these great photos of the next generation of the KISS Army!

On this day in KISSTORY - June 15, 1979 - KISS opened their DYNASTY Tour at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida.

Japan - Spring 1978

Photo by Bob Gruen

THE KISS ARMY ROCKS!

Check out these great KISS tattoos! Thanks to everyone for sharing them with us! 

Keep them coming! 

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