To continue on my music and rock/metal adventure I am going to visit one of the biggest bands ever and their super show spectacular mentality….KISS. Starting off as Wicked Lester, then became the band we all know so well. Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace created hit songs, creative stage characters/personas, and a spectacular show. It matched shock rock in the story telling, the pyro, and the spectacle. It matched horror because of the characters they made, the spaceman, the catman, starchild, and the demon (later the Ankh Warrior and the beloved Fox Eric Carr),  and the “Psycho Circus” comics that followed years after they became iconic and business savvy.  KISS did it for the music, did it for the fans, and did it for rock and roll. And the KISS Army followed loyally in droves, and still do (we have the jackets, member cards, and patches to prove it), and KISS virtually created what was to be the Arena Rock type of genre in a way. They filled massive stadiums as pyro flew, ace blew up his guitar with fireworks, levitating drum rises, and the demon spitting blood and breathing fire. KISS became their characters and brought them to life, costumes and all, and at this time bands were becoming massively popular and even mainstream, rock and metal were finally getting noticed, and like horror, still often protested, but also now beloved by many. KISS used music to tell a story and later make a brand. they released the KISS coffin, KISS comics (images below), KISS toys, videos, costumes, masks, CDs, and virtually anything else you could possibly imagine. Like many other bands later on and some of the classic horror franchises like Elm Street and Friday the 13th, KISS became a household name, seized the day and ran with it….still are if I do say so myself. saw them live 2 years ago, AMAZING! Deuce, Cold Gin, Rock and Roll all Night, Black Diamond, and Beth still get crowds screaming. KISS wanted to “Rock and Roll all Nite and Party Everyday!” and that’s just what they did, so we might as well join the party.