CONCERT REVIEW: The KISS show that almost never happened

WANTAGH, N.Y. — Despite many setbacks, including a truck accident before the concert that changed the lighting arrangements and a curtain that didn’t want to work, KISS came, they destroyed, they rocked it and partied all night long. Fans knew something was up when the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in beautiful Wantagh, N.Y., didn’t open exactly on time. Around 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 6, the ushers finally let the crowd in, and it became clear that The Dead Daises, the opening act for the co-headlining tour of KISS and Def Leppard, would not be able to take the stage.

No hard feelings, at least that was the vibe among the packed house.

Instead, the fury began at 8 p.m. promptly. Def Leppard, the British rock band famous for “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” among other tunes, took the stage to the backing of the Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. It was a fitting introduction to rev up the crowd, who were hungry for some head banging and dancing. Lead singer Joe Elliott still has his impressive rock voice, bringing life to such classics as “Rock of Ages” and “Rocket”. He’s been fronting the band since 1977, and his mastery of the material is quite evident.

In their 80-minute set, the Def Leppard band members seemed in perfect unison with one another. This is likely because the band has been touring for more than 30 years with few lineup changes. There’s a way that Elliott’s voice perfectly matches the guitar riffs of Phil Collen. They jump around the stage as if these rock anthems were still eating up the Top 40 charts.

The packed house at the Jones Beach Theater ate up the entire set, singing along and refusing to sit down. This co-headlining tour means fans get a good chunk of songs packed into a limited time frame. Right after one anthem is done — like “Hysteria” — the band launches into another one with ease.

Def Leppard started their set at 8 p.m. with the sun setting to the back of the audience, casting a picturesque shading on the waters surrounding the theater. By the time 9:20 p.m. rolled around, the venue was brimming with excitement in the darkness of a cool summer night. Elliott was the first to inform the crowd that their truck holding the lighting equipment had crashed, but they had persevered and made it to the show. Before the encore, the band also discussed their dedication to the Wounded Warriors project and how both KISS and Def Leppard hired veterans as roadies for this tour.

At 9:50 p.m., KISS, arguably the best spectacle on a rock stage in the past 40 years, came out with much pyrotechnic fanfare. The audience couldn’t care less that the curtain for the band didn’t seem to work. They wanted to hear the songs, and they received an overflowing package of hard rock for 80 minutes.

Lead singer and ever-dancing frontman Paul Stanley joined with legendary bass guitarist Gene Simmons — the two original members of the band — to kick off the opener: “Psycho Circus”. Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer complete the dynamic quartet, and throughout the night they banged out the recognizable beats and offered ear-splitting guitar solos as the audience sang along.

The classic tunes were present and accounted for, including “Deuce”, “Shout It Out Loud” and “Lick It Up”. Stanley, with his iconic makeup, bounced around the stage, ensuring the audience stayed on their feet and clapped with the band. Simmons, in full regalia, commanded attention, stationing himself before the microphone, offering his tongue to the adulators and staring crazily into the throngs of people. Midset Simmons had a bass solo that took him to the heights of the Jones Beach Theater. Stanley one-upped him by gliding out over the crowd on a zip line to sing “Love Gun”.

Throughout their 80-minute set, KISS offered plenty of fire breathing, blood gushing and pyrotechnics. Although the lighting may have been different than previous concerts, they brought the ammo for a full night of spectacle. Highlights had to be Simmons singing “Doctor Love” and the band’s full-on playing of “Black Diamond,” which closed out the main set. Singer beat the drums with a fiery passion while Thayer provided riffs worthy of salivation.

Rather than leaving the stage, Stanley informed the crowd that because of the curfew, they were going to keep playing without the customary break. The two-song encore included their most popular tunes, “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll All Nite”.

After a storm of confetti, more pyro and a smashed guitar, KISS said goodbye with promises to come back soon. The evening, which Stanley told the crowd almost didn’t happen because of the accident, was another winning concert on KISS’ 40-year anniversary tour. It comes during a big year for the band: They were recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On Wednesday, Aug. 6 in Wantagh, they proved why such an honor was long overdue.

The makeup might have come off and the platform shoes set aside, but the ears still ring with the rhythms and beats of this legendary rock act.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

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Revised: August 2014