Review - KISS @ Shoreline Amphitheater (9/10/21)

The Demon - Gene Simmons of KISS @ Shoreline (Photo: Kevin Keating)

Pure rock spectacle arrived in Mountain View last night in the form of the legendary band, KISS, and their 'End of the Road' tour! In lieu of a traditional opening act, KISS offered the warm-up slot to a performance painter named David Garibaldi. David painted a large KISS canvas piece that was raffled off later in the night to support LiveNation's Crew Nation, raising funds for individuals working in the live music industry and who were impacted by Covid. In fact, last night's show was only the second after a 10-day hiatus when both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tested positive for Covid-19 -- but you wouldn't have known it by their energy and performance throughout the night!

The Starchild - Paul Stanley of KISS @ Shoreline (Photo: Kevin Keating)

This is a band that's been performing for nearly 50 years and it shows. With a large black curtain that draped the stage and emblazoned with their trademarked KISS logo, at precisely 8:45pm, the curtain was dropped and the Starchild (Stanley), Demon (Simmons), and Spaceman (Tommy Thayer) were lowered from giant platforms 50 feet above the stage. The Catman (Eric Singer) was already behind the massive drum kit center stage, and the band literally exploded with "Detroit Rock City" -- pyro, flames, pulsing lights all reinforced to those of us in the crowd that we were in for the very definition of a true rock show.

Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley of KISS @ Shoreline (Photo: Kevin Keating)

With crowds still somewhat nervous coming back to live events -- and I count myself among them! -- Shoreline had only sold roughly a third of the tickets but in actuality, it felt like a sold out show. The energy coming from the stage was reciprocated by the audience who had grown up listening to the band through their various incarnations, and we were on our feet the whole night long.

KISS @ Shoreline (Photo: Kevin Keating)

The show was nothing less than musical theater, with Stanley providing short intros to nearly each of the songs as they tackled the hits across their massive catalog. They knew what we were there for and among the highlights of the night was seeing how the band interacted with the fans. Not only did they spend time connecting with the fans at the front of the stage, but by using a massive screen serving as a stage backdrop, and a mobile camera crew within the pit, Paul and Gene both knew how to use the video feeds to look directly in the camera to connect with the rest of us in the crowd as far back as the lawn to make it feel they were signing directly to us.

The Demon - Gene Simmons of KISS @ Shoreline (Photo: Kevin Keating)

I can't say this loud enough, if you want to see a legitimately fun rock show that is equal parts musicianship and spectacle, don't miss KISS on what may be their last real tour -- if you can believe it's really their last! Personally, I can see KISS returning to Las Vegas after their 12-date residency to become a more permanent fixture in the future.

The full set list from the night is below and be sure to follow us across social here for more pictures, reviews: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter