KISS resumed their “End of the Road” farewell tour in August after a 17-month break due to the pandemic, but recently had to hit pause a few shows into the 2021 outing when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons contracted COVID-19.
With both founding members recovered, the tour restarted late last week, and KISS played their second show back on Friday (September 10th), performing what may very well be their final Bay Area concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.
As the curtain in front of the stage dropped with the band being lowered onto the stage on platforms and already into the opening notes of “Detroit Rock City,” it was quite apparent that both Stanley and Simmons had made a full recovery.
Both Stanley and Simmons covered the stage effortlessly, taking time to acknowledge and pose for the fans in the front rows, all without missing a beat. With lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer also firing on all cylinders, KISS gave the fans what they wanted to hear early, playing classics “Shout it Out Loud,” “Deuce,” and “War Machine” all within the first 20 minutes of the show.
From there, KISS performed a well-balanced mix of songs from their extensive discography, including “Heaven’s on Fire,” “I Love It Loud,” and “Lick It Up.” The members of the KISS Army approved, as many of them made their way from their seats and to the front of the stage.
Of course, no KISS show would be complete without the theatrics and production, and the band did not disappoint. Thayer’s Flying V shot sparks during his solo on “Cold Gin,” Simmons breathed fire during “I Love It Loud,” and Stanley transported himself to the middle of the amphitheater via trapeze for “Love Gun,” before making his way back to the main stage during “I Was Made for Loving You.”
As the evening drew to a close, KISS wrapped up their set with “Beth,” “Do You Love Me” and “Rock and Roll All Nite,” leaving their fans not fully convinced that they won’t be back one more time.
See our photos of KISS’ show below, as well as fan-filmed video and the setlist. Pick up tickets to the band’s upcoming shows via Ticketmaster.
KISS – Photo gallery of band’s September 10th show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre (click to enlarge and scroll through):
All photos by Raymond Ahner (@raymond_ahner)
Setlist:
Detroit Rock City
Shout It Out Loud
Deuce
War Machine
Heaven’s on Fire
I Love It Loud
Lick It Up
Calling Dr. Love
Say Yeah
Cold Gin
Guitar Solo
Tears Are Falling
Psycho Circus
Drum Solo
100,000 Years (partial)
Bass Solo
God of Thunder
Love Gun
I Was Made for Lovin’ You
Black Diamond
Encore:
Beth
Do You Love Me
Rock and Roll All Nite
