KISS said goodbye to their fans with a spectacular show at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night, ending their five-year ‘End of the Road’ tour. But the band also surprised the audience with a new announcement: they will continue to rock on as avatars.
The End of the Road tour started on January 31st, 2019, in Vancouver, Canada, and has gone around the world for a total of 13 legs and 250 shows. The band played their classic hits, such as "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud", and "Love Gun", with their trademark pyrotechnics, costumes, and makeup. The tour did not feature any special guests, any set list surprises, or any acknowledgement of original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, who left the band in the early 1980s.
The final show was an emotional one for the band and their fans, who have been loyal to them for over 50 years. Paul Stanley thanked the fans for their support and shared some of his memories of playing at Madison Square Garden, their hometown venue. He recalled the first time they played there in 1977, when he was hit by a beer bottle in the face, and the time he drove a taxicab in New York and dreamed of playing there with his band. He also paid tribute to his parents and Gene Simmons' mother, who were proud of their sons' achievements.
"So, this is the end of the road. It seems sad, but tonight is a night for joy," Stanley told the audience. "Thank you each and everyone of you. You are the KISS Army. You made us possible and we will always remember and love you."
But the sold-out audience and those watching it live on Pay-Per-View were told to stick around after the final song, "Rock and Roll All Nite", for a very special announcement. Stanley said, "The end of the road is the beginning of another road. We're not going anywhere. You'll see us in all different things all the time. We'll see you in your dreams."
And with that, a video of them as fantasy-based superhero avatars performed their 1991 cover of Argent's 1973 song, "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You", along with a QR code taking you to their new website and the special announcement. They will be the first U.S. band to stage an avatar show, similar to what ABBA is doing in London with their Voyage production.
Stanley and Simmons discussed becoming avatars with the technology's creators. "What we're looking to do is diversify and find our way into different parts of culture around the world," Stanley said. "You guys are our secret fountain of youth. We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us in places we've never dreamed of before," Simmons added.
And Stanley concluded, “People say, 'Well, what are you gonna do when you stop?' Well, the band will never stop. Because we don't own the band. The fans own the band. The world owns the band. It's exciting for us to go the next step and see KISS immortalized. I mean, we've spent 50 years building it to this point. And by working with ILM and working with Pophouse, we're all sharing this vision of taking KISS to a completely different level beyond being just a music band. And we've always thought of ourselves as more than just a music band.”
No word on when and where this next phase will take place, but KISS will rock on, in one form or another.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]