10,000-plus
fans in attendance in Fresno CA, to see the final show of the
KISS / Aerosmith 2003 tour. You would have thought that they
would end their tour in a city like LA or New York but to the
pleasant surprise of Central California, no one seem to mind
that is was in Fresno. Or at least they weren't thinking about
it when a black curtain with the letters "KISS" in silver
dropped from the ceiling shortly after opening act “Porch
Ghouls” finished their set.
Claps and
cheers built up to shrieks and standing ovations when the lights
went down and the volume went up. Then, after about eight
minutes of applause, Gene Simmons' voice roared: "All right,
Fresno. You want the best? You got the best."
Pyrotechnics
flared, the curtain fell, and the four members of Kiss --
complete with face paint, jet-black hair and black leather
clothes -- descended to the stage from a platform lifted high
above the ground.
The band
launched into "Detroit Rock City," then quickly moved to "Deuce"
as a fan near the front of the stage held up a sign reading,
"Gene, I want you."
The shirtless
Simmons, who is known for is libido, gave the female fans what
they wanted by lifting his guitar over his head and gyrating.
The “over 50
crowd” of Rockers must have discovered the fountain of youth.
With a tour that ranks #4 in 2003 for top box office gross per
city and the energy and stamina to keep on rocking, I see no
reason for KISS to hang up their platform boots and leather
chaps. And with over 35% of the audience at the Fresno show
under the drinking age, they have a new generation of fans to
entertain for years to come.
