CLEVELAND, Ohio — KISS band members Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer were at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday to be honored with the City of Cleveland’s first-ever Music Keynote to the City and a KISS Day Proclamation for Oct. 22, 2023.
Cleveland Chief Government Affairs Officer Ryan Puente presented the proclamation to KISS for their immeasurable impact on culture and the music industry, love and commitment for Cleveland.
City Councilman Brian Kazy answered the question, “Why are we doing KISS Day in Cleveland?,” saying “This band never really forgot Cleveland.”
Kazy presented the facts: It’s been 18,101 days — the time between the first time KISS performed in Cleveland and the last concert happening tonight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “In those 18,101 days, they have performed once every 624 days in the Greater Cleveland area, which means the guys behind me have never forgotten the people in front of them,” Kazy said.
KISS frontman Gene Simmons did not attend. No reason was provided, though Stanley told the crowd Simmons needed rest.
The Cleveland councilman recalled iconic KISS shows played around the area, including April 1, 1974, at the Agora; June 21, 1975, at the Music Hall; and Jan. 8, 1978, at the Richfield Coliseum where concertgoers and the band had to stay the night because of the great blizzard of 1978.
After presenting the Music Keynote to the City, Stanley was the first to speak at the podium.
“We’ve always felt this was a home away from home,” Stanley said. “It’s interesting to be here when everyone knows our storied past with the Rock Hall. The Hall of Fame has found new footing and the artists who belong here are getting in. I’m very humbled after 50 years to be here and to receive awards and do another sold out show. It’s been amazing, and thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, you’ve been awesome to us. And (Sunday) night, we’ll give you a great big deafening thanks.”
KISS’ farewell tour, dubbed ‘End of the Road, wraps up Dec. 1-2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
KISS drummer Singer, a Euclid native, reflected on when he first discovered KISS and his first show at the Allen Theatre after the pyrotechnics from the Agora show caused smoke alarms to abruptly stop the Agora show. “I always wanted to be in a band like KISS,” he said. Singer has gone on to tour with the band for the past three decades.
KISS owes much to their fans.
“I think the beauty of our fans is that they’ve grown in terms of numbers and demographics,” said Stanley. “Our audience at this point is three generations. It’s a rite of passage. People bring their children because they want them to experience that magic of what we are.”
What Stanley will miss about the fans at their shows?
“There’s nothing that can take the place of being in front of 20, 30 or 100,000 people. But you have to realize when it’s time to stop. As you get older, you realize your own mortality. When I was starting out, I was at the beginning of a moving platform. Now everyone is behind me. If we just wore T-shirts and jeans, we could keep going. But we carry 40 pounds of gear on us. As rewarding as it is, it’s a lot of work. Gene’s not here because he needed to rest!”
Guitarist Tommy Thayer added: “We’re on the final 25 shows. The band has never been better, and we’re looking forward to a great, strong ending.”
Whether or not you’re going to KISS’ concert tonight in Cleveland (tickets are available online), you can celebrate at the Rock Hall with the official KISS Fan Day in the hours before the show starts.
