The Wake

On Monday, November 11th, I had the privilege of witnessing one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll shows imaginable. Present at the Target Center were two of the greatest bands in rock ‘n’ roll history: KISS and Aerosmith.

The evening began at 7pm with Automatic Black. This band was only successful in making me even more anxious to see KISS take the stage. They probably did well with the 93X crowd (which is saying very little). By 7:30, they were off the stage.

The fifteen minutes before KISS took the stage were some of the most anxious in my life. I am a KISS fanatic. Two years ago I bought their Destroyer album, and after my first listen, I immediately realized that KISS was the supreme rock ‘n’ roll band of all time [note: I consider heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll two different beasts, the ultimate metal band is, of course, Iron Maiden]. Their songs are powerful, catchy, stirring and full of passion. They can certainly play their instruments proficiently but realize that straightforward-ness can sometimes be the best musical choice, as opposed to the pretension many others choose. Also, I was fully aware that KISS has the reputation for putting on the greatest of all rock shows. Fire, blood, costumes, make up and great music played louder than life. Put simply, I love KISS.

At 7:50, the lights went down. The sound of helicopter blades began and spotlights started rotating through the crowd. I was so electrified that I thought my heart might burst. Finally I heard the magic words I had been longing to hear since becoming aware of the spectacle that is KISS. “Minneapolis, you wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world… KISS!” This was a moment of sheer joy, as I and the other 11,000 people in attendance shouted at the top of our lungs. The KISS curtain was dropped, and the glorious moment had arrived. KISS was lowered from the lighting truss, pyrotechnics went off, the giant KISS sign lit up and KISS began playing “Detroit Rock City.” The band was sporting Destroyer-era costumes, including guitarist Tommy Thayer dressed as Ace Frehley. It is too bad that one of the original four KISS members chose not to participate on this tour, but Tommy Thayer (formerly of 80s hair band Black ‘N’ Blue) turned out to be an awesome guitar player. The show was everything I had hoped for and left me more satisfied than I thought possible. Paul Stanley’s voice was perfect, Peter Criss was fantastic on drums, Tommy blew away expectations (as previously mentioned) and Gene Simmons was the fire breathing, blood spewing madman I was hoping to see. Paul’s dialogue with the crowd easily put him as the most enthusiastic and effective frontman I have ever seen.

The set list included many personal favorites, such as “Shout it Out Loud,” “I Love It Loud,” “God of Thunder,” and “100,000 Years.” Paul, Gene and Tommy utilized ramps into both the right and left sides of the crowd to get up close and personal with the crowd. The band was full of energy, moving about constantly and quickly, making it hard to believe all but Tommy are over fifty years old. The music was great, the crowd zealous and most importantly it was quite obvious KISS was having a blast playing together and entertaining the crowd. The encore consisted of Peter Criss’ solo “Beth.” There was a problem with his microphone, but it was quickly replaced, and the song was as heartwarming as ever. After “Beth,” the whole band took to the stage and closed things out with “Rock And Roll All Nite,” and the entire crowd seemed to sing along. After 85 minutes, it was time for KISS to say goodnight. Peter, Gene, and Tommy were lifted into the air and Paul smashed his guitar. It was sad to see them go, but by this time my voice was completely gone, and I had realized one of my biggest dreams: seeing KISS live.

After about twenty-five minutes, it was time for Aerosmith to take the stage. The crowd was noticeably drained after KISS, but still gave their all. Aerosmith opened with “Back in the Saddle.” Steven Tyler took a couple of songs before his voice really hit stride. Tyler and Joe Perry were both very energetic performers, running all over the stage, up the ramps to the crowd and down a runway to the center of the floor, while the rest of the band was stationery for most of the show. One of the highlights was a blues set, which was recorded for possible inclusion on their blues release next March. This made me appreciate how talented and passionate Joe Perry is as a guitar player. It was also fun to hear Steven Tyler playing his harmonica during this portion of the set. After this point, the highlights were “Dream On,” “Walk this Way” and the closer, “Sweet Emotion.” “Dream On” was truly an experience out of this world to see performed live, truly an amazing rock song. Aerosmith had no encore, leaving a big portion of the crowd confused, but otherwise it was certainly a fantastic set. But their energy, stage show, music, as well as the crowd’s response didn’t hold a candle to KISS.

This concert truly was an amazing event. Rarely does one band put on as strong a performance as KISS or Aerosmith did that evening. To see two such amazing and legendary acts was truly a gift. My recommendation for those reading this: if you ever have the opportunity to see either band perform, please, seize that opportunity