Sunday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
TaxSlayer Center, 1201 River Drive, Moline IL
After nearly a half-century of live performances and 2014 induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the legendary rockers of KISS finally reach their figurative end of the road in their fittingly named “End of the Road World Tour,” which makes its long-awaited stop at Moline's TaxSlayer Center on March 10.
Originally composed of bassist Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, lead guitarist Ace Frehley, and drummer Peter Criss, and recognized from the start for the musicians' wild costumes and makeup, KISS released its eponymous debut album in 1974. Despite constant touring and promotions, the KISS peaked at 87 on the Billboard charts without the benefit of a hit single, and the band's follow-up album, 1974's Hotter Than Hell, was a bigger disappointment, peaking at 100 and quickly dropping off the charts. However, 1975's Dressed to Kill was a much bigger success, breaking into the Billboard Top 40, and later that year, the double-album Alive! boasted an iconic rock anthem (and number-12 hit) in “Rock and Roll All Nite.” KISS' next three albums – Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, and Love Gun – consequently achieved platinum status and spawned top-20 singles for “Shout It Out Loud,” “Calling Dr. Love,” and Criss' rock ballad “Beth,” which became the band's first top-10 single and its highest-ranked to date.
From the group's origin, KISS' musicians took on the personae of comic book-style characters: the Starchild (Stanley), the Demon (Simmons), the Spaceman or “Space Ace” (Frehley), and the Catman (Criss). After Frehley and Criss departed the band in 1982, KISS began performing without makeup and costumes and experienced a minor commercial resurgence, with their music videos receiving regular airplay on MTV. Yet in response to a wave of KISS nostalgia in the mid-1990s, the original lineup reunited in 1996 complete with stage makeup and costumes, resulting in the commercially successful Alive/Worldwide tour. Frehley and Criss ave both since left the band again and have been replaced by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively. In September of 2018, KISS announced that, after 45 years of recording and performing, they would embark on their final tour, The End of the Road Tour, in 2019, leaving behind a legacy as one of the best-selling bands of all time, with worldwide sales of more than 100 million records including 25 million RIAA-certified albums.
KISS takes the Moline-amphitheater stage at 7:30 p.m. on March 10, with admission prices ranging from $39.50 for general seating to $1,000 for the first row on the main floor. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit TaxSlayerCenter.com.
