Mr. Speed at the Adler Theatre -- July 19.
Saturday, July 19, 8 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
With its quartet of gifted tribute artists composed of Rich Kosak, Mark Hermansen, Rich Hattery, and Shane Smith, the KISS tribute rockers of Mr. Speed bring their "Partners in Crime" tour to Davenport's Adler Theatre on July 19, the musicians' uncanny likeness to their idols, in look and sound, resulting in the group being named "The Best KISS Tribute Band in the World" at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.
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 in 1974. Despite constant touring and promotions, the KISS album 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 peaked at 100 and quickly dropped 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 ultimately its highest-ranked.
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. In September of 2018, KISS announced that, after 45 years of recording and performing, they would embark on their final "End of the Road Tour" the following year, 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.
With more than 30 years of concerts and touring to its name, Mr. Speed is widely recognized as one of the nation's premier tribute acts. In 2012, the band joined more than 200 other KISS tribute outfits from all over the globe and were eventually crowned "The Best KISS Tribute Band in the World" at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Casino, the distinction awarded to them by none other than Tommy Thayer of KISS. In April of 2014, Mr. Speed brought season three of "The World's Greatest Tribute Bands" on AXS TV to a rocking finale, their performance broadcast into more than 40 million homes and placing the group into the public consciousness on an international level. More recently, in July of 2020, Mr. Speed competed against and bested eight KISS tribute bands in Tribute Wars Quarantined, also garnering more likes, shares, and comments than their competitors.
Mr. Speed brings their "Partners in Crime" salute to KISS' Dynasty/Unmasked era to Davenport on July 19 with an additional set by the local rockers of Big Hair Mafia, admission to the 8 p.m. show is $39-68, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting DavenportLive.com/the-adler-theatre.
