KISS - Tulsa BOK CENTER - KISS ON TOUR

words by Jason Wells with additional reporting by JHS
images by JHS - Janet Hudson Schroeder

CLICK HERE to view more great photos from KISS' Tulsa show.

It's 1978 and the Christian Right has focused on KISS. KNIGHTS IN SATAN'S SERVICE, they declare! Parents worried about backward satanic messages embedded in records, ill morals, and a depreciation in family values rally to save their innocent children from the evil that was deemed KISS.

Fast forward to 2009 and my how times have changed. KISS is prime family entertainment. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles gather their children by their hands and lead them into an arena that has been transformed into the Kiss Army's home base of operations..... and all are welcome.

Face painting stations line the main concourse so adult and child alike can be transformed into their favorite band member.
The atmosphere is electric. The mood is joyful. KISS has come to town.

Check out these great fan-filmed video clips of "Deuce" and Tommy's guitar solo from KISS's Tulsa show at the Tuesday!

By Scott Mervis

Sure, even teenage stoners knew that Kiss was always something of a rock 'n' roll cartoon, but when the band first blazed through the Arena in 1976, it was hard to fathom that someday a suburban super-store would be selling Kiss M&M's for $6 a bag.

That's not just because candy that melts in your mouth, not in your hand, didn't fit with blood and fire. Rather, Kiss members were the "Knights in Satan's Service," underworld, underground metal minstrels that your mom and dad hated -- even though they drove you to the show anyway -- and a partnership with the Mars company was unthinkable.
KISS

Of course, it didn't take long for Kiss to become a franchise and a slice of Americana. Now on the "Alive 35" tour, which hits the Mellon Arena on Sunday, it's topsy-turvy, with dads 40 to 50 turning their kids on to Kiss and bringing them along to the show.

Check out the great KISS billboard outside the Spint Center in Kansas City.

Photos by Dean Snowden for KISSonline.

Music Makeover

by Andrea Eger

Tulsa's Wilson Middle School was transformed into a TV set on Wednesday for a segment of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," featuring legendary rock band KISS.

The band helped surprise the entire school with a presentation of about $100,000 in new musical instruments from Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation at an afternoon assembly.

"In public education, there is no crisis greater than the lack of money going into musical enrichment," KISS guitarist Paul Stanley said at the assembly. "The government needs to understand musical programs in schools is not a luxury. It's a necessity."

Here's a news clip discussing KISS's presentation of musical instruments donated by the Mr. Holland's Opus foundation to Wilson Middle School!

KISS visited Tulsa's Hard Rock to greet fans and autograph guitars for the hotel. Here's a news clip!

Here is the KISS Concert Poster for the band's 2010 show in Leipzig, Germany.

Thanks to Harald Streibl for sending KISSonline the image.

Fox News recently caught up with Paul to discuss Sonic Boom, the Alive 35 tour, and his artwork. Here's the clip!

Here's KISS on the cover of El Tiempo, a Spanish newspaper in Texas!

This is one of those orders I couldn't wait to get started on. I received an e-mail from a woman who was throwing a 50th birthday party for her boyfriend. Apparently he used to be lead singer and guitarist in a rock band. As a surprise she invited all of is old rock band buddies so they could all play live music outdoors together. Since her boyfriend was a huge KISS fan she requested KISS themed cupcakes and a KISS themed cake for the party.

The cake was decorated with silver dragees lined up to make the KISS logo. The cupcakes were decorated with handcrafted fondant KISS themed decorations including make-up, the KISS logo, the devil's horn hand gesture, and a zippo lighter complete with flame.

I so wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that party!

Gene in Greek the next top model

Hi KISS,

Here is a Gene girl from the Greek version on the "Next Top Model". The show airs on Greek TV channel ANT1. This episode aired last night and the critics liked her posing like Gene. Gene and KISS are everywhere.... even in Greece!!!

Thanks,
John Rigas

LETTERS

Story and Photo by Kelly Crawford / Dallas Concerts Examiner

American Airlines Center in Dallas was packed to the roof last night when legendary rockers KISS - supported by multi-platinum BUCKCHERRY -invaded Big D and proved, without a doubt, that they can still 'rock and roll all night'. And to keep the legend going they even had a protester outside waving a cross and telling people not to go in there because they're doomed.

BUCKCHERRY opened with a strong set, playing tunes off their newest album "Black Butterfly" and pushing their live CD, "Live and Loud". Naturally they wrapped up with "Crazy Bitch" and the stadium was singing along. But it was obvious everyone was there to see one band. KISS.

And what a show! I've never had the chance to see KISS live until now and I was blown away. Almost literally what with the pyro and all. Opening up with "Deuce", KISS played it up for the crowd and the photographers in the pit for the first two songs and threw out guitar picks to the crowd all night long. This is one band that knows how important their fans are and they showed that all night long. Gene Simmons even pulled a little ten year old girl up on stage to take a few pictures at one point and officially winning him 'rock star of the decade' in my book.

By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer

As an oversized tour bus rolled to a halt in front of the grand front foyer of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, fans rolled outside, lining up to welcome the band.

Iconic rock act KISS greeted fans on Wednesday to sign memorabilia for the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a day after a near full-house concert at Tulsa's BOK Center.

A Merry KISSmas to Oakville

By Angela Blackburn, Oakville Beaver Staff
Photo by Riziero Vertolli / OAKVILLE BEAVER

They were expecting Santa, but got 'Gene Simmons' first - and they liked it.

Oakville residents voted Tom Linhares' Gene Simmons' Family KISSmas float, runner-up in the new Oakville's Choice Award for the Santa Parade.

"Tom said the looks on the faces of not only the kids, but the adults, as he went by, were something he'll never forget," said Pam Damoff, chair of the 2009 Santa Claus Parade.