I have to start by saying it was great to see a concert in an outdoor venue where I didn’t almost collapse from heat stroke. Phoenix is a great town to live in, but Chicago surely showed a cooler side of life… Enough about that – let’s move on to the concert. I have to start by saying I will ‘never’ get sick of seeing KISS (or Def Leppard for that matter) – I hope they tour until my light fades out. They truly can make you forget about your problems/cares and just rock your butt off for a few hours. When they use the tagline “You want the BEST – you got the BEST” they have never let me down and you sure do get the best! They just let everything out there on the stage. They don’t have to do the running around like a lot of bands do, they do have those platform shoes to contend with though and surprisingly Paul still has some great moves left – let the fireworks vs. running around tell your story. The sparks sure fly at their show!! We were lucky enough to be in the 7^th row just a tiny bit to the right of the stage. Talk about getting a jolt with each song which true to KISS form brought on the explosions and fireworks. Paul still flies over head to a platform and performs overhead. Gene spits blood and the other 2 guys that should never go unmentioned – Tommy Thayer & Eric Singer make the show a spectacle that you will not soon forget – well – you won’t forget, let me put it in plain English… You won’t forget and you won’t want to. KISS Army is still alive and well and I’m so glad to be a part of this Army!!

Paul will always be the STAR Child and Gene will always be the DEMON… Watching Paul & Gene command the stage is priceless – they are one of a kind and if you have not been lucky enough to see them or think – ‘oh, not me… too corny or theatrical’… I just say this – you’re missing out on something that (if you are truly a music – Rock and Roll lover) is a ‘experience’ not just a concert. To have the confetti fly for their finale of Rock & Roll All Night is way past awesome… Sort of a religious experience to me! But right from their entrance – being lowered by this huge spider apparatus a lit up in lights and glitz – quite a theatrical entrance – even Eric was part of the ‘show’ – not just a drummer in the background – just couldn’t help but keep my eye on him… Heck it was hard to stay focused on one of them at a time. We always talk about Paul & Gene – justifiably so – they are the originators, right? But to not make mention of the 2 guys that have stuck with them through the Golden Years needs to be noted – not to mention they were not eligible for Hall of Fame entry – SERIOUSLY – I wish there was a ruling that could be overturned on that. Don’t be surprised if I check into that and find out we can petition for it or something (stay tuned – never say never) – I would have never believed that these guys could be playing after 40 – yes, forty YEARS.

From the very second of their entry to the very last second of the show – no one sat – no one!!! You are completely swept up into their passion. Maybe I’m a little over the edge when it comes to my passion for them and some might say they are just a huge show off band… all I have to say to that is “what’s your point?” When a band can take you back to your younger years and trust me those years are way back there somewhere – it almost brings a tear to my eye to feel like I’ve been taken to a place and time in my life that shaped me into who I am now – okay I’ll shut about my passion.

Let’s back up 2 hours from KISS taking the stage – Def Leppard. Talk about getting your money’s worth, I felt like it was 2 for the price of 1… Certainly not a fireworks type show, but Rock & Roll – none the less. Actually I’ve had the opportunity to see them more often then KISS over the years and was able to take my granddaughter to her very first Rock & Roll concert – and she was turned into a Rock & Roll lover at the tender age of 16… I am a huge fan of Def and more specifically a ginormous fan of Rick Savage – oh what a treat on the eyes – he might be getting up there age wise (actually much younger then KISS – man am I getting old to say that). When he straps on the guitar and wears his little guitar glove – well I am mesmerized from the start to the end. And well – you really can’t say enough about Joe Elliot, Rick Allen, Phil Collin and there is the guitar master Vivianne Campell (taken aback by him shaving his head – but still adorable – apparently cutting the locks does not effect the playing ability). The way he and Phil ‘harmonize’ on the guitars is one of the things that just ‘gets me excited’. If you haven’t had the chance you might want to watch the documentary they did to discuss the making of Hysteria – very awesome story of the making of the album and their endurance of Rick Allen through the accident. What an incredible spirit to make it back to playing drums without missing beat (no pun intended). I surely will never complain about any obstacles I come across in my life.

I could rock all night to Def – so to have the evening topped off with KISS makes it one of those concerts that will fall into my top concerts of all time… I was lucky enough to see them in Phoenix just a few months ago – so I really do feel spoiled and would go see them again tomorrow if the opportunity came up.