KISS have officially concluded their days on the road, offering up one final performance at New York City's Madison Square Garden on December 2, 2023 -- but you know damn well that won't mean the end of the hottest band in the world altogether.
Listen to KISS Radio and more on the free Audacy app
KISS founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, along with drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer, gave one last performance to close out their End of the Road World Tour, crushing through a 23-song setlist packed with hits, blood, fire, flames, and a promise to keep the party going into a "new era."
After two hours the band ended the evening with their anthem "Rock and Roll All Nite," exiting the stage in a storm of flames -- but not before singer Paul Stanley could warn the crowd, "The end of this road is the beginning of another road."
To the tune of the band's “God Gave Rock n’ Roll to You,” digital hologram versions of KISS' "Demon," "Starchild," "Catman," and "Spaceman" facepaint characters appeared, apparently showing off their new 3D plans while video screens boldly displayed the words, "A new era begins." Fast Company reports that the production was created by George Lucas’ visual-effects company Industrial Light & Magic using "a combination of LED screen projection, lasers... smoke, and pyrotechnics."
In a promotional video released after the live announcement, Paul Stanley says, “People say, ‘Well, what are you going to do when you stop?’ Well, the band will never stop. Because we don’t own the band. The fans own the band. The world owns the band."
"We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we’ve never dreamed of before," bassist and business mind Gene Simmons said in the press release announcing the project. "The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he’s ever done before." Stanley adds, “What we’ve accomplished has been amazing, but it’s not enough. The band deserves to live on because the band is bigger than we are."
What this means is anyone's guess at the moment. Even the company that will be tasked to roll out the new era, Sweden's Pophouse Entertainment, is still asking questions. With the widely popular ABBA Voyage hologram show, the Avicii Experience, and more already under their belts, Pophouse executive Per Sundin wonders, "Is it a KISS concert in the future? Is it a rock opera? Is it a musical? A story, an adventure?" He adds, "These four individuals already have superpowers. We want to be as open as possible.”
Check out KISS' final (human) set list at MSG below.
KISS 'End of the Road World Tour' Final Show at MSG: 12/02/23
Detroit Rock City
Shout It Out Loud
Deuce
War Machine
Heaven's on Fire
I Love It Loud
Say Yeah
Cold Gin
*Guitar Solo
Lick It Up
Calling Dr. Love
Makin' Love
Psycho Circus
*Drum Solo
100,000 Years
*Bass Solo
God of Thunder
Love Gun
I Was Made for Lovin' You
Black Diamond
Encore:
Beth
Do You Love Me
Rock and Roll All Nite
Pre-recorded: God Gave Rock and Roll to You II (With KISS holograms)