The energy was palpable as the crowd poured into the sold-out Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. The buzz of excitement was deafening, and the air was electric.
The KISS: End of the Road World Tour is on is its final months of a four year goodbye. It’s down to the final 50 shows representing 50 years of entertaining fans. We were ready for one final OoRah with one of rock’s biggest brands.
The opening act is brand new to the scene. Amber Wild. The band is fronted by Evan Stanley. Yep, the son of Paul Stanley. They might be classified as a rock band, but we cannot deny undertones of jazz, folk and other genres. This was their third live performance of the tour, and the excitement of being brand new hit everyone’s soul in attendance. The short set featured some of the bands recently released singles. After their performance, they did a meet and greet with fans, and STL took full advantage of this. The line formed before they even played their last song, and the crowd was wild. I appreciated how enthusiastic they were to take selfies and sign ANYTHING.
The house lights dropped and we heard the first notes of ‘Detroit Rock City,’ curtain dropped, and BOOM! an overwhelming pyrotechnic display becomes the backdrop as the band is slowly lowered from the ceiling!
The opening song set the bar for this entire show. It’s a display I’ve only ever seen as a show finale, and this was the opening song! The stage is the most impressive I’ve bared witness to. This is the best possible scenario for seeing this band for the first time. The setlist was jam packed with 21 songs and a 3 song encore. The pyrotechnics were intense and soul shaking throughout the entire show. The boys performed songs seamlessly, and provided such showmanship that only well seasoned musicians can only dream about. These men are entertainers through and through.
Paul took many moments to thank the fans for the 50 years of support, and reminisced about the 18 times they have performed in Saint Louis. He brought up the checker dome, the arena, and really tugged at the heart strings of STL fans. I just cannot begin to fully give a full review worthy of the incredible details that this four year farewell tour offers without writing a book. It’s the best KISS goodbye a girl could ask for. I highly recommend experiencing it while you can. The tour concludes December 2,2023 in NYC!!
In the end, the KISS concert was a triumph of rock and roll From the opening chords of “Detroit Rock City” to the closing notes of “Rock and Roll All Nite,” the band delivered an electrifying performance that left the audience screaming for more. The band’s energy was infectious, their musicianship impeccable, and their showmanship unparalleled. It’s KISS, need I say more. As the lights dimmed and the crowd dispersed, the lasting impact of the KISS concert will forever stay with me and everyone else in attendance.
Thank you for 50 years. St.Louis loves you too!
