KISS Alive comes to Room 107 Saturday
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KISS Alive
Rusty Crewse promises the KISS Alive tribute band will adhere to fire codes when they play at Room 107 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. Still, there’s quite a bit they can get away with.
“We’ll still do the fire breathing, the blood, the smoke bombs, the smoking Les Paul guitar solo, all that stuff that KISS is really known for,” says Crewse, the guitarist and Ace Frehley stand-in.
The band’s dedication runs deep. Crewse and the rest of the group (Jason Bradley as Paul Stanley; Jonny Ray as Gene Simmons; Anthony Tyre as Peter Criss) have costumes that replicate KISS circa 1975 and 1976. And much to the behest of the sound guys, they require 90 minutes before each show to apply the makeup and all of the necessary accessories.
“It’s quite an ordeal,” Crewse laughs. “You’re becoming a work of art, becoming an American icon, if you will. We don’t allow shortcuts for that.”
It isn’t just about the look and stage presence, however. All four guys are huge KISS fans and have learned most of the early catalog, from “Detroit Rock City” to “Deuce” to “Firehouse.” They’ll even dust off a couple from the “Dynasty” album.
“We have some nuggets the crowd always likes,” Crewse says. “We usually play ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’ and the girls like to shake their (butts) to it.”
Although KISS Alive formed in Kansas City in 2007, this will be the band’s first appearance in St. Joseph. Crewse says the group has wanted to play in St. Joe for a while because of the significant KISS fanbase in the area. However, there weren’t too many venues that were big enough for their large stage set until Room 107 opened.
“The size of the room we’re dealing with has let us get a lot bigger acts,” says Room 107 manager Mike “Sumo” Bransfield. “When we tell them the square footage, their ears perk up.”
Bransfield says KISS Alive will be the rock alternative to the country headliners at Trails West! on Saturday night. And Crewse promises a loud show full of surprises.
“It’s a KISS concert,” Crewse says. “Well, maybe not 10,000 seater, but a scaled down KISS concert.”
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