The best part about Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley performing in full makeup in 2013? We get to pretend they are at the peak of their powers.
Thanks to the magical wonder that is grease paint, they don’t look a day over 30, even though the Kiss co-founders are twice that in actual years. Age notwithstanding, the band behind Beth, I Was Made For Lovin’ You, and Detroit Rock City is still youthful and upbeat on stage these days. That’s good news for fans who want to rock and roll all night (and party every day), because the ageless group is heading back out on the road with a Canadian tour that begins July 5 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Tickets went on sale Friday. Don’t be surprised if there’s none left by the time Kiss sets down in Canada this summer.
Few could have predicted that in 1973, when Kiss got its start, fans would still be clamouring to see them 40 years later. But Kiss members were always rock ‘n’ roll misfits, and by loading up on shtick — led by the blood-spitting, fire-spitting Simmons — they knew most people would not give them a fair shake. Their fans are devout, however, which means Victoria is liable to go off when the grand masters of pop-metal knock on our door in July.
Kiss kicks off the week in the wild and wonderful, otherwise known as Singles Going Steady. To watch these videos online, go to timescolonist.com/arts.
Kiss
Hell or Hallelujah
The lead single from the band’s latest album, Monster, is stick-to-your-ribs rock ‘n’ roll: Big, dumb and incredibly fun. Though the band has seen various members pass through its ranks — drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer are the latest to fill the shoes of Peter Criss and Ace Frehley — Simmons and Stanley remain. That’s all you need where Kiss is concerned. In the recent clip from The Late Show with David Letterman, the band is in fighting shape. The song is a monster, indeed.
Rod Stewart
She Makes Me Happy
“It’s my time to stand out in the crowd,” Rod Stewart sings on his forthcoming album, Time, which is being positioned as his return to the style of music that made him famous. Those looking for his rock ‘n’ roll roots won’t find them here. The singer said he was inspired by the process of writing his autobiography, though new songs like She Makes Me Happy are more pop than pomp. Still, there’s an inherent kick to hearing him sing something other than the Great American Songbook.
Two Hours Traffic
Amour Than Amis
The ragged glory of Two Hours Traffic gives way to a softer side on Amour Than Amis, the first song and video from the band’s fourth release, Foolish Blood. After becoming a young group of critical renown, thanks to its early work with Joel Plaskett, the Charlottetown, P.E.I., trio has now reinvented itself. Can they still handle themselves on stage, down a member and heading in a different direction? Find out first-hand when Two Hours Traffic plays Lucky Bar on Wednesday.
J Boog and Hot Rain
Ganja Farmer
Popular performer J Boog is a superstar in his current home base of Hawaii, which makes sense: The singer of Samoan descent communicates with crystal-clear tone, backed by a band (Hot Rain) that deftly combines Hawaii’s laid-back vibes with blissed-out reggae. Boog and Hot Rain are making their local debut tonight at Club 9one9, a set that will likely feature his sun-soaked cover of Marlon Asher’s smoke-out favourite, Ganja Farmer. Don’t misss out.
Pablo Cardenas
Angel Eyes
YouTube gives you the ability to be somewhere without actually being there. Case in point: Those needing wanting to catch pianist Pablo Cardenas and his Latin Jazz Combo at Hermann’s Jazz Club on Friday can visit the video-streaming site and see the majority of his concert from the very same venue back in October. Judging by the clip from that concert, chances are you’ll like what you see. Afro-Cuban funk and Latin jazz rarely sound better than this.
