Concert Review: KISS rocks Enterprise Center for the final time

Storied rock band, KISS, brought the End of the Road Tour to the Enterprise Center on Wednesday night, and it was a proper send off for a band that has been touring longer than most of our readers have been alive.

“Here’s one from 1983,” Paul Stanley said when introducing ‘Lick It Up’. “A lot of you probably weren’t alive when this song came out.”

After seeing the crowd pack the house last night, I would say the majority of the fans were alive at the time, but there was also a younger generation of KISS fans, undoubtedly introduced to the band by their parents or possibly grandparents. Regardless, the crowd enjoyed every minute of the 23-song set.

The band kicked off the night with tons of pyro and explosions for their hit, ‘Detroit Rock City,’ to the delight of the masses at the show. The band wasted no time, jumping right into the hit, “Shout it Out Loud.”

Frequently throughout the show, Stanley reminded the fans this would be the last time KISS played St. Louis. He mentioned this was the 18th show in St. Louis. Stanley mentioned playing at the Keil Opera House, Checker Dome, and even a KSHE sponsored event. It’s fitting that KISS would go out this year, the 50th anniversary of the band.

At 71, Stanley is still strong on the mic and quite the showman, as is Gene Simmons. Simmons, now 74, interacted with the crowd often throughout the show, showing off his massive tongue several times. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer also did a fine job.

While this was actually the first time I seen KISS, I was impressed with the show. While the bandmembers may be past retirement age, they can still entertain and play with the best of them. Of course, KISS has always been about the presentation. From the fans painting their faces and dressing up like the band to the pyro, explosions, fake blood, fire shooting guitars, and Simmons spitting fire into the air, the only shows that have come close to being this entertaining are Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson. If this is the end, which according to Stanley, it truly is, the band will be missed.

Opening the show was Amber Wild, a band fronted by Evan Stanley, Paul’s son. The band has only been together since January and only has two songs on Apple Music, which Evan admitted, just came out. Regardless, the band sounded amazingly tight. They have a great sound reminiscent of Greta Van Fleet mixed with 80’s loud guitar riffs. I would love to see them in a smaller venue. During the show, Evan was making his way through the crowd to talk to friends, but the KISS Army fans were all over him. He was very gracious with his time, posing for photos with anyone who asked. Amber Wild is definitely a band to watch for.

All in all, the KISS End of the Road Tour was a great show for a venue like Enterprise Center. The band showed that despite touring on this particular tour for over 3 years, they can still fill an arena and put on a highly entertaining show for 2 hours.

The End of the Road Tour gets an A-.