Tonight and tomorrow, December 1 and 2nd, mark the last two touring concert shows for a rock band of my youth, KISS. "You wanted the best! You got the best! The hottest band in the world!!!! KIIIISSSSS!!!"
I posted the following on my Facebook today:"Over the next 48 hrs, I will be in a quiet state of 'mourning'. Tonight and tomorrow mark the last 2 touring concerts of KISS, both in NYC. Imagine - two young kids: both Jewish, one born in Israel of holocaust survivor parents in 1949 and one born in 1952 in NYC of Jewish parents and with microtia, which left him with a partially-formed right ear, and deaf on that side. They started in poverty on the streets of NY, see where they are now - full circle. They had a dream to give an audience a musical experience they never had before and will never forget, to become the band they wanted to see on stage. When you set a dream, when you don't give up, when you persevere through unbelievable odds ... amazing things can happen. Fifty years of experiential concerts full of pyro, lasers, hydraulics, confetti like snow, fun songs with no vulgarity (but lots of sex!), genius marketers and masters of license, and no drinking or drugs. For those of you who have seen their concerts over 50 years, you know they give their audience an incredible experience. No other group does a live concert like they do. Aging between 63 and 73 years, it is amazing that they still give a 2+ hr concert with that energy. Do you know any 73 (almost 74) year-old man who can wear a 40lb costume for 2 hrs while performing, constant moving and being levitated for the full time? Others might say they might not be "the greatest American band of all time", but disagree with me, I would say they are #1, and have outlasted all others. And they definitely are "the hottest band in the world!!" and the most influential on the industry. All others copy. There will never be another group like KISS ... I am sad when I look at the young people today and know they will never know the experience of a KISS concert, or the joy of dancing to Rock'n Roll All Night! I'm so grateful to have grown up in the time I did, to have this group as one of the significant contributors to the soundtrack of my life. Thank you, KISS, for 50 years. You are unique, there will never be another. We, your Army, will never forget you.
It made me pause and reflect on what is the music of my life. Who are the groups or solo acts that have left their mark on me? And, I wonder what that says about me today? In loose chronological order:
#1 - Shaun Cassidy: my first 'music crush', somewhere in Grade 7? 8? Da-doo-ron-ron! Oh, how I enjoyed the lightheartedness and fun of that song! Yes, this reminds me of my youth, of that budding sense of sexuality, in some small ways. I know many liked his brother (David), and he was adorable, too ... his 'smoky voice' can still make me swoon! (Maybe there was something a bit more ... carnal? ... about David for me? He was the first passing in 2017 and I was definitely affected.) But this was my first step into pop culture, and I was typical, I think. A young cute boy, very representative of my time. By high school, my 'obsession' with him had waned. There were many other teen idols at this time, but Shaun was my favourite. I didn't much get into the others ... cute, yes - but not obsession.
#2 - ABBA: I was a big ABBA fan. This was no longer a teen-idol thing but a group I really enjoyed for their music. A variety of tunes and at one point, I had all their studio-released albums, except the last one: Voyage. I thought their music was good, and occasionally there were songs that had lyrics that meant a bit more than the surface meaning. Maybe, in some ways, this was the first time that I saw a song could be more than a song.
Seems to me now / That the dreams we had before / Are all dead, nothing more / Than confetti on the floor. / It's the end of a decade. / In another ten years' time / Who can say what we'll find / What lies waiting down the line / in the end of eighty-nine. // Happy new year, happy new year / May we all have a vision now and then / Of a world where every neighbour is a friend. It's about grasping onto the hope that things will somehow get better next year despite all signs pointing against it. Sadly, I think this pointed to the end of ABBA. Oh, how far we have all come since 'the end of eighty-nine'!! Their music was fun, a feeling of hope, even though it was often tinged with sadness and melancholy. But then came numbers to kick your shoes off and just have fun! Let the sadness wait for another day!#3 - Chris de Burgh: I distinctly remember the day and time I was introduced to his music. In Gr. 11, I had the opportunity to go to Newfoundland with a school program. After I had returned home, I had a gathering at my place. I remember Dean Hagman was there, and he played the first CdB song for me. I think they wanted to see my reaction! (little innocent me!) Patricia the Stripper. I can't remember what the second piece was, but I suspect it was In a Country Churchyard. That is one of my favourite songs to this day. I was able to see him in concert this last year, promoting his most recent album, Legend of Robin Hood. I think this is where I started to be captivated with things ancient, things Celtic, things ethereal, things historical. de Burgh began his music career as a troubadour, playing in the pub of his family castle. This fascination with times gone by has something that has embedded itself in me, and I still listen to his music today. They are all stories: haunting, beautiful, poignant. I have even used his music in my poetry class - it's not only melodic but the poetry of the lyrics are soul-stirring.
#4 - Prince: 'Pop' music from the 1980s! During my university years, Prince was huge. Especially since I went to a college in Minnesota, Prince's home state. There was a lot of 'new wave' or dance pop. Notice, a genre popular in my teens was Disco, and it wasn't something I was really into. No markers from that throughout this reflection! Prince is the closest. Again, I think I liked his musicology and there was a romanticism about how he dressed. His music was amazing, full of energy, a 'fullness' that was often missing in other performers. He loved his music, that's for sure. I was quite affected when I heard of his passing in 2016. It was a direct connection to my college days and the realization that time has definitely passed. It was after his passing that I realized how much of a musician he really was.
#5 - AC/DC: Ahh ... rock! In private, I was a rocker gal. I don't think I ever had the confidence to live as one, but in my heart, I rocked with the best of them! And, AC/DC always gave me a shot of energy! I remember in my club and dancing days, put an AC/DC song on, and I HAD to get out on the dancefloor! Maybe it was the place where I could 'safely' rock out without my 'inner-rocker' being on display? There were other wonderful rock groups at this time - I am so grateful that I grew up during this time! - Van Halen, Led Zepplin, Aerosmith, Ratt, Scorpions, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Poison, ZZTop, Motley Crue, Guns 'n Roses, Huey Lewis & the News, Heart, Queen, to name a few: the days of the Hair Bands! I still love music of that day! Judas Priest and Alice Cooper were good, but that's about where I drew the line - Ozzy/Black Sabbath and Megadeth were too 'thrasher' for me, and something a bit too anti-something. I looked over the rock bands of the 90s ... yeah, none of them impacted me ... by then I was moving into the following ...#6 - Harry Connick Jr. - I started to follow him right around 1993. I know this because I got his Christmas album at this time and never looked back. I'm sure I discovered him before, but this album highly marked itself on me. When My Heart Finds Christmas and What Are You Doing New Year's Eve - easily the most romantic songs I know. This man's piano skills are met only by the next choice. His style, and his ability to create arrangements and compositions of jazz, funk, big-band, and romantic ballads are dear to my heart. (And he has some of the BEST Christmas albums out there!) Everything about this man is wonderful. Again, notice how a sense of romanticism, of beauty, is woven through this music? His soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally launched it all for me, I think. I could put his music on and listen to it forever ... thankfully, there is more music I love that could sustain me forever with him. But Harry will always be special to me.
#7 - Diana Krall: Another pianist extraordinaire (and Canadian!). There are a few Canadian jazz performers that I have fallen in love with (Jill Barber, Holly Cole, Molly Johnson, Terra Hazelton), but at the top (and with an extensive representation in my CD collection) is Krall. Sultry voice, mesmerizing playing. Again, my romantic heart is on full display. Beauty - something I realize is crucial to me is beauty: visual and auditory (and other forms, too), but these two are central. If I could create a world where this music feels like 'home', then I know that I, too, will have come 'home'.
#8 - Michael Buble: Another Canadian! And another fantastic performer! Full of humour, full of genuine, authentic love for his audience, full of an amazing performer. If Harry doesn't have the best Christmas album out there, then the honour goes to Buble. A showman like few others, he can connect to each person in a 20,000+ person arena and give each an incredibly joyful experience! I remember first seeing him on Days of our Lives (when I was an avid fan) in 2003. From then on, I was hooked! His ability to sing both big-band and ballads was right up my alley! I still avidly follow him and was lucky to see him a second time in concert about a year ago. (I'm not as crazy about him as my friend Allison, who has seen him something like 20 times in concert?, but I am a definite fan and can get lost on all his music.
#9 - Elvis Presley: in my opinion, one of the true greats. A person who came from nothing, with a desire in his heart, and turned the music world around. I remember when he passed in the summer of 1977. One of the moments my world stopped. One day, just before Grade 9, I was playing with my brother and his friend Grant, and I had hidden. I heard on the radio of his sudden demise. It didn't bother anyone else when I shared my shock, but I was incredibly saddened. His music truly created the music of the teenager, his movies were fluff and he always sang beautiful songs. That man's voice could melt butter! Throughout my life, whenever I've heard a song of his, no matter how cheesy or how heartfelt, I will stop and breathe a moment of gratitude that he was a defining part of my life. There was a purity, a simplicity, a genuine love for humanity that I felt in his music. I never got the feeling that stardom and personal wealth were the reasons he got into the business; I feel that it was more about a love for music and sharing it with people. His gift was his voice; in sharing it with those who listened, he changed the face of popular music. Thank you, Elvis. Contrary to your fear, you will always be remembered! You are the King!
#10 - KISS: Remember I said in secret, I was a rocker-gal? These four guys were why and continue to be. Now, to be honest, my fandom doesn't hold a candle to what is in my brother's heart, but in my way, these are the rockers to beat. They are the best, no questions asked. Gene said in a recent interview that they are a band that crosses all lines, that can be enjoyed by son, father, and grandfather, alike, all with facepaint and all with their hands in the air. I will say that my love for these guys is completely anchored in my brother. I loved their popular tunes, but it was him that turned me into a fan. He shared with me their stories, about their struggles, about their dreams. I think what ties KISS and Elvis in my mind is that they both came from poverty, from being 'behind the 8-ball'. They should have never done what they did - Jewish poverty, from holocaust roots and deformities. Today, kids would blame these for why their lives are miserable. Instead, Gene and Paul created a dream and set out on a road to bring that dream to reality. Lots of negative press, lots of mocking, lots of criticism, lots of up-and-down ... and now, 50 years later, they can look back and know that they are icons of the industry. They have stood the test of time. An achievement that I doubt many more will ever achieve. I've seen them twice in concert - once Nov 12, 2009, and again on Nov 12, 2023. I don't think anyone else will ever have a concert like them - a love-in with a driving rock theme! And they know that it was their fans that helped them; their appreciation for us is evident in every concert. Even though they will never tour again, they will forever live in my heart. And will be my secret love. (And, no doubt they will keep making money!)
(Short ambiguous note: I will always connect KISS in my mind with 'miracles'. Who would have thought that God could move through this band in ways that they will never know? Thank you, KISS; and thank you, God, for KISS!)
You can take a stand, or you can compromise / You can work real hard or just fantasize / But you don't start livin' 'till you realize / I gotta tell ya!
God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you / Gave rock and roll to everyone / God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you / God gave rock and roll to you (to everyone he gave the song to be sung) / Gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to everyone
I know life sometimes can get tough and I know life sometimes can be a drag / But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a road / And that road's name is rock and roll!!
Gave rock and roll to everyone / God gave rock and roll to you gave rock and roll to you / Put it in the soul of everyone / God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you / Gave rock and roll to everyone!
(The above song is played over the PA system at the end of every KISS concert. Not a bad message to leave their 'Army' with as we all depart for our 'normal' lives, eh?)
I have always loved music. My mood can change at the drop of a hat depending on what music I am listening to. Key for me is loving music that has good 'music' to it - the whole package: musicality, flow, lyrics, ability, voice. I have studied classical music for 14 years, and have an extensive personal music library (mostly CDs at this point, but albums and cassettes are still floating around); my YouTube account has a good 20+ self-created playlists, some with as many as 200 songs in them. And they cover the spectrum! I love choral music and symphonies; I ADORE musicals. I saw my first live musical at the age of 4, but I knew The Sound of Music long before that, as I knew THAT was NOT Julie Andrews on Stage! And my little 4-year-old self promptly let everyone around me know that! I've seen so many shows over the years, (40?50? not counting the shows I volunteered in) but I have never been to NYC. Maybe one day.
For all the music I love, for the new performers I have yet to discover, the above 10 bands/performers hold a special place in my heart. Because of them, I can find energy, I can feel positive about life, I can become captivated with beauty, I can get lost in music, I can tap into that little girl inside. My music tastes are diverse and ever-expanding, but these 10 will be with me forever.
This is the soundtrack to my life.
*** Addendum written on December 2nd, 2023: I purchased the PPV of KISS's final concert in New York City last night. Bittersweet. A couple of observations: Man, do their kids love them! And everyone talked about their perseverance, their tenacity during tough times, their dedication to bringing the concert to people that they always wanted to see. Their legacy is encouragement to be who you want to be, to live your authentic self, and to love all. They spoke about how their music crossed the boundaries of generations and brought people together. They spoke of their love for their fans, which without, they would be nothing. Their final concert was beautiful - I have access until midnight January 1, 2024. I know I will watch it a few times! And ... in the end, a 'gift' of sorts: they have become immortal. They have gone the way of ABBA and have become avatars. When I learned of this with ABBA, I thought more iconic performers need to do this; and my first thought was KISS need to do this. And guess what? I wasn't the only one thinking this! Who knows where this will lead! How wonderful to watch God Gave Rock and Roll to You with their new avatars! As Paul said, "KISS is bigger than any of us." I wish them many blessings on the next chapter of each of their lives!
