KISSNATION
RI Comic Con
Providence, RI
November 2, 2013

This year, the second annual Rhode Island Comic Convention featured a rocking after party with Pozer, “The Ultimate Hair Band Experience”, and out of New York, the ultimate KISS tribute band, KISSNATION.

 

Pozer

Pozer is a local band, bringing the best big hair band music from the 80’s. I was interested to see them, as last year lead singer Scott Korpela and I were rehearsing in a band together for a couple of months.

They had a great energy, and one thing they were really good at, which I always think is a big deal with cover bands, is keeping the set moving. There was no downtime between songs, they just segued from one song to the next. Perhaps themed for Comic Con, they opened up with the Ghostbuster’s theme song, straight into “Round and Round” by Ratt. Other bands heard in their set included Dokken, Poison and Skid Row.

Unfortunately their sound wasn’t the best. I think it was a combination of a room too large for the size of the crowd, and guitar tones that were too digital and over-processed.

 

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KISSNATION

I’ve known the guys in KISSNATION since the summer of 2007, when I was touring with Draw the Line, and we shared a bill on a festival in Montevideo, Minnesota. I’ve seen and shared bills with a lot of different KISS tribute bands over the years, and I’ve always been the most impressed by KISSNATION.

They’re very dedicated to giving the authentic KISS experience. As The Starchild, lead singer Billy sounds just like Paul Stanley, even down to his banter with the audience in between songs. John does his best Demon, rocking an axe bass, spitting blood onto the crowd during his bass solo before God of Thunder. Space Ace Ruby wails on lead guitar, sings lead vocals on a couple of Ace tunes, “New York Groove” and “Shock Me,” and has light up guitars (and normally guitars with smoke and fireworks, which I’m guessing the Convention Center must have said no to). Catman Mikey wails on the drums, and comes up front during the encore to serenade the crowd with “Beth.”

The set is full of KISS classics such as “Detroit Rock City,” “Deuce,” and “Strutter.” The only song I would have enjoyed hearing which they didn’t play is “Black Diamond.”

If you’re a KISS fan, KISSNATION is definitely a band you don’t want to miss!