Kiss Army and veterans
I’ve never been a Kiss fan, well, until now. I don’t have to listen to the music to like them, right? A couple of months ago, the band was hiring veterans for their upcoming show and now this.
Andrew Leahey at the Washington Times reports that they held a private concert for 1600 members of the military last night;
“We owe so much to the brave men and women who voluntarily put on that uniform and go to places where people don’t like them,” Gene Simmons explained earlier this week, several hours before he and his three band mates — Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer — paid a visit to patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
“The vets that we’ve met never ask for praise, glory or money,” he added. “They just want to re-enter society and get a job. We do these all-vet shows to show our appreciation, because what they do for us is beyond comprehension.”
“We used to stop every single show in the middle,” Mr. Simmons remembered, “and hoist the Stars and Stripes before saying the Pledge of Allegiance, right there in the middle of the concert. Very cornball, very not cool, but I don’t care. Sometimes, you gotta flush cool down the toilet and just arch your back and stand proudly, realizing that you’re living in the greatest country on the face of the planet.”
The whole article is worth a read, so go.
Category: Support the troops
This video of Gene Simmons Military Tribute has been making the rounds for a year or two …
Tommy Thayer’s father is a retired Brigadier General and Tommy has been very involved out here in Oregon with the Guard. Just last month he was part of a fundraiser for our new military museum. The old one just couldn’t hold all of the militaria.
If you watch Gene Simmons’ TV show he takes time to visit VA hospitials and help out vets….truly cares not from being a spotlight ranger.
Gene Simmons rocks!
on myFOXdc:
KISS Plays Private Concert for Military Servicemembers
http://www.myfoxdc.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7524042
I was at the concert last night, it was a military only concert. They gave out free concert shirts that were printed specifically for that show, specialized guitar picks were being tossed into the crowd as well. A few dudes recovering from combat injuries were bussed in from Bethesda on their hospital beds.
The whole front section had been ripped up so that folks could be front and center in their wheel chairs. The dude next to me was a bilateral, below knee amputee; he jumped out of his wheelchair when the concert started to go rock out in the front row.
“I WANNA ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT”
Dating myself, my band used to play a lot of KISS covers….we had a guitarist who would get some wood playing Detroit Rock City….
These guys were cool then, and now they are even more so…good stuff.
Goosebumps. Period.
OOps that was me…new computer, no cookies, yet.
I think Gene Simmons’ wife Shannon and daughter Sofie are working with the pin ups for patriots thing as well.
One thing not mentioned is the 1/4 Mil that KISS and Motley Crue donated. Increasingly awesome. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151115460506412&set=a.10150696607291412.455096.64075031411&type=1
“Very cornball, very not cool, but I don’t care.” —
Can’t permit damn fool “popular” opinion to cause giving up what’s REAL and crucial .
(good for him not to care if uncool)
Nice Stuff! Glad they really Care! Once upon a time I was a SGT in the KISS army…..but sadly no awards….Somewhere I still have my KISS certificate of enlistment.