It was August fourth, 1977, my neighbor, Kent, invited me go to the concert with him. I had listened to all their records, and knew all their songs, but I was a Beatles fan. Kent, on the other hand, was probably Kiss' biggest fan and possessed every 12" album, 7" single, published article, and scrap of paraphernalia that could be obtained.
Our seats were similarly positioned to where I had sat at the George Harrison concert in 74. I knew this show would be nothing like that one though. And it wasn't. The opening act was a new band no one had ever heard of called Cheap Trick, and they were not well received. After all, it was 1977, and rockers didn't know what to think about a flipped up brim cap wearing short haired guitarist bouncing around stage. Besides, the drummer appeared overweight, wore dark thick rimmed glasses and also had short hair. Certainly not the image narrow minded rockers envisioned a rock band to look like. After a handful of songs, Cheap Trick was booed off stage. As I listened to people discuss the atrocity we had just beheld, I overheard someone suggest that Cheap Trick was punk. By then, everyone had heard of punk rock, but at that point no one in Salt Lake had ever actually heard punk rock... and this must be it, the ignoramus surmised.
Finally the lights dimmed, and Kiss took the stage, and an evening of platform shoe stomping, fire spewing, blood dripping, tongue wagging, loud rock and roll ensued. There was some stage fog too.
It was such a contrast from George Harrison and Ravi Shankar. The Kiss show was a loud psycho circus of masked frames, emitting a wall of thunderous power chords, smoke and explosions. The audience got what they expected, and seemed satisfied with the performance. Cheap Trick getting booed off stage was the best part for me.
I've never actually purchased an album by the Klowns In Silly Suits, although I did receive an unexpected gift from a record club that I once belonged to when they accidentally sent me a copy of Kiss Alive Two. I couldn't get rid of the damn thing. I think I blew it up with dynamite... or lit it on fire and threw it down an old mine shaft... one er tuther. Maybe both... it was a two record set. May it rest in pieces. I wish I had it now though... and my Beatles albums that I melted.
1 comment:
Not exactly the way I remember it, but a good review. I actually liked Cheap Trick and bought their album "In Color & Black and White" that next week. Thanks for the fond memories.
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