I already have four posts in the blog and didn’t talk about Kiss yet, my favorite band of all times? It’s time to alleviate this unfairness!

As in the life of many people, I listen to Kiss since very little, influenced by one of my brothers that loved them. I remember I used to play with the covers of Kiss albums’, while my brother listened to the music. At that time, Hotter than Hell cover was my favorite, because it was the most colorful!

I think that, because I was a child, first I’ve developed this visual relationship with Kiss and then I knew and understood their music. And what music! In my opinion, all phases and musicians that have been part of Kiss are important. Besides Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, Kiss today is also Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, but I can’t forget Peter Criss and Ace Frehley (original drummer and guitar player), Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick, who have been in some of my favorite recordings, Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John.

However, the heart and soul of the band is Paul Stanley, who lives and breathes Kiss. He released only a few materials outside Kiss until today. And Gene Simmons is the business brain. Master Gene has a big tongue (literally), that sometimes doesn’t fit in his mouth (literally again), but he is GENE SIMMONS and he can say whatever he wants to say.

Unfortunately, I’ve lost the first Kiss Koncert in Rio de Janeiro, at Maracana Stadium in 1983, in which, maybe the band has played for the biggest crowd in its career: about 200.000 people. Yes, my friends, at that time nobody worried about security as they do today. I still have my brother’s ticket, which I keep as a relic.

They have been to Brazil again in 1999, for the Psycho Circus tour, but I only realized my dream of seeing them alive in 2009, in the Alive 35 tour.

But then I got lucky! After suffering almost the whole show in Rio under heavy rain and not listening to Love Gun because of the same rain (it was impossible to do the cable crossing and also due to the vocal difficulties of Paul Stanley – here I’d just like to point out that he’s not a boy anymore, that he has spent the last 35 years screaming and jumping over high heeled shoes and that the sound of the venue - Praça da Apoteose – has never been one of the best), I had a holiday trip scheduled to New York when I found out that Kiss would play at Madison Square Garden during my second day in the city: October 10th!

I felt extremely excited about the possibility of seeing them playing “alive” and started to search for tickets. But then I felt a little despair: the gig was sold out! I couldn’t believe I would be in the same city as Kiss and wouldn’t be able to see them playing! It was unacceptable for me!!!!When would I have another chance like this?

I decided not to give up and asked the help of friends in USA, who told me about the wonderful world of “brokers” on-line. I was back in the game! With a little research in the Internet, I found a seller that would send the tickets via Fedex to the whole world! Since it was May and I would only travel in October, I decided to take my chances.

I’ve received the tickets quickly at my house, as promised, but a friend who joined me in this adventure doubt they were authentic until the moment we entered at MSG without any problem! LOL

Luckily, everything went right and I realized the dream of seeing the hottest band in the world alive, at their home, and I dare to say: with the same excitement of 30 years ago. It’s worth to note that I didn’t see any problem with Paul Stanley’s voice that day. But, as a friend of mine said the other day: even mute, Paul Stanley is better than a lot of other singers.

Note: The pictures that illustrate this text I took at MSG in this concert. However, I wasn’t close enough and I didn’t have a good camera at that time, which allowed me to acquire good images. Anyway, these pictures are a little memory of that beautiful moment.