Gene Simmons talks IndyCar, communicable diseases, KISS nuggets
When you’re talking to Gene Simmons, half the battle is getting him to stray from his talking points. I was two minutes into what was supposed to be a 10-minute interview, when the man started rattling off a litany of KISS-branded merchandise he’d licensed over the years (“We sell KISS condoms and KISS caskets,” he tells me, “so we can get you coming and going!” Ba-DING!) and I knew I had to get him on track.
So I tell him I read one of his six books, and then ask him if he’s excited getting the chance to play lesser-known KISS songs with his solo band when he comes to Hoosier Park Racing & Casino this weekend. Now he’s excited, and wrapped around my finger.
“You got it, see, you cut to the chase,” he laughs. “I was just being all flowery and all about me. But you’re exactly right. For the first time in 43 years of touring, some folks asked me if I’d like to jump up on stage and put together some crackerjack rockers and go through some nuggets that KISS will never play, or has never played. And I thought, ‘gee, that sounds like a lot of fun!’ Because there are always songs that I think are kind of neat and we will never get a chance to play, because our blessing is also our curse.”
That curse is that, over the years the band has recorded more than two dozen studio albums, so there’s a ton of music to choose from. Simmons says the folks in Anderson embraced the idea of having him come in with his own band and just make the fans happy. And in turn, Simmons has embraced the challenge of finding new ways to surprise fans who already are in the palm of his hand whenever he makes an appearance.