The King of Kiss vaults into Boston

(Boston, Ma 021718) Gene Simmons uses a reporters phone to record an interview during his vault tour at City Winery. February 17 2018 Staff photo by Chris Christo

KISS icon Gene Simmons brought the Vault Experience to City Winery yesterday, treating fans to an acoustic set before personally handing them Vaults — safes filled with exclusive memorabilia and music from the past 50 years that’s never been made public.

“It was a different time,” The Demon told the Track about when he first started making music several decades ago. “You had to do it the old-fashioned way: You had to roll up your sleeves, you had to get in the back of a station wagon and drive 10 hours, with two guys taking turns sleeping, and you had to take your case, your music, your vibe to the people day after day, city after city. That’s gone.”

“Nowadays, you just get on ‘The Voice’ or ‘American Idol’ because you sing in the shower,” he continued. “But that’s not paying dues, which is why so few … get a career. The rest of them die in fiery flames.”

To be clear, Simmons added that it’s not like people lack the raw potential to rise to long-lasting musical greatness, much like Kiss and its contemporaries have earned. He just hasn’t seen any of that potential flourish into the makings of a modern-day legend.