KISS band member draws big crowd in the Falls

An hour before Gene Simmons was scheduled to make an appearance at a local 7-11, fans of the iconic rock star and his band, KISS, were in a lineup that wrapped around the block.

Simmons was in Niagara Falls on Thursday afternoon to promote his new brand of soft drinks, MoneyBag Sodas, and fans, both local and from out of town, turned out in droves for an opportunity to meet the rock legend.

Kevin Hart, a longtime KISS fan, came all the way from Salamanca and was the first in line to meet Simmons.

Hart said he was the first one to arrive, waiting in line from 5:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., when Simmons finally came on the scene.

“I’m a big KISS fan. I’ve waited about 50 years for this. I couldn’t sleep,” he said, adding that he met a lot of friendly fellow KISS fans while waiting in line.

Other fans, Mike and Matt Labadie, came from north of Toronto to meet Simmons. Mike Labadie said he’s been a fan of KISS since he was boy and has passed the tradition on to his son. He said he’s lost track of how many KISS shows he’s attended over the years but guessed it was more than 70. His son, Matt Labadie, said he’s seen KISS at least 25 times.