New York Observer -- August 4, 2003
Kiss Chew
On Wednesday, July 23, a line of expectant Kiss fans waited outside of the Best Buy on East 86th Street, hoping to get a glimpse of their reptilian heroes, who were at the store to publicize their new album, Symphony: Alive IV. A Kiss impersonation band called Parasite, billing themselves as "The Reincarnation of Kiss," roamed the block-long line, shaking hands and looking remarkably like the real thing.
Indeed, the only discernible difference was that the real band, standing inside on a stage surrounded by reporters and photographers, had cracks in their substantial makeup from the enormous amount of Juicy Fruit gum they were chewing.
Towering over the room in their huge platform boots, their jaws grinding, Kiss looked like a band of malicious, middle-aged frogs-especially bassist Gene Simmons, who occasionally stuck his trademark tongue out at the crowd, and drummer Peter Criss, who wore bright green makeup around his eyes.
The gum seemed to come from a tall, long-haired biker guy holding a dozen packs in his big hand, maneuvering past the garish quartet with an ease reserved for those who know what they're doing. When asked what flavor they were consuming with such relish, Mr. Simmons replied: "Free gum."
The chewing was especially jarring because it almost allowed you to see the real men behind the makeup. For those who haven't exactly followed the band, there was a brief period when Kiss made a go of it sans maquillage. But that didn't last very long.
Still, we had to ask: Do they get recognized without their makeup on? Mr. Criss smiled.
"Sometimes," he said.
Mr. Simmons interrupted. "It's like the same with girls," he said. "When girls take off their makeup, do they get recognized? Sometimes you wake up with a girl next to you and you're not sure if it's the same girl from the night before." Mr. Criss popped another stick into his mouth.
"He said that, not me."
--Lucy Teitler
On Wednesday, July 23, a line of expectant Kiss fans waited outside of the Best Buy on East 86th Street, hoping to get a glimpse of their reptilian heroes, who were at the store to publicize their new album, Symphony: Alive IV. A Kiss impersonation band called Parasite, billing themselves as "The Reincarnation of Kiss," roamed the block-long line, shaking hands and looking remarkably like the real thing.
Indeed, the only discernible difference was that the real band, standing inside on a stage surrounded by reporters and photographers, had cracks in their substantial makeup from the enormous amount of Juicy Fruit gum they were chewing.
Towering over the room in their huge platform boots, their jaws grinding, Kiss looked like a band of malicious, middle-aged frogs-especially bassist Gene Simmons, who occasionally stuck his trademark tongue out at the crowd, and drummer Peter Criss, who wore bright green makeup around his eyes.
The gum seemed to come from a tall, long-haired biker guy holding a dozen packs in his big hand, maneuvering past the garish quartet with an ease reserved for those who know what they're doing. When asked what flavor they were consuming with such relish, Mr. Simmons replied: "Free gum."
The chewing was especially jarring because it almost allowed you to see the real men behind the makeup. For those who haven't exactly followed the band, there was a brief period when Kiss made a go of it sans maquillage. But that didn't last very long.
Still, we had to ask: Do they get recognized without their makeup on? Mr. Criss smiled.
"Sometimes," he said.
Mr. Simmons interrupted. "It's like the same with girls," he said. "When girls take off their makeup, do they get recognized? Sometimes you wake up with a girl next to you and you're not sure if it's the same girl from the night before." Mr. Criss popped another stick into his mouth.
"He said that, not me."
--Lucy Teitler
posted by Lucy at 2:45 PM
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