“You wanted the best and you got them! The hottest band in the land: KISS!”
Back in the ’70s, KISS ruled the school. They were huge! There were KISS toys, KISS comic books, KISS, well, pretty much anything Gene Simmons could think of! KISS was so big that the band even had it’s own army, the KISS Army!
Why was KISS so big and why were they so successful? One reason: seeing KISS live was a breathtaking, rocking spectacle that couldn’t be duplicated!
Why?
Check out this video of KISS performing “Deuce” live.
There are three components that make KISS so awesome and so special:
First component: The makeup and costumes. When KISS formulated their image, they went over the top. The face paint, the spikes and leather, the extra large heels! No other band looked like this! Remember, this was the early ’70s!
Second component: The stage show. Spitting fire, choreographed stage moves (In large heels!), flying guitars, a drum riser that actually rose, and last but not least, a giant light show with explosions. Let’s not forget that giant KISS sign shining behind the band, not that you need reminding!
Third component: The songs. KISS rocks. “Deuce.” “Rock And Roll All Night.” “Detroit Rock City.” The list of such great tunes goes on and on. It’s been almost forty years and the songs still rock. It’s not easy being timeless.
If you take one these components away, the band would be Kiss, not KISS! If you take away the stage show and image, they are just another ’70s rock band. If you take away the great tunes, they wouldn’t be a rock band, they would be a circus act.
Tiki bars are the same way.
There are three components needed to make a great Tiki bar:
Décor.
Music.
And Drinks.
A Tiki bar is the perfect combination of these elements and they work seamlessly together. When you walk in, sit down and sip your Tiki drink, you should feel like you’re dreaming. I sometimes feel like I’m floating! The whole experience should be overwhelming and breathtaking. This is what escapism is all about.
But as I said, you need all three components. If you take away the drinks, you have a bar that happens to be Tiki-themed. If you take away the décor and just serve Tiki drinks, then it’s just a bar. Music single-handedly can totally destroy a Tiki experience. I sadly have seen it happen over and over again.
There’s a lot of discussion in the Tiki community about what is a “true” Tiki bar. I think the answer is simple.
Without their makeup, KISS is just a rock band from the ’70s. A Tiki bar should create an experience..
If it doesn’t, then you’re just drinking at a bar.
Thank you Brian Verch for all the live Kiss photos!
Ray, you write about KISS in the past tense. They are still going strong! My wife, Traci, and I have seen a whole lot of great bands in their heyday (DK’s, Black Flag, Ramones, TSOL, SLF, DEVO, Iggy, The Bags, 45 Grave, Kraftwerk, Mötorhead, Damned, Joan Jett, Stranglers, Lou Reed, etc,..), but we finally saw KISS and they blew our minds! Best concert ever in our book. From then on, every other gig by every other band has pretty much sucked.
“tiki” has had the same effect on us too.
Oh I totally agree! I saw KISS up here in the Pacific NW a couple years ago. Man what a show. It was an event to say the least! I can’t believe the list of bands you got to see, I’m so jealous!