Within a few days of the posters going up around town, the following the band had cultivated came through, and the concert sold out.
The group salted the front rows with some girls they knew and told them to start screaming when the Strangeurs began playing-it would be the first time Tyler would involve his fans in his band’s step up to the next level. The band had been instructed not to play any Byrds songs-so, of course, Steven took the stage and opened with “Eight Miles High.”And the girls started screaming, but the shills had been joined by hundreds of other screaming girls. Although they were supposed to do only two songs, Tyler and crew did six numbers because the kids kept yelling for more. Jim McGuinn and David Crosby were so impressed, they hired the Strangeurs to open for them in Asbury Park the next night. Another lesson learned: Breaking the rules is sometimes okay, especially when executed well. When the result is positive, forgiveness is often granted.
Even with such early successes, Tyler would return to Sunapee for the summer, each year with a greater following, creating a bigger ruckus. Kids packed the now infamous bring your own bottle dance club, the Barn, to watch Tyler. His on stage persona was derivative of his natural personality traits-constant energy, quirky coolness, and all around “notice me” attitude. He signaled early on that he would set the tone and personality of any band he would eventually lead.
Tyler attended a performance by another local group, the Jam Band, and saw Joe Perry create magic with his guitar on stage. He sensed that if they got together they could find their place in rockand roll history. Fast forward to 1970. Tyler, without a band, and Perry, looking to build his dream team, joined forces and created a union that would go on to span four decades. Fresh out of high school, Tom Hamilton would play bass, and Ray Tabano would play guitar. After the band moved to Boston, Joey Kramer was recruited to play drums, and Brad Whitford replaced Tabano on guitar.
Creating a Kick Ass Experience Just as it would be wrong to describe Southwest as just another brand of airline, it would be wrong to call the KISS product just another rock and roll brand. Admittedly, KISS never set out to be the best musicians the world has ever known. Nor did it set out to change the world with deep social messages and complex lyrics. KISS did set out, however, to give people the best damn show they’d ever seen. And it did set out to change the standard for concerts-focusing on the entire entertainment value of the event the band commandeered each night. The band also set out to connect with fans and make gobs of money along the way.
Band members would make a connection to audiences from the stage, giving the fans something to talk about for weeks and remember for years. Unlike other bands before them, KISS brought fireworks to the stage, along with fire breathing tricks, simulated blood, and unleashed craziness-tactics that focused more attention on the musicians and the overall concert experience rather than the music itself. Simmons explains in the VH1 interview, “I started spitting fire during [the song]
September 22nd, 2009 — Investment Strategies
Several significant things happened that night. Elvis touched the collective nerve of the nation with his voice, beauty, and stage presence, transcending traditional age and race divisions within the American culture of the 1950s. Audiences applauded his voice and singing talent, but they screamed for the way Elvis performed. He didn’t just sing a song on stage, he entertained people-gyrating, swaying, and flashing his little boy smile. To many of his female fans, the songs he sang were secondary to his personality and the way he performed them, evoking an emotional response that made the girls swoon. As a result, the Sullivan show achieved an audience share of 82 percent, a record never equaled until the Beatles appeared years later. It was clear that Elvis was amassing fans; it was clear that people wanted to love him. And that night, Sullivan gave America permission to do so and to invite Elvis into their lives and their culture. Following Elvis’s performance, Sullivan walked over to him, put his arm around his shoulder, and told America, with great sincerity, that Elvis was “a fine and decent boy.” From that point on, entertainment was never the same, dividing the history of twentieth century music into before Elvis (B.E.) and afterElvis (A.E.) timeframes. Many would argue that American culture was also forever changed. The young, white, and openly sexual performer created upheaval in many households, causing teens to butt heads with their parents’ primarily Victorian values and embrace the statement Elvis made with his risqu