Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience

 gets you closer than ever to KISS

Special VIP tour offers much more than a typical meet-and-greet

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

Imagine that you are a KISS fan and that you have been so for many years. You’ve got all of the band’s albums and, within the KISS Army, you see yourself as a five-star general. You’ve got at least 20 ticket stubs from their concerts, and though it might be a bit hard to squeeze into it these days, you’ve still got your concert t-shirt from your very first KISS show. You’ve also got a sizable collection of KISS collectables, and you might even joke that when it comes to KISS trivia, you know more about the band than even Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.  

But … have you ever actually walked on the KISS stage? Stood right before their mic-stands? Have you ever held Gene Simmons' bass or Paul Stanley’s guitar? Sat behind Eric Singer’s drum kit? Peeked inside Tommy Thayer’s traveling guitar case? Held Gene’s torch, into which he breathes fire? Tried on Paul’s platforms and Gene’s dragon boots? Hung out with KISS in a relaxed setting before the show, where not only can you get a professionally-taken photo of you with the band, but you can also mingle with the group and take some fun selfies.

Probably not.        

Well, OK … definitely not.

But, with the “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience,” that’s exactly what you can do. It is the most deluxe VIP package that the band has ever offered to its fans and includes a type of backstage access and on stage access that has never been available before. You literally spend about three hours backstage and then watch the show from a special area, directly in front of the stage, which is actually several feet closer than the very front row. And when KISS recently brought its “End Of The Road” tour to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, a handful of KISS die-hards did just that.

KISS fan  Raymond Scipione holds
Gene Simmons' bass guitar.

“It was awesome, “ says Jodey Mutcher, 49, of Stroudsburg, PA. Mutchler, who has been a KISS fan since she was nine years old, says that since this is indeed KISS’ final tour, she felt it would be her last chance to get a closer look at “The Hottest Band in the World.”

“I’m surprised we had such access to the stage, and were able to touch their equipment,”  she says. “That’s a lot of trust that they have in their fans.”

The “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” tours are run by Epic Rights, a company that also handles KISS’ tour merchandise. Cost, per person, is $6,500.They are hosted by Keith Leroux, an assistant to the band who also handles its social media. Leroux was chosen to give the tours because he’s not only an employee of the band, but also a die-hard fan of the group with encyclopedic knowledge of all-things-KISS. That, combined with his cheerful demeanor and enthusiasm, makes him the perfect tour guide.

“I enjoy just being here,” says Leroux. “It’s amazing.  I love to see fans share with the band what I get to experience all the time.”

Leroux says even he’s surprised at how much the tour offers.

“When we put it together, it was intentionally expensive, so that it was limited,” he says. “They wanted it to be limited. They wanted it to be for the die-hards, but not where there are 50 people showing up. I really didn’t think the band would allow us to do everything we did. There was a wish-list. And they approved everything. The pit, from where people see the concert – no one has ever been allowed there before. And for all kinds of reasons … insurance, the pyro … the pyro literally had to be moved back, because a person who doesn’t work for KISS can’t be within a certain number of feet of the pyro. And so by allowing the fans in the pit, it changed the layout of the stage show. Even most crew members and band members don’t go where we go on the tour. They don’t need to. Their job might be in just one area, and if you don’t need to go on stage, you don’t have a pass to go on stage.

Dwayne Wimmer poses behind the KISS drumkit

“Fans are truly going into places where nobody can go,” he adds. “And again, when we put the list together for KISS, I thought for sure they were going to pair it down. But they approved every single thing.”

KISS’ “End of The Road” show is the most mammoth of its career. It convoys from city to city with more trucks and buses than ever before. The KISS crew alone consists of 75-80 people  and about 100 local stage-hands are also brought in for each show. Even with nearly 200 people working, it still takes 10 hours to assemble. Once fans begin an “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” tour, they are escorted to the soundboard area, where they get their first glimpse of the stage. Soon, they are on the stage, where they are not only permitted to take any photos they’d like with their own phones or cameras, but they are also professionally photographed by Leroux or other members of the KISS staff, who later provide those photos to the fans. While on the stage, you can stand behind the band’s mic-stands and sit behind the drum kit. (It is there, behind the drums, when looking out into an 18,000 seat arena, when you truly feel as though you are sitting in the cockpit of KISS.) You also hold Simmons' torch and walk inside Simmons' special off stage area where he stores his basses and “blood” for his on-stage antics. Later, you can hold and pose with one of Simmons' basses and Stanley’s guitars, and before it’s time to go and try on their boots and hang out with the band, there’s also a special lounge with a catered meal and open bar.

   

Fans have never had a closer look at KISS
than they can now have with the Ultimate
KISS Army Experience, where they can
watch the show from directly in front of the stage. 

There's also a chance, at any given time while on the tour, that you might bump into Doc McGee, KISS' legendary manager, or that even one of the members of the band might join in for a while, sans makeup and costume.

The “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” is usually comprised of about 6-10 people in each city. And, as you’d expect, they are serious, die-hard KISS fans and ones with the means to afford it. Regarding the cost, some might compare it to attending a major sporting event. Each year, thousands of NFL fans from around the nation make a pilgrimage to the Super Bowl. They might spend thousands of dollars just for the tickets, plus airfare, hotel costs, food, souvenirs … it all adds up, rather quickly, to about the same amount as the cost of the “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience.” But those NFL fans don’t get to walk around on the actual field before the game, or hold the footballs that are going to be used in the game, or hang out with their favorite players just before they take the field and have photos taken with them, or watch the game from right on the sidelines. That, in essence, is what “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” offers to KISS fans. And for them, KISS is their favorite team and “The End Of The Road Tour” is the Super Bowl. And in most cases, extensive travel isn’t even necessary, as the tour is likely coming right to you.

Get up close and personal with
Paul Stanley with the band's new
Ultimate KISS Army Experience 

Ray Scipione, 48, of Hammonton, N.J. has been a KISS fan since 1979. Once he heard about the “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience,” he signed right up. The main reason, he says, was to be even closer than the front row.

“I really wanted to be up close,” says Scipione.  “All of this other stuff is icing on the cake.”

Scipione says that though it’s a costly VIP tour, it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime event.   

“It’s an expensive night, but I live life on experiences,” he says. “You can only buy so many cars, or jewelry or clothes. For me, it’s this. It’s waking up five years from now and saying, ‘Man, remember that night I did all of that?” There are people that just save, and they never live their life with any experiences. They just save and save, but they never do anything. I’d rather do this, where I can look back, and have pictures and videos, and I can relive the night.”

Joe Lagana, 58, or Orwigsburg, PA, has been a KISS fan since 1974 and saw them for the first time in 1976. He’s now seen them more than 75 times and he also took the “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” tour in Philadelphia.

“It was simply awesome,” says Langana. “To get to try on their boots - it’s just simply awesome. And it’s a very comfortable pace. Nobody was rushed. Keith is great.”

If the shoe fits, where it: Joe Lagana
tries on Gene Simmons' dragon boots

Lagana said that though he’s done other VIP packages in the past, he opted to do the “Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience” because of all of the newly added extras.

“It’s ‘The End of The Road,” he says. “It’s the final tour. You probably won’t have the opportunity to do this again.”

Dwayne Wimmer, 54, of Haverford, PA, has been a KISS fan since 1976 and has seen the band more than 30 times. He agrees.

“What’s cool about it is that it’s a small group and we got to take our time,” he says. “You’re on the stage for 20 minutes, or a half an hour, you’re walking into the areas where they go to off stage in between songs. You get to hold their guitars, put on their boots – that’s crazy. And you get to talk with like-minded fans, about your experiences and how you became a fan. You’re building relationships and making friends.

“It’s great.”

(The Ultimate KISS ARMY Experience is available before every show on the band’s “End Of The Road” tour. For more information, visit www.kissonline.com)

Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net

Thank you, Mom and Dad …

… and thank you, KISS

A lot of amazing things happened in Philly for my son and I on March 29. Some people did some very nice things for me. And I know, based on what they told me, that they did them because they came to know and respect my work and that, over the years, I have dedicated a good portion of my life to supporting good music and celebrating good music.

I posted quite a few photos of our KISS experience on social media, mostly of my son. But this one here is one of my favorites of me. Standing on stage at the Wells Fargo Center. I’ve seen everyone from Paul McCartney, to Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Billy Joel, Madonna, Eric Clapton, U2 and countless others stand on stage there.  It is, looking out over the 18,000 seat arena, a surreal feeling. And somehow I found myself there, standing before, ironically enough, Paul Stanley’s mic-stand. It was seeing him on stage, in Philadelphia 35 years ago, that helped put me on this wonderful musical journey. He is the greatest frontman I’ve ever seen, and his band is the greatest live band I’ve ever seen, and somehow my son and I found ourselves walking on their stage.

Later in the evening, after the show, when all was quiet, I was thinking about how much I loved music when I was a teen, and how my parents supported that love. They’d drive me and my friends to the “Midnight Movies,” to see films like “Tommy,” “Let It Be,” “The Song Remains The Same” and “Quadrophenia.” Sometimes, at age 15 or 16, my Dad would pick us up after the movie at 2 a.m. When we weren’t yet old old enough to drive out of town for big shows, my folks would drive us. Drop us off at the arena. Pick us up after the show. Everywhere from Philly to Allentown to NYC. And, before I got my first high school part-time job and had my own money, they’d always give me a few bucks to buy that album or music magazine that I wanted.

Sometimes, my parents had to reel me in a bit. I remember once, around 11th grade, my Mom felt I was spending too much time in my room with my records, with my headphones on, rather than on my studies. She was a sweetheart, but when she was mad, sometimes her Irish would slip out a bit.

“Alan,” she said. “All you care about is the goddamn Who.” That wasn’t true. All I cared about was KISS, Bruce Springsteen, The Police, The Beatles, Van Halen and The Who. And really, my grades were fine. And they kept letting me go to concerts.

(Mom, by the way, actually loved The Who.)

This photo is for my late Mom, and for my Dad. Thank you. Thank you, for when you noticed that I found something I really loved, just letting me roll with it.

And thank you, KISS.

As we were walking from the arena back to the car after the show, my 10 year-old son said to me, “I’m still trying to process what just happened.” And then he asked me if we could go to see KISS again in Hershey.

Thanks for that as well, KISS. It might be “The End of The Road” for you. But for him, the musical journey is just beginning. And that, after tonight, I know is because of you. And because of the things that my Mom and Dad did for me, all those years ago.

Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net

KISS' ‘End of The Road’ tour:

A victory for the music

Legendary band will make its final stop in Philly on Friday

COMMENTARY

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

March 25, 2019

One of the more interesting little tidbits within the history of the rock band KISS is the fact that the group landed its first record deal based solely on the merit of its music. It was 1973, and the president of the new upstart label was so impressed with a demo featuring some of the group’s songs that, though he hadn’t even seen them play live, he decided, immediately, to sign the band. Yes, KISS was already developing a high-energy live show and was beginning to experiment with a glam-rock look, but it was, quite simply, its music that first vaulted the group into the big leagues of rock.

Of course, once KISS got there, they pretty much single-handedly changed the way rock concerts were done. They redefined the modern stage show. They were “the hottest band in the world.” It was the greatest show on Earth.

But underneath all of the flash and the pyro and the extravagance were, at the core, good songs. And it is those songs, just as much as anything, that has allowed KISS to carry on and thrive for the past 45 years. And it is those songs - just as much as the brilliant staging and showmanship - that will help fill up the Wells Fargo Center with KISS fans on Friday night.

I’ve been on board with KISS for most of their 45-year ride, having been a fan since 1976. I can recall the older brother of one of my friends jamming “Alive!” is his room and allowing us to listen, and being captivated by what I heard. Not long after that, I saw the band on television for the first time, and not long after that, my parents let me pick out one of their albums from the record club. I chose “Rock and Roll Over.” Next, I picked up their hard-rock masterpiece, “Destroyer,” and eventually, I had all of the rest. Like millions of kids around the globe, I’d sit in my room, in front of my record player, just listening to the songs. Sure, KISS had great mystique and cool album covers, and their faces seemed to jump right off of the magazine covers, but what kept you coming back was the music.

By 1984, I was 16 and was old enough to start going to rock concerts. And when KISS came to Philly on its “Lick It Up” tour, I was there. And it was one of the most incredible things I’d ever seen. It was a transitional time for KISS. They’d lost two original members and had, after 10 years, decided to drop their trademark war paint. It was time to let just the music and their own charisma do the talking. And how did that work out? All of the band’s non-makeup era albums in the ‘80s went gold or platinum, the group were staples on MTV, and all of their tours filled arenas. And the main reason for that, again, was the music.

My rose and Paul Stanley's rose

If you’ve read enough interviews with KISS founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley over the years, you know that they are both virtual walking encyclopedias on the history rock. They both came of age in the ‘60s and were schooled on The Beatles and other acts from the British Invasion, and that foundation has always guided their sound. And they have, for the most part, always made extremely smart choices when it comes to their music. They replaced original drummer Peter Criss, a terrific swing-style player, with the late Eric Carr, who was cut more from the cloth of Led Zeppelin and helped power the band into heavier waters. They replaced original guitarist Ace Frehley, a Hendrix/Clapton-style player, with shredders such as Vinnie Vincent and the late Mark St. John, and eventually, the more textured Bruce Kulick. All brought the right touch to each KISS album they played on. They were the right musicians for the band at the right time. Other members, such as Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, who have cemented the KISS lineup for the past 14 years, have done the same.  KISS, thanks to the guidance of Simmons and Stanley, has always been a tight band with gifted musicians.

There’s a great quote that was supposedly once quipped by Angus Young of AC/DC: “People say we’ve made 10 records, and that they all sound the same. That’s not true at all. We’ve made 11 records and they all sound the same.” Whether Young actually ever said it or not doesn’t really matter. It’s funny. And for the most part, it’s true. It’s what makes AC/DC what they are. I like them. But for me, what makes KISS special is that, like all truly great rock bands, all of their records do not sound the same. KISS has never been afraid to tweak their sound or try something new. Sometimes it may have been for the sake of art, such as the ambitious 1981 concept album “Music From The Elder,” or for the sake of more commercial appeal, such as 1979’s “Dynasty” and 1987’s “Crazy Nights.” The end result, however - as a full body of work - is quite remarkable. It’s why, in Philly on Friday night, you’ll hear everything from the power and crunch of “Deuce,” to the beauty of “Beth.” You’ll hear both the grungy “War Machine” and the disco-influenced “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.”  You’ll hear some blues within “Cold Gin” and you’ll hear classic rock in “Detroit Rock City.” And you’ll hear those big anthems, such as “Shout It Out Loud” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.”  You will hear KISS. You'll hear a band that worked with gospel singers on 1989's "Hot In The Shade" album, recorded a pop gem such as 1980's "Shandi," and yet also gave us the gloriously churning "God of Thunder." You will hear what just might be the most musically diverse hard-rock band of all-time.

Albums such as 1985's "Asylum" embrace the concept of individuality

For me, as a teenager, it was KISS’ songs about individuality that resonated with me the most. Tracks such as “King of The Mountain” “Get All You Can Take” and “I” had an incredibly positive impact on my life. They helped shape a philosophy that, in some ways, I still carry with me to this day: Believe in yourself. And if you want something in life, go for it. Those songs are a big part of the reason I’ve got this Paul Stanley-style rose tattoo on my arm. They are why this Friday’s show in Philly will be my 35^th. A few years ago, I took my young daughter to see the band. This time, I am taking my 10 year-old son. KISS, for many, has become a rite of passage. And now both of my kids will know why Dad's got the rose.

I’ve been lucky in that, through my work in music journalism, I’ve had the chance to have had some personal encounters with the members of KISS. I’ve interviewed them about a dozen times for newspapers and once hosted a three-hour radio special on the band. And even in more casual settings, I’ve been able to tell them some of the thoughts that I’ve shared here today. I once told Simmons about my love for some of those ‘80s records, and some of the songs that impacted me. His tone was kind and almost fatherly, and he advised that the most important thing in life is to enjoy yourself as much as you can, every day. I also once had a chance to show Stanley my rose tattoo, and he placed his right next to mine for a photo. That one was a keeper.

Weekender cover story

In following the KISS  “End of The Road” on social media, I’ve seen the photos of sold-out shows, night after night, in arenas across America. And I do see the tour, as Stanley has called it, as one last “victory lap.” It is a triumph, particularly for Simmons and Stanley, who have always – always – done things their way. It is a victory lap for the KISS Army, and for the rock band that has earned more gold records than any other American group in history. It is a victory lap for the band that, again, got its first record deal not because of makeup, bombs and pyro, but because of its brash and fresh style of rock and roll.

It is a victory for all-things KISS.

It is a victory for the music.

KISS’ “End Of The Road” tour comes to Madison Square Garden in New York on March 27, the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 29, the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on March 30 and Hersheypark Stadium on August 21. For ticket info, visit www.ticketmaster.com


(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net)

   

   

   

Memories of Mercury

Dakota, with Queen, on tour together in 1980

Members of Dakota have fond recollections of touring with the rock legend

By ALAN K. STOUT

Special to The Times Leader

“Bohemian Rhapsody,” a full-length feature film depicting the life of the late Freddie Mercury, opens in theaters across America on Friday. It is expected to take viewers inside the complex life of the late Queen frontman, who died in 1991, at the age of 45, of AIDS.

Bill Kelly and Jerry Hludzik, both natives of Northeastern Pennsylvania, have fond recollections of Mercury. Though they came from the opposite side of the Atlantic as the British singer, the three men shared one thing in common: a true love for music. And when their respective bands crossed paths for several months during the summer of 1980, friendships were formed and lasting memories were made.

Queen, at the time, was already a huge act in the United States and around the globe.  In prior years, songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “You’re My Best Friend,” “Somebody To Love” and “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions” had lifted the band up the charts and into country’s largest arenas. But in 1980, with the release of “The Game,” the group climbed to new heights. The album hit No. 1 on the Billboard chart and became the band’s best-selling record. Two of its tracks, “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” each hit No. 1 on singles chart.  And Dakota - a band based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania which featured Kelly and Hludzik - opened most of the shows on Queen’s American tour.

“It’s an amazing story,” says Kelly, a native of West Wyoming. “Michael Stahl, a good friend of our band, was running front-of-house sound for Queen on their tour. They already had an opening act, but they had only done two or three shows when Queen realized that they were terrible. And so Freddie fired them. The question then came up, ‘What are we going to do about an opening act?’ And Freddie said, ‘Well, we just won’t have an opener. We’ll just do a longer set.’ Well … that lasted about two shows. Freddie couldn’t do it. He had terrible trouble with nodes on his vocal chords. He could not pull it off. After the second or third show, he came into the dressing room and said, ‘I’m screwed. I need an opening act. What can I do?’ And Michael jumped up and said, ‘I’ve got your band, buddy. I’ve got your band.’ And on the strength of his word, we got put on that tour.”

For Kelly and Hludzik it was a second brush with national recognition. In 1971, while with the band The Buoys, they notched a Top-20 hit with the song “Timothy” and were major label contenders throughout the decade. By 1980, they’d moved on to a new musical project, Dakota. The group’s self-titled album was released on Columbia Records and featured the single “If It Takes All Night.” Coincidentally, Kelly says that on the same day that they found out they had landed the Queen tour, he and Hludzik had a meeting in New York where the two had two lobbied their record label for more tour support.

“We needed some financial backing, and we were not getting it,” he says. “They refused. And as we were leaving, we said, ‘You know, there’s a very good chance we can get the Queen tour.’ And they laughed at us. I’m not kidding. They laughed at us. When we left there, Jerry and I felt like two bumbling idiots. But when we called home, there was a message from Michael: ‘Be in Baton Rouge tomorrow by 5 p.m. You have three shows with Queen.”  

 'Bohemian Rhapsody,’ a new film depicting the life
of Freddie Mercury, opens Friday 

Their reaction was euphoric.

“We were out of our minds,” he says. “Jerry and I, if nothing else - when we were after something - were like two pit bulls. And so when this came through, we were totally over-the-top excited.”

Kelly says that although the band and its crew were actually just about to go hiatus and were readying for vacation, they were able to round up the troops and make it to Louisiana by the next day. Dakota’s three shows went well, and thus an offer was made for the band to stay on the road with Queen. It would last for two months, from June through August, and also included shows in Canada. It ended with three nights at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“What a thrill to take a look at the marquee, at the Garden, and see, ‘Queen with Dakota.’ “ says Kelly. “Are you kidding me?”

Kelly says that though he had great respect for Queen at the time, his own musical tastes leaned more towards bands such as The Eagles and Poco. He adds that while he had always appreciated Mercury’s singing voice, and the tone guitarist Brian May got with his instrument, he admits he didn’t even recognize May when the musician introduced himself to Dakota backstage on the first night of the tour.

“Of course, after the tour, I became such a huge fan,” he says. “And not only of their talent, but just the type of people they were. They were the most humble, professional group of guys we ever worked with. There was no axe to grind. There was no BS involved. Anything that they could do to make us do better, every night, they did.”

Kelly says that while standing off to the side of the stage, he watched Queen’s show every night.

“I watched every single show,” he says. “I was so blown away by this little 5’8, 140-pound guy who could take his shirt off, and get out there and prance around in front of 10,000 or 15,000 people and transform into this 6’4, 210-pound guy. I’m watching this like, ‘How did this just happen?’ He was larger-than-life. And one of the nicest, most professional musicians I’ve ever been around.”

One of Kelly’s favorite memories of the tour was knowing - because of the way Dakota was treated - that the respect was mutual. Queen genuinely liked Dakota.

“So many nights, I’d look to the side of the stage, and they’d be standing there watching us,” he says. “They were just so supportive all the time. Thumbs up all the time. They’d say, ‘Great show, blokes. Great show. (Kelly inserts a British accent.) You’re making us look good.’ Stuff like that … it was really awesome.”

Hludzik, a native a Hazleton, agrees.

“Freddie enjoyed what we did, and that was kind of neat,” he says. “That was once in a lifetime. He, at that time, was the king. Looking back at it, there aren’t too many headlining acts that take that time. He could have just brushed us off. It was special.”

Kelly shares another story that reveals Mercury’s humility.

“We got to Detroit, and ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ was just exploding on the radio,” he says. “One of the TV stations in Detroit decided they were going to come in and do a feature on the band, and a part of it was going to be filming Queen in rehearsal, during sound check. And so of course what that did to us was completely eliminate our sound check. We had none. Well … Freddie felt so bad that it interfered with us getting a sound check that he had all of the guys carrying our gear. So picture Brian May grabbing a couple of my guitar stands and a guitar and putting them in place and Freddie carrying cymbal stands and putting them in place. I’m watching this thinking. ‘This is Queen. And they’re helping us get our gear together so we can do our job.’ It’s totally amazing. Where do you ever hear of any headliner doing that? They were wonderful.”

Actor Rami Malek portrays Freddie Mercury in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ 

One of the great traditions in rock and roll comes from when two bands that are on tour together are getting along well and enjoying each other’s company. Usually, that results in some pranks and hijinks. And the Queen/Dakota tour was no exception.

“Usually when an opening act spends time with a headliner, you can tell that you’re in good standing when they start pulling practical jokes on you,’” says Kelly.  “Well, Freddie had a section of his stage that they called his ‘Tooth.’ It was an extension that went out beyond the stage, and it’s where he would go out and prance around. It was made of this really shiny, slick material. Freddie came up to me one night and said, ‘If you want to go out and dance around on the extension, feel free.’ I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? Absolutely.’  

“There was a song called ‘Restless’ on the ‘Dakota’ album, and it had a fiery-type of solo,” he adds. “I’d run out, just as I was starting the solo, and hit my knees, and slide out to the edge of the stage. Of course when you slide out to the edge of the stage, 10,000 people go nuts. It’s kind of fun. So one night, we’re in Greensboro, North Carolina, and I hit the deck, on Freddie’s stage extension, and I’m sliding, and I’m sliding, and I’m sliding. I get to the very edge of the stage and I’m about to go off, and I kick my legs out, and somehow end up sitting on the edge of the stage, instead of going off into the crowd. I look down, and there were three members of Queen’s crew getting ready to catch me. What they had done was super-polished the surface, so that when I hit it, I went flying.”

Kelly laughs at the memory.

In addition to celebrating his music, the “Bohemian Rhapsody” film - which was done in cooperation with surviving members of Queen - is also expected to delve into Mercury’s sexuality. Though it was more taboo nearly 40 years ago, and Kelly says it was obvious that Mercury was gay, he adds that it wasn’t given much thought by anyone on the tour.

“It was what it was,” says Kelly. “He had a couple of different guys, and when they’d come out, we knew that was the local boyfriend or whatever. It was never an issue. It was no big deal. I was so naïve. I was in a conversation with Brain one night, and the whole thing about ‘queen’ being a gay reference hit me for the first time, and he just got the biggest kick out of that. He laughed at me for being so naive.”

Kelly says that at the time of “The Game” tour, both May and Queen bassist John Deacon were married, while drummer Roger Taylor was a “lover of fine women” and enjoyed meeting them at shows. Still, there was one night, at Madison Square Garden, when Mercury’s decadence crept into the backstage area.  

“There were two tents set up backstage,” says Kelly. “If you were heterosexual you went into one tent, and if you were gay, you went into the other. The heterosexual tent had beautiful women, who were topless, and were your waitresses. They’d come over and pour you a beer or get you something to eat. And of course all they were wearing were little black leather panties. And on the other side, in the other tent, they had these good looking stud guys in great shape and they’re wearing these little leather short pants.  And that was for the gay crowd. That was the only blatantly sexual thing I saw on the tour.”

Hludzik also remembers that night and being backstage, in the straight tent, with his father.

“He was happy,” he says with a chuckle. “He enjoyed it.”

"He was larger than life, And one of  the nicest, most professional
musicians I've even been around." - Bill Kelly, on Freddie Mercury

By all accounts, Dakota enjoyed every minute of its time with Queen. And Hludzik says that as recently as just a few years ago, he and his wife were guests of May at a show in Philadelphia where the group was performing with vocalist Adam Lambert. Backstage, he even got to spend some time with his old travel mate.

“He was super nice to us,” says Hludzik.  “He could not have been any more kind. He was such a gentleman.”

That, too, is how Kelly will always remember Mercury.

“The greatest compliment I ever had as a singer came from Freddie Mercury,” he says. “We were in Baltimore, and had just finished sound check, and as I was walking backstage I noticed that Freddie had been listening and watching. And he came up to me and said, ‘Man, how do you do that night after night after night?’ With all of the Dakota stuff, I sing atmosphere-high, all the time. I said, ‘That’s how I’ve had to sing to put food on the table for the past 10 years.’ It was tough, because he was really struggling with the nodes on his throat, and he’d get very down on himself that he couldn’t do more than two shows without taking two days off. And so it was just a wonderful compliment that he gave me.

“Freddie was such a flamboyant personality,” he adds. “And humility doesn’t necessarily come to mind when you think of him. But with my one-on-one interactions, I found him to be humble and sincere.”

This story also appeared in The Times Leader.

(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net)

Frehley proves he’s still the ‘Spaceman’

Former KISS guitarist's playing shines on new album  

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

Ace Frehley was an original member of the rock band KISS and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is also considered to be one of the most influential guitarists of all-time.

Frehley had two stints with KISS: 1973-1982 and 1996-2002. He was with the group in the ‘70s when a Gallup Poll named KISS the most popular band in the world. And when he rejoined the group in 1996, its “Alive/Worldwide” reunion tour became one of the most successful tours of the decade. And though his relationship with KISS founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley has been rocky at times, things have apparently smoothed over in recent years. In 2016, Stanley made a guest appearance on Frehley’s album, “Origins, Vol. 1,” and also shot a music video with his former bandmate. In 2018, Frehley made several public appearances with Simmons while the KISS bassist was promoting his “The Vault” box set and also did a short tour of Australia with Simmons, with both Frehley’s and Simmons’ solo bands sharing the stage. And Simmons has two songwriting credits on Frehley’s  new album, “Spaceman.” Simmons, it has been reported, even helped Frehley name the record.

All of this has the KISS Army speculating the Frehley might be readying for a third go-around with KISS next year when the legendary band kicks off its “End of The Road” tour, which it says will be its last. And, judging from his work on “Spaceman,” Frehley is certainly up for the task.

“Spaceman,” Frehley’s eighth studio solo album, rocks. His guitar work is scorching and his vocals haven’t lost a thing since the days of “Shock Me” and “Rocket Ride.” And though it isn’t his best solo effort, it does feature several tracks that make for fine entries into the Frehley catalog. The album opens with “Without You I’m Nothing,” a churning, beefy number which he wrote with Simmons. And though it’s nice to hear the two working together again, it doesn’t pack nearly as much punch as the following track, “Rockin’ With The Boys,” which would have served as a better album opener. Here, Frehley – who says the song was actually first written in the ‘70s – sings about being on the road with the band, away from his love. In that way, it’s reminiscent of the KISS classic “Beth,” which is perhaps why it never saw the light of day years ago. Unlike “Beth,” however, which featured piano and an orchestra, “Rockin’ with The Boys” is a straight-up, meat-and-potatoes rock song and offers a stinging Frehley solo and a booming sing-along-chorus.

“Your Wish Is My Command,” the second Frehley/Simmons composition on the album, comes with the clichéd-style lyrics that Simmons sometimes gets a bit too lost in, but it too comes with the few torrid riffs from Frehley. And with “Bronx Boy,” Frehley’s guitars again bleed with energy as he celebrates and pays homage to his young life on the streets of New York City. The song, nearly 40 years later, seems like a companion track to “Hard Times,” which appeared on KISS’ “Dynasty” album. It’s Ace singing about Ace. And that’s pretty cool.

With “Pursuit of Rock and Roll,” Frehley sings of his love for the all-time greats, referencing Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He also, once again, completely tears it up on the guitar.  And with “I Wanna Go Back” he offers a heartfelt cover of the 1986 Eddie Money classic. The biggest difference? More guitars, of course. And if that wasn’t enough, the fret-board wizardry gets even mightier on the rip-roaring, riff-heavy, sci-fi inspired “Mission To Mars,” which also serves as the most fun track on the record.  The album ends with “Quantum Flux,” a stirring instrumental done in the vein of the “Fractured Mirror” style compositions that have concluded several of Frehley’s previous solo efforts. It’s a bit more jammy and less melodic than some of those tracks, but it’s a solid continuation of a Frehley tradition that now goes back four decades.

“Spaceman” isn’t Ace Frehley’s best solo album. He will never likely top his first, which was released in 1978 while he was still a member of KISS and, in the world of hard-rock music, has become an iconic record.  And 1989’s “Trouble Walkin’” also stands among his best. But “Spaceman” is another good album from one rock’s most beloved musicians. Lyrically, he’s not a wordsmith. Bono and Springsteen have nothing to worry about. He is, however, still a fabulous, charismatic lead guitarist who continues to come up with great riffs and great solos, can still sing with plenty of zest and, with every record, can always be counted on for a couple of really good songs. That, “Spaceman” reveals, is what Ace Frehley can still do today. That’s also what made him so perfect for KISS. And that is why, hopefully, in 2019, he’ll join them once again at “The End of The Road.”

(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net)

  

ALAN K. STOUT

(press bio)

Alan K. Stout is the Executive Director of the Luzerne County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Luzerne County), a Destination Marketing Organization located in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He is also a longtime rock music journalist and radio host, based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and has written extensively for the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader and The Weekender, a popular arts and entertainment newspaper in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He was voted Northeastern Pennsylvania's "Favorite Newspaper Columnist" seven times and was awarded a "Keystone Press Award for Excellence in Journalism" for his music coverage. In 2011, he was presented with the "Best Special Event/Achievement Award" by the United Way of The Wyoming Valley for his charitable work with the annual "Concert For A Cause." In 2014, he was presented with the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Steamtown Music Awards, which are a part of the Electric City Music Conference. The award was presented in recognition for his lifetime of work in music journalism, radio, and producing live events. He has interviewed more than 40 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2025, he was inducted into the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Music journalist and radio host Alan K. Stout

Stout began covering music for The Times Leader in 1992 and his weekly column, "Music On The Menu," appeared in The Times Leader from 1994-2005. In 2000, he was named music editor at The Times Leader. In 2005, "Music On The Menu" moved to The Weekender, where he served as editor until 2007 and where the column appeared until 2011.

Stout's focus in the Northeast Pennsylvania region has often been on the local music scene, which has produced national recording artists such as The Badlees (1995) and Breaking Benjamin (2002). He was among the first writers to profile those bands. In 2004, Stout launched his own weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu," on 102.3-FM, The Mountain. In 2013, the program moved to 105 The River (104.9-FM), and as his column did for nearly 18 years, it continues to showcase local talent. From 2004-2013, Stout hosted of the monthly "Weekender/Mountaingrown Original Music Series," a live radio broadcast which allowed local musicians to showcase their songs to a wide audience. In 2014, Stout began to host a new original music series, "Music On The Menu Live," which was broadcast live on 105 The River from Mohegan Sun Pocono. In 2017, Stout, in cooperation with SSPTV and the Bold Gold Media Group, launched a monthly television version of  "Music On The Menu"  which aired on Comcast and Service Electric Cable TV throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Stout is also known for his concert coverage and reviews. He frequently reviewed shows at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, The F.M. Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre and the Montage Mountain Amphitheater in Scranton. He also sometimes covers major concert tours that visit Philadelphia and has reviewed shows by The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Plant/Page, Sting, Eric Clapton, The Who, Dave Matthews Band, KISS and Billy Joel. In addition to appearing in the Wilkes-Barre newspapers, Stout's reviews have also appeared on the national entertainment newspaper wires, in papers from coast-to-coast, and - if favorable - on the websites of the artists he covers.

Stout's interviews include conversations with Billy Joel, Steven Tyler, David Bowie, Eddie Van Halen, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Jon Bon Jovi, Ray Charles, B.B. King and Don Henley.  Many of his interviews also ran on national newspaper wires and appeared in various newspapers across the United States. Many can now be found on YouTube.

In 1997, Stout broke a news story regarding the Lackawanna County Commissioners office and its decision to possibly end its relationship with the Metropolitan Entertainment Group. Metropolitan had promoted concerts at the Montage Mountain Amphitheater in Scranton, had run the facility, and had brought some of the biggest names in music to Northeastern Pennsylvania. The county, however, had concerns about the facility, particularly what it deemed as Metropolitan’s poor management of concert traffic. Stout’s news coverage of the situation led to a mass movement by the public to save the concerts at Montage. Radio stations organized petition drives, elected officials were lobbied, and eventually, a new agreement/contract was made between Metropolitan and Lackawanna County, with Metropolitan committing to make improvements, including, in 2000, constructing a new and improved multi-million dollar amphitheater. Stout’s ongoing coverage of the situation, which was deemed fair and balanced by both parties - combined with his commentaries/editorials, concert reviews, album reviews and coverage of the local band and club scene – resulted in his receiving a Keystone Press Award for Excellence in Journalism for his music coverage. 

In the mid-'90s, in addition to his newspaper work, Stout served as a contributing writer and associate editor at Sound Check magazine, a monthly publication which focused on the music scene of Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

Alan K. Stout speaks at his induction into the
 Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame

In 1999, Stout worked with the band Mötley Crüe when the group released digitally re-mastered versions of its entire CD catalog. Titled "Crucial Crue," the series featured all new liner-notes for each album, written by Stout with the band. He is credited on each album.

Also in 1999, Stout helped found "Concert For Karen/Concert For A Cause," an annual charity event held in Northeast Pennsylvania that united the region's entire musical and media community. The annual event, held each April, featured dozens of local bands, plus full sponsorship from the local print, television and radio media. A rock auction featured autographed items from John Mellencamp, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Dave Matthews, Elton John and Bob Weir. Since 2002, the event also included a limited edition companion CD for which Stout often contributed a track. His recordings for the "Concert For A Cause" albums included covers of The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, KISS, John Mellencamp, Elvis Presley and U2. In 2008, the "Concert For A Cause 6" CD spent five weeks at No. 1 on the NEPA album chart. In 2009, "Concert For a Cause 7" also spent several weeks at No. 1 and in 2011, "Concert For A Cause 9: The Final Show," also hit No. 1. In 2009, to note its 10th anniversary, the Mayor of the City of Wilkes-Barre declared April 22 "Concert For A Cause Day." As of 2011, the concert and the CDs had raised more than $204,000 for regional charities.

In 2003, one of Stout's original songs, "Summer Days," received critical acclaim from others in the NEPA media and the Billboard Magazine Songwriting Panel. Featuring members of The Badlees, as do all of his recordings, it received airplay on 14 radio stations, hit the Top-5 on the NEPA singles chart and also appeared on the "Concert For A Cause II" album.

In 2005, Stout organized "We All Shine On: A Tribute to John Lennon." The sold-out show was held on December 8 on the 25th anniversary of Lennon's death. It took place at one of Wilkes-Barre's most popular music venues and featured an all-star lineup of NEPA artists performing Lennon's songs from both his time with The Beatles and his solo career. It was also broadcast live on the radio. Proceeds benefited The John Lennon Scholarship Fund.

In 2020, during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Stout hosted the “Music On The Menu Podcast Series,” for which he conducted phone interviews with members of the Northeastern Pennsylvania music community. Working musicians, live music venue managers, concert event organizers, record producers, record store owners and sound and lighting companies all weighed in on how they were navigating their way through the first few months of the crisis. The interviews were shared on YouTube and were later donated to the Luzerne County Historical Society.

Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment
Hall of Fame induction, 2025

In Northeastern Pennsylvania, Stout often serves as emcee for live events. He has done so at The F.M. Kirby Center, Mohegan Sun Arena, Scranton Cultural Center, Montage Mountain Amphitheater, Harveys Lake Amphitheater, Briggs Farm Blues Festival, Wilkes-Barre's Public Square, Wilkes-Barre's River Common, The Woodlands, The River Street Jazz Cafe and Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Stout's stories have appeared in the Boston Globe, San Jose Mercury News, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Daily News, San Diego Tribune, Dallas Morning News and Miami Herald. He still occasionally serves as a music correspondent for The Weekender and The Times Leader. Through that work, and through his weekly radio show and music blogs, he continues to provide insight into the musical climate of Northeastern Pennsylvania. 

In addition to his freelance work in music journalism and radio show, Stout serves, full-time, as the Executive Director of the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Luzerne County), which oversees the annual "Rockin' The River" summer concert series in Wilkes-Barre. In 2022, he served as executive producer, writer and narrator of "Agnes," a critically-acclaimed documentary film that featured music by The Badlees. In 2023, he was presented with a  "Community Champion Award" from The Luzerne Foundation and a "Change-Maker Award" from the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the steering committees of the Wilkes-Barre Cavalcade of Jazz and the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame. 

In 2025, the Rockin' The River music series was voted "Best Fine Art Event" in the Times Leader's "Best of The Best" readers' poll. On April 22, 2025, Luzerne County Management and Luzerne County Council proclaimed "Alan Stout Day" in Luzerne County in recognition of his lifetime of work in arts and entertainment and his upcoming induction into the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame on October 4, 2025.    

     (This bio was first written and published by The Times Leader)

Alan K. Stout's induction speech (Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame) can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/3c7Pzo-y78Y

Alan K. Stout is inducted into the Luzerne County Arts & Entertainment Hall of Fame, 2025

Bands, solo artists and musicians interested in submitting music to the Music On The Menu Radio Show can find info here: 

https://musiconthemenu.blogspot.com/2016/05/dear-artist-thank-you-for-your_17.html  

Paul McCartney’s ‘Egypt Station’ is at No. 1

And that says, and means, much more than just a spot on the charts 

REVIEW

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

As I write this, Paul McCartney has the No. 1 album in America. It’s certainly not new territory for the former Beatle. The Fab Four had topped the charts a record-holding 19 times. McCartney’s incredibly successful post-Beatles project, Wings, also hit No. 1 on five occasions. And his solo albums had previously grabbed the top spot twice. But until “Egypt Station” jetted straight to No. 1 earlier this week, it had been 36 years since Sir Paul had sat atop of the Billboard 200.

That’s not to say that a few of his records since 1982’s “Tug Of War” didn’t deserve it. I’m particularly fond of 1989’s “Flowers In The Dirt.”  Tracks such as “My Brave Face,” “We Got Married,” “Put It There” and “This One” are on par with some of McCartney’s best work.  And “Off The Ground,” from 1993, is another really good record. (Check out “Hope of Deliverance,” “Biker Like An Icon” and “Winedark Open Sea.”)  I also liked 2002’s “Driving Rain.” But, for whatever reasons, “Egypt Station” seemed to have gotten a bigger pre-release buzz than any other McCartney album in quite some time. His wonderful “Carpool Karaoke” TV bit with James Corden became a viral sensation – and rightly so – and in the days leading up to its release, it was fun to see Jimmy Fallon wilt into such a total fan-boy when Sir Paul sat with him on the “Tonight Show.” Howard Stern also gave us an insightful McCartney interview, and perhaps we should have known - just by observing what seemed like a confident twinkle in the 76 year-old musician’s eyes - that he had something special up his sleeve.

It was, of course, “Egypt Station.”

If McCartney felt he was about to drop a really cool album, he was right. “Egypt Station” is ambitious. It’s contemporary. It’s engaging. It’s thoughtful. And, quite often, it's just plain fun.

“I Don’t Know,” accented by rich piano, kicks off the record in a refreshingly introspective manner and, in some ways, is unlike anything we’ve heard from McCartney before. Penned during an albeit brief time when McCartney says he was feeling down, it’s interesting, and comforting, to know that even one of most successful men of our time has had moments of self-doubt and a sense of failure. Such moments in life, which are a part of life, spare no one. It’s a song we can all relate to.  

Things shift gears quickly, however, with the rousing “Come On To Me,” a flirty and sexy romping track about that moment when you spot someone across the room and feel a magnetic attraction, but you’re waiting for them to make the first move. Beefed up by a classic rock riff, rhythmic and grooving drums, horns, piano, a clever breakout section, and marvelous pop sensibilities (didn’t McCartney invent them?), “Come On To Me” is an instant Macca classic and one that will hopefully have a regular place in the set-list on his 2019 American tour. It will sound good in stadiums.

On “Happy With You” McCartney sings of how his marriage has inspired him to ditch some of his former habits  - getting wasted and stoned -  simply because, in his life with her, he doesn’t need it. With her, he sings, there is no sadness and no anger. With her, the world is beautiful and in perfect focus and, simply stated, there are “lots of good things to do.” It’s a chirpy gem.

With the pounding “Who Cares,” McCartney offers an inspiring anti-bullying message which is dismissive of those that come with hurtful words, and with “People Want Peace,” he revisits a theme famously first visited by his late songwriting partner, John Lennon. “Hand In Hand” comes with more romanticism and celebrates the happiness of such unions and “Dominos” touches on the concept of how one simple action or small gesture can trigger something that can become much bigger. 

  

What’s perhaps most interesting about “Egypt Station” is its musicality and contemporariness.  The production is crisp and booming. “Back In Brazil” sounds as if it could only have been recorded in 2018 and the sizzling, recently released accompanying music video is as hot as anything PG-rated that you’ll see this year. “Caesar Rock” is equally fresh, and with “Despite Repeated Warnings” McCartney takes on the perceived ambivalence of Donald Trump towards global warming. But it’s not your typical chanty-protest song. It’s a melodic, seven-minute, cleverly arranged bulls-eye aimed straight at the President of United States. Lennon would have loved it.

Despite the diverse themes found on “Egypt Station,” it’s the fun songs that serve as its highlights. And, like “Come On To Me,” the track “Fuh You” is one of them. It’s comes with an insanely melodic pre-chorus and an amusing chorus about, well, feeling a special connection with someone and just wanting to … um …  get right to it. It’s breezy and catchy and it could inspire even the most reluctant homebody to get out there and look for love (or, at least sex). There’s something to be said for an artist that’s been around for as long as McCartney truly surprising you with a song, and with “Fuh You,” he’s done just that. It’s fabulous. And it’s easy to imagine a local cover band of 23 year-olds playing this one at your favorite club.

Today, Paul McCartney’s “Egypt Station” is the No. 1 album in America. And that’s a good thing. And not just because it is worthy, but because of who he is and what that says. I’ve been saying this for years now: we are lucky to be living in these times, with such artists. The contemporaries of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven – and perhaps even those artists themselves - might not have realized that we’d still be listening to their music long after they were gone. But we do know, right now, that people will still be listening to Paul McCartney long after he and the rest of us are gone. And they’ll look back at his entire body of work, and they’ll study it, and they’ll wonder how the music that came much later in his life was received at the time. And, at 76 years old, they will see a No. 1 album.

They will see that his contemporaries got it. We knew what we had. And we embraced it and cherished it.

I spent most of the ‘90s and a good part of the following decade covering concerts. For 15 straight years, it was a huge part of my life. And then, about 10 years ago, when my children came along, I pulled back quite a bit.  But eventually, I felt a little pull to get back at it from time to time. And so, over the past few years, I covered some shows by people like Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sting, U2 and Rod Stewart. I’d seen them all before, but I was becoming more aware of the fact that those artists aren’t just the greatest of our time, but they will long be considered the greatest of all-time. I realized we’re all fortunate to be here, right now, enjoying this music, from such artists, and that when an artist of that caliber continues to record or perform, we need to be paying attention.

Paul McCartney sits at the very top of that list, and today, in September of 2018 – with a wonderful new album, he is right where he belongs.

Right on top.

We get it.

And that twinkle in his eye was well-deserved. 

(Alan K. Stout has seen Paul McCartney live three times and has covered rock and pop music since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on The River. Reach him at musiconthemenu@comcast.net)