ALEX LLOYD GROSS Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Gene Simmons brings up the audience to sing during his shows.
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Gene Simmons, founder of the band KISS is coming to Parx Casino on July 24, 2026 for a solo show. During an interview, he said “There are no rules to this show. I can do things I could not do at a KISS show”. Those things include bring members of the audience on stage with him to sing. They also include playing rare KISS tracks and tracks from his solo album.
During a solo show in June of 2017, Simmons played “Got Love For Sale” and brought up others to sing. He even broke out “Sweet and Dirty Love”. “If somebody yells out something, we’ll do it”, Simmons said. Like the time In Milwaukee, when someone called out “Sunshine Of Your Love”, a Cream classic and Simmons started to play it.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com KISS in 2003. Gene will not be in make up or costume for this show.
Nothing is planned during a Gene Show. Simmons has played just about every venue in this area and outlasted them all. One gig comes to his mind was May 3 1975 when they played the Tower Theater with Ted Nugent. Kiss headlined the show. “I bumped into Ted as he is about to go onstage. I said hello and he has this aluminum bow and an aluminum arrow and it has a laser sight on it. He asked for Paul’s room and I knocked on the door. Paul opened it and Ted has a laser on his chest and the arrow is pulled back”, Just some of the shenanigans KISS had in their heyday.
At the Hyatt House in California ( nicknamed the Riot House) a girl came down the hallway riding a horse. Then, Gene talked about his records. “We do “I” from the Elder.” He went on to explain “When you are making a record, you think it’s special. “My favorite record tends to be what most fans want. I’ve had people come up to me and tell me The Elder is the best album of all time. Well no It’s not, but to them it is,” Gene said.
When asked about Hot In the Shade, Gene said almost nothing from it gets played live, from KISS which is a shame. There are awesome songs that Gene could bring out at Parx, like “Cadillac Dreams” Or “Love Is Like A Slap In the Face”. You never know if he will play something for this show from that record. One can only hope. Gene said his favorite KISS albums are Destroyer, Revenge, and Creatures Of the Night.
According to Gene, critics are okay but the most honest review you will get is when one of your friends says something is good. It’s something you can trust more than a critic, according to Simmons.That is how KISS shows sold out in the 1970’s, you had to see it. It’s all your friends could talk about.
Gene Simmons run a convention, the Legends Of Rock in Las Vegas, where people get to meet rock legends. He will also do other autographs conventions and just about every show, he hears from a fan that tells him KISS changed their lives.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Gene poses for cameras during an appearance.
Gene Simmons will be at Parx in Bensalem July 24, 2026. The show will not have any pyro or explosions. It’s a safe bet they will not be dong the last track of Destroyer. It’s not on the label and it’s just noise with Paul talking in the background. When asked about it, Gene said “It was the idea of as you are leaving a hall it’s not clear enough but it’s the ambience of as you were leaving a hall”. 50 years later, Gene explains that track on one of his favorite records.