BETHLEHEM, Pa. — With rock band KISS having played what it said will be its final concert at Madison Square Garden in 2023, the band's demonic bass player Gene Simmons now will tour with his own band.
And it's coming to Wind Creek Event Center.
The Gene Simmons Band will perform at the center at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 8, as part of a tour that so far has 14 dates, according to Simmons' website.
Tickets, at $59.50-$99.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at the Wind Creek website or at the box office at 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem.www.windcreekeventcenter.com
Tickets, at $59.50-$99.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at the Wind Creek website or at the box office at 77 Wind Creek Blvd., Bethlehem.
Simmons co-founded KISS in 1972 with guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, and the group became one of the best-selling bands of all time.
In addition to playing bass and being perhaps KISS's most visual performer as he spit fire and dribbled blood, Simmons also sang on some of KISS's biggest hits, including “Calling Dr. Love," “Ladies Room," "God of Thunder," "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Simmons also has written seven books, including the New York Times best-sellers, "Sex Money Kiss" and "Kiss and Make Up," and founded Rock & Brews Restaurants.
He also starred on the A&E TV show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" from 2006 to 2012.
Among the biggest bands ever
In its 51-year career, KISS amassed 30 gold and platinum albums — more than any other U.S. band. (The Beach Boys have 22.)
Also, 41 of its studio, live and compilations and box sets have hit the Top 30 on Billboard’s albums chart.
That makes KISS the 17th best-selling U.S. music group ever, and among the 100 best-selling music acts of all time.
It also has compiled more than 20 Top 30 songs on various charts.
KISS was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
The Wind Creek show will be just the third Simmons has played in the Lehigh Valley in 44 years, and his first since KISS played Allentown's PPL Center on just the second show of its farewell tour in 2020.KISS concert history
The Wind Creek show will be just the third Simmons has played in the Lehigh Valley in 44 years, and his first since KISS played Allentown's PPL Center on just the second show of its farewell tour in 2020.
The most expensive tickets to that show were $1,000 — at the time the top price for a Lehigh Valley show ever.
KISS also played a show at Allentown Fair in 2016 as part of the 40th anniversary of KISS’s biggest album, 1976’s double-platinum “Destroyer.”
KISS has had a long history with the Lehigh Valley.
It first played here in two shows on the same night at Northampton’s Roxy Theater in March 1975, and played the Lehigh Valley at least a half dozen times.
