Ten most clichéd rock moments from the KISS show last night at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre

By Mark Sanders Thu., Aug. 9 2012 at 9:26 AM

Categories: Last Night, Lists

Eric Gruneisen

This KISS comes with tongue.

KISS was doing clichéd rock-star antics before Spinal Tap made them famous. Hell, they practically invented 'em. There's not much that KISS has done that wasn't somehow referenced in the classic 1984 mockumentary. With that, we present the ten most clichéd rock-star moments from KISS's performance last night at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre. (All photos by Eric Gruneisen.)

10. Referring to the Audience by the City's Name:

"Denvah! Are you with me?!?!" "Denvah! I can't hear y'all!" "God bless y'all, Denvah!"

09. The I-Can't-Hear-You Goading

Oh, Paul Stanley. The thousands of black-T-shirt-clad fans, neck veins popping out, screaming to the point of hyperventilation, suggest that you can hear us just fine.

08. The Un-Retirement

Journey, the Eagles, the Sex Pistols, Boyzone... the list of once-luminary acts returning for some of the magic of past glory years is long and strong. No one in the crowd seemed to mind that the face-painted foursome is now approaching or in their sixth decade (Gene Simmons will turn 63 in a couple weeks), or that the band hasn't had a bona fide hit since 1990. They were there to play the hits, and the audience was more than enthused to lick it up.

07. Playing New Songs Nobody Cares About

Yes, "Hell or Hallelujah" is a return to form for KISS's 1970s glory years. But when the band played it last night, nobody seemed enthused to hear it. That doesn't make it a bad song. It just means that, if songs were a cage match, the beloved-but-gentle "Beth" would trounce any of KISS's post-1990 output in the first round.

06. The Giant, Ever-Present Branding

This is a KISS show? Damn. Wouldn't have known if not for the towering light display, three stories high, advertising the band's name. Truth be told, this is not just a rock-star thing. Even the sensitive singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka had his name prominently displayed on the behind-stage banner when he played at the Bluebird earlier this week.