I recently had a “life” experience that I thought would only come in a dream. It’s a story that starts in September of 1977 when I saw Kiss at the Chicago Stadium. As a 9-year old kid, hearing my favorite band play my favorite songs was exciting in itself, but the spectacle that Kiss presents in the live setting is one that can be life altering. You can safely assume that I wasn’t the same kid when I left that concert. Watching singer/guitarist Paul Stanley pour 110 percent into his performance and then smash his guitar to cap it all off, he took rock music to a new dimension for me. His display of pure intensity and freedom was something that captivated my soul. Stanley became the pillar of passion and fury by which all other bands would be measured. He became one of my many musical idols that night.
Over the nearly 37 years since that concert, I continued to follow Kiss and enjoy their music. Kiss has always remained larger than life. They have always played the gigantic arenas, which means access to them on any kind of personal level has been non-existent – until now.
Naperville’s own Anderson’s Bookshop hosted a book signing with Paul Stanley and his bestselling autobiography, Face The Music – A Life Exposed. I never thought I would get a chance to tell Stanley that he changed my life, but I did. Big or small, I can tell you firsthand that dreams do come true.
A special thank you to Anderson’s Bookshop for bringing Paul Stanley to Naperville and making many a fan’s dreams come true.
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