KISS Concert

I wasn't allowed to listen to KISS as a child. My mother had been told by her plains dwelling sister that it stood for Kids In Satan Service and that it was the devil's music. I couldn't buy the records or hang the posters in my room and I really felt like I was missing out on something.

As I got older, I tried to get caught up on all the good stuff I had missed as a child. Part of this included listening to the rock and roll styling of this 1970's band. It wasn't quite the same with the fear of being caught doing it. It didn't seem dangerous and to be honest, I had moved past this type of music and had started to listen to R.E.M, The Pretenders and Miles Davis.

The one thing I really felt like I missed out on was the KISS concert. I always wanted to see the show. I finally had my chance when they came to Greensboro a couple of years ago, claiming to be on a farewell tour.

I bought tickets for me and my wife, Kelly, and I could not wait. We got to the concert and had to stand in a line for what seemed like hours. When we got to the end of the line there where metal detectors and two large boxes of knives. Two boxes. I can remember a guy saying, "But this is my good knife!"

We made it across that check point and then went straight to the black t-shirt store. I had to have an evil KISS t-shirt. The opening band was Skid Row or some other crappy band, so we decided to get in the lond bathroom lines before the main event.

I stood in this line for 20 minutes only to have in branch off into five other lines inside the bathroom. I waited in this line for another 5 minutes, only to discover I was standing in the line to pee in the trash can. (Yes, I did!)

I met Kelly out in the hall and she told me about the girls fighting in the women's room.

Kelly still can't believe I made her go.