KISS’s heyday was mainly in the 1970s. I remember seeing their faces pretty much everywhere in the late 70s as a kid. The glam metal band was a massive mainstream crossover phenomenon. Like all bands that achieve stardom, KISS toured the United States and performed at wildly popular and sold out concerts, like the one they had at Hara on January 31st, 1976.
Dayton’s legendary Hara Arena was host to the biggest artists and acts in the country through the decades. One of these acts was none other than KISS.
Here are some tidbits about the show from the website kissconcerthistory.com:
Other act(s): Leslie West Band (opener)
Reported audience: 8,000 **SOLD-OUT
Reported gross: $44,000
- Show sold out in advance with an arena spokesman commenting, that the sell-out "came as a pleasant surprise, but we want to get it across that there'll be absolutely no tickets, seats or room for anymore persons... don't want anyone getting their hopes up and showing up the night of the show" (Dayton Daily News, 1/26/76).
- From a local review: "Yes, KISS, the ultimate in heavy, pervo, rock groups, played to an adoring mob of boppers, freaks, straights, and even some oldsters (over 30?), and presented one of the most ridiculous, fast-paced, electrifying and hysterical shows ever to hit town. In KISS one finds the worst aspects of every '70's super-mean rock act: Volume bordering on the vomit level, absurd and tasteless costumes and makeup, childish lyrics that deal largely with death and sex, asinine stage antics, and way too many visual stunts. But I love 'em! I am so tired of intensely serious rock-and-rollers who are 'into their music' and unbelievably hip and cool that they come across as a bunch of snobs or -- worse yet -- musical zombies. Enter KISS like a breath of fresh air" (Journal Herald, 2/2/76).
- According to an internal financial statement, KISS grossed $127,895 from their performance guarantees and percentages for the 6 January shows.
Below is the (approximate) setlist to the Hara show, courtesy of concertarchives.org:
If you want a better idea of what the concert may have sounded like, here’s a video below of a Houston, Texas show that was performed in the same year and tour (courtesy of YouTube channel Master Tape Network):
If you were there, I’m jealous. If you weren’t, hopefully this article gives you some sense of how cool KISS was.
