Rock and roll icons Kiss inspire such ferocious loyalty among their fans, they refer to themselves as the ‘Kiss Army’. This was no small feat in an age lacking the Internet, when the band’s entrepreneurial spirit and Disney-esque fantasy performances won hearts and minds with each pyrotechnic blast.
This year, Kiss will embark on the rest of their “End of the Road” tour, a run of 50 shows marking the band’s 50-year anniversary. The group claims these will be their final shows, and tickets are hovering between $200-$400 a pop.
A far more fun and accessible way to enjoy Kiss camaraderie is going down this Thu. Apr. 6th from 7-9pm at Darkside Records in Poughkeepsie. They’ll be throwing a listening party to celebrate the vinyl release of a soundboard recording from a 1984 Kiss show right down the road at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. The recording is not only notable to Hudson Valley fans for its local connection. It’s famously the only known soundboard recording of the band with guitarist Mark St. John, who was a guitarist with the band for just a few short months (during the 1984 Animalize tour) before being replaced and later dying under tragic circumstances.
Beyond the novelty of the live recording release, Darkside is throwing in all types of sweeteners: A free 11/28/84 wristband and poster (created exclusively for the listening party) for everyone who attends, a vintage Kiss memorabilia raffle, and a swap meet to trade Kiss swag with fellow fans. The event is free to attend.
Join the family! 
