Thirty-two years and more than 1,500 live shows is not a tribute band resume — it is simply a career. Destroyer, the Windsor, Ontario quartet that has spent three decades replicating the greasepaint, thunder, and theatrical ambition of the original KISS lineup, brings An Evening of Full-On KISS! to Kingston on Friday, September 11. The KISS tribute field is crowded with weekend iterations of this particular mythology; what Destroyer has over most of them is time and the mileage that comes with it.
About the Show
Presented by Legends Revisited, the evening puts four musicians in full classic-era KISS regalia with an ambitious mandate: not just the songs, but the entire sensory experience of a 1970s KISS performance. The promotional description names the components: “satanic bass, searing guitars, powerhouse vocals, pulsating drums.” The set spans both the anthems that made KISS a stadium institution and the quieter material that gave the catalog its unexpected emotional range.
The four members portray the classic lineup with studied precision. Moe, the founding member, plays The Demon; inducted into the Windsor Music Hall of Fame in 2015, he brings a credential that places him a step above most Simmons impressionists working the tribute circuit. Mike Moodrey handles The Spaceman with what the band describes as note-for-note fidelity. Ian Kurz voices The Starchild. Michael Lilley fills The Catman’s chair. Between them, the four claim more than 100 years of combined musical experience.
Destroyer has worked across casinos, theatres, outdoor festivals, and corporate events over more than three decades, and that accumulated mileage registers differently from most of what the tribute circuit offers. Legends Revisited bills the act as “the most celebrated KISS tribute band on the planet,” the usual promoter language, but the 32-year run and 1,500-plus shows behind it are not. Kingston is one stop on an active Ontario fall run that continues at the Brockville Arts Centre the following night, September 12.
Venue & Logistics
A logistical note before you go: while this show is presented under the Kingston Grand Theatre banner, it takes place at The Spire, 82 Sydenham Street in Kingston, an offsite venue. Confirm the address on your ticket. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. This leg of the tour keeps Destroyer in southern Ontario, territory accessible to north country audiences willing to make the trip.
Tickets
Tickets are priced at $65.00 CAD plus HST and a handling fee. Get Tickets