http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398 The only time I listened to music was in the car.&nbsp; I was a hard&nbsp;working young mother.&nbsp; When I wasn't working I was taking children to and from games, practice, or grandmas house.&nbsp; Like so many young people, I lived my life&nbsp;in a never ending hurry.&nbsp; I didn't realize how fast life was flying by.&nbsp;&nbsp;Though I've always been a huge music fan, there was awhile when I really&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;listen to music.&nbsp;&nbsp;I remember friends asking if I liked the group KISS.&nbsp; I had no idea who KISS was.&nbsp; My friends were shocked, &quot;you know the guy with the long tongue&quot;.&nbsp; Then I saw a few pictures of them.&nbsp; Gene would always be sticking out his tongue and I thought he was pretty disgusting.&nbsp; I&nbsp;couldn't believe this weirdo was so popular.&nbsp; I mean how many people went around sticking out their tongues?&nbsp; I had an instant dislike for Gene Simmons and KISS.&nbsp;&nbsp;This was shocking in itself because I don't dislike people.&nbsp;&nbsp;I loved the songs&nbsp;Beth and Rock &amp; Roll All Night, but I didn't know they were KISS songs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Through the years, each time I heard KISS mentioned I would cringe and think UGH!!!&nbsp;&nbsp;FAST FORWARD&nbsp;TWENTY YEARS.&nbsp; I'm&nbsp;about 45, being the workaholic I was, I thought I would take a second job and work at the Rabobank so I could&nbsp;enjoy free concerts while getting paid.&nbsp; One of the concerts I got to do was, you guessed it KISS!&nbsp; The first thing that surprised me was how many of the fans came dressed up.&nbsp; I mean if you go to a country concert, you will definitely see some people in a cowboy hat and a few western shirts.&nbsp; This was different, there were so many people dressed as Gene Simmons.&nbsp;&nbsp; They donned elaborate costumes and high platform boots and shoes, it was amazing. &nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp; stood at the feet of this God of a man, wearing his demon costume and I was awestruck.&nbsp;&nbsp;KISS put on the absolute best concert I've ever seen in my life.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm sure the show they put on for the audience was probably the most costly I've&nbsp;seen as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;I liked everything from the first note to the speech at the end.&nbsp; I came away from that concert a different woman.&nbsp; I really liked KISS, but I loved everything about Gene Simmons.&nbsp; Yes I even liked the tongue.&nbsp; I watched Gene move, play, stick out his tongue, toss guitar pics.&nbsp; He did everything right.&nbsp;&nbsp;I was&nbsp;told&nbsp;last week that Gene never got into drugs and alcohol.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I regret judging this group simply because a man stuck his tongue out.&nbsp;&nbsp; He's probably made more money&nbsp;sticking out his&nbsp;tongue than most of us have made working hard.&nbsp; Way to go Gene, I'm glad it worked for you.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No matter what the cost, save my seat, I'll be there for the next reunion concert!&nbsp; Anyone know where I can find a costume? &nbsp; The only time I listened to music was in the car.&nbsp; I was a hard&nbsp;working young mother.&nbsp; When I wasn't working I was taking children to and from games, practice, or grandmas house.&nbsp; Like so many young people, I lived my life&nbsp;in a never ending hurry.&nbsp; I didn't realize how fast life was flying by.&nbsp;&nbsp;Though I've always been a huge music fan, there was awhile when I really&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;listen to music.&nbsp;&nbsp;I remember friends asking if I liked the group KISS.&nbsp; I had no idea who KISS was.&nbsp; My friends were shocked, &quot;you know the guy with the long tongue&quot;.&nbsp; Then I saw a few pictures of them.&nbsp; Gene would always be sticking out his tongue and I thought he was pretty disgusting.&nbsp; I&nbsp;couldn't believe this weirdo was so popular.&nbsp; I mean how many people went around sticking out their tongues?&nbsp; I had an instant dislike for Gene Simmons and KISS.&nbsp;&nbsp;This was shocking in itself because I don't dislike people.&nbsp;&nbsp;I loved the songs&nbsp;Beth and Rock &amp; Roll All Night, but I didn't know they were KISS songs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Through the years, each time I heard KISS mentioned I would cringe and think UGH!!!&nbsp;&nbsp;FAST FORWARD&nbsp;TWENTY YEARS.&nbsp; I'm&nbsp;about 45, being the workaholic I was, I thought I would take a second job and work at the Rabobank so I could&nbsp;enjoy free concerts while getting paid.&nbsp; One of the concerts I got to do was, you guessed it KISS!&nbsp; The first thing that surprised me was how many of the fans came dressed up.&nbsp; I mean if you go to a country concert, you will definitely see some people in a cowboy hat and a few western shirts.&nbsp; This was different, there were so many people dressed as Gene Simmons.&nbsp;&nbsp; They donned elaborate costumes and high platform boots and shoes, it was amazing. &nbsp;&nbsp;I&nbsp; stood at the feet of this God of a man, wearing his demon costume and I was awestruck.&nbsp;&nbsp;KISS put on the absolute best concert I've ever seen in my life.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm sure the show they put on for the audience was probably the most costly I've&nbsp;seen as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;I liked everything from the first note to the speech at the end.&nbsp; I came away from that concert a different woman.&nbsp; I really liked KISS, but I loved everything about Gene Simmons.&nbsp; Yes I even liked the tongue.&nbsp; I watched Gene move, play, stick out his tongue, toss guitar pics.&nbsp; He did everything right.&nbsp;&nbsp;I was&nbsp;told&nbsp;last week that Gene never got into drugs and alcohol.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I regret judging this group simply because a man stuck his tongue out.&nbsp;&nbsp; He's probably made more money&nbsp;sticking out his&nbsp;tongue than most of us have made working hard.&nbsp; Way to go Gene, I'm glad it worked for you.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No matter what the cost, save my seat, I'll be there for the next reunion concert!&nbsp; Anyone know where I can find a costume? &nbsp; en-us Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:38:14 PDT <p>Born in Israel under the name Chaim Witz, Gene Simmons (he's Jewish)&nbsp;relocated to Brooklyn at the age of 9 with his mother, a Hungarian immigrant and the only member of her family to survive the Holocaust.&nbsp; </p> <p>I saw KISS when I was 17 in Chicago, in 1976.&nbsp; Since then I've seen the band two more times.&nbsp; The last one being here at the Rabobank Arena.&nbsp; For the longest time, I would say I was (and kind of still am) a &quot;closet&quot; fan.&nbsp; Some people think the band is demonic, and they just don't understand it's pretty good&nbsp; Rock n Roll.&nbsp; But you put it the way I put, it's one of the best &nbsp;*SHOWS* every put on, in my opinion.&nbsp; Very entertaining....I even named one of my cats after a KISS song....Strutter.&nbsp; </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_129582 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_129582 <p>Born in Israel under the name Chaim Witz, Gene Simmons (he's Jewish)&nbsp;relocated to Brooklyn at the age of 9 with his mother, a Hungarian immigrant and the only member of her family to survive the Holocaust.&nbsp; </p> <p>I saw KISS when I was 17 in Chicago, in 1976.&nbsp; Since then I've seen the band two more times.&nbsp; The last one being here at the Rabobank Arena.&nbsp; For the longest time, I would say I was (and kind of still am) a &quot;closet&quot; fan.&nbsp; Some people think the band is demonic, and they just don't understand it's pretty good&nbsp; Rock n Roll.&nbsp; But you put it the way I put, it's one of the best &nbsp;*SHOWS* every put on, in my opinion.&nbsp; Very entertaining....I even named one of my cats after a KISS song....Strutter.&nbsp; </p> This is what they call tongue-in-cheek : O) http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_129788 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_129788 This is what they call tongue-in-cheek : O) <p>KISS ~ (My Family's KISS Story).</p> <p>11 Years ago ~ My husband and I decided to take&nbsp;my oldest sons to the KISS Reunion Concert Tour in Sacramento, CA for his&nbsp;12 birthday.&nbsp; The best way to discribe my son before that concert was my lil' Republican.&nbsp; Alway had docker or khakis on and a collared shirt.&nbsp; Always tucked his shirt into this pants and his pants were never sagging.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the Reunion concert it amazed me the amount of families at the concert.&nbsp; It was a time&nbsp;when generations tried to bridge what they remembered from their youth to show to their kids.&nbsp;My husbands first concert as a teenager was KISS years earlier in the late 70's and early 80's.&nbsp; I myself had only gone to one KISS concert here in Bakersfield at the Civic in the Mid 80's.&nbsp; Not a big fan but my husband was.&nbsp; So this Reunion Concert was a right of passage for my son.&nbsp; It was the&nbsp;first time my son got to go to a concert.&nbsp; It was also the first time I saw my son play an air guitar. &nbsp;</p> <p>Fast forward 11 years later.&nbsp; My husband is now my ex-husband.&nbsp; My lil' Republican is still my lil' Republican but gone are the Dockers and the collard shirts.&nbsp; Replaced with Concert T-shirts and he has 7 guitars and it a totally music nut.&nbsp; I can not count the number of concerts my sons have gone to but when ever and where ever they both make it a point to go to concerts.&nbsp; Over the years I have seen my son go through all the changes from the spikie hair to the all black clothing.&nbsp; thankfully he is no longer in that dark part of his growing up.&nbsp; The hair is still spiked but he has added color to his wardrobe.&nbsp; Still no dockers but I can live with that.&nbsp; And if you can believe it my boys and I just went to the Social Distortion concert last month at the Dome.&nbsp; Not really my type of music but I enjoy being a part of my kids world and their music.&nbsp; Nothing like seeing your 18 year old baby be in a mosh pit.&nbsp; I sat and bit my nails all night.&nbsp; I wanted to run up and save him from what I thought was shear danger but stood back and saw that my son was now a grown man.</p> <p>If you have not had a chance to watch I would suggest you look at the show <a href="http://www.aetv.com/genesimmonsfamilyjewels/">&quot;Gene Simmons Family Jewels&quot; on A&amp;E TV on Sunday nights</a>.&nbsp; </p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_129856 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_129856 <p>KISS ~ (My Family's KISS Story).</p> <p>11 Years ago ~ My husband and I decided to take&nbsp;my oldest sons to the KISS Reunion Concert Tour in Sacramento, CA for his&nbsp;12 birthday.&nbsp; The best way to discribe my son before that concert was my lil' Republican.&nbsp; Alway had docker or khakis on and a collared shirt.&nbsp; Always tucked his shirt into this pants and his pants were never sagging.&nbsp;</p> <p>At the Reunion concert it amazed me the amount of families at the concert.&nbsp; It was a time&nbsp;when generations tried to bridge what they remembered from their youth to show to their kids.&nbsp;My husbands first concert as a teenager was KISS years earlier in the late 70's and early 80's.&nbsp; I myself had only gone to one KISS concert here in Bakersfield at the Civic in the Mid 80's.&nbsp; Not a big fan but my husband was.&nbsp; So this Reunion Concert was a right of passage for my son.&nbsp; It was the&nbsp;first time my son got to go to a concert.&nbsp; It was also the first time I saw my son play an air guitar. &nbsp;</p> <p>Fast forward 11 years later.&nbsp; My husband is now my ex-husband.&nbsp; My lil' Republican is still my lil' Republican but gone are the Dockers and the collard shirts.&nbsp; Replaced with Concert T-shirts and he has 7 guitars and it a totally music nut.&nbsp; I can not count the number of concerts my sons have gone to but when ever and where ever they both make it a point to go to concerts.&nbsp; Over the years I have seen my son go through all the changes from the spikie hair to the all black clothing.&nbsp; thankfully he is no longer in that dark part of his growing up.&nbsp; The hair is still spiked but he has added color to his wardrobe.&nbsp; Still no dockers but I can live with that.&nbsp; And if you can believe it my boys and I just went to the Social Distortion concert last month at the Dome.&nbsp; Not really my type of music but I enjoy being a part of my kids world and their music.&nbsp; Nothing like seeing your 18 year old baby be in a mosh pit.&nbsp; I sat and bit my nails all night.&nbsp; I wanted to run up and save him from what I thought was shear danger but stood back and saw that my son was now a grown man.</p> <p>If you have not had a chance to watch I would suggest you look at the show <a href="http://www.aetv.com/genesimmonsfamilyjewels/">&quot;Gene Simmons Family Jewels&quot; on A&amp;E TV on Sunday nights</a>.&nbsp; </p> <p>Wow woof, thanks for the info. I  didn't know that his mother was from Hungary or the story of her being the only holocaust survivor in her family, what a tragedy.  Now that makes me wish he would move to Brooklyn and take his family to be near her or move her to CA.   I've seen her a few times on his show. She's a sweetheart.</p> <p>DamitJanet, I was also at the Social Distortion concert.  I actually love their stuff.  I wasn't a fan until about 5 years ago.  They are my husbands favorite band.  It was way too hot in the dome for me...So I was the lady standing in the doorway between the arena and the concession stand under the only air flow I could find.  I couldn't believe the promotion guy didn't have some huge industrial fans.  I would have been scared if anyone I know was in the mosh pit, it was crazy in there!  But what I wouldn't give to have that kind of energy.  Some of those kids and adults were nonstop the entire show.  I do watch Gene Simmons Family Jewels.  In fact I TIVO it.  I don't want to miss it.  I just think he seems to be such a stand up guy.  A workaholic who truly loves his family.  You should come out to an Elevation 406 show at Amigos.  They play every Friday 7:30-11:30.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_130133 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/Janigirl/13398/#c_130133 <p>Wow woof, thanks for the info. I  didn't know that his mother was from Hungary or the story of her being the only holocaust survivor in her family, what a tragedy.  Now that makes me wish he would move to Brooklyn and take his family to be near her or move her to CA.   I've seen her a few times on his show. She's a sweetheart.</p> <p>DamitJanet, I was also at the Social Distortion concert.  I actually love their stuff.  I wasn't a fan until about 5 years ago.  They are my husbands favorite band.  It was way too hot in the dome for me...So I was the lady standing in the doorway between the arena and the concession stand under the only air flow I could find.  I couldn't believe the promotion guy didn't have some huge industrial fans.  I would have been scared if anyone I know was in the mosh pit, it was crazy in there!  But what I wouldn't give to have that kind of energy.  Some of those kids and adults were nonstop the entire show.  I do watch Gene Simmons Family Jewels.  In fact I TIVO it.  I don't want to miss it.  I just think he seems to be such a stand up guy.  A workaholic who truly loves his family.  You should come out to an Elevation 406 show at Amigos.  They play every Friday 7:30-11:30.</p>