By: Michael Drukarsh
Toronto, Canada - You really couldn't have asked for much more last night at the KissCFGoodbye fundraiser hosted by Paul Taskas AKA Paul Stanley of Kiss Tribute band Rock and Roll Over.
The 8th edition of this incredible event, held at the iconic Opera House in Toronto, raised well over $10,000 for cystic fibrosis research with over 600 people coming through the door to hear some of the best tribute acts on the circuit today.
Emcee for the night Rudy Blair got the crowd wound up for the night's first act, Monkey Wrench! Playing The best of the Foo Fighters, lead singer and guitarist Joe DeLima and the rest of the band lived up to their motto of “everything hard and fast, so get on the dance floor.” The crowd was having a great time singing along to hits such as “Learn to Fly” and the band’s namesake song “Monkey Wrench”. Of course, “My Hero” definitely got the biggest reaction with cell phones lit up and fans waving in the air.
A special appearance by Tori, the inspiration for the KissCFGoodbye fundraiser, and founder Paul Taskas’s daughter, joined Monkey Wrench on stage for an incredibly powerful version of Alanis Morissette’s “You Ought to Know”. The energy and emotion she brought was unbelievable.
Next up, “The Blushing Brides”. With 45 years in the game, the “Blushing Brides” have Mick and the boys down to a T. From stage banter to moves, lead singer Maurice Raymond transforms into Jagger as he delivers all the classics like “Let's Spend the Night Together” and “Satisfaction”. For “Gimme Shelter”, “Mick” was joined by Marysia Gonzales who added a haunting beauty to the song's dark chorus. Not only did Raymond lead the fans in sing-a-longs, he also rallied the troops by reminding them of why they were there and to “Fuck CF” and “Kick its ass out the door”. He also paused to wonder, tongue in cheek, 'why all these strange people had Kiss makeup on and to best be leery of them'. The best though was his out loud thinking of what it might be like to sleep with a woman made up to be Ace Frehley or Gene Simmons. The crowd was loving every minute of it!
After the raffle draws that saw people win amazing prizes such as big screen TVs, concert tickets and the grand prize of an Auston Mathews signed Leafs jersey along with four tickets to the game, it was time for the main event!
The speakers hummed, the crowd cheered, the lights flashed, and then with, undoubtedly the most famous band intro in the world, the giant Kiss curtain dropped to reveal Rock and Roll Over and a pretty damn close replica of the Alive stage set, complete with flashing staircases, pouncing panther banners, and of course the flashing KISS sign high above the drum kit.
The band’s costumes were spot on, each member bringing their Kiss personas to life. The Demon was in full battle gear complete with leather wings and signature axe bass. The Spaceman in silverwings playing the famous Les Paul sunburst guitar, the Catman pounding away behind the kit and the Starchild in his 7 inch leather heels.
The stage and the costume wouldn’t mean a thing if the band couldn't back it up with the music, and Rock and Roll Over certainly backed it up! Blasting through a 14 song set of the classic Kiss catalog, Rock and Roll Over had the fans rocking and rolling all night!
While there were a few technical difficulties with Gene’s bass, the crowd hardly noticed and the band played on keeping the spirit of Kiss alive with songs like “Firehouse” incorporating the wailing sirens and flashing lights of the original band with Paul, of course, donning his fireman’s helmet. Ace’s smoking guitar solo during Black Diamond was amazing and the fans were treated to a special guest, “Eric Carr”, who came out to sing “Beth” and hand out roses to all the ladies in waiting. “Detroit Rock City”, “Shout it Out Loud” and “Love Gun” had the entire Opera House audience singing along and Gene’s “God of Thunder” stayed true to the demon’s heavy bass lines and growling vocals.
You would never know that this crowd of 600 plus had been standing around for nearly 4 and half hours when the first of two encores started. Full of energy
crowd roared as the disco ball flashed and the band broke into “I Was Made for Loving You”. Making her second appearance of the night, Tori joined the band for the final encore of the night, “Rock and Roll All Night” that also saw “Eric Carr” return and the entire Opera House declaring that they would continue to “rock and roll all night and party every day”.
The night was a complete success. From fundraising to entertainment, the KissCFGoodbye event at the Opera House was an incredible event. With the promise of a 9th year coming next September, I highly recommend everyone get this into your calendars and stay tuned for more details in the coming months.
Concert Photo Gallery
show date: September 28, 2024
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