Last night, KISS performed their final show in Japan.
The legendary band, made up of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, is making its rounds on a farewell world tour, fittingly called the End of the Road. The jaunt kicked off in January 2019 and is expected to come to a close in July 2021.
KISS touched down in Sendai on December 8, and played shows in Morioka, Tokyo and Osaka – with special guest Yoshiki joining in at a few shows – before wrapping things up last night, December 19, at Dolphins Arena in Nagoya.
They went out with a bang – performing a 21-song set including mega hits, pyrotechnics and even a special cover!
They opened the show with "Detroit Rock City" before treating the audience to songs like "Deuce," "War Machine," "Lick It Up" (with a snippet of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again") and "Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll."
Towards the end of the set, The Starchild (Paul Stanley) took center stage for a solo rendition of Kyu Sakamoto's beloved 1961 hit, "Sukiyaki" (which translates to "I Look Up As I Walk"). This song has become a tradition for KISS; they strictly play it in Japan and have played it live 16 times over the years. The first known performance was at Osaka-jou Hall in Osaka in 1997.
After "Sukiyaki," Stanley jumped into the crowd for performances of "Love Gun" and "I Was Made for Lovin' You," before the band closed the main set with "Black Diamond."
The Catman (Eric Singer) hopped on the piano and kicked off the encore with "Beth," and the band got everyone on their feet for show-closers "Do You Love Me" and "Rock and Roll All Nite."
Check out the full setlist and some videos from the performance below!
KISS are taking a few months off before gearing back up for another North American leg. They start back up February 1 with a show at SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Check out their upcoming North American dates below, and head to their website for a full list of dates and tour information!
KISS North American 2020 dates:
02/01 – Manchester, NH @ SNHU Arena
02/04 – Allentown, PA @ PPL Center
02/05 – Buffalo, NY @ Keybank Center
02/07 – Charlottesville, VA @ John Paul Jones Arena
02/08 – Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex
02/11 – Columbia, SC @ Colonial Life Arena
02/13 – Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
02/15 – Peoria, IL @ Peoria Civic Center
02/16 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
02/18 – Springfield, MO @ JQH Arena
02/19 – Wichita, KS @ Intrust Bank Arena
02/21 – Sioux City, IA @ Tyson Events Center
02/22 – Grand Forks, ND @ Alerus Center
02/24 – St. Paul, MN @ XCEL Energy Center
02/25 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
02/29 – Laughlin, NV @ Laughlin Event Center
03/02 – Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena
03/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
03/06 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
03/09 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
03/10 – Lubbock, TX @ United Supermarkets Arena
03/12 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
03/14 – Lafayette, LA @ Lafayette Cajundome
03/15 – Biloxi, MS @ Mississippi Coast Coliseum
