By Anna Marie Bolet, Rock At Night Jacksonville
Venue: Daytona Bandshell, Daytona Beach, Florida -August 22, 2020
The Daytona Bandshell rumbled back to life with the sounds of live music from Touch & Go Cars Tribute followed by the headliner Kiss America. It was a packed crowd for Covid standards as staff and guests followed all proper safety procedures.
Kicking off the show was the synth laden “Let’s Go” that had the crowd singing and clapping along with the beloved lyrics, ‘‘I like the night life, baby,” preparing us for a fun beachside show. This group delivered bubblegum punk favorites such as “You Might Think” and “Magic” without skipping a beat. My personal favorite “Moving in Stereo” sounded just as sexy as when I first heard it on the soundtrack to Fast Times at Richmond High and their delivery of “Drive” couldn’t have been more perfect. Ending their set with “Just What I Needed” was a poetic bookend to an excellent opening act.
Kiss America did not disappoint with their pyrotechnics and musicianship. This group knows how to entertain! Coming on stage, guns blazing with “Love Gun” and “Shout it Out Loud”, they wasted no time in wowing the crowd with the fire breathing “War Machine”. Even the rain that began (and never really stopped) wasn’t going to keep this crowd down… not tonight.
Giving the crowd a treat with special guest, Antonio Bolet on “Got to Choose”, the guys towered over the 6 foot “Jimmy Page”, demonstrating just how tall those platform boots really are. New to the group is Adam Rutledge/ACE on lead guitar, shredding it on “Shock Me” with his guitar solo. Neil Davis/Gene Simmons killed it on on his bass solo and “God of Thunder” delivered by Ken Trapp/Peter Criss was so apropos as the rain never really let up while the crowd soaked it all in.
Rounding out the show with notable favorites, “Detroit Rock City” and “Star Spangled”, Shawn Schumann/Paul Stanley delighted by throwing favors into the crowd. The night wouldn’t be complete without everyone’s favorite, original party anthem “Rock n Roll All Night”. Once again, Antonio Bolet joined the band for the grand finale as the crowd went wild.
The bands, the crowd, the Bandshell was back in full force to celebrate the Summer of ’20 proving once again that the music will never die.
PHOTO GALLERY
Touch & Go Cars Tribute are:
Gene Minix – Lead Vocals & Guitar
Scott Winslow – Lead Guitar & Vocals
Chris Willis – Keyboards
Jeff Ankeney – Bass & Vocals
Patrick Hines – Drums
Kiss America are:
GENE – Neil Davis – Bass
PETER – Ken Trapp – Drums
ACE – Adam Rutledge – Lead Guitar
PAUL – Shawn Schumann – Guitar & lead vocals
FaceBook – KISS AMERICA
Instagram – KISS_AMERICA
So, I picked up a camera and started taking photos of everything and everyone and became the ‘annoying girl with the big camera’ when it came to vacations, birthdays and Christmas. Eventually, some of my images wound up on the walls of a few galleries too!
Now I take photos of musicians in their natural habitat and it feels like I’m on safari. I LOVE to take an image of someone when they are having the time of their lives!
Thanks for taking the time to read about me.
BIG LOVE
- In The Light of Led Zeppelin returns to the Daytona Beach Bandshell - September 26, 2021
- Former singer with Lynyrd Skynyrd Debbie Rider performs Linda Ronstadt hits in Jacksonville - July 23, 2021
- Latin band Baba Caiman is Back and in a Big Way - July 14, 2021
