The Year of Concerts (#10): KIX
Goodbye to an 80's classic
KIX is one of those bands that was lumped into the ridiculous “hair metal” label, but it wasn’t really part of that whole glam scene. Hailing from the Baltimore area, KIX was a more straight-forward rock band that happened to have its biggest hit at the height of the MTV-era with the “Blow My Fuse” album in 1988 (thanks to the hit “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”)
But KIX never really found its stride to elevate it to the next tier of success. Its follow-up to “Blow My Fuse,” “Hot Wire,” sold substantially less.
And then grunge hit and KIX was dropped from Atlantic Records.
The band released the album “Show Business” in 1995 on the label CMC International, which was releasing albums recorded by bands for major labels who suddenly found themselves label-less.
“Show Business” was a solid album, but did nothing commercially.
So then, KIX was no more.
I remember that one of those VH1 “Where Are They Now?” shows featured one of KIX’s members painting houses or something. Although they had several major label records under their belts, the band just never found the monetary success of its peers.
And really, it seemed like KIX truly was gone.
While the band reunited and played some local shows beginning in 2003, as late as 2007, lead singer Steve Whiteman said in an interview that he didn’t see KIX really going beyond that. The band members, he said, were concentrating on new projects.
But after the band played music festival Rocklahoma in 2008, it never stopped playing. Guitarist Brian “Damage” Forsythe told guitar.com in a 2014 interview that it took the band by surprise to discover that people were still into them all over the country. I guess you can’t blame them considering how poorly treated 80’s rock bands were in the mid-90’s. While those fan bases didn’t necessarily fully go away, many bands were mocked heavily (see: Winger).
KIX, however, found it still had people who cared about them. It even released a new album in 2014 called “Rock Your Face Off,” which sold relatively well for the streaming/digital music era.
But now, it is time to stop. KIX announced earlier this year that it will play its last show in Maryland in September. The band is retiring.
And really, it’s not a big surprise. Of the band’s original members, Whiteman is 66 and says he is tired and has neuropathy in his feet. Forsythe is 65. Drummer Jimmy Chalfant, 66, had a heart attack during a show last year. Original guitarist Ronnie “10/10” Younkins stopped touring due to troubles with alcoholism.
Whiteman was clearly done with the whole thing, telling Metal Edge magazine (which I’m glad to see is back!): "When Jimmy collapsed in November, that put a whole new perspective on things. It was the sort of thing that got me thinking, 'How much longer do we want to do this?' And if I'm being honest, I was ready to give up and go home then and there. But everybody rallied and pushed me to keep going and finish the dates we had booked.”
Despite KIX having a huge following in my area – and it playing consistently at local venues over the years – I had never seen it live. So, I knew I had to take this opportunity to see one of its final shows.
I’m glad I did.
One thing that is very clear about KIX is that they don’t take themselves too seriously. They have a lot of fun on stage – especially Whiteman. In terms of front men, Whiteman is… interesting. He has some quirky mannerisms on stage, some awkward dance moves, but a lot of charisma that entertains the crowd.
He surely doesn’t come across as in his mid-60s. He’s full of energy and constantly moves about the full length of the stage. He wails on the harmonica. He jokes a lot and interacts constantly with the crowd.
He also seems to just say whatever comes to mind, sharing a detailed story about a fan fart that wafted on stage at a previous show.
But just because they have fun doesn’t mean they don’t play their asses off. KIX plays a high-energy, tight set from start to finish. Forsythe and Chalfant, along with Bob Paré on guitars and Mark Schenker on bass, deliver on stage with a barrage of good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.
Opening with “Kix Are For Kids” from their 1981 debut, the band tore through a set that touched on each of their studio albums except “Show Business.” They even played a track from “Rock Your Face Off,” which I appreciated hearing. The set slightly favored their most successful album, “Blow My Fuse,” but their first album was a close second.
It was a nice mix, although I was a little surprised they played “Don’t Close Your Eyes” about halfway through the set, and not at what would be considered an encore (they didn’t play a traditional encore, opting to stay on stage and simply complete their set). But overall, KIX delivered a fantastic concert.
So, while it’s sad to see a band like KIX call it a day, you can’t really blame them. They’re ending things on their terms and found a way to have a lifelong career doing what they love – even if it had a few bumps in the road.
Their final show in Maryland is sold out – thousands will be there. That people care shows that KIX left its mark and means something to a helluva lot of people.
KIX will be missed.
Check out this excellent full concert video from YouTuber Jim Powers:
1. Kix Are For Kids
2. The Kid
3. Midnite Dynamite
4. No Ring Around Rosie
5. Red Lite, Green Lite, TNT
6. Scarlet Fever
7. Don’t Close Your Eyes
8. Wheels in Motion
9. The Itch
10. For Shame
11. Girl Money
12. Cold Shower
13. Cold Blood
14. Blow My Fuse
15. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah