KISS Missed?

What New York City rock band most deserves an invitation to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which will hold its 2009 Induction on April 4?

Larry Getlin's CityScoops article "Why the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Misses the Point About Rock & Roll" (Feb 09) argues that

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there is no denying that KISS—whose members hailed from Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx; whose guitarist drove a New York City cab; whose bassist was, amazingly, a New York City schoolteacher; and who found a key member through an ad in the Village Voice, the archetypical New York City band origin—had an enormous influence on rock music. With twenty-four gold records (more than any American rock band in history except Aerosmith), KISS influenced a generation of rockers to not only ply on the face paint for Halloween, but also to earn their teenage “chops” by wailing out on guitarist Ace Frehley’s licks in front of a mirror on broomsticks or tennis racquets, collectively inventing the current hipster craze of “air guitar” in the process.

KISS is responsible for millions upon millions of rock-loving Americans understanding the feeling of passion and power that rips through you when a song kicks in; when a chorus sails; when a band hits the stage in an explosion of fire and fury. For that alone—their twenty-four gold records aside—their place in rock history is secure. And yes, throughout their ten years of eligibility (a band is eligible for the Hall twenty-five years after their debut release), they have been denied entrance to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I haven't been sold on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (I haven't yet been to it or its Annex NYC), but I do note that Joan Jett—one of the best performers I've seen—has not yet been admitted to the pantheon even though she (like KISS's Peter Criss, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley and ) was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHOF), and that no less an authority than John Lydon has written that "Next to the SEX PISTOLS rock and roll and that hall of fame is a piss stain."

JOAN JETT: WITNESS TO HISTORY!

Remember the Howard Dean scream? Joan Jett was there!

Here's what she told Ellen Lefkowitz at Long Island Woman (March 2008):

I was a delegate and in Iowa and New Hampshire for a month campaigning for him when he still had the lead. It was incredibly disheartening to see that because a guy went "Whew Whew!" on a stage, it destroyed his qualifications to be president. I was on his plane with the campaign going from Iowa to New Hampshire after that speech was given with at least 100 people from the press. I can tell you that the speech was a non-issue: I know the press well, and if that scream had really been an issue, they would have been in my face asking, "Joan, what do you think about your candidate making a nut out of himself?" It was a non-story—until the following morning in New Hampshire when someone figured out [possibly from the other democratic campaign] how to make him look like a nut.

That speech was given in a college auditorium with over 2,000 college kids making their first foray into politics. They were very visceral, very emotional that Dean had just lost in Iowa. While congratulating the other campaign for their victory, and saying how the Democrats are going to take back the White House, the entire auditorium started chanting "Dean! Dean! Dean!" It was like a rock concert, and he did what any smart person would do—began showing his support to the thousands of people that were there supporting him. When they played it out on TV, however, they removed all of the sound, so people only heart the "scream." Nobody heard the college kids screaming or that he was responding to his supporters—you just heard his scream which made him sound like a nut.

Not one commentator thought to say, "Wait a minute. We're judging this man because he went 'Whew' on a stage? What about the fact that he balanced the budget or what his healthcare policies are for children under 18, or his stance on benefits for the elderly, or the fact that as governor he was able to work well with both Democrats and Republicans?" I am so disillusioned. To me, it's all show, and we don't really know what the reality is—although I am definitely going to vote. We'll just have to wait and see.

Here's Joan campaigning for Dean back in the day. Apparently this was part of an effort to fend off College Republicans trying to crash a Dean event in Iowa.



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MATT AND SARAH AND BEN AND JIMMY

Here is Jimmy Kimmel's response to Sarah Silverman's Valentine.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: EVENING. The New York Observer and Focus Features are offering New York City screening passes to Evening.

Evening is so full of great actors that I suspect a special award might have be created for next year's Academy Awards. Eileen Atkins...Glenn Close...Toni Collette...Hugh Dancy...Vanessa Redgrave...Meryl Streep...oh, it's so unfair to everyone else out there!

Screening Details:

Date June 28, 2007
Place Uptown, winners will be notified of exact theater location
Time Evening (I think)
Note If this is an evening screening, it's going up against a free Joan Jett concert at the West 13th Street pier

Click here to go for it!



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GUITARCHIKS: LUCY KAPLANSKY

The fascinating Lucy Kaplansky kicks off the Mad. Sq. Music festival with a free concert at 7 pm on June 20, 2007.

NOTE Guitarchiks playing NYC for free this summer include the sensational Joan Jett (Thursday, June 28, at 6 pm at the West 13th Street Pier) and (Rodrigo y) Gabriela (Sunday, July 1, at 3 pm at SummerStage).

Here Kaplansky plays the melancholy post-9/11 song "Land of the Living."



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Previously on Guitarchiks: Toby Lightman