Scores of face painted fans flooded into the Oracle Arena in Oakland to witness the ultimate arena rock band. KISS is currently on the "Alive 35 Tour," and still doing what they do best. A steady slate of pyro, fake blood, and drum solos ensued.

Buckcherry opened with a high octane set that got the crazed audience on its feet. The band has been on its share of arena stages but it's a tough task to keep the die hard Kiss fans entertained for nearly 45 minutes. Lead singer Josh Todd went shirtless throughout the bulk of the set and made sure to hit all corners of the massive KISS stage. Buckcherry had turned in a solid performance, but the applause when the set came to a close was more a celebration for what the audience knew was coming.

The second the giant black curtain dropped, smoke enveloped the first few rows of the audience. Through the haze Paul Stanley appeared and the two hour set was off to a roaring start. Although, KISS may not be a band that forges new paths in the music industry or one that changes their image on a monthly basis, they still are one of the most entertaining live bands out there. As Gene Simmons played it up for the press cameras and Stanley gyrated around center stage it was clear why these fans had shelled out the cash to see the world famous foursome. It's certainly not the music, all of which sounds identical, it's the make up, the costumes and the attitude that KISS brings.

It's surprising that Simmons can play bass, and pose as much as he does, at the same time. In his signature platform shoes Simmons mugged and gave the audience a great view of his tongue for the entire set. Even though this version of KISS, in its 35th year, are missing two key members of the original chart topping mega group it really didn't matter. The fans want Simmons and Stanley and that's what they got. Tommy Thayer took over Ace Frehley's role as fire and sparks shot from his guitar mid set. And drummer Eric Singer, did his best impression of Peter Criss, as he put on a show stopping drum solo on an elevated rotating stage.

The highlight of the show, as it always has been, was Gene Simmons spewing fake blood out of his mouth. As the lighting went from bright white to dramatic dark red Simmons eyed the audience with his arms crossed, blood dripping off his chin. He then was lifted off the stage flying up to the lighting rig and performed a couple songs hundreds of feet above the wowed fans. It was a classic KISS moment, one that will never get old.

As the set came to an end with the obligatory performance of "Rock and Roll All Nite," the audience was brought to a state of craziness usually reserved for the likes of The Jonas Brothers. Looking around the arena at the 8,000 plus, most of them adorned in something with a KISS logo, as was the stage, it became clear that KISS has obsessive fans, not average ones. The question then arises: are the members of KISS just plain good at what they do or are they better at marketing than playing loud rock music?

The latter seems to be the correct answer and was confirmed when exiting the arena and witnessing the giant lines for the over priced KISS merchandise. Whether Simmons is on the road again because he loves it, or became the number of zeros on his paychecks, it really doesn't matter. KISS is the ultimate rock band that performs mediocre music like no one else can.

Review By: Tyler Sobie