Dynasty Tour


The Dynasty Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Kiss. It was also the final tour with original member Peter Criss until the Alive/Worldwide Tour in 1996.

Background

The Dynasty Tour, also known as "The Return of Kiss", was the first tour to feature the famous flying stunt by Gene Simmons. This was also the first tour to feature Ace Frehley's "lighted guitar" and his rocket-shooting guitar, where after his smoke-spewing guitar solo, the still-smoking guitar would float up. As it was floating upward, he would appear with another guitar, aim the neck at the floating guitar, shoot the rockets, and blow it up. John Elder Robison, who served as a technician for the band during the late 1970s, documented the lengths he went to create the elaborate effects for the tour. A trick was designed for Paul Stanley that involved his putting on a headset and shooting a laser out of his left eye to mock the effect seen in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park the year before. After several runthroughs, both Stanley and manager Bill Aucoin canceled the idea, citing the danger involved.
The tour, dubbed "The Return Of Kiss", also saw a decline in audience. Additional dates at the Pontiac Silverdome were cancelled. Reviews and recordings have confirmed the tour was also of poor musical quality. This was the last tour with Peter Criss on drums until 1996. He would later admit he would intentionally stop playing during shows just to upset the rest of the band.
This is the only tour to feature songs from all four members' solo albums. Simmons performed "Radioactive", Criss performed "Tossin' and Turnin'", Frehley performed "New York Groove", and Stanley performed "Move On". Simmons' and Criss's songs were replaced with more familiar songs early in the tour. Criss's song "Dirty Livin" was reportedly rehearsed, but never performed.
Frehley stated in various interviews that Kiss was becoming a youth-oriented band. It was because kids were showing up dressed in costume and make-up for their shows along with their parents.
In the tour program for the band's final tour, Stanley reflected on the tour:

Reception

Roman Kozak from Billboard opened his review, stating that there was nothing quite like a Kiss concert. He noted on the addition of audiences who were in their preteens and teens, adding that they were quite pleased by the extravagant performance. Kozak pointed out that while the band had done little to its basic formula, they played a "thunderous heavy metal music" and said they were as good as they needed to be, in which there was hardly a dull moment with the usage of special effects, as well as the new addition of Gene Simmons levitating to the top of the lighting truss, which had impressed the audience.

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenueOpening Act
June 15, 1979LakelandUnited StatesLakeland Civic CenterNantucket
June 17, 1979Pembroke PinesUnited StatesHollywood SportatoriumNantucket
June 19, 1979SavannahUnited StatesSavannah Civic CenterThe Sweet
June 22, 1979ColumbiaUnited StatesCarolina ColiseumWhiteface
June 24, 1979CharlotteUnited StatesCharlotte ColiseumNantucket
June 26, 1979GreenvilleUnited StatesGreenville Memorial AuditoriumNantucket
June 28, 1979AshevilleUnited StatesAsheville Civic CenterNantucket
June 30, 1979AtlantaUnited StatesThe Omni ColiseumNew England
July 3, 1979GreensboroUnited StatesGreensboro ColiseumNantucket
July 5, 1979HamptonUnited StatesHampton ColiseumNew England
July 7, 1979LandoverUnited StatesCapital CentreNew England
July 8, 1979LandoverUnited StatesCapital CentreNew England
July 10, 1979RoanokeUnited StatesRoanoke Civic CenterNew England
July 13, 1979PontiacUnited StatesPontiac SilverdomeCheap Trick
New England
July 16, 1979LexingtonUnited StatesRupp ArenaNew England
July 18, 1979RichfieldUnited StatesRichfield ColiseumNew England
July 19, 1979RichfieldUnited StatesRichfield ColiseumNew England
July 21, 1979PittsburghUnited StatesPittsburgh Civic ArenaNew England
July 24, 1979New York CityUnited StatesMadison Square GardenNew England
July 25, 1979New York CityUnited StatesMadison Square GardenNew England
July 28, 1979PortlandUnited StatesCumberland County Civic CenterNew England
July 31, 1979ProvidenceUnited StatesProvidence Civic CenterNew England
August 1, 1979ProvidenceUnited StatesProvidence Civic CenterNew England
August 4, 1979TorontoCanadaMaple Leaf GardensNew England
August 6, 1979MontrealCanadaMontreal ForumNew England
August 8, 1979BuffaloUnited StatesBuffalo Memorial AuditoriumNew England
August 10, 1979IndianapolisUnited StatesMarket Square ArenaThe Michael Stanley Band
August 12, 1979MemphisUnited StatesMid-South ColiseumNew England
August 14, 1979NashvilleUnited StatesNashville Municipal AuditoriumNew England
August 16, 1979BirminghamUnited StatesBJCC ColiseumNew England
August 18, 1979Baton RougeUnited StatesRiverside Centroplex ArenaNew England
August 20, 1979MobileUnited StatesMobile Municipal AuditoriumEli
September 1, 1979UniondaleUnited StatesNassau Veterans Memorial ColiseumJudas Priest
September 3, 1979New HavenUnited StatesNew Haven ColiseumJudas Priest
September 5, 1979SpringfieldUnited StatesSpringfield Civic CenterJudas Priest
September 7, 1979PhiladelphiaUnited StatesThe SpectrumJudas Priest
September 10, 1979HuntingtonUnited StatesHuntington Civic CenterJudas Priest
September 12, 1979KnoxvilleUnited StatesKnoxville Civic ColiseumJudas Priest
September 14, 1979CincinnatiUnited StatesRiverfront ColiseumJudas Priest
September 16, 1979LouisvilleUnited StatesFreedom HallJudas Priest
September 18, 1979Fort WayneUnited StatesAllen County War Memorial ColiseumJudas Priest
September 20, 1979EvansvilleUnited StatesRoberts Municipal StadiumJudas Priest
September 22, 1979ChicagoUnited StatesInternational AmphitheaterJudas Priest
September 24, 1979MilwaukeeUnited StatesMECCA ArenaJudas Priest
September 26, 1979MadisonUnited StatesDane County ColiseumJudas Priest
September 28, 1979BloomingtonUnited StatesMetropolitan Sports CenterJudas Priest
September 30, 1979Kansas CityUnited StatesKansas City Municipal AuditoriumJudas Priest
October 2, 1979St. LouisUnited StatesThe CheckerdomeJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 4, 1979Des MoinesUnited StatesIowa Veterans Memorial AuditoriumJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 6, 1979DuluthUnited StatesDuluth Arena-AuditoriumJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 8, 1979OmahaUnited StatesOmaha Civic AuditoriumJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 10, 1979Cedar RapidsUnited StatesFive Seasons CenterJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 12, 1979Valley CenterUnited StatesBritt Brown ArenaJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 14, 1979Pine BluffUnited StatesPine Bluff Convention CenterJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 17, 1979NormanUnited StatesLloyd Noble CenterBreathless
October 19, 1979San AntonioUnited StatesHemisFair ArenaJohn Cougar and the Zone
October 21, 1979HoustonUnited StatesThe SummitBreathless
October 23, 1979Fort WorthUnited StatesTarrant County Convention CenterBreathless
October 27, 1979AbileneUnited StatesTaylor County ColiseumBreathless
October 29, 1979TulsaUnited StatesTulsa Assembly CenterBreathless
October 31, 1979LubbockUnited StatesLubbock Municipal ColiseumBreathless
November 4, 1979DenverUnited StatesMcNichols Sports ArenaBreathless
November 6, 1979AnaheimUnited StatesAnaheim Convention CenterBreathless
November 7, 1979InglewoodUnited StatesThe ForumBreathless
November 10, 1979PhoenixUnited StatesArizona Veterans Memorial ColiseumBreathless
November 19, 1979VancouverCanadaPacific ColiseumLoverboy
November 21, 1979SeattleUnited StatesSeattle Center ColiseumThe Rockets
November 25, 1979Daly CityUnited StatesCow PalaceThe Rockets
November 27, 1979FresnoUnited StatesSelland ArenaThe Rockets
November 29, 1979San DiegoUnited StatesSan Diego Sports ArenaThe Rockets
December 1, 1979AlbuquerqueUnited StatesTingley ColiseumThe Rockets
December 3, 1979AmarilloUnited StatesAmarillo Civic CenterThe Rockets
December 6, 1979Lake CharlesUnited StatesSudduth ColiseumThe Rockets
December 8, 1979ShreveportUnited StatesHirsch Memorial ColiseumThe Rockets
December 10, 1979JacksonUnited StatesMississippi ColiseumThe Rockets
December 12, 1979BiloxiUnited StatesMississippi Coast ColiseumThe Rockets
December 14, 1979HuntsvilleUnited StatesVon Braun Civic CenterThe Rockets
December 16, 1979ToledoUnited StatesToledo Sports ArenaThe Rockets