The 501st Gets KISS’ed by Gene Simmons

The Empire recruited the Demon while scouting around the West Coast. Who could better replace the Emperor than the fire-breathing and blood-spewing KISS bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons? After all, he is the “Unholy” “God of Thunder” and “War Machine”! The Southern California 501st Garrison was out and about in their area when they ran into Simmons. The photo was taken by Ted Aguirre / BH-40402.

I think it’s pretty evident Simmons is a “Star Wars” fan. He was photographed leaving a screening of “The Force Awakens” welding a lightsaber. Both times I’ve interviewed him, I’ve worn a “Star Wars” / “KISS” mashup t-shirt which features a blend of Darth Maul and his Demon persona. He loved them and took pictures both times.

The Hottest Band in the World recently premiered their own big-screen film in the form of “KISS Rocks Vegas“. The explosive show features the legendary band plowing through dozens of their biggest hits onstage surrounded by explosions and an out-of-this-world light show. In 1977, I had two things on my mind: KISS’s “Alive II” and “Love Gun” and “Star Wars.” For a six-year-old with a hyperactive imagination, they perfectly complemented each other.

“KISS Rocks Vegas” is available as a pay-per-view stream on June 11th. It will also be hitting Blu-ray and DVD later this year.