Kiss Kicking Off Tour on ‘Hallowed Ground’ of Detroit’s Cobo Hall

Detroit is "hallowed ground" for the rock band Kiss, who will kick off their tour in the city's Cobo Arena with two shows, Sept. 25, and Sept. 26.

"We actually changed the routing to start the tour in Detroit," singer/guitarist Paul Stanley tells Noisecreep. "It's really almost a tradition. We played Tiger Stadium to start a tour. We certainly have an incredible history at Cobo Hall. When we heard that it was being, in essence, torn down -- turned into some convention center -- we decided that the last music that should be heard there and the last people who should be there for music should be the Kiss Army. The last thing they should hear is the band that recorded 'Kiss Alive' [at Cobo Arena].

"For us, Detroit and Cobo Hall is hallowed ground. It's the holy land. It's where a lot of historical music comes from. Michigan and Detroit has spawned some incredible rock 'n' roll, from the days of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels to Bob Seger to the early Alice Cooper and the Stooges, and Flint's own Grand Funk Railroad. It's a pretty impressive group of bands who've come out of here. It's not a surprise, from the very beginning, that Detroit has embraced us quicker than other cities."

Kiss are touring in support of their forthcoming album, 'Sonic Boom,' which hits stores Oct. 6. The Kiss Alive 35 jaunt, which features opener Buckcherry, continues through early December.