Starting in July of 2000 the founding members of KIST set out to launch a band worthy of the moniker “a tribute to Kiss.”

The time is now and that initial vision has arrived in full force. After years of diligence, including a nation-wide talent search, KIST has attained it’s initial goal and continues to strive for a show that keeps the fans asking for more.

Basing it’s stage show on the unrivaled Kiss shows of the 1970’s, KIST performs in the “Alive II” costumes and derives it’s set-list mostly from the make-up era catalogue.

Visually, the band prides itself on members that physically “fit” the part. Sonically, countless hours of study and rehearsal has helped hone the band’s razor sharp edge. A KIST show brings all the fire and magic one would expect at a Kiss show.

Keeping true to form that this is indeed a tribute to Kiss, KIST defers focus on their personal identities, in favor of stage names. This ensures that the spirit of Kiss is the main priority which helps create the time capsule effect that KIST seeks. In other words, KIST wants the fans to come in, close the door and travel back in time for a recreation of the band that helped form Rock history.

Now let’s meet the band:

Lead guitar/vocals— Jon Lightning

Rhythm guitar/vocals— Mikal Paul

Drums/vocals—French

Bass guitar/vocals—The Demon

Pipe hails from the south side of Chicago and you can hear it in their tough no nonsense hard rock sound. Stephen Favarato (vocals/guitar) responded to a Craigslist ad from Frank Damiano (lead guitar) as he was in search of a muse to ink some songs. Two days and a few emails later they had Two songs finished….ahh the wonders of the internet. They met the next day and found themselves onstage doing an open mic night and laying down some Zep, Alice in Chains thus welding the bond. Their first album entitled “Shovel mouth” was finished in 2008 and brought a modern hard rock/metal sound that is a grinding churn of several influences. Several personnel changes later, Pipe found there cut to the bone core when they added former Well of Souls drummer Paul Brodlo and local Chicago bassist John Sterba . The new sound went back to their true love and style combining all the influences they grew up with. Hard rock, a slather or blues and at times hint of country and western rounds out the knock out punch of Pipe’s sophomore offering “Hit This”. Released in 2014 Hit This was recorded in Chicago but then brought to New York and the doorstep of Sonic Stomp Studio and into the hands of Mike Orlando guitarist/recording engineer for Adrenaline Mob. His take on the music sent it to the next sonic level and brought out the real barn burning sound of Pipe. Their style and sound is most notable in their debut video “Play that Johnny Cash song”, a true life tale of a wild party and heavy dose of the man in black