# 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 1970's, 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 nixed 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 tour is also famous for being 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' songs were replaced with more familiar songs early in the tour. Criss' 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:
   I designed the stage while I was in the studio in 1978 producing a band called New England. Kiss was selling a lot of behind-the-stage seats, and I wanted everyone in the audience to feel that they weren't forgotten, so I came up with a multi-level hexagon where we were free to roam and sing from many vantage points. Most of our stages have been dark overall and I thought we would stand out a lot more on a white stage. Because we had reached iconic proportions as a band and I knew the anticipation for us at the shows would be huge I thought rising from inside the stage and holding a frozen pose would make us that larger than life by our presence alone setting off the crowd. In hindsight I think had we stayed in classic black and silver outfits it would have contrasted the stage and been much more powerful. The multi colored outfits made it all look a bit too Vegas for me and it took away the edge. The stage was really unique in that it almost looked like a massive monument rather that your typical one level flat rectangular stage. I loved it.

## 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 30 feet (10 m) to the top of the lighting truss, which had impressed the audience.

## Tour dates

| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act(s) |
| June 15, 1979 | Lakeland | United States | Lakeland Civic Center | Nantucket |
| June 17, 1979 | Pembroke Pines | United States | Hollywood Sportatorium | Nantucket |
| June 19, 1979 | Savannah | United States | Savannah Civic Center | The Sweet |
| June 22, 1979 | Columbia | United States | Carolina Coliseum | Whiteface |
| June 24, 1979 | Charlotte | United States | Charlotte Coliseum | Nantucket |
| June 26, 1979 | Greenville | United States | Greenville Memorial Auditorium | Nantucket |
| June 28, 1979 | Asheville | United States | Asheville Civic Center | Nantucket |
| June 30, 1979 | Atlanta | United States | The Omni Coliseum | New England |
| July 3, 1979 | Greensboro | United States | Greensboro Coliseum | Nantucket |
| July 5, 1979 | Hampton | United States | Hampton Coliseum | New England |
| July 7, 1979 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | New England |
| July 8, 1979 | Landover | United States | Capital Centre | New England |
| July 10, 1979 | Roanoke | United States | Roanoke Civic Center | New England |
| July 13, 1979 | Pontiac | United States | Pontiac Silverdome | Cheap Trick New England |
| July 16, 1979 | Lexington | United States | Rupp Arena | New England |
| July 18, 1979 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum | New England |
| July 19, 1979 | Richfield | United States | Richfield Coliseum | New England |
| July 21, 1979 | Pittsburgh | United States | Pittsburgh Civic Arena | New England |
| July 24, 1979 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | New England |
| July 25, 1979 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | New England |
| July 28, 1979 | Portland | United States | Cumberland County Civic Center | New England |
| July 31, 1979 | Providence | United States | Providence Civic Center | New England |
| August 1, 1979 | Providence | United States | Providence Civic Center | New England |
| August 4, 1979 | Toronto | Canada | Maple Leaf Gardens | New England |
| August 6, 1979 | Montreal | Canada | Montreal Forum | New England |
| August 8, 1979 | Buffalo | United States | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | New England |
| August 10, 1979 | Indianapolis | United States | Market Square Arena | The Michael Stanley Band |
| August 12, 1979 | Memphis | United States | Mid-South Coliseum | New England |
| August 14, 1979 | Nashville | United States | Nashville Municipal Auditorium | New England |
| August 16, 1979 | Birmingham | United States | BJCC Coliseum | New England |
| August 18, 1979 | Baton Rouge | United States | Riverside Centroplex Arena | New England |
| August 20, 1979 | Mobile | United States | Mobile Municipal Auditorium | Eli |
| September 1, 1979 | Uniondale | United States | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | Judas Priest |
| September 3, 1979 | New Haven | United States | New Haven Coliseum | Judas Priest |
| September 5, 1979 | Springfield | United States | Springfield Civic Center | Judas Priest |
| September 7, 1979 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum | Judas Priest |
| September 10, 1979 | Huntington | United States | Huntington Civic Center | Judas Priest |
| September 12, 1979 | Knoxville | United States | Knoxville Civic Coliseum | Judas Priest |
| September 14, 1979 | Cincinnati | United States | Riverfront Coliseum | Judas Priest |
| September 16, 1979 | Louisville | United States | Freedom Hall | Judas Priest |
| September 18, 1979 | Fort Wayne | United States | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Judas Priest |
| September 20, 1979 | Evansville | United States | Roberts Municipal Stadium | Judas Priest |
| September 22, 1979 | Chicago | United States | International Amphitheatre | Judas Priest |
| September 24, 1979 | Milwaukee | United States | MECCA Arena | Judas Priest |
| September 26, 1979 | Madison | United States | Dane County Expo Coliseum | Judas Priest |
| September 28, 1979 | Bloomington | United States | Metropolitan Sports Center | Judas Priest |
| September 30, 1979 | Kansas City | United States | Kansas City Municipal Auditorium | Judas Priest |
| October 2, 1979 | St. Louis | United States | The Checkerdome | John Cougar & The Zone |
| October 4, 1979 | Des Moines | United States | Iowa Veterans Memorial Auditorium | John Cougar & The Zone |
| October 6, 1979 | Duluth | United States | DECC Arena | John Cougar & The Zone |
| October 8, 1979 | Omaha | United States | Omaha Civic Auditorium | John Cougar & The Zone |
| October 10, 1979 | Cedar Rapids | United States | Five Seasons Center | John Cougar & The Zone |
| October 12, 1979 | Valley Center | United States | Britt Brown Arena | John Cougar & The Zone |
| October 14, 1979 | Pine Bluff | United States | Pine Bluff Convention Center | John Cougar & The Zone |
| October 17, 1979 | Norman | United States | Lloyd Noble Center | Breathless |
| October 19, 1979 | San Antonio | United States | HemisFair Arena | Breathless |
| October 21, 1979 | Houston | United States | The Summit | Breathless |
| October 23, 1979 | Fort Worth | United States | Tarrant County Convention Center | Breathless |
| October 27, 1979 | Abilene | United States | Taylor County Expo Center | Breathless |
| October 29, 1979 | Tulsa | United States | Tulsa Assembly Center | Breathless |
| October 31, 1979 | Lubbock | United States | Lubbock Municipal Coliseum | Breathless |
| November 4, 1979 | Denver | United States | McNichols Sports Arena | Breathless |
| November 6, 1979 | Anaheim | United States | Anaheim Convention Center | Breathless |
| November 7, 1979 | Inglewood | United States | The Forum | Breathless |
| November 10, 1979 | Phoenix | United States | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | Breathless |
| November 19, 1979 | Vancouver | Canada | Pacific Coliseum | Loverboy |
| November 21, 1979 | Seattle | United States | Seattle Center Coliseum | The Rockets |
| November 25, 1979 | Daly City | United States | Cow Palace | The Rockets |
| November 27, 1979 | Fresno | United States | Selland Arena | The Rockets |
| November 29, 1979 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Sports Arena | The Rockets |
| December 1, 1979 | Albuquerque | United States | Tingley Coliseum | The Rockets |
| December 3, 1979 | Amarillo | United States | Amarillo Civic Center | The Rockets |
| December 6, 1979 | Lake Charles | United States | Sudduth Coliseum | The Rockets |
| December 8, 1979 | Shreveport | United States | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum | The Rockets |
| December 10, 1979 | Jackson | United States | Mississippi Coliseum | The Rockets |
| December 12, 1979 | Biloxi | United States | Mississippi Coast Coliseum | The Rockets |
| December 14, 1979 | Huntsville | United States | Von Braun Civic Center | The Rockets |
| December 16, 1979 | Toledo | United States | Toledo Sports Arena | The Rockets |

### Cancelled dates

| Date | City | Venue | Reason |
| June 14, 1979 | Lakeland | Lakeland Civic Center | Criss injured his hand |
| June 20, 1979 | Savannah | Savannah Civic Center | Low ticket sales |
| July 1, 1979 | Atlanta | The Omni | Low ticket sales |
| July 14, 1979 | Pontiac | Pontiac Silverdome | Temp Hold Date |
| July 22, 1979 | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Civic Arena | Low ticket sales |
| July 27, 1979 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | Temp Hold Date / rerouting of tour |
| July 28, 1979 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | Temp Hold Date / rerouting of tour |
| September 29, 1979 | Bloomington | Metropolitan Sports Center | Low ticket sales |
| November 2, 1979 | Midland | Al G. Langford Chaparral Center | Postponed due to illness to Paul Stanley, later cancelled due to venue unavailability |
| November 23, 1979 | Portland | Portland Memorial Coliseum | Fire marshall refused to issue a permit |

### Box office score data

List of box office score data with date, city, venue, attendance, gross, references :
| Date (1979) | City | Venue | Attendance | Gross |
| July 16 | Lexington | Rupp Arena | 9,480 | $92,500 |
| July 21 | Pittsburgh | Civic Arena | 13,873 | $142,352 |
| August 14 | Nashville | Municipal Auditorium | 9,900 | $113,148 |
| August 16 | Birmingham | Jefferson Coliseum | 12,213 | $112,341 |
| November 19 | Vancouver, Canada | Pacific Coliseum | 14,271 | $145,399 |
| November 21 | Seattle | Seattle Center Coliseum | 14,000 | $133,000 |

## Personnel

* Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar
* Gene Simmons – vocals, bass
* Peter Criss – drums, vocals
* Ace Frehley – lead guitar, vocals