Christmas came early for some in Sarasota, Florida this past weekend. Kiss fans and musicians enjoyed two days of raffle’s, live music performances, and interviews which streamed live for the world to see. The capacity of the Sarasota Event Center is approximately 300. To accommodate social distancing, pod sections were marked on the floor and attendance was limited to 100 people. Temperatures were taken, masks were worn, and upon entry and all musicians and staff with backstage access were subject to a Covid blood test.
All Music Magazine knew this was an event to be covered as the lineup had great musicians performing in one location over a two-day period. KISSmas Masquerade is an event that will probably become an annual event. This year, contributors Mark and Matthew Horan were on hand to replay the event with their insights and images.
The creator of the event, Mr. Neil Davis, put together a great lineup for those in attendance and those around the world enjoying the live streaming. He even brought in Eddie Trunk who hosted “That Metal Show” on VH1 as master of ceremonies. This was a first class event!
To lead off this classic, The Talismen were on hand for multiple performances over the two days. The Talismen are known for their roles as the backing band for Kiss members Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons on their solo tours. They started the event on Friday, December 18, 2020 at 7:30pm with an intimate acoustic set which set the mood to build throughout the rest of the evening.
Band:
Ryan Spencer Cook – Vocals/Guitar
Jeremy Asbrock – Vocals/Guitar
Philip Shouse – Vocals/Bass
As the crowd settled into their pod areas, the next band up was Led Zep, a Led Zeppelin tribute band. They played for 45 minutes with a hard-hitting set which included “Good Times Bad Times”, “Over the Hills and Far Away”, and “In My Time of Dying”. A great mix of songs that a true Led Zeppelin fan could appreciate. The lead singer, Tony Tyler, and guitar player, Antonio Bolet, also looked visually similar to Robert Plant and Jimmy Page respectively. Tony Tyler had an impressive range and the energy to keep hitting those high notes throughout their set. The rhythm section was also filled with great musicians and kept the pedal to the floor. Their show was great and felt briefer than it was. The crowd seemed to want more by the end.
Band:
Antonio Bolet – Lead Guitar
Tony Tyler – Vocals
Paige Cantrill – Drums
Autumn Martini – Bass
To wrap up the evening, the Talismen returned with the multitalented, multi-instrumentalist song writer and producer Jean Beauvoir who has appeared and written on several Kiss albums. They played for an hour bringing high energetic rock to the crowd of fans who have been starving for live music for months now. Beauvoir is a dynamic front man who is still sporting a blond mohawk from his days with The Plasmatics in the 1970’s and 1980’s. After three albums, Beauvoir left The Plasmatics and joined Steve Van Zandt’s Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul recording two albums. I had a chance to meet Jean Beauvoir backstage and one word came to mind, Gentleman. He is a genuinely nice man and man can he entertain! Filling out the band, Ken Trapp from Kiss America was added on drums.
The band rocked out to the Kiss favorite “Detroit Rock City”, and I felt like I was at a Kiss concert minus the make up of course. I remembered Jean Beauvoir with the blond mohawk in Wendy O’s band from music videos in the early days of MTV, but I had no idea how dynamic and entertaining he was as a front man. I could hardly wait for day two of this party as the best was yet to come. Day two will be published with the next 24 hours!
Band:
Jean Beauvoir – Vocals/Guitar
Ryan Spencer Cook – Vocals/Guitar
Jeremy Asbrock – Vocals/Guitar
Philip Shouse – Vocals/Bass
Ken Trapp – Drums
KISSmas Masquerade 2020 Online:
Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
