Three tribute bands salute rock legends

Any band can practice and play a Kiss cover. It takes dedication to play a tribute.

When KISSiT, a tribute band playing in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, plays songs like "Detroit Rock City" and "God of Thunder," band members play more than the music. They play the part. The band needs six to eight hours before a show to set up the stage, apply makeup and arrange their outfits.

"Depends on if we're having a good makeup day," KISSiT frontman Johnny Akins said. "We do our own [makeup], just like Kiss. They do their own, so we learned to do our own."

Akins, who goes by Georgia Gene, put the band together in January. KISSiT will play last in the Triple Tribute set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Arena Building. Vic Vega as Rod Stewart will play first and Dirty Deeds, an AC/DC tribute band, will play in the middle of the show, which costs $14 today and $18 at the door.

Akins said he tried creating a Kiss tribute band four years ago, but couldn't get it going. This time, it worked.

"It's just something I've always wanted to do for years, and I finally got the balls to do it," he said.

He also got band members. Akins is joined on stage by Taul Stanley, Peter Stixx and Spaced Frehley.

The foursome grew up listening to Kiss. Akins said they played more than a dozen songs by the 1970s rock group at their first practice.

"We're all huge Kiss fans, so it just comes pretty natural, I guess," Akins said.

The band has pyrotechnics, stage costumes and all the antics that go in a Kiss show, include Georgia Gene spitting fire and dripping blood from his tongue. Akins said he loves entertaining the crowd, but it isn't easy. Kiss fans can be brutal.

"Every time you go out on that stage, it's a lot of pressure," he said. "The hardest part is keeping your balance in them boots."

The concert organizer intends to have more shows like this one in Southeast Missouri.

"We've got tributes to pretty much every band you could think of," said Paul Farwig with Midwest Productions.

The company plans for a Journey tribute band, some current country artists and an Elvis impersonator to come to Cape Girardeau once a month. Farwig also talked about a legends show with a Michael Jackson, Elvis and Johnny Cash tribute.

"We're going to give it a shot next year, putting in a little bit of variety," he said.

The Triple Tribute set for Saturday offers a little variety, but it is mostly rock. The three groups come from Texas and will pass through Cape Girardeau between shows in Oklahoma and the Midsouth.

The Arena Building doors open at 6 p.m., and at 7:30, Vega, who has opened for KISSiT before, will take the stage as Rod Stewart. Vega, with his high cheekbones and spiked, blonde hair, looks every bit the part and goes a few steps further during his act to play the part of the British song god. Dirty Deeds performs second with the in-your-face metal songs that made AC/DC legends.