News

KIX: Walking Away: Final Show Preview

Published

1 year ago

September 11, 2023

Ron

Empire Extreme will be covering this historical event and urge fans to get tickets before they are gone for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

AFTER CELEBRATING 45 YEARS AS ONE OF HARD ROCK’S MOST BELOVED BANDS, KIX SET TO RETIRE FROM PERFORMING LIVE

“KIX…WALKIN’ AWAY, THE FINAL SHOW”ANNOUNCED FOR SEPTEMBER 17

AT MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION INCOLUMBIA, MD

TICKETS:https://merriweathermusic.com/event/kix-the-final-show/

BALTIMORE, MD (May 8, 2023) – It is with heavy hearts that KIX have announced their retirement from performing live. Lead singer, Steve Whiteman made the announcement from the stage at M3 Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 7.

“After much thought we have decided to call it a career,” says Whiteman. “It was obviously not an easy decision to make, but the right one at this time in our lives for our families and the band.”

KIX’s final performance ever is set for September 17 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD. “KIX…Walkin’ Away, The Final Show” will see the original band members Steve Whiteman, Brian Forsythe, Ronnie Younkins, Jimmy Chalfant,and longtime bassist Mark Schenker take the stage for the very last time. The night will also include some very special guests. Tickets for the show will go on sale May 9 at 10:00am HERE.

“We wanted to do this show for our fans,” says Whiteman. “We owe a lot to them for their never-ending support over our long 45-year career. It was tempting to just fade away and stop booking gigs and ride off into the sunset, but we wanted our fans to be part of a local farewell show and give them a chance to see the band one last time.”

KIX formed in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1978 and have enjoyed a lasting 45-year career as one of hard rock’s most notable groups. The band’s retirement signifies the end of an era as KIX was one of the last touring bands from the 80’s rock scene who were still at the top of their game. Highly respected by fans, peers, and critics, KIX is deservingly very proud of their long legacy.

KIX released many albums throughout their career including, 1985’s breakout album Midnite Dynamite. From the slash-and-burn riffing of the album’s title track and the high-speed antics of “Layin’ Rubber,” to the Aerosmith-flavored groove of numbers like “Cold Shower,” and “Sex,” to the heart-break melancholia of the album’s sole ballad, “Walkin’ Away,” Midnite Dynamite waspacked with material that delivered not only attitude in spades, but also pummeled the listener with hook after hook.

In 2014, KIX released Rock Your Face Off, their first studio effort since 1995’s Show Business. The album debuted at #1 on Amazon’s “Hard Rock and Metal “chart, in the Top 50 on Billboard’s “Top 200 Albums” chart, #5 on the “Independent Albums “chart, #11 on the “Top Internet “chart, #17 on the “Top Rock Albums” chart, #27 on the “Indie/Small Chain Core Stores” chart and #33 on the “Physical” chart. In 2016, KIX released Can’t Stop The Show: The Return Of KIX, a two-disc DVD/CD set that entered the Billboard Top Music Video Sales chart at #3, and rose to the #1 position, the band’s highest charting debut and first #1 ever in their history. The 71-minute film offered an in-depth look into KIX’s decision to record their first new album, 2014’s Rock Your Face Off, in almost 20 years. In 2018, KIX celebrated the 30^th Anniversary of their biggest album, Blow My Fuse, with Blow My Fuse Re-Blown, a two-disc set with a remixed/remastered version of the album, along with the original demo recordings for all 10 songs. The reunion with long-time collaborator and the album’s original producer Beau Hill (Alice Cooper, Ratt, Warrant, KIX) for this remix sparked the initiative to revisit Midnite Dynamite and take a similar approach to updating KIX’s legacy. In 2020, on the 35^th anniversary of the release of Midnite Dynamite, KIX once again partnered with Beau Hill to release Midnite Dynamite Re-Lit.

About Author

Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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Related Topics:Empire Extreme featured Kix Merriweather Post Pavilion

Music News

Clutch Pittsburgh, PA Live Review

The almighty stoner rockers Clutch hit Pittsburgh on tour in support of their newest album The Book of Bad Decisions.

Published

5 years ago

August 13, 2019

JJ Ulizio

By JJ Ulizio
Photos by: Jason Nelson

The almighty stoner rockers Clutch hit Pittsburgh on tour in support of their newest album The Book of Bad Decisions. With them they brought metalcore masters Killswitch Engage who were repping their soon to be released eighth album Atonement. Originally planned to be an outdoor show, it was moved indoors due to the possibility of inclement weather according to the “grapevine.”

Kicking the evening off were New York hardcore thrash/punk legends the Cro-Mags. Playing an intense set they warmed up the crowd and primed them for the rest of the evening. A short and tight set kept the pace high as they bulldozed through their set to clear out for Killswitch to take the stage.

Next up was Killswitch Engage from Westfield, Massachusetts. I was incredibly excited for their set, it was my first time seeing them since the return of vocalist Jesse Leach. Their set was on point, with a set list consisting of old favorites and newer songs sprinkled through in between and they didn’t stop. They gave the energy to the crowd and the crowd threw it right back at them. I was definitely impressed with how well Jesse was able to sing some of the songs that were written from Howard Jones era in the band. As they made their way through their set it was more like a sing-along session because the near capacity crowd was louder than the band for songs like “In Due Time”, “My Last Serenade”, or “The End of Heartache” from the Jones era. Closing things out with the fan favorite cover of “Holy Diver” from the late Ronnie James Dio.

The highlight of the night was touring stalwarts and personal favorite of mine, Clutch from Germantown, Maryland. Clutch have long established themselves as masters on the road. When you venture out to see them, you know your going to be treated to an excellent performance with the biggest change being the set list. I’ve had the opportunity to see Clutch perform close to a dozen times and each time it has become fun to try and guess which songs will be on the set list that evening. Will the lean toward the classics from the ’90s like “Spacegrass” and “A Shogun named Marcus”,or songs from the more blues charged era like “Electric Worry”.

As expected they did not disappoint with the set-list. The band kicked it off with “Gimmie the Keys” and followed with “Vision Quest”, and “Firebirds!”. They plowed through 17 songs, rounding things out in a manner for their to be favorites for anyone in the set. Vocalist, Neil Fallon, made his way all over the stage waving his hands in the air like a possessed down south preacher. Songs from the new album, of course adorned the set, along side the fan favorites and tributes to Willie Nelson, and a cover of the ZZ Top song “Precious & Grace”. They jammed relentlessly, keeping true to their reputation of being a road band and closing things out in their encore with “Electric Worry” and the raucous “X-Ray Visions”.

Book of Bad Decisions by Clutch is on sale now & Atonement by Killswitch Engage will be available on 08/16/19. Make sure to pick them up when you can, and definitely catch any of them when they hit your city on tour.

Clutch will be touring the US through October of 2019 and then hop over to Europe to round out the year with dates in Germany, France and Spain in December.

About Author

JJ Ulizio

JJ has been a contributing writer and huge asset to Empire and Empire Extreme since the very begining. He is always digging for new bands and has a true heart and desire to see the bands grow and succeed.

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