Love and Kisses: Rockers inspire feminine tribute

The Kiss party will last two nights.

Kisses, a tribute band from Los Angeles, debuts Friday, Aug. 29, at Whiskey Dick’s Saloon.

“Late-Nite Billy called and said the real Kiss is coming up here, and we want to do a big performance the night before,” said drummer Alexis Criss, one of three female band members.

The band also includes Cindy Stanley, Natalie Simmons and Trixx Frehley. They came together early in 2006, playing for the love of Kiss music before gaining international attention through YouTube and MySpace.

While the band initially played material from Kiss studio albums, it now focuses on songs from “Alive!” and “Alive II.”

“Kiss is a staple rock band that’s been around forever with great songs and we all grew up listening to them,” Criss said. “They have classic rock anthems that everybody knows. You really can’t go wrong with any Kiss song.”

Kisses has performed throughout its hometown of Los Angeles, headlining at the House of Blues and playing at the Cat Club, Paladinos and many others throughout Orange County and the Inland Empire. They recently have branched out of Los Angeles, playing in Mexico, Oregon, Las Vegas and Arizona, as well as Tahoe.

Criss said her band might enjoy wearing makeup more than the actual Kiss.

“I think we have more fun putting it on and buying it and discussing it,” she said.

Kisses doesn’t change its lyrics to come from a female’s point of view. The band plays “God of Thunder,” “Shout it Loud,” “Deuce,” “Hotter then Hell,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Firehouse,” “Shock Me” and more.

“We definitely do the blood, but after what happened with Great White, we won’t mess with fire,” Criss said.

None of the members has a Kiss tattoo, but Stanley has one each of Iron Maiden and the Scorpions. The band will wear the makeup and costumes again Saturday when it attends the Kiss show at Harveys.

Hard-edged openers

Originally paying tribute to its hometown as the San Franchickos, Chix-Pack’s music reflects the fiery red hair of frontwoman I-Lean. For seven years, the mother of two has been targeting fans of roller derby, feminism and fistfights with her masculine growls over the Betty Blowtorch metal riffs. Drummer Nikita No Good completed last year’s Vans Warped Tour while pregnant, and Christina plucks out the bass lines.

If you go Who: Kisses What: a female tribute to Kiss Openers: Chix-Pack Where: Whiskey Dick’s Saloon, 2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd. When: doors open at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29 Tickets: $15 advance at Whiskey Dick’s, Mad About Music, Tahoe Hemp Co. or online (www.ticketweb.com or ticketsus.at/tribune); $15 door