Last night, KISS took the stage at the Gretna Heritage Festival in Gretna, Louisiana. Before going into an encore following their set, the band asked fans to join them in saying the Pledge of Allegiance together while frontman Gene Simmons said a few patriotic words. Fans on social media noted their frustration with the nationalism, tweeting that the spectacle “was the least rock and roll thing I’ve ever seen.”
This doesn’t appear to be an isolated incident. The band made similar statements at their performance in Sugar Land, Texas last week, where one fan caught the event on video. “God Bless America,” shouts Simmons, joined by men in uniform holding the flag aloft behind them. Simmons was then accompanied on stage by the Mayor of Sugar Land, who awarded him the keys to the small Texas city.
Classic rock’s always had conservative bent, but there’s something particularly eerie about watching a crowd full of face-painted dads this dumbstruck by those stars and stripes forever. Now almost a year ago, the band spoke out against Colin Kaepernick and his protests of police brutality by kneeling for the National Anthem at a performance on their “Freedom to Rock” tour.
“A lot of times people that are born free think that freedom is free and it’s not. Freedom is only free because there are people willing to sacrifice to keep us free,” shared Simmons, clutching a star-spangled electric guitar, voice booming through the arena monitors.
Despite the leather and face paint, KISS were always pretty far from anything too rebellious and for once their politics are laid bare for all to see. Ever kept up late at night wondering what the odds are that the guys behind “Love Gun” really voted for Donald Trump? I think we all just got our answer.
KISS made everyone do the pledge of allegiance before they would do an encore. That was the least rock and roll thing I’ve ever seen.
— Bantam Foxes (@BantamFoxes) October 1, 2017
KISS just stopped their concert to take a moment to thank the veterans and say the pledge of allegiance. Pretty damn cool
— Kyle Suratt (@Kylesuratt24) September 28, 2017
Why is there a Pledge of Allegiance at a KISS show? https://t.co/ChHABJSxk1
— Diana Cannon (@arsonistkitten) October 1, 2017
