Oshawa: Rock City

The citizens of the Ontario city were up in arms Aug. 25 when they learned that KISS was skipping their fine town despite a concerted effort to bring the band to the General Motors Centre.

KISS held an online contest to see who wanted the band the most. “No matter where the fans say, from stadiums to cornfields, if there are enough votes, KISS will be there!” the band said in a statement.

Oshawa councilor Robert Lutczyk, claiming the band would bring $1 million in revenue to the city, persuaded the locals to join his cause, according to Oshawa This Week. The city council declared April 27 to May 3 KISS in Oshawa Week and several local businesses placed KISS signs out front.

The result? Oshawa topped the online voting with 14,573. But when the first leg of the tour was recently announced, Oshawa wasn’t on the list. Yet, for some reason, the metropolitan center of Toronto, just 40 miles down the road, was going to get KISS’ed.

“Gene Simmons told me and my son personally that they would be coming. He told me the date would be in mid-October,” Lutczyk told the paper. The councilor was giving Simmons a tour of Parliament Hill when the exchange allegedly took place. “How can KISS go back on their word like this? It’s unfair and it’s just wrong.”

Before the controversy could reach flash point, Oshawa Mayor John Gray received a phone call from California. It was longtime KISS manager Doc McGhee, who said Oshawa would get a visit from the band Oct. 7.

Credit Gray for trusting but verifying.

“I did a reverse search on the telephone number which comes up as McGhee Entertainment of Sunset Boulevard in L.A.,” Gray told Oshawa This Week. “So it is legit.”

And as far as Simmons goes, Oshawa was always on the itinerary, and the Canadian media ruined a nice surprise.

“I’m really pissed off at the media for creating this nonsense,” Simmons told the Canadian Press.

“Now the story’s going to come out as a kind of, ‘Gene is complaining about the media’ (story) – you’re God damn right I am.”

Click here to read the entire Oshawa This Week article reporting that KISS is skipping the community.

Click here to read the complete Oshawa This Week article reporting KISS is coming to the town after all.

Click here to read the complete Canadian Press article depicting Gene Simmons whining complaining about the media.