KISS is an American rock band formed by Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in 1972. They are perhaps most famous for their elaborate outfits and trademark face paint, with individual designs for each current member. After a decade of success and the release of several studio albums, original members Criss and Frehley briefly left the group in 1982, until the group reunited in 1983, this time sans makeup. By the 1990s, nostalgia had caused the group’s popularity to surge once again, and the makeup made a return in 1996. This aspect of the group has caused some controversy; Frehley and Criss each left the group for good in 2002 and 2004, respectively, and their makeup was taken over by their replacements, causing uproar among fans.

Most recently, KISS tried something that no other band had done: to allow their fans to choose when and where they perform. Fans were allowed to “demand” a concert in their hometown via KISS’s Web site, and once votes were tallied the group revealed the destinations for its 2009 “Alive 35” tour, encompassing 40 cities throughout the United States and Canada.