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Eric Carr's live debut with KIϟϟ wearing the first version of his "Fox" makeup. While heavily featuring the 1979 and 1980 studio albums, it is somewhat strange to consider that the set included three covers: "2,000 Man," originally recorded by the Rolling Stones; "New York Groove," originally recorded by Hello; and "King of the Night Time World," originally performed by the Hollywood Stars (though never commercially released). "Is That You?" while not written by the band had also not been commercially released by the writer or other artists. The only United States "Unmasked" era concert and contemporary performance of material from that album. This show marked the live debut of three songs from "Unmasked" including "Is That You?," "Talk To Me," and "You're All That I Want." The Palladium was the renamed Academy of Music, where KIϟϟ had made their industry debut in December 1973. KIϟϟ spun their appearance at a smaller venue: "It was a night of nostalgia for Ace, Paul and Gene. And a dream come true for Eric Carr. KIϟϟ planned a special performance at the Palladium in New York to introduce Eric to its staunchest home town fans. There was very little publicity. The one-night-only show was mostly a word of mouth affair. Although small for KIϟϟ today, the hall was chosen for sentimental reasons. Most of the fans, as well as the band, were remembering the historic night KIϟϟ played its first important New York performance on that very stage... the show was a resounding success".
From local press: "KIϟϟ performed at the Palladium on Friday night, which was unusual; the group usually plays venues the size of Madison Square Garden. Slipping popularity may account for the Palladium date to some extent, but KIϟϟ could certainly have filled the theater several nights running and chose not to do so. The show's primary purpose seems to have been the introduction of Eric Carr, the new drummer, to the band's hard-core fans. A few diehards yelled for the departed Peter Criss, but not for long. This listener kept trying to remember what Mr. Criss used to sound like, but the effort proved fruitless. Before long, he became accustomed to Mr. Carr, who played a somewhat elaborate drum kit and was sometimes a little floppy but kicked the music along nicely. The band had installed its flashy stage set and resorted to a number of its tried and true visual gimmicks, but with the scale of the event reduced, one tended to focus more on the music. It wasn't bad. It was heavy-handed, macho to an almost comical degree, rife with bombast and excess, everything one expects heavy metal to be, but the playing was tight -- much tighter than the last time the reviewer heard KIϟϟ, at the Garden -- and most of the songs weren't padded with unnecessary solo noodling. Whether KIϟϟ fans will take to Mr. Carr remains to be seen; one would think they'd be satisfied with Gene Simmons's tongue-wagging and fire-breathing and Ace Frehley's flaming guitar. In any event, and for what it's worth, Mr. Carr's addition to the band seems to have been a positive step, though it isn't likely to make KIϟϟ' music 'genuinely important to life'" (New York Times, 7/27/80).
Another: "Carr proved to be a capable drummer but no Peter Criss. The show wasn't quite the visual extravaganza I'd anticipated, nor was it the Sodom and Gomorrah meets 'The Night of the Living Dead' I'd feared. Instead, it seemed like the 'Wizard of Oz' gone awry" (Aquarian).
From a mainstream review: "It was apparent from the appearance and playing of Carr that KIϟϟ one of the most successful rock acts of all times, was not taking any chances with the music or the formula now that original drummer Peter Criss has departed for a solo career... So it was almost the typical KIϟϟ show. But with the new drummer now more in the background, the focus was more on the front three... And although performing on a smaller stage than usual, the show was basically the same" (Billboard, 8/9/80).
From a regional review: "KIϟϟ concerts are a little like Christmas. The anticipation is half the fun, and everyone was up for this one... KIϟϟ crashed through their 20-song set with the delicacy of a chain gang" (London, CT, The Day, 8/1/80).