The hottest band in the world, KISS, wanted to gift their fans with something brand new. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of their iconic Dressed to Kill album, they realized how the creation of the album was closely tied to several locations around Manhattan, New York. Said and done, fans can now take to the streets of New York to visit the most important places from the early years of KISStory with world-class storytelling in their headphones — while others rock the tour virtually from home.
The narrative starting taking form through a profound research process including interviews with KISStorians, podcasters and super-fans. Then the recordings began through interviews with none other than the rock gods Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley themselves, along with album cover photographer Bob Gruen. The narrator voice? That of super-fan and born and raised New Yorker Russell Dennecker. Lastly, mixing the voices were mixed with songs from the album and sound effects - transporting the listener back to the streets of 1970s' New York. The result became nine shortcasts mixing a narrator who carried the story forward, along with comments from Gene, Paul and Bob.
The narrative took shape through an in-depth research process, including interviews with KISStorians, podcasters, and super-fans. Recordings featured interviews with none other than rock legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley themselves, along with album cover photographer Bob Gruen. The narrator? Super-fan and born-and-raised New Yorker Russell Dennecker. Finally, the voices were mixed with songs from the album and immersive sound effects — transporting listeners back to the gritty streets of 1970s New York.
The result: nine shortcasts featuring a narrator who drives the story forward, with commentary from Gene, Paul, and Bob.
A fully branded web app brings KISS’s signature style to life. Yet, the platform is designed with simplicity in mind, keeping the distance between entry and first stream minimal. A landing page and email capture screen allow visitors to quickly submit their details and access the content.
The tour includes seven location-based stories, an intro episode, and a bonus episode. Each episode’s media player also features quizzes, image carousels, and external links. All content is easily managed through an intuitive admin tool.
On the morning of March 22nd, hundreds of fans gathered on the southwest corner of West 23rd Street and 8th Avenue. Thousands more have since then immersed themselves in the audio tour — either from the streets of New York or from the comfort of their own homes. Average streams per listener, and stream and quiz completions are record high. Social media reactions are overwhelmingly positive, with comments like:
"Great work, so good"
"Love this, thank you so much to everyone involved"
"That's really amazing!!! I love it, that's great work. That's KISS, you got the best... Really proud!"
KISS is now forever tied to the streets of New York. Experience the Dressed to Kill Audio Tour by scanning the QR code below. As KISS always say:
YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT THE BEST!
Beyond the core fanbase, the innovative approach to storytelling was also picked up by dozens of radio stations, news outlets, newspapers, and magazines — with notable coverage in USA Today, Yahoo Entertainment, ABC Audio, reaching millions of rock fans and curious music lovers alike.
Now go blast the Dressed To Kill Audio Tour on the streets of New York or at home, and always remember—rock and roll all night, and party every day!
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