Friends of live music, chilling out and having a good time, Rock’n On The River is proud to present KISS ARMY and Reflections II on Sept. 16. The concert will take place at the Deep Creek Grill, located at the Campbellton Landing of the Cape Fear River, about two miles east of downtown Fayetteville.

“The first band, Reflections II, will begin at 6, and KISS ARMY will be approximately 8:30 to just after 10 p.m.,” said Greg Adair, organizer of the Rock’n On The River concert series.

KISS ARMY

Self-described as the “coolest band in the world,” KISS ARMY is from Kentucky, but performs once or twice a week in hometowns all over the country. Wearing the iconic KISS masks and garb, KISS ARMY provides an uncanny look at KISS’s 1970s line-up.

"When we go out there, we try to make people think it's KISS. That's the whole point to being a tribute band,” said Jim Seda, who has performed as the “Demon” for over 30 years.

For the uninitiated, according to KISS lore, each member has a persona. And each persona is important to what makes KISS special.
KISS’s 1970s era is considered vital because in 1980 the original four-piece phenom splintered, sending lead singer Paul Stanley (“Starchild”) and bassist Gene Simmons (“Demon”) to reform themselves, replacing drummer Peter Criss (“Catman”) with Eric Carr (“Fox”) in 1980, while officially replacing Ace Frehley (“Spaceman”) with Vinnie Vincent (“Egyptian Warrior”) in 1982.

“That's the difference between being a tribute band and a cover band. . . . With a cover band, you can add your own flair to it. People say, 'Man, you're giving me flashbacks.' [A tribute band] gives them that feeling of how it was the first time they saw Kiss [in the 1970s]," Seda said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

In 1983, KISS decided to “unmask” themselves, ending what was considered the “real” KISS in favor of a more contemporary 1980s look, sound and vibe. However, beginning in the late 1990s, KISS reformed for a series of worldwide goodbye tours as the original band.

When KISS reunited for the first farewell concert, with the four original members, the demand for KISS skyrocketed, and his band was called upon to perform shows when KISS could not, Seda explained.

However, “when KISS is off and not doing anything, people [still] want to see them, so it works both ways.”

Reflections II

Opening the night will be Reflections II, which is a North Carolina-based variety band led by keyboardist / multi-instrumentalist Mike Donald, who is the owner of JML Pianos.

“We are a true variety band. We are a three-piece band, and we play live. We don’t do any pre-recorded stuff or anything like that, [which] a lot of small bands do,” Donald said.

JML Pianos has been in business since 1980. However, back then it was called “Costal Music” and located at the beach in Moorehead City. In 1986, JML opened in Fayetteville, where they have been selling musical equipment ever since. JML stands for “Jim, Mike and Linda,” named after father Jim, mother Linda and son Mike.

Mike Donald has run the family business since 2013. In fact, the first iteration of Reflections II was started by Jim and Mike back in 1980, as well.

“[Playing music is] kind of like a paid hobby to us,” said Donald. “Me and my members all have full time jobs and careers.”

Rockin' On The River

Rockin’ On The River opens at 5 p.m. Parking is $10 no matter the size of the vehicle or the number of people inside.

The stage will be set up right behind Deep River Grill, literally rockin’ next to the Cape Fear River.
Beer is sponsored by Healy Wholesale, and food will be provided by Deep Creek Grill. Food and beer sales will begin at 5 p.m.

No outside coolers or containers will be allowed. And no animals are allowed other than documented service animals, Adair said.
Deep Creek Grill is located at 1122 Person Street, on the eastern side of Fayetteville, just over the Person Street Bridge. There is a juncture of highways 24 and 53, and Clinton Road at the first intersection coming from the other direction. Note that at this intersection, Person Street changes to Clinton Road, where it heads deep in to eastern N.C.
Vice versa, Hay Street becomes Person Street right around the Market House circle.

For more information about Rock’n On The River, check out Facebook.com/pages/category/Live-Music-Venue/Rockn-On-The-River.
To learn more about JML Pianos, please visit JMLPiano.com. JML Pianos is currently open by appointment only. To contact JML Piano by phone, use 910-977-0809.