Kiss performs its final concert. But has the band truly reached the 'End of the Road'?

For five decades since their explosive debut on the New York rock scene, Kiss has been a musical force, delivering iconic sing-along hits such as "Detroit Rock City," "Crazy Crazy Nights," and "Beth." Their live performances are legendary, characterized by blood-spattering, fire-breathing, pyrotechnics, and generous amounts of cartoonish stage makeup.

"Their schtick lifted them up to the absolute top," noted music writer Joel Selvin, renowned for his books on rock musicians like Linda Ronstadt, the Grateful Dead, and Sly and the Family Stone, as he shared with NPR.

This Saturday marks the culmination of Kiss's illustrious career as one of the world's top-selling hard rock bands. The members will take the stage for what they have dubbed the final performance of their appropriately titled "End of the Road World Tour," a four-year-long journey concluding at Madison Square Garden in New York. The concert will be available for live viewing on Pay-Per-View.

According to Kiss co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and vocalist Paul Stanley, the decision to bring an end to five decades of Kiss is not rooted in band dynamics, tensions, creative differences, or musical disagreements. Instead, as explained in an interview with the music publication Ultimate Classic Rock, it's a purely practical decision. Stanley expressed, "It has nothing to do with personalities in the band or tensions or a difference of opinion or musicality. It's purely practical. You can play beat the clock, but ultimately the clock wins."

In the lead-up to the much-anticipated occasion, the city seems to be caught in a Kiss frenzy, evident from the emergence of Kiss-themed taxis, Metro cards, and pizza boxes. New York has fully embraced the Kiss spirit. On Wednesday, the New York Rangers even dedicated a night to Kiss, hosting "KISS Game Night," which featured Kiss-themed activities and exclusive "limited-edition KISS x Rangers merchandise." Additionally, band members participated in a lighting ceremony at the Empire State Building on Thursday. In celebration of Kiss's farewell performance, the iconic building illuminated the night with the band's signature colors — silver, red, purple, green, and blue. The city is undeniably immersed in a vibrant celebration honoring Kiss's final act.

Despite the grandeur surrounding this potential farewell, Kiss has a history of bidding adieu that may not necessarily mark the end. The band embarked on a previous "farewell tour" over two decades ago. Following a brief hiatus, Kiss resumed touring sporadically in 2003, and their journey continued with live shows and album releases.

In interviews, members of the band have hinted at the possibility of carrying on in some capacity after the Saturday performance at Madison Square Garden. Both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, the co-frontmen, have their own individual projects and express a commitment to at least making appearances in those formats.

Rock critic Joel Selvin noted, "Nobody ever really says goodbye," pointing to comebacks in the industry by artists like Cher, Steve Miller, and the Grateful Dead over the years. He emphasized that in show business, taking a bow might be part of the strategy, but there's always room for an encore. The concept of a final farewell in the world of music often comes with the potential for unexpected returns and continuations.

Joel Selvin pointed out that artists often reemerge after announcing retirements because there's significant potential for financial success due to pent-up demand from fans. A case in point is the pop-punk band Blink-182, currently earning four times more on its current reunion tour than it did when it previously reunited in 2009, as reported by Far Out magazine. (The band had declared an "indefinite hiatus" in 2005, only to reunite four years later.)

Selvin elaborated on the phenomenon, explaining, "Personal life interferes, you want to disappear into the woodwork for a while, and then demand builds and you go back to it." He cited the example of Steve Miller, who disbanded his group in '99 due to exhaustion. After a six-year hiatus, Miller reformed the band in 2005, resulting in increased demand and higher prices for performances. The cyclical nature of personal breaks, renewed interest, and financial opportunities often leads musicians back to the stage.

Kiss band members, from left, Tommy Thayer, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Paul Stanley

In the realm of music, some acts seem to defy the concept of retirement altogether. Take The Rolling Stones, for example, who are gearing up for another North American tour in 2024, as recently announced with additional dates.

Joel Selvin, the rock critic, holds a similar view regarding Kiss. He expressed skepticism about this potentially being the ultimate farewell, stating, "The rule of the farewell tour is that you have to say goodbye to every hall, and sometimes you have to say goodbye twice." Selvin added, "I do not expect this to be the last time that Kiss performs, any more than 'Fare Thee Well' was the last time The Grateful Dead performed." The music industry often sees acts returning to the stage, and the notion of a definitive farewell can be more of a theatrical gesture than an absolute conclusion to a musical journey.