Blackout, Unplugged Music Row – West 48th NYC

“Unplugged,” the immensely popular MTV series, features major recording artists performing in an acoustic format—no electric instruments allowed. Artists perform in an intimate setting with a small but enthusiastic audience. One of the early participants of “Unplugged” was KISS. It was their one and only unplugged, up-close performance. As a huge KISS fan and member of the “KISS Army,” it was a thrill to see them without their loud amps, flaming guitars, makeup, and costumes. My copy of “Destroyer” was so worn out from playing that it had scratches and the songs skipped like crazy.

Years later, there was a buzz on West 48th Street that KISS would be rehearsing their “Unplugged” segment at SIR Sound Studios nearby. Hot news travels fast in Midtown Manhattan. At that time, only two original members were still in the band: Paul Stanley on guitar and vocals, and Gene Simmons on bass guitar and vocals. The lineup was rounded out by Eric Singer on drums and Bruce Kulick on guitar. I couldn’t help but think about Ace Frehley, the former lead guitarist and a founding member. With all due respect to the current lineup, I believe KISS was at its best during the glory days with Ace on lead guitar. Despite the excitement of the upcoming unplugged segment, it was hard to imagine the band without its fast-fingered, heavy metal legend.

Later that morning, something unexpected happened: Ace Frehley called the store. He needed some guitar accessories and asked me to pack up strings, a tuner, and some extra-long guitar cables, ready for him when he pulled up in front of the store. As Ace has often said, “I always get my car ticketed when I visit 48th Street.” I assured him I’d have everything ready and hung up the phone.

Then it hit me. This was no coincidence. When Ace pulled up in his Lincoln Town Car that afternoon, I couldn’t resist asking, “Heading over to SIR studios?” “Yep,” he replied. Ace is a man of few words. “Good luck at rehearsal,” I said, giving him a thumbs up.

The rest, as they say, is rock ‘n roll history. “KISS Unplugged” received tremendous ratings on MTV. The moment when all the members of the KISS family (former and current) performed together became the springboard for the KISS Reunion Tour, featuring all the original members back in their full KISS makeup.

This past summer, a bunch of sales guys on Music Row had our own “unplugged” acoustic jam session in the middle of the street. It happened on the night of August 14th, 2003 during New York’s third major blackout in 50 years, affecting most of the northeastern USA. I was on my way home, settled in my seat on the Long Island Railroad, reviewing photos of new custom shop guitars on my laptop. The train departed on time and headed into the dark tunnel. About ten minutes into the trip, the train halted and the lights dimmed. No one knew what was going on, not even the conductors. Within ten minutes, anxious tension filled the train car. Many of us thought back to the September 11th terrorist attacks. I remembered my pocket radio, usually used for catching Yankee games. Thankfully, it worked in the dark tunnel. I soon discovered that most of the northeast was without power, and I became the “information man” on the train. After about two and a half hot, dark hours in the tunnel, the railroad personnel hooked a diesel locomotive to the train and pushed us back to Penn Station. When we arrived, the platform was completely evacuated. My fellow passengers and I were ushered to the steps leading out of the station. Emerging from Penn Station, we were greeted by news media trucks and reporters. Stranded far from home, I left thousands of confused people behind and headed back to familiar West 48th Street and the sight of Music Row.