Veteran rockers KIX performed at the M3 Rock Festival 2023 on May 7th in Columbia, MD at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. During their set, frontman Steve Whiteman announced the band will play their final show in September. Check out the video below courtesy of Talking Metal's Marm Strigl.
Whiteman: "I wanna make an announcement here. And it's gonna be probably a little hard to get through, but I wanna do it anyway, 'cause we want you all to know. We've decided that after 45 years of doing this, I think we're gonna call it a career. Not tonight. We're gonna do a show here September 17th.
It's been a long, long, long road, and my health is failing. Jimmy's (Chalfant / drums) health is definitely failing. We just decided we're gonna finish up these dates through the summer, and we were gonna end in Hinckley, Minnesota. And we thought, 'Who the fuck wants to end a career in Hickley, Minnesota?' So we brainstormed, and we said, 'We wanna do one big final rock and roll show in the area,' because you guys deserve it. No offense, Hinckley, but fuck that. So September 17th will be our final show, and we're lucky enough to be doing it here, so we hope you all will come join us. Will you come join us for our final show? We're countin' on you.
So, it's sad, but it's just time. You know when it's time. It's like an athlete; you know when it's time, and I think it's time. I'm tired. I can't fucking do this anymore (laughs),"
KIX performed their second to last show ever on September 8th at Grand Casino Amphitheater in Hinckley, MN as part of Rocktember 2023. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.
Setlist:
"Hot Wire"
"Midnite Dynamite"
"No Ring Around Rosie"
"Scarlet Fever"
"Get It While It's Hot"
"Don't Close Your Eyes"
"Girl Money"
"Cold Shower"
"Cold Blood"
"Blow My Fuse"
Initially calling themselves Shooze, followed by a stint as The Generators, KIX formed with Ronnie "10/10" Younkins and Donnie Purnell in December 1977 in Hagerstown, Maryland, and Frederick, Maryland. Guitarist Brian "Damage" Forsythe, frontman Steve Whiteman, and drummer Jimmy "Chocolate" Chalfant soon came on board, completing what would become the band's classic lineup.
KIX released seven studio albums between 1981 and 2014: Kix (1981), Cool Kids (1983), Midnite Dynamite (1985), Blow My Fuse (1988), Hot Wire (1991), $how Bu$ine$$ (1995) and Rock Your Face Off (2014).
Blow My Fuse went Platinum based on the strength of power ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes", which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the title track and the single "Cold Blood".
