The Farewell Tour was a concert tour performed by the American rock band Kiss. It started on March 11, 2000, and concluded on April 13, 2001. It was the last tour to feature original member Ace Frehley.
Background It was intended to be Kiss' last tour, however, in late 2002 they announced that they were not going to retire as planned. Although Kiss continued performing after the conclusion of the tour, this was the final tour with the original, reunited lineup. Paul Stanley later revealed the tour was an attempt to "put Kiss out of its misery" following the legal troubles during production of Psycho Circus, and the reunited band having underwhelming live performances and "being virtually prisoners to doing the same songs every tour."PAUL STANLEY: 'The 'Farewell' Tour Was Us Wanting To Put KISS Out Of Its Misery', Blabbermouth The tour began on March 11, 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona at the Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion.
During the show in Irvine, California, Frehley had missed his flight and ended up having to fly via helicopter to the show, where the band's then-tour manager Tommy Thayer was dressed in his makeup, ready to fill in for him.
Peter Criss had effectively left the band following the final show in North Charleston, in October 2000; however, this was not publicly known at the time. His reunion contract had essentially expired and he and Kiss were unable to come to terms for him continuing with the band, resulting in Criss destroying his drum set out of frustration at the end of the show. He was replaced by Eric Singer for the Japan and Australian legs. Frehley left the band following the farewell tour, intending to focus on his solo career.
In the tour program for the band's final tour, Stanley reflected on the tour:
Set lists
North American set list "Detroit Rock City" "Deuce" "Shout It Out Loud" "I Love It Loud" "Shock Me" "Firehouse" "Do You Love Me" "Calling Dr. Love" "Heaven's on Fire" "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" "2,000 Man" "Psycho Circus" "Lick It Up" "God of Thunder" "Cold Gin" "100,000 Years" "Love Gun" "I Still Love You" (performed by Paul Stanley) "Black Diamond" Encore "Beth" "Rock and Roll All Nite"
Japanese and Australian set list "Detroit Rock City" "Deuce" "Shout It Out Loud" "Talk to Me" "I Love It Loud" "Firehouse" "Do You Love Me" "Calling Dr. Love" "Heaven's on Fire" "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" "Shock Me" "Psycho Circus" "Lick It Up" "God of Thunder" "Cold Gin" "100,000 Years" "Love Gun" "I Still Love You" (performed by Paul Stanley) "Black Diamond" Encore "I Was Made for Lovin' You" "Rock and Roll All Nite"
Tour dates + List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, and opening acts Date City Country Venue Opening Act(s)North AmericaMarch 11, 2000PhoenixUnited StatesBlockbuster Desert Sky PavilionTed NugentMarch 12, 2000TucsonTucson Convention CenterMarch 14, 2000Las CrucesPan American CenterTed NugentSkid RowMarch 17, 2000ParadiseMandalay Bay Events CenterMarch 18, 2000AnaheimArrowhead Pond of AnaheimMarch 19, 2000San DiegoSan Diego Sports ArenaMarch 21, 2000BakersfieldBakersfield Centennial GardenMarch 23, 2000OaklandThe Arena in OaklandMarch 25, 2000RenoLawlor Events CenterMarch 27, 2000West Valley CityE CenterMarch 28, 2000DenverPepsi CenterMarch 29, 2000LubbockUnited Spirit ArenaMarch 31, 2000San AntonioAlamodomeApril 1, 2000The WoodlandsCynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionApril 2, 2000DallasStarplex AmphitheatreApril 4, 2000Oklahoma CityMyriad Convention CenterApril 5, 2000North Little RockAlltel ArenaApril 6, 2000PensacolaPensacola Civic CenterApril 8, 2000West Palm BeachMars Music AmphitheaterApril 9, 2000EsteroTECO ArenaApril 11, 2000OrlandoTD Waterhouse CentreApril 12, 2000TampaIce PalaceApril 14, 2000BirminghamBJCC ArenaApril 15, 2000AtlantaPhilips ArenaApril 16, 2000New OrleansNew Orleans ArenaApril 18, 2000ColumbiaCarolina ColiseumApril 20, 2000CharlotteCharlotte ColiseumApril 21, 2000GreenvilleBi-Lo CenterApril 22, 2000GreensboroGreensboro ColiseumApril 24, 2000ChattanoogaUTC ArenaApril 25, 2000MemphisPyramid ArenaApril 28, 2000NashvilleAmSouth AmphitheaterApril 29, 2000LouisvilleFreedom HallApril 30, 2000KnoxvilleThompson–Boling ArenaMay 2, 2000CharlestonCharleston Civic CenterMay 3, 2000RoanokeRoanoke Civic CenterMay 5, 2000ClevelandGund ArenaMay 6, 2000May 7, 2000Grand RapidsVan Andel ArenaMay 9, 2000ToledoJohn F. Savage HallMay 11, 2000RosemontAllstate ArenaMay 12, 2000May 13, 2000ColumbusPolaris AmphitheaterMay 15, 2000PeoriaPeoria Civic CenterMay 16, 2000MolineMARK of the Quad CitiesMay 18, 2000MinneapolisTarget CenterMay 19, 2000MilwaukeeMarcus AmphitheatreMay 21, 2000NoblesvilleDeer Creek Music TheaterMay 22, 2000CincinnatiRiverbend Music CenterMay 24, 2000Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn HillsMay 25, 2000May 26, 2000BurgettstownPost-Gazette PavilionNorth AmericaJune 6, 2000RichmondUnited StatesRichmond ColiseumTed NugentSkid RowSlash's Snake PitJune 9, 2000WantaghJones Beach AmphitheaterJune 10, 2000June 12, 2000MansfieldTweeter CenterJune 13, 2000June 15, 2000PortlandCumberland County Civic CenterJune 16, 2000CamdenBlockbuster Sony Entertainment CenterJune 19, 2000ErieErie Civic CenterJune 20, 2000Saratoga SpringsSaratoga Performing Arts CenterJune 22, 2000MontrealCanadaMolson CentreJune 23, 2000TorontoAir Canada CentreJune 24, 2000BuffaloUnited StatesHSBC ArenaJune 27, 2000East RutherfordContinental Airlines ArenaJune 28, 2000June 30, 2000RaleighAlltel Pavilion at Walnut CreekJuly 1, 2000BristowNissan PavilionJuly 2, 2000Virginia BeachGTE Virginia Beach AmphitheaterJuly 5, 2000HersheyHersheypark StadiumJuly 7, 2000ScrantonCoors Light AmphitheatreJuly 8, 2000HartfordMeadows Music TheaterJuly 11, 2000MadisonKohl CenterJuly 13, 2000MinneapolisTarget CenterJuly 14, 2000FargoFargodomeJuly 16, 2000WinnipegCanadaWinnipeg ArenaJuly 17, 2000SaskatoonSaskatchewan PlaceJuly 19, 2000CalgaryCanadian Airlines SaddledomeJuly 20, 2000EdmontonSkyreach CentreJuly 22, 2000GeorgeUnited StatesThe Gorge AmphitheatreJuly 24, 2000PortlandRose Garden ArenaJuly 26, 2000NampaIdaho CenterJuly 28, 2000Mountain ViewShoreline AmphitheatreTed NugentAmerican PearlJuly 29, 2000SacramentoSacramento Valley AmphitheatreJuly 30, 2000ConcordChronicle PavilionNeveTed NugentAugust 1, 2000FresnoSelland ArenaAugust 2, 2000ParadiseMandalay Bay Events CenterNorth AmericaAugust 11, 2000IrvineUnited StatesIrvine Meadows AmphitheatreTed NugentSkid RowAugust 12, 2000San BernardinoBlockbuster PavilionAugust 14, 2000Greenwood VillageFiddler's Green AmphitheaterAugust 15, 2000AlbuquerqueTingley ColiseumAugust 17, 2000AustinFrank Erwin CenterAugust 18, 2000LafayetteCajundomeAugust 19, 2000JacksonMississippi ColiseumAugust 21, 2000BiloxiMississippi Coast ColiseumAugust 22, 2000The WoodlandsCynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionSkid RowBeautiful CreaturesAugust 23, 2000Fort WorthFort Worth Convention CenterTed NugentSkid RowAugust 25, 2000Bonner SpringsSandstone AmphitheaterAugust 26, 2000Maryland HeightsRiverport AmphitheatreAugust 28, 2000Valley CenterKansas ColiseumAugust 29, 2000OmahaOmaha Civic AuditoriumAugust 30, 2000AmesHilton ColiseumSeptember 1, 2000CarbondaleSIU ArenaSeptember 2, 2000Cedar RapidsFive Seasons CenterSeptember 5, 2000RockfordRockford MetroCentreSeptember 6, 2000East LansingBreslin CenterSkid RowBeautiful CreaturesSeptember 8, 2000LexingtonRupp ArenaTed NugentSkid RowSeptember 9, 2000IndianapolisConseco FieldhouseSeptember 10, 2000EvansvilleRoberts Municipal StadiumSeptember 12, 2000ClarkstonPine Knob Music TheatreSkid RowBeautiful CreaturesSeptember 13, 2000DaytonErvin J. Nutter CenterTed NugentSkid RowSeptember 15, 2000BinghamtonBroome County Veterans Memorial ArenaSeptember 16, 2000SyracuseOnondaga County War MemorialSeptember 18, 2000ProvidenceProvidence Civic CenterSeptember 20, 2000Quebec CityCanadaColisée de QuébecSkid RowSerial JoeSeptember 21, 2000OttawaCorel CentreSeptember 23, 2000HamiltonCopps ColiseumSeptember 26, 2000TrentonUnited StatesSovereign Bank ArenaSkid RowSeptember 27, 2000University ParkBryce Jordan CenterSeptember 29, 2000ColumbusNationwide ArenaSeptember 30, 2000Tinley ParkNew World Music TheatreOctober 1, 2000ChampaignAssembly HallOctober 3, 2000UncasvilleUncas Pavilion at Mohegan SunOctober 4, 2000ColumbiaMerriweather Post PavilionSkid RowBrickfootOctober 6, 2000CharlotteCharlotte ColiseumSkid RowOctober 7, 2000North CharlestonNorth Charleston ColiseumJapanMarch 9, 2001YokohamaJapanYokohama Arenarowspan="7" March 10, 2001March 13, 2001TokyoTokyo DomeMarch 16, 2001FukuokaKokusai CenterMarch 18, 2001NagoyaNagoya Rainbow HallMarch 21, 2001OsakaOsaka-jō HallMarch 22, 2001AustraliaMarch 29, 2001PerthAustraliaBurswood DomeThe Screaming JetsApril 1, 2001AdelaideAdelaide Entertainment CentreApril 3, 2001MelbourneRod Laver ArenaApril 4, 2001April 5, 2001April 7, 2001SydneySydney Super DomeApril 8, 2001April 13, 2001Gold CoastCarrara Stadium
The band rehearsed at this venue several days before their debut show. This show was troubled by major production errors. During the opening to the song "Love Gun" each night, Paul Stanley would ride on wire with foot sling to a small second stage in the arena floor where he performed the song. At this show, he became stalled a few rows out from the main stage and hung over the audience, helpless for quite a while before the road crew were able to reverse the wire and edge him back to the main stage. Many other errors occurred as well. Ace Frehley was so late arriving to this show, the band was preparing to dress up Tommy Thayer to fill in. Frehley traveled by helicopter to make it. The band and manager Doc McGhee presented Gene Simmons with a surprise, a giant birthday cake in the shape of a woman's breasts. He turned 51 that day. Peter Criss had added a tear to his facepaint to signal his dissatisfaction with the band. He left the stage before the band took its group bow, so only Stanley, Simmons and Frehley joined hands and bowed. After failed contract negotiations over what he was being paid, Criss destroyed his drum kit at the show's conclusion in frustration, Criss' last show with Kiss until 2003. Eric Singer's first show, after a five-year absence. Donned Catman makeup and outfit for the very first time. Ace Frehley's last show.
Postponed and cancelled dates Date City Country Venue ReasonMay 17, 2000MinneapolisUnited StatesTarget CenterThe band was unable to fly out of Chicago due to poor weather conditions, rescheduled to May 18September 24, 2000Lake PlacidOlympic CenterPoor ticket salesNovember 13, 2000HiroshimaJapanSun Plaza HallCancelled due to ongoing contract issues with Peter Criss, all dates except Hiroshima rescheduled to March 2001November 15, 2000OsakaOsaka Castle HallNovember 16, 2000November 17, 2000NagoyaNagoya Rainbow HallNovember 19, 2000TokyoTokyo DomeNovember 20, 2000YokohamaYokohama ArenaApril 1, 2001AdelaideAustraliaHindmarsh StadiumDue to soccer match between Adelaide and Marconi at the stadium on March 30
Box office score data