KISS played their final show in December 2023, but for Paul Stanley, coming to terms with the end of the band is still a work in progress.
Speaking on the Off The Cupp With S.E. Cupp podcast, the longtime frontman reflected on the farewell tour and what his life looks like now that it’s over. He made it clear that while he misses performing, there was no other choice. “Do I miss being on stage in front of 50,000 people? Hell yeah,” Stanley admitted. “But there’s a difference between missing it and yearning for it. I miss it, but there’s no going back.”
The End of the Road tour wrapped up KISS’s legacy in the way Stanley and Gene Simmons wanted. “We needed to decide when it ends rather than just have it peter out,” Stanley explained. “That wouldn’t be KISS-like.” The band left Madison Square Garden with a spectacle worthy of their 50-year career, closing the book on their time as a touring band.
That also doesn’t mean KISS is completely gone.
Stanley and Simmons sold the KISS brand to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment last year, paving the way for new projects—including an avatar show produced by George Lucas’ team. “The Starchild can live forever,” Stanley said. “But I can’t.”
For Stanley, KISS was never about just standing at a mic and singing—it was about the full experience, the costumes, the energy, the athleticism. He’s at peace with the fact that, physically, it couldn’t last forever. “If I had the luxury of going on stage in street clothes, sure, I could do it forever. But that’s not KISS,” he said.
Life after KISS has been an adjustment, but Stanley has no regrets. “It’s been a year since we played our final show, and yeah, there’s a void,” he admitted. “But that’s life.” Now, he’s focused on what’s next, embracing what he calls QTR—Quality Time Remaining. “At some point, you have to decide how you want to spend the time you have left,” he said. “And I’ve got a lot I still want to do.”
