When KISS brought the thunder to The Summit in Houston in 1976 

When KISS brought the thunder to The Summit in Houston in 1976

Rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer Paul Stanley and lead guitarist Ace Frehley of KISS perform at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston.

Click through to see more blood, sweat, and grime from the show 41 years ago... 

Lead guitarist Ace Frehley of American hard rock band KISS performing at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer Paul Stanley of American hard rock band KISS performing at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer Paul Stanley (L) and lead guitarist Ace Frehley (R) of American hard rock band KISS performing at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Fans watch American hard rock band KISS performing at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. (

Bassist and co-lead singer Gene Simmons of American hard rock band KISS performing at the Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer Paul Stanley of American hard rock band KISS backstage at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Road manager and songwriter Sean Delaney (C) goofs around backstage with Gene Simmons (L) and Paul Stanley (R) of American hard rock band KISS backstage at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Bassist and co-lead singer Gene Simmons of American hard rock band KISS backstage at the Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer Paul Stanley (L) and lead guitarist Ace Frehley (R) of American hard rock band KISS performing at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX.

Lead guitarist Ace Frehley of American hard rock band KISS backstage at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Paul Stanley (L) and Gene Simmons (R) of American hard rock band KISS backstage at the Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer Paul Stanley of American hard rock band KISS performing at the Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Drummer Peter Criss of American hard rock band KISS backstage at The Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Bassist and co-lead singer Gene Simmons of American hard rock band KISS backstage at the Summit with a fan on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX.

Rhythm guitarist and co-lead singer Paul Stanley (L) and lead guitarist Ace Frehley (R) of American hard rock band KISS performing at the Summit on August 13, 1976 in Houston, TX. 

Click through the slideshow above to see pictures of KISS onstage and backstage at The Summit in Houston in 1976...

On August 13, 1976 a white-hot KISS came to Houston concert venue The Summit for just their third show in the area.

The band at this point was blowing up after releasing the hit LP “Destroyer” and brought a pyrotechnic-heavy rock show with them to thrill fans. Opening with “Detroit Rock City” and closing with “Black Diamond,” there are still fans in Houston that can recount every minute of the concert. 

"Destroyer" was KISS\' fourth album and their breakthrough studio release. It was more polished then the earlier albums and that helped sales. 

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General admission tickets for floor of The Summit were only $8, making it quite the value for rockers in Houston. Fans that arrived early were rewarded with opening sets by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Ban and Artful Dodger.

According to KISS super-fans, the show’s bootleg video and recording remains one of the best documents of that era of the band. You can see the whole show these days on YouTube. The Summit had an in-house video system so it was captured in great detail, unlike some other shows on the tour.

Yes, even Gene Simmons’ bloodspitting act, Peter Criss’ drum solo and Paul Stanley destroying his axe.

This was arguably the band’s live heyday, the era that would cement them as legends in the eyes of a generation of rock fans. The live recordings also show a band with some of the smudgy early ‘70s glam still shining through.

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At this point the band was not especially well-liked by critics, but they were amassing a KISS Army that has stuck with them in and out of makeup and through a handful of lineup changes.

The schmaltzy “Beth” became a hit single in the months after the show in Houston, reeling more fans into the fold. A radio DJ played the song which was originally the B-side to “Detroit Rock City” and it caught fire on the request lines.

KISS returned to Houston and The Summit the next year and were in such high demand at the time they played two nights in a row.

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