Rock and roll icon Gene Simmons brought his solo project, the GENE SIMMONS BAND, to the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California on Saturday, June 13, 2026. High-quality, fan-filmed video of the entire 14-song performance has been uploaded to YouTube by user Knucklebutt_FavBands, showcasing the legendary bassist operating a lean, mean, and highly profitable live machine.
The current touring iteration of the Gene Simmons Band features an elite lineup of multi-instrumentalists who all share lead vocal duties:
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Gene Simmons – Bass, Lead Vocals
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Jason Walker – Guitar, Vocals
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Brent Woods – Guitar, Vocals
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Brian Tichy – Drums, Vocals
The Indio, CA Concert Setlist:
True to his promise of keeping the set unpredictable, the band relied heavily on classic KISS material, digging into deep cuts alongside stadium anthems:
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Deuce
2. Shout It Out Loud
3. War Machine
4. Calling Dr. Love
5. Christine Sixteen
6. I 7. Spit
8. I Love It Loud
9. Domino
10. Charisma
11. Rocket Ride
12. Cold Gin
13. Parasite
14. Rock And Roll All Nite —
The “No Rules” Live Dynamic
In a recent conversation with the Whittier Daily News, Simmons praised the sheer musical flexibility of his backing band, noting that the group functions completely free of the rigid formatting of a standard arena production.
“My side band, they’re killers by the way,” Simmons stated. “We don’t have a manager. There are no trucks, no nothing. We just set up and play. We have the flexibility of doing requests someone may yell out. Or if we’re asked if we know ‘Tush’ by ZZ Top, we’ll look at each other, it’s the key of G, let’s go and boom, you’re off to the races.”
Simmons emphasized that the solo format lets him interact with the audience in ways KISS never allowed. “The other thing we can do that KISS never did is pull fans up from the audience. Do you want to be a rock star? I may pull you up if you can play an instrument… No rules.”
Inside the “Semi-Genius” Business Model
While speaking on the Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast, Simmons proudly broke down the financial architecture of the tour, calling it a masterstroke of economic efficiency. By shedding the astronomical overhead of a global stadium production, Simmons has managed to maximize his personal take-home pay.
“[We’re] just having a lot of fun,” Simmons explained. “By the way, I designed a business model that is just semi-genius. I show up with my guitar pick. That’s it. There’s no manager, no roadies, no trucks, no equipment. Everything is provided by the promoter. The flights, the hotels, all the amplifiers, the drums, everything is rented locally.”
The financial payoff of stripping down the operation is immense.
“That’s the promoter’s cost, and whatever six-figure or more amount there is, I pocket. And I literally make more money per gig being Gene Simmons and the Gene Simmons Band than I did in KISS — not counting the ancillaries and all that — because you don’t have a 60-man crew, three double deckers, private jet that’s on call seven days a week and 20 to 24 tractor trailers.”
Simmons’ uncanny business acumen stretches back to his inspiring roots. Born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, to Hungarian Jewish immigrants, he was raised by his mother, Flora Klein, a Holocaust survivor. After his father abandoned the family, they emigrated to America penniless in search of a better life.
After seeing The Beatles on television, Simmons was determined to pursue rock stardom. In 1970, he crossed paths with Paul Stanley, forming Wicked Lester before ultimately establishing KISS in the winter of 1972 with original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.
Driven by a love for comic books and horror cinema, Simmons engineered the band’s iconic demonic face paint and blood-spitting imagery. Combined with theatrical pyrotechnics, KISS skyrocketed to international fame, selling over 100 million albums worldwide and cementing the “KISS Army” fan base. The group was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014.
Beyond the stage, Simmons established himself as a serial entrepreneur, licensing more than 5,000 distinct merchandise items to build the most lucrative branding empire in music history. Today, his business ventures continue to expand, ranging from television, film, and worldwide restaurant chains to his recently launched line of all-natural Gene Simmons MoneyBag sodas.
