Kix Tickets

Kix
KIX is a classic American glam metal band that had touched greater heights of popularity in the 1980s. Founded in 1978 in Hagerstown, Maryland, the band has been providing the quality oriented music for the last thirty years.

It has seen great success and KIX fans are always loyal and supportive to them. Let us take you through the life and times of this extremely rocking band.

When the band started thirty years ago, its original lineup consisted of Steve Whiteman on drums, Brian Damage Forsythe on guitars, and Donnie Purnell on bass. The three started practicing in Maryland, in the basement of Brian Damage Forsythe and taken the name of Shooze.

While Steve Whiteman was then performing his duties as the band's lead vocalist, drummer Donnie Spence and guitarist David Stargazer Bumbalough also joined the band.

Local drummer Jimmy Chocolate Chalfant was also asked to join the band by as Donnie Spence left the band so as Ronnie 10/10 Younkins who replaced David Stargazer Bumbalough as guitarist.

It was by late 1979 when the classic lineup of Steve Whiteman, Ronnie Younkins, Brian Forsythe, Donnie Purnell and Jimmy Chalfant was complete.

Initially, KIX had adopted many names like Shooze, Generators, Baltimore Cocks, before eventually settling on the current one. They started making some very good music and were soon considered as one of Maryland's top cover bands.

Although their main focus was glam metal and related genres, the band's pop-metal styling also earned acclaim that drew inspiration from bubblegum pop and new wave as well as hard rock. This shows that KIX can play any kind of music with ease and art.

KIX started signing with Atlantic in 1981. They self-titled debut album, KIX, instantly became a concert favorite with super hit tracks like Atomic Bombs, Heartache, Contrary Mary, The Itch, The Kid and Love at First Sight KIX Are for Kids.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah was the most rocking of all and became the band's most popular concert song. With this album, the tongue-in-cheek rock & roll style of KIX was established and a unique ad-lib performance by lead vocalist Steve Whiteman was appreciated by many.

While the guitarist Ronnie 10/10 Younkins left the band for the time being in 1982, their 1983 album, Cool Kids, broke sales records. The album showcased a slightly more commercial side of the band, and got instant success with metal music lovers.

Body Talk was the most talked-about single of the show that could be heard on all the streets, pubs and radio channels very frequently. The beautiful ballad For Shame also got good response.

While Younkins returned to KIX to reunite the classic lineup, the band partnered up with RATT and Beau Hill, in 1985 and released the super hit album Midnite Dynamite. The album featured a hard rock single by the same name and some really cool funk rock songs like Cold Shower and Sex and Bang Bang.

Blow My Fuse was their next outing that raised the KIX to the new heights of popularity. Released in 1988, the album went platinum with a variety of music including a slow ballad Don't Close Your Eyes and other popular singles.

Some of the next ventures of KIX include Hot Wire in 1991, a live album Live at the University of Maryland, College Park and Show Business in 1995 that proved their last album before break-up.

But when others thought KIX era has ended now, the band striked again with the compilation Thunderground in 2004 followed by successful reunion shows.

With a latest rocking performance in Rocklahoma 2008, the band is planning to re-spread their magic all over the nation as they are coming up to rock you on your feet very soon. Go for their latest concert and enjoy the classical appeal of KIX.