Ohio-based City Beat recently caught up with KISS drummer Eric Singer. An excerpt from the discussion is available below.

Q: I interview people and have found that the big bands like yourself are the most down to earth and normal. Many of the newer bands that are just starting out seem so arrogant at times and it bothers me and I always think that won t work and they are not going to make it like that.

Eric: "You are right and that is a great observation. That is what I find as well. Usually people who are doing it at a bigger level, they don t act like that. I don t know if it is a confidence or mindset but they don t need to do that. I live in LA and there a lot of people who are posers. They go to clubs and dress the part and think they are important. They go out every night and dress up and locals think they are in the band, but they are big fish in a small pond and they are not the real players. You are right, the people that have more fame act normal and don t need to pretend to be anything and they are usually more cool."

Q: What can we expect from the show on Friday?

Eric: "The Hottest Show On Earth is great. The one thing I always admire about our band is that we are always trying to improve and make it bigger and better. We are always trying to make a bigger visual spectacle. That is what we are known for and putting on a big show. I always say it is like Rock-n-Roll meets the circus. It is about being entertainers and being entertained. Anyone who saw the tour last year, we have changed the songs around and changed some of the visual things in the show. It is probably the biggest show that we have ever done with visual and screens and pyro. It is a big undertaking to take this tour around the country. There are 15 or 17 trucks that move this stuff around. A few of them have our faces on the side with the new Dr. Pepper adds, so you may see 5 or 6 of them rolling down the road in Ohio this week so you will know it is KISS on tour. I am not saying this because I am biased and in the band, but everyone must see a KISS show in their life."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

KISS' North American tour schedule is as follows:

July

30 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
31 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Park Stadium

August

6 - Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
7 - Boston, MA - Comcast Center
9 - Indianapolis, IN - Indiana State Fairgrounds
13 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
14 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
15 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion
19 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Arena
20 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
21 - Washington DC - Jiffy Lube Live
27 - Virginia Beach, VA - Virginia Beach Amphitheater
28 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
29 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek

September

2 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheatre
3 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
4 - St. Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair
10 - Toronto, ON - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
11 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
12 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
17 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
18 - Dallas, TX - Pizza Hut Park
19 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T; Center
22 - Sandy, UT - Rio Tinto Stadium
24 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion