KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer is featured in a new interview with I'm Music Magazine discussing the band's current Freedom To Rock tour. An excerpt is available below.

IMM: This tour is a bit similar to the Lost Cities Tour back in 1997 when some of the smaller, overlooked cities were visited. What made you guys decide to do that again this time around?

Thayer: "The Freedom to Rock tour is based on doing the secondary market cities and it’s important to us to play these cities. In some cases, we haven’t been there in ten or twelve years or more and they’re great markets. In a lot of ways, the fans and the crowds that are coming to these shows are even more excited than most regular tours because they haven’t had the opportunity. They get a lot more hyped up and it’s exciting; it’s like the people can’t believe that KISS is there. They’re great markets with a lot of energy and a lot of excitement; these are places that you can’t get to every time, but this time we are."

IMM: I have to give major props to you guys again this year, as with the last several years, for putting a lot of emphasis on giving back to the military.

Thayer: "It’s not just for show; this is something that we believe in our hearts. I come from a military background because my father was a retired Brigadier General in the Army. I’ve been around this a lot and I know Paul and Gene are very adamant about supporting these types of things, so it really does come from the heart. We’re hiring vets to be roadies for the day in each city and we’re honoring our service men and women every night. It’s exciting and something that we believe in and I know that the crowd really loves it as well."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

In the clip below, KISS pay tribute to the military during the Colorado Springs show on their current Freedom To Rock tour.

KISS launched their Freedom To Rock tour at the AVA at Casino del Sol Resort and Casino in Tucson, Arizona on Monday, July 4th. The tour will travel the country throughout July and August and will close September 10th in Huntington, WV.

KISS performed the following setlist:

“Detroit Rock City”
“Deuce”
“Shout It Out Loud”
“Creatures Of The Night”
“War Machine”
“Psycho Circus”
“Calling Dr. Love”
“Shock Me”
“Cold Gin”
“Lick It Up”
“I Love It Loud”
“100,000 Years”
“Love Gun”
“Black Diamond”

Encore:

“Beth”
“Rock And Roll All Nite”

Watch some fan-filmed video from the show below:

Find the band’s tour schedule at this location.