Incredibly, KISS may very well be bigger and better than ever. Laying down the blue-print for bombastic, over the top rock spectacles back in the 1970's (and thereby making it nearly impossible for any band before or since to even approximate the level of sensory overload and back-for-your-buck a KISS show delivers), the guys made good on their threat to up the ante. As they detailed when they appeared on my show leading up to Friday night at the United Center, they somehow managed to squeeze more lights, more pyro, bigger video screens, better sound and more tricks into their by now already classic, jaw-dropping onslaught. With a stunning new hit record "Sonic Boom" in the charts, it was like the Fourth Of July, Halloween and a deranged Ringling Brothers Circus colliding... on "11." An all-encompassing triumph.

(See KISS perform "Black Diamond" live at the United Center here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqaEt2iFLJ0)

(See KISS perform "I Love It Loud" live at the United Center here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0d6Q8WY7G4)

(See KISS perform "Deuce" live at the United Center here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOPUpKTXATo)

(See KISS perform "Detroit Rock City" live at the United Center here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZF0D-rt1bs)

Accepting the daunting task of opening the show, Buckcherry ferociously attacked the job at hand with a strut and swagger of their own, making impressive gains in their ultimate goal to be the next generation of arena masters.

(See Buckcherry perform "Crazy Bitch" live at the United Center here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZq_IZhZ9go

Earlier in the week saw a duo of rock front men stepping out on their own at the House Of Blues.

Monday night, the iconic and original angry young man Roger Daltrey of The Who performed a warm up gig in preparation for an upcoming Who record and world tour. Daltrey, who helped lay down the golden god/hard rock front man template (Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin even "borrowed" some of Roger's late 60's look and welded it to Steve Marriott's vocal stylings) was in rare form. With a crack-ass band featuring Simon Townshend on guitar who moves, sounds and looks just like his older brother Pete in tow, Roger looked and sounded great ... and is still his delightfully feisty self, telling off some self absorbed boors who were loudly interrupting his performance.

(See Roger Daltrey and his band perform "Going Mobile" live at the House Of Blues here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRNN3auIXI)

(See Roger Daltrey perform "Who Are You" live at the House Of Blues here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZGS7QBAlkg)

(See Roger Daltrey perform "Pictures Of Lily" live at the House Of Blues here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWCyd-Kih6g)

On Thursday night, Gavin Rossdale of Bush played his second area gig of the week, this time at the House Of Blues before a packed house.

(See Gavin Rossdale perform "Everything Zen" live at the House Of Blues here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YliWxArg8AQ)

(See Gavin Rossdale perform "Machinehead" live at the House Of Blues here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNn-ALHz8jE)

Several days prior, a rare pairing of Queensryche and Lita Ford rocked the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. Coming off a 20 year hiatus, Lita slipped right back into the saddle.

(See Queensryche and Lita Ford perform "Close My Eyes Forever" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-0zXSBfLyU)

This week on my show from 10am-3pm: win tickets to "Star Wars in concert" at 10am and 2pm daily, as well as Bon Jovi tickets and passes to see the premiere of the hilarious new movie "Pirate Radio."

(See the "Pirate Radio" movie trailer here: http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/pirate_radio/)