Gene Simmons of Kiss happy to shed ‘empty’ Vegas mansion

Gene Simmons would not beryllium considered “homeless” by immoderate measure. But the stone prima and Kiss co-founder says helium has taken connected 1 location excessively many, arsenic helium is selling his Las Vegas-area manse.

“I person galore houses. I conscionable bought different location successful Beverly Hills,” Simmons said Thursday during a VIP enactment for his creation grounds astatine Animazing Gallery astatine The Grand Canal Shoppes astatine The Venetian. “It’s like, however galore (expletive) homes bash you need?”

Simmons volition beryllium successful the assemblage 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, times that are unfastened to the public.

The large bassist made quality conscionable up of Thursday’s league successful the gallery. Simmons has conscionable listed his hillside property and adjacent batch successful the ritzy Ascaya assemblage successful Henderson for conscionable under $15 million. The listing, done Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Nevada Properties, was made nationalist conscionable 5 months aft Simmons purchased the property, for $11 million.

Requisite creation signing w/ @genesimmons @animazingallery @VenetianVegas Grand Canal Shoppes. He’s present 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. #RJnow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/GuKc0qqtDs

— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) October 22, 2021

Simmons appeared to beryllium moving into Southern Nevada arsenic astatine slightest a part-time resident, particularly arsenic Kiss plans its headlining residency Dec. 29, continuing connected to Feb. 5. But his estates are precise dispersed out, including spot successful the Malibu mountains helium bought for his wife, Shannon, helium says is truthful high, “The eagles alert beneath it.”

Simmons besides owns a mansion successful Whistler, British Columbia. His kids each person their ain houses, too, adjacent to each other, and Simmons conscionable bought the Vegas home.

“Nobody was going to sojourn me. We were each connected tour, truthful the location successful Vegas was empty, right?” Simmons said. “We present person six houses among 4 people. So I couldn’t get my household here, and I conscionable didn’t privation to woody with the heat.”

Simmons did marque the acquisition successful August, successful the teeth of an particularly brutal Vegas summer. The somesthesia extracurricular erstwhile we astir precocious spoke was 115.

But the stone fable says helium volition beryllium successful municipality frequently.

“There is simply a batch of concern for maine here,” helium said. “I volition beryllium coming successful and retired to commercialized goods.”

His creation grounds is the latest good-trading event. A mates twelve Simmons pieces are connected show astatine the assemblage owned by Houston-based businessman Nicholas Leone, a person of Simmons’ who discovered worth successful Simmons’ paintings. A mates already person been sold.

A fewer others that Simmons planned to “throw out, successful the garbage pail,” besides are up for display. Bob Torti, the erstwhile “Rock of Ages” co-star and Las Vegas resident, spotted immoderate of these pieces and said, “I similar these.” So they were saved.

“Immortal,” a hand-pulled surface people successful red, metallic and black, is one. It’s up for a merchantability for $975 unframed, $1,175 framed. The prices scope from astir $1,000 to upwards of $245,0oo. That’s the terms tag connected a idiosyncratic favorite, “Mother & Son.” The enactment is an acrylic connected canvas, a self-portrait of Simmons arsenic a 5-year-old with his mother, Florence, a Holocaust survivor.

Simmons is not definite what volition resonate with his fans, astir of whom (of course) are veterans of the Kiss Army.

“I don’t cognize what radical volition like,” Simmons said. “It’s similar erstwhile we play. We consistently bash songs that I’m not brainsick astir that the assemblage goes brainsick for. That shows you something.”

Simmons has an expansive presumption of art, his ain and that of others.

“I americium 1 creator who has galore influences,” Simmons said. “You tin spot immoderate Jackson Pollock successful here, though I wasn’t consciously reasoning of him portion I was painting. Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol, who I hung retired with astatine Studio 54 and knew socially, were radical who did things the mode I liked to bash them.”

Simmons had contracted COVID conscionable aft his astir caller quality astatine the assemblage successful August. He says helium feels good now, though helium has dropped a fewer pounds. Simmons has been vaccinated. He continues to obstruction against those who garbage to beryllium vaccinated against the virus.

“The aboriginal and deeper we get into this pandemic, the much shocked I americium and can’t judge conscionable however galore radical garbage to bash it,” helium said. Simmons wore a disguise passim Thursday’s session, removing it lone for photos adjacent to his artwork.

Simmons has antecedently joked, “Farm animals volition not beryllium harmed” successful the upcoming residency. He joked the set would play it “shy, due to the fact that we privation to entreaty to a higher fig of tourists.” There volition beryllium nary dancing oregon usage of backing dancers successful the show.

“We’ll permission that to those who lip-sync, and the popular chanteuses who are fantastic, but who can’t sing and creation astatine the aforesaid time,” Simmons said.

Simmons besides is continuing to beforehand his MoneyBag enactment of brushed drinks (the creme soda is tasty) and vodka. He compares his entrepreneurial way to that of a rat pursuing food successful a maze.

“Rats emotion cheese. If you springiness them the aforesaid maze each day, astatine archetypal they spell truly accelerated due to the fact that they privation to get the cheese,” Simmons said. “Then a fewer years later, you cognize they instrumentality their clip due to the fact that they cognize if they marque a near present marque a close there, they’ll yet find the cheese.

“To get maine truly excited, to get my bosom pumping, springiness maine a caller maze.”

The Review-Journal is owned by the household of Dr. Miriam Adelson, the bulk shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian.

John Katsilometes’ file runs regular successful the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast tin beryllium recovered astatine reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him astatine jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats connected Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 connected Instagram.