1 Year Ago- 'End of the Road' Was the End of Pre-COVID Concerts

One year ago, we had no idea that we would be seeing the last big concert in the Sun City. This time last year, we had no idea we were doing the last normal things without wearing a mask. Going to dinner, out with friends, and one of the most heartbreaking for me I was getting ready to go to a concert.

Last year on Friday I was able to score some last-minute tickets to go see Cher at the Don Haskins Center and it was so worth it. The show was amazing, Cher looked spectacular, and I was able to snag some floor seats from a friend who left early. I had an amazing time and was tired when Monday came around for KISS. I had already promised a friend I would go with him to the show but started wondering if I should maybe skip it, and see KISS the next time they came through town.

It was then I remembered that KISS was calling this their "End of the Road" tour and it may really be the last time they were out on tour together. I know it seems silly, especially since they've had several tours they told us were the last ever and they weren't. But still, I didn't want to risk it. And now, I'm so happy I didn't.

The Don Haskins Center was packed with people, every single seat seemed to be filled with rock fans all wearing their best KISS gear. Even Steve Kaplowitz's son dressed up for the show, KISS makeup and all. I had an amazing time that night and ended up seeing some old friends out that I hadn't seen for months. It was great to see some of my favorite smiling faces, all enjoying songs that we know and love.

At the time, we already knew coronavirus was becoming an issue in the country, and older Americans were starting to worry for their health. KISS even canceled their meet and greet before the show to protect themselves from potential COVID carriers in the crowd. By that Friday, we knew that coronavirus was even more deadly than we thought. Over the next week, we saw the country start shutting down to protect communities from the virus.

Now, it's one year later and we're still dealing with the effects of coronavirus. We're wearing masks, something we weren't wearing one year ago, and we're distancing ourselves from people we don't know. Hopefully, by this time next year, we'll be out enjoying concerts side-by-side with strangers belting out the lyrics to the songs we know and love again.