KISS' philanthropy a big deal for local rock band

Imagine being local rock band Shiver Fox.

You play your CD release party (and one of your first gigs) one weekend, then the next you're picked to open for KISS at Save Mart Center.

Talk about a way to make a name in this town.

When the band got backstage and got to meet KISS' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, group member Trey Tosh recalls, "Something clicked."

Tosh -- a pretty well-known local musician -- has had brushes with fame before. He joined Trans- Siberian Orchestra on stage once, even played guitar on a song on their new CD. But when he speaks now about his experience two weekends ago, he talks of a greater sense of purpose. The experience really helped mold his band.

This type of thing needs to happen more often.

Local bands opening for the big-name touring acts is nothing new, of course. That's how bands cut their teeth in the old days. But in the days of big arenas, meticulously planned tours and extravagant stage shows, throwing a bone to a local band is almost extinct.

Which is why KISS should get props here. Often when local bands get put on the big tour coming to town, it's through something like a radio station-sponsored battle-of-the-bands.

But KISS' management actually checked out some Fresno bands and picked one it liked. Bravo to them.

Understand that decisions about opening acts aren't made by the arena (so don't call them or write letters), but by band management.

It seems like a win all around to put local guys on the bill: It will endear the band to the local market, it will bring a few more buyers to the ticket window and it'll probably get another story in the local paper.

Plus, the local guys get the experience of playing on the big stage and getting exposure to a bigger audience that -- let's be realistic -- probably doesn't invest a lot of time scoping out the local music scene.

Every big Save Mart Center concert probably doesn't need a local opener. It might feel out of place at Trans-Siberian Orchestra, for instance.

But some of these others? Why not?

Kelly Clarkson's people should have picked a local pop singer. Tim McGraw or Brad Paisley's crew should throw a bone to a Fresno country band.

It makes a difference.

"We found something out of this whole deal," he says. "You know how there's something that you learn, that you can't explain, but it makes all the difference? We realized what we can do, and now we're trying to figure out how we can get there."