Palatine Musicians Set Sail On The KISS KRUISE

KISS, rocking the music world continuously since the 1970s, took several thousand of their loyal fans on a four day floating music fest.

The KISS KRUISE, featured music by the band, plus performances by up and coming rock and roll newcomers. Two Palatine natives and graduates of Palatine High School, were part of the musical lineup of this inaugural cruise. Rich Vallone and Alec Cyganowski, are members of the band Bad City. The group's other members – Jake Serek, bass, Max Perenchio, guitar, and Rich Lombardo, drums – all hail from Arlington Heights.

Bad City was the opening act for KISS on their North American tour that included Canada as well as stops in the lower 48 states. The band was then invited to be one of the acts on the cruise.

The ship Carnival Destiny set sail on Thursday, Oct. 13 and KISS set the mood with an intimate acoustic set, bringing the band and fans in close contact. Bad City performed later in the evening, exuding energy and excitement to the ship’s Lido deck. The ship stopped at Half Moon Cay and Nassau Bahamas, before returning to Miami on Oct. 17.

Cyganowski, a 2004 graduate of Palatine High School, rejoined the band as the lead singer for the North American tour while attending the American Music and Drama Academy in Los Angeles.

Vallone a 2006 graduate of Palatine High School, graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009 and played with a variety of different bands before joining Bad City in the spring to play on the North American tour. "It was a great experience to be out on the cruise and play with the guys, it was excellent," Vallone said.

Serek, the bass player, is a graduate from Wheeling High School and DePaul. Max Perenchio is a Hersey High School Graduate and Lombardo also is a graduate of Hersy.

Playing music from their album ‘Welcome to the Wasteland,’ as well as new music, the band has dates in Omaha, Nebraska, on Nov. 4 and will play locally at the Cubbie Bear in Chicago on Dec. 9.