KISS says their future concerts will be performed by 'forever young' digital avatars

• KISS ended the last live show of their 50-year career by revealing their digital avatars.
• "Kiss could have a concert in three cities in the same night," said Pophouse CEO Per Sundin.
• The digital avatars drew a mixed reception from fans online.

Rock band KISS played the final live show of their 50-year career on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. But it wasn't an official curtain call, as the band announced their act would live on through "forever young" digital avatars.

Known for their hit song, "I Was Made for Lovin' You," the band wrapped up their "End of the Road" farewell tour by revealing the new digital avatars onstage.

"We can be forever young and forever iconic by taking us to places we've never dreamed of before," said KISS bassist Gene Simmons, 74, in a separate announcement video published Saturday. "The technology is going to make Paul jump higher than he's ever done before."

The band said their digital avatars were created using motion capture technology, with George Lucas' visual effects company, Industrial Light and Magic, and Pophouse Entertainment, founded by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus.

Per Sundin, the CEO of Pophouse, told the Associated Press on Sunday, "Kiss could have a concert in three cities in the same night across three different continents. That's what you could do with this."

The announcement drew a mixed reception from fans online, however.

"Oh boy, we can pay even more money not to hear real people sing live," wrote one person on X, previously known as Twitter. Another person wrote on Instagram, "This new hologram project won't be able to replicate the feel of an original live show, but I think It is a great idea for a show that keeps the legacy alive after the band is over."

The two companies were also behind ABBA's virtual concert, which put digital avatars of the band onstage in May 2022. The ABBA concerts bring in more than $2 million a week, per Bloomberg.