What was Kiss frontman Gene Simmons doing hanging out with Washington’s military elite?

From left, musician Jeff Baxter, Shannon Simmons, Gene Simmons and Rear Adm. Sonny Masso. (Photo courtesy Sonny Masso)

In a pairing that’s as jarring as a flaming guitar in an orchestra pit, Kiss rocker Gene Simmons was in Washington this weekend, where he hung out with an exclusive club made up mostly of military brass.

Yep, you read that right. The guy best known for his onstage persona, “The Demon,” a blood-spitting, fire-breathing fiend, is now rubbing elbows with the national-security crowd — and in dignified black tie, no less. Simmons and his wife, Shannon, were guests at the annual dinner for the Order of the Carabao, an informal social organization for veterans and military personnel (it’s named after the water buffalo, a mascot for the group’s founders, who fought in the Philippines).

Simmons spoke to the crowd gathered at the Marriott Marquis on Saturday night, giving what those in the room called a “very emotional” tribute to the troops. So how did he get there? Thank Jeff Baxter, a musician who’s been a member of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers — and more recently, a defense consultant who’s worked on missile defense strategies.

Club member Baxter invited his buddy, Simmons, who first attended the dinner in 2013.  The crowd went wild for him, we’re told, except for a few of the club’s eldest members who didn’t seem to recognize the “God of Thunder” rocker. Maybe he should have worn his make-up?

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