Jack is back.
Spitting blood, breathing fire and sticking out his tongue.
What’s up with that?
Jack Murrin III, 51, is a firefighter and paramedic with a wild side.
Pre-pandemic, he impersonated Kiss frontman Gene Simmons at parties, concerts and even to officiate at a wedding.
COVID ended those gigs for him to prance around in makeup, arm wings, spiked vest and a bling-y codpiece.
Murrin is making up for it with a free 90-minute show on Halloween in front of his north Everett home.
“Last year, Halloween was just kind of a downer for everybody. I just wanted to create something fun,” he said.
We’re talking stage, lights and sound system. He’ll belt out 19 songs and play guitar.
Yes, he’s warned his neighbors.
“Go big or go home,” Murrin said. “I’m going to go big at my home.”
The kid-friendly show starts at 7 p.m. Sunday at 1522 Colby Ave., unless it’s pouring rain.
There will be candy.
The playlist includes faves such as “Rock And Roll All Nite,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Deuce” and “Calling Dr. Love.”
“The only thing I’m worried about, besides rain, is my voice holding out,” he said.
He’ll wear the costume he made from football shoulder pads, women’s yoga pants, foil spikes and duty boots. He’ll switch between the fake silver guitar made by his father-in-law and a real electric 4-string bass.
Murrin has been a Kiss fan since childhood.
“I was probably 7 when I bought a 45 of ‘New York Groove’ on the A side and on the B side was ‘Snow Blind,’” he said.
He was enthralled by the band’s pyrotechnics.
That’s not why he became a firefighter.
“I lost my dad, he died in a fire, when I was 17. That kind of put me in that direction,” he said.
He has been with the Everett department for over 24 years.
Dressed as Gene Simmons of Kiss fame, Everett firefighter and paramedic Jack Murrin and neighbor John Tanaka greet each other out on the street as Murrin heads out to a open mic session at Cafe Zippy in 2017 in Everett. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
At Everett Fire Station 6 on Evergreen Way, Murrin wears black uniform slacks and a medic unit shirt. His hair is buzzed short. He looks nothing like the 72-year-old rock star Simmons, a notorious self-promoter who has plastered the Kiss name on everything from pacifiers to caskets.
Murrin sports a Kiss T-shirt, or Megadeth or other heavy metal shirt, when he’s off work. At his coffee roasting sideline, Blackwater Coffee, housed in an industrial park, he has a 1979 Kiss pinball machine, along with weights and a guitar.
“I’m teaching myself how to play,” he said.
That skimpy vest shows off his abs. Hence the weights.
“Most people don’t want to see an old out of shape rock-and-roll star performing in Spandex,” Murrin said. “They certainly don’t want to see an old fat wannabe rock star.”
The Simmons alter ego started as just another Halloween party costume he wore 10 years ago with his wife, Karen, who dressed as rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley.
It set off his inner “Demon.”
He started performing for hire and entering contests. “I’ve won close to $10,000,” he said.
Karen, his Marysville Pilchuck High School sweetheart, said he’s a completely different person in costume.
“I’m pretty reserved,” he said. “When I have makeup on, high heels and Spandex, I’m not as reserved.”
He’s cool with buying eyeliner, nail polish and lipstick when he’s in his regular guy clothes.
The couple raised their children, Alisha, 29, and Jack IV, 26, in Arlington before a downsizing move to Everett five years ago.
At the Halloween show, his son will be his roadie, switching out guitars and lighting torches.
“My wife will be dressed up as a nun,” Murrin said. “An old-school nun, covered head-to-toe. She said, ‘I don’t want anybody to recognize me.’”
Neighbor Brenna Weewie plans to attend with her six kids, ages 3 to 8.
“Jack doesn’t know, but we are painting their faces like Kiss stars. One of each band member and multiple Gene Simmons,” Weewie said.
(Now he knows.)
A fire at her Grand Avenue home in 2018 did extensive damage and displaced the family for a year.
“After the fire our kids were a little freaked out because of the firemen and stuff. Jack took us to the station and the kids got a tour of the station so they weren’t scared anymore,” Weewie said.
The next Halloween, the kids all dressed up as firefighters.
Murrin expects a number of his firefighting pals, out of uniform, to be at Sunday’s show.
The band Kiss is currently doing its final “End of the Road” world tour. Murrin said he has gone to enough Kiss concerts over the years. His daughter joined him three times dressed as Paul Stanley.
“She’s kind of over it,” he said.
But that’s OK.
Murrin’s 2-year-old granddaughter, Elli Mae, is stepping up.
She doesn’t have heeled dragon boots like her grandpa, but she rocks a Kiss sweatshirt.
Andrea Brown: abrown@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3443. Twitter @reporterbrown.
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