Kiss began a three-week residency in Las Vegas last night, arriving at the venue in a Maverick Helicopter, which landed on top of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. You can see the video above.

This is the first residency for the legendary rockers, who are in the middle of celebrating their 40th anniversary. Announced back in July, their Hard Rock run continues through Nov. 23 and includes nine performances in all. “What was exciting with the residency is that we didn’t have to create a stage that had to be taken down nightly," Paul Stanley told Forbes.com. "The challenge was to create a bigger show in a smaller venue, and I think we’ve done a great job.”

The band kicked off last night's show by ripping into the title song from its 1982 album, 'Creatures of the Night.' (You can see video of the performance below.) Over the course of the 17-song set, they hit on various eras -- from early rockers like 'Parasite' through 'Hell or Hallelujah' from 2012's 'Monster.' Word is, the set lists will vary from night to night, digging deep into Kiss' 40-year catalog.

In addition, the band has created a special Roadie for a Week contest in conjunction with Nellis Air Force Base. The winners are all decorated service men. “It is an honor for us to enlist these heroes of our armed forces into the Kiss Army,” Stanley told the Las Vegas Sun. “They have already proven what they are capable of, and their presence can only elevate us.” “These guys are living legends,” said Sgt. First Class Cory DeMille. “It is awesome to know underneath the makeup and the outfits, they are patriotic Americans.”

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