The mighty painted band Kiss once sung their heads off about rock and rolling all night. They also expressed a desire to back up that rocking by partying, well, every day. Such a hard-living manifesto calls for a gadget like the Tailgater. A combined iPod amp, PA system and karaoke kit, it’s got the rock star looks to back up its sonic clout too.

Tailgater is a portable sound system with an integral iPod dock and the look of a stack amplifier. Yep, just like the bands use. It’s got a high-powered amplifier and speakers inside, and as well as the iPod dock, it sports extra inputs too. Extra inputs means you can plug in a mic for Karaoke (which comes included), a guitar for strumming along to your band’s best chops and licks – hell, you may even plug in a keytar for all we know. They’re all the rage again, after all.

A battery indicator lets you know just how far you’re going to get through that Lynyrd Skynyrd solo before needing to recharge – and you also get to choose whether you want the Tailgater to charge up your iPod while you’re on the last riff. More of a spoken word kind of performer? Tailgater makes an awesome PA system to rap out some beat poetry or even just call out bingo numbers.


It doesn’t just look like a tour amp. It has the same rich, full sound – and it’s got the same rugged construction that makes it as portable as Bono’s hat. Except Bono’s hat doesn’t come with a convenient carrying handle, of course. If it did, he might remember it every time he went away and not have to book a private jet to bring his hat along later.

But what’s the good of portability when you want to rock and roll all day? Not to mention party all night? Well, you don’t need to worry about that either. The Tailgater has an onboard battery that can continuously blare tunage out for up to eight hours. That’s a good slice out of anyone’s day – just ask Gene Simmons.