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Tribute Band Piece on ESPNFrom: insider.espn.go.com by Scott Engel KISS tribute artist Val Popovic, who recently starred in a full-length Showtime original movie, lives quite a fantasy life. Popovic isn't a well-known celebrity himself, but he certainly likes to replicate one. When he's not portraying his idol, ACE FREHLEY, for die-hard KISS fans all over the country, Popovic spends much of his free time playing fantasy football and watching the NFL. "When I'm playing ACE FREHLEY, I'm doing something special. I'm reproducing the music and image of one of the greatest guitarists ever," Popovic said. "When I'm not onstage as Ace, I'm a total Raiders fan. They make me get out of my seat and yell, much like people do at KISS concerts." Popovic plays in the tribute band Larger Than Life, which was featured in the Showtime original movie, Tribute: A Rockumentary. The film chronicles the ups and downs of Larger than Life and tribute bands for Judas Priest, Queen and the Monkees. Popovic is a main focus of the film, as he expresses his passion for playing his hero onstage and shows off his own smoking Les Paul guitar, the signature stage effect of Frehley during the classic KISS years. When Popovic isn't wearing silver and black Raiders garb, he's wearing silver makeup. "It's not the norm of what most people do with their lives, but I'm very passionate about doing something different with my life," the 39-year-old Central California resident said. "I'm not content just watching KISS. Anyone can just throw on the makeup. I'm paying homage to classic KISS, and homage to ACE FREHLEY." Popovic, who also recently joined another tribute band, the KISS Army Tribute, certainly doesn't like to live an ordinary life, and fantasy football is another fun and unique diversion. "I get to feel like a coach. I can be a scout. Sometimes, the trash talking can be really lame, but I love the competition and watching the games on TV to see how my players do." Popovic began playing fantasy football three years ago. He works for a property management company when he's not churning out guitar solos. He was approached by his supervisor, who knew he was a fanatical football fan. "He told me it gave me the chance to build my own team of superstars," Popovic said. "Once I got involved, I started doing really well. And I began to learn a lot about other teams in the league, not just the Raiders." Popovic finished in third place in his first season, then pushed for first place until the final game of the 2003 campaign, when he was knocked out of a tie for the top spot in the final game of the regular season. Last year, though, he slipped to sixth place. "Last year, I learned some valuable lessons," he said. "I drafted Jerry Rice when he was clearly on the down side of his career. And one time I was out of town and forgot to set my lineup to make changes for players on bye weeks. So I intend to pay a lot more attention this year. I know I can do better. I'm reading up on a lot of stats." The one element of fantasy football Popovic doesn't like is that sometimes he has to root for players who face his favorite team. "I'll take a Raiders win over a fantasy football win if I had to make a choice." But Popovic still has become a devoted fantasy player. He often discusses fantasy strategies with Larger than Life's video director, Orlando Toste. And this year, he has joined a fantasy football league for KISS fans on ESPN.com. In the league, which was created by another fan of the band, many owners have named their teams after specific song titles or albums. "I called my team Frehley's Shockers," Popovic said, noting that the name is based on Frehley's song, "Shock Me," which is legendary in KISS fan circles for being the first song that featured the guitarist on lead vocals. "Playing with other KISS fans will be really fun." 
Larger than Life also features tribute genre veterans Jim Seda (GENE SIMMONS), Gary Stevens (PAUL STANLEY) and Jimmy Newell (PETER CRISS). Popovic said the band, which has become one of the top tribute groups in the country, "is dedicated to re-creating classic KISS. A lot of people wonder what KISS was like in their earliest years. People say they walk away from our shows saying if you guys are that good, then KISS must have been really great in the early years. I try to stay very humble about it. People tell me how much I actually sound like Ace, and I take that as a big compliment. Ace is a legend and one of the most unique and influential guitarists in rock history. I'm only trying to pay tribute to an awesome guitar player."Popovic has been in Larger than Life for five years, and with a busy touring schedule ahead with two bands, he still plans to make plenty of time to manage his fantasy football teams. Although a fantasy football championship would bring him much joy, he actually has one bigger dream to realize, he admitted. "I want to perform at an NFL event, preferably at a Raiders game," he said. "I'd love to play 'Shout It Out Loud' with the silver and black crowd going crazy for us." |
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