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 All news should be considered an unconfirmed report unless verified, and all information published at KISS Asylum is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves. All information is confirmed where possible, and all publication is governed by common sense.
Rocker Wows KISS FansFrom: Evansville Courier Press His black-and-white facial makeup in perfect GENE SIMMONS form, 43-year-old Boonville, Ind., resident Anthony Yates vividly remembered meeting the KISS icon in person. It was in 2003 at a book signing. Yates said he gave Simmons a seven-page essay he had written about the band, and Simmons signed several pictures for him. Then Simmons posed for a snapshot with Yates, an image he proudly pulled from his wallet during Sunday afternoon's KISS Expo at the Airport Marriott.
Yates, who came to the event with co-worker Amber Tepe (made up like drummer PETER CRISS), said he first heard KISS in 1977, soon after the death of Elvis Presley, who had been his hero. "I opened up 'Alive II,' put it on (the turntable) and was blown away," Yates said. Soon, he started painting black-and-white watercolors on his face for fun, and a lifetime bond was formed. "They are the total sight and sound package," Yates said of the band that likes to "rock and roll all nite and party every day." Yates joined the legion of KISS fans who live for their favorite band's thundering guitar riffs and on-stage theatrics. For local KISS fanatics, a ballroom at the Marriott was the place to be Sunday. There were tables loaded with memorabilia from pictures to CDs, from shirts to dolls. There was a question-and-answer session with BRUCE KULICK, a guitarist, keyboardist and bass player who was with KISS from 1984 to 1996. And there were live performances of KISS songs, courtesy of the bands SSG and Snake Bite. Kulick sat in with the groups. KISS has multi-generational appeal, fans said, and Sunday's gathering offered proof. Seated in the front row during Kulick's Q&A was 7-year-old Vanessa Trottier of Mount Carmel, Ill., wearing PAUL STANLEY makeup. Vanessa was born into KISS fandom in the same way her dad, Bob, was. Bob Trottier was introduced to KISS' records at age 3, and by 4, he said he knew all the songs. "If you were in the band, you're like a god to me," Trottier said. "(KISS) encompasses everything about entertainment. You could go to a KISS show wearing earplugs and come away amazed." Trottier said that if, on a shopping trip, his daughter spies a KISS CD she doesn't already own, "I have to put down 20 bucks." Evansville has had KISS Expos before, but because of short notice, Sunday's was more lightly attended than usual. The event was pulled together because of Kulick's performance here Saturday with Grand Funk Railroad, with which he has toured since 2001. Allen Tate of Evansville organized the event. Keith Leroux of Indianapolis, who is the director of KISSonline, said several hundred KISS fans are expected for an expo in Japan in a couple weeks. The kinship among KISS fans is unique, Leroux said, and it continues today even though the group's famous live shows are far less frequent. KISS became known throughout the 1970s for over-the-top concert performances, but to Leroux, the group's influence on music and popular culture is underrated. KISS has sold about 80 million albums. KISS fans have protested the group's absence from the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. "They're American icons," Leroux said. |
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