September 13, 2014: Who Is This Guy?

In case they didn't get a chance to do it themselves at their own barracks, Toni (the wife) offers KISS face painting ("KISSpaint") services at the somewhat yearly, Joisey gathering of the KISS Army and their suppliers (vendors). My role is that of support; I get her there, and help set up - I hang her banner, hang funny flyers (I design them), etc. Then I usually walk around, saying hello to friends, and price out rare Double Platinum promotional posters. I usually go AWOL for a spell to do a POLKA DOT! gig, but then come back, circulate some more, and covet things like Dynasty tour shirts. Finally, I help my other half wrap up. This year, my kiddie entertainin' gig was a musical one in Fair Lawn, at a dog walk event. Kids cheered, dogs barked, and I shot down the Garden State Parkway to get back to the expo. Once there, I run into Byron Fogle Salzano. I've known "Coogle" for the better part of 20 years, and he also is a KISS devotee - in fact, we first became acquaintances when way back in 1996 I joined up with his "non-makeup" KISS tribute, Strange Ways. I was the "Gene Simmons" of the band, playing bass, growling, etc. I admittedly was more like an Animalize Paul Stanley meets insert-random-Gene from-any-era here. It was especially cool to get together and do our tribute when we did, as it was just as the KISS reunion was happening; there was a lot of excitement among ourselves and KISS fans in general at the time. We still play occasionally today, when schedules allow (the "Paul," Helio Pavan, actually lives in Brazil, where he is the "Ace" in the long-running, South American continent-dominating KISS tribute, Killers.).

"Dude, did you see that poster?" Byron was pointing over at a framed U.S. promotional mylar poster for the aforementioned Double Platinum album. It's a an awesome piece, but the price was prohibitive. Still I wanted - and want - that bad boy. Who has one?

"Let's go over to the other room," I said, hoping distance would take away the yearning. Just then, at the the doorway, we were accosted by someone.

"Hi!" a guy said/exclaimed at us. He looked friendly, but definitely an unknown dude.

"Uh, hello" Coogle Pot-Pie and I responded, sort of in unison.

"My name is Anthony, and I just want to tell you about a KISS tribute I am part of … " he fumbled with an iPad, and brought up an image of what was presumably him, made up as Gene. He looked pretty good. " … we're called Alive '75, and what we are doing is the ultimate tribute to the Alive! We do the whole record from top to bottom; we have the stage show …" I cut him off.

"But what about your Peter guy?" was my exact verbal interjection. I looked over at Byron, whose expression was of polite attention, but he also appeared equally concerned. First, he, as I am, is a drummer, and having played with me in a KISS tribute, knows how I am on this exact topic. He has the mental scars to prove it. Second, he is actually kind of the same way these days. We're sort of Peter fanatics, and for decades, we've seen tributes murder KISS material in various ways, not least of which through the drumming. Guys make excuses, guys just can't do it. A main reason is that straight-up hard rock players end up in these outfits, and they often lack the proper musical pedigree and/or appreciation to acclimate themselves to Peter's playing. It was awesome, it was unique in its setting, had a voice, and elevated Gene and Paul's (and to a lesser degree by virtue on his output, Ace's) songs. Period.

Anyway, the guy continued: "we recreate the record, note-for-note … I want the audience to close their eyes and hear the album … " I jumped in again.

"Oh, really. Does the Peter guy play the stuff right? No one really does, it's like a lost art." The guy actually stopped talking - he was thrown from his script. I turned in my Hawaiian shirt to Byron, and he was intensely looking at the guy, waiting to see what he would say. God, we're such KISS nerds.

Flummoxed, Anthony said something like "well, yeah … " but I wasn't listening anymore. He was nice enough, but heck, we were on our way to the other room, after all. He gave me an Alive '75 business card, and we went on our way. After heading back to Toni, she told me about someone who wanted to enlist her to help with KISS makeup for a photo shoot. That person? Anthony.

We ended up later talking on the phone, sort of hit it off, and made arrangements for the wife to help his group adorn themselves in KISSpaint. I tag along - the other guys in the band are nice, and somewhere in conversation, I say "ya know, if you ever need an emcee for your gigs … "