Fandom-ing: KISS Army, Sort Of…

The first thing I ever remember purchasing with my own money was Kiss’s album Destroyer at a garage sale. It was a nickel, I bought it.  I’m pretty sure I bought it for two reasons.  The cover was cool, and it contained my favorite song, Beth.

I couldn’t wait to get home to listen to it.  It blew my mind. It was dark and mysterious and all the things I knew I shouldn’t be listening to if my parents would have been like other parents.  And this was at four -two years after the album was released. Then I got to Beth.  The song was scratched so bad it was unplayable. 

When I got older, I kept playing it. I would read on the cover about the Kiss Army and wonder what it was like to be in that sort of group.  Like did everyone that show up to meetings had their own face paint set up. I didn’t really understand what a fan club was at the time. I never actually joined the Kiss Army.

Years, later I got to tell the story to Peter Criss, Kiss’s drummer and the singer for Beth.  It was at a small horror con at the Canal Street Sheraton in New Orleans. It was a great one room con.  It had Ron Pearlman, Tommy Flannagan, and Bruce Campbell.  Peter Criss was in a small room signing autographs.  He loved the story especially how I waited in anticipation to hear Beth and I couldn’t.  Mr. Criss is also a breast cancer survivor. He caught it really early and told us to make sure we both check.  He then hugged us. I know I had tears at this point and so did Mrs. Nola Nerd even though she wasn’t a fan.  She loved the fact this man could turn me back into that 4 year old version of me.

We also got to meet Ken Kelly, the man who designed the album cover.  We got the album signed.  When the Nola Nerd Baby is three and a half years old, I’ll take her record shopping and she what she gets.  Then