Spandex and platform boots are a must for Paul Stanley, but they're not required for Sunday's expo. Photos by ROBERT CIANFLONE/GETTY IMAGES Visit the Photo Place

expo will feature memorabilia, tribute bands and more and party

KISS Expo good, clean fun

Date published: 10/13/2005

By EDIE GROSS

Twelve-year-old George DeCampo couldn't take his eyes off the KISS "Alive!" album cover.

His sister's boyfriend had left the record at their Prince George's County, Md., house, and the look of the band--decked out in signature white face paint and black spandex--mystified DeCampo.

"It was almost pornographic. It was hard to take your eyes off," recalled DeCampo, now 41. "I thought, 'Look at these guys. They're insane. Do they look like this 24/7?'

"I saw the cover, and I said, 'I've got to hear what this sounds like,'" he said. "After that, it just snowballed."

Three decades later, DeCampo, a guitarist and owner of a deejay business, has taken his childhood fascination to a whole new level, sponsoring the Baltimore/Washington KISS Expo.

The event, in its fifth year, brings KISS fans--some in full concert garb--together to sell and trade memorabilia, collect members' autographs, listen to tribute bands and reminisce about the rock band's heyday.

"There are fans out there who are bigger than I am. There are people out there who live and breathe this stuff," said DeCampo, who lives in Manchester, Md. "I just provide an outlet for them. It's a big KISS party."

This year's event, held Sunday at the Pikesville Hilton in Maryland, features face-painting, a museum with vintage costumes and other band items, and KISS karaoke, where fans can sing their favorite tunes backed by tribute band Love Gun.

Starting in 1973, KISS floored audiences with their onstage theatrics, including pyrotechnics, destruction of guitars and the likes of bass player Gene Simmons spitting blood and breathing fire.

Their white-faced likenesses were plastered on everything from action figures to ashtrays, prompting a healthy collectors market.

In 1995, the band, which had long since abandoned its makeup, launched the Worldwide KISS Convention Tour.

Each convention featured performances and Q&A sessions by KISS, music from cover bands and all manner of KISS merchandise spilling across vendors' tables.

Expos, like DeCampo's event, grew out of that effort, popping up in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Prior to the advent of eBay, attending an expo was the only way hard-core collectors could get their hands on choice KISS paraphernalia, DeCampo said.

Fans ran into each other year after year, and after a while, each expo became a reunion of sorts, he said.

WHAT: Fifth Annual Baltimore/Washington KISS Expo WHERE: Pikesville Hilton, 1726 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, Md. WHEN: Sunday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. COST: $15 in advance or $18 at the door. VIP passes, which get holders into the expo an hour early, cost $20. TICKETS: For advance tickets or VIP passes, send money to The Baltimore/Washington KISS Expo, 2849 Westminster St., Manchester, Md. 21102-1787. WEB: users.erols.com/stophor/expo FYI: On Saturday, the night before the expo, KISS karaoke will take place in the Pikesville Hilton bar at 8 p.m. Participants can belt out their favorite hits, backed by KISS tribute band Love Gun. At the expo itself, Eric Singer, a drummer for KISS who has also played with Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper, will sign autographs and hold a Q&A, starting around 11:30 a.m. The event also features performances by Love Gun and ZO2, which opened for KISS and Poison during the Rock the Nation 2004 World Tour. Also appearing are Gordon Gebert, a musician who has written several behind-the-scenes books, including two about KISS; and Colette Shaw, author of 'Won't Get Fooled Again,' a semi-autobiographical piece of fiction about a business executive and her secret passion for rock 'n' roll. The event also features vendors, a KISS memorabilia museum, a look-alike contest, face painting and a food court.

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Date published: 10/13/2005