Kiss News

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The KISS ARMY Rocks!

By Bret Thorn / Nation's Restaurant News

Rock & Brews may have been founded by music industry veterans, including two rock stars, but the concept is not a theme restaurant for headbangers.

�We�re not the tourist, Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood kind of concept,� said Rock & Brews CEO Michael Reynolds, who managed the bands Missing Persons and Night Ranger in the 1980s. �We�re much more of the family restaurant kind of place � where the kids have something to do in the play area and the wife can have a glass of wine with her girlfriends and the guys can watch a game and drink a beer.�

The 11-unit casual-dining concept was founded in El Segundo, Calif., in April 2012, by restaurateur and hotel operator Michael Zislis, concert industry and merchandizing veterans Dave Furano and Dell Furano, and Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS.

Simmons said Dell Furano approached him about the concept. Furano had worked with Kiss on licensing and merchandising before getting into the restaurant business.

�We started talking about the culture of [restaurants],� Simmons said. �I mean, you don�t have to go out to eat. You can stay home, watch TV � and this happened a long time ago with TV dinners. � So why go out? Well, we�re social animals. We like to share good times with other people. It�s not just food; it�s the company you keep, whether it�s family or you�re out to find a beautiful girl, whatever it is, you want to be outside [your home]. So you want to mix food and drink and people.�

Rock & Brews adds classic rock culture to that mix, he added.

�You�ll see the walls [at Rock & Brews] covered with rock stars, and videos playing � Queen videos and ACDC videos � so you�re sort of surrounded by the culture you grew up with,� Simmons said. �And you can bring your kids. � And most of our sites you can bring your dog.�

Restaurants with patios are dog friendly, and Reynolds said many customers bring their pets with them.

The restaurants, which are mostly franchised, seat between 200 and 400 people, and range from 6,000 square feet to 7,500 square feet.

The menu was developed by Zislis� restaurant group, which operates the two Shade hotels, two Rock�N Fish restaurants and The Strand House restaurant, all in the Los Angeles area.

Reynolds describes the menu as �American restaurant items but in a whole different way,� with items such as a truffle cheese and mushroom slider, spicy Asian wings, farmer�s market salads, ceviche and a Brews Burger marinated with amber ale, Worcestershire sauce, onion and garlic, served on sesame seed brioche with aged Cheddar, roasted tomatoes and garlic aïoli.

�People come in thinking beer and wings and kind of that app food, and they�re really pleased to find that we have phenomenal ribs, chicken, pizzas and salads,� Reynolds said.

He is now working with talent manager Shep Gordon, who has worked with rock stars and celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse to create rock-star themed menu items.

�We�re in the process of doing a really cool collaboration with Gene [Simmons] and a potentially well known chef called The Demon Burger � Gene�s known as The Demon � where we�ll do a really spicy burger,� Reynolds said.

He also said the restaurant is looking to work with chef Roy Choi, of the Kogi BBQ Taco Truck, to collaborate with Stanley on a Starchild Pizza, named after Stanley�s persona in Kiss.

All of Rock & Brews� food is priced at $17.99 or under, and the average check is $15 to $18, Reynolds said.

Restaurants have 52 craft beers on tap, with 10 percent of from local brewers in each market.

Similarly, about 20 percent of the menu is adjusted to suit local tastes, with different barbecue sauces used in different locales, tri-tip sandwiches in southern California, and green chile available on the macaroni and cheese and pizza in Albuquerque. The music varies, too.

�We program our sets internally and create that atmosphere for each restaurant,� Reynolds said. �We do allow each restaurant to have a unique vibe. For our restaurant in Dallas [slated to open later this year] there�s definitely going to be some country rock. There�s going to be some ZZ Top � stuff that fits the market that makes sense we�re going to encourage and support.

�We�re not a Kiss restaurant; we�re a classic rock restaurant. We love our association with the guys, but if it makes sense to do a deal in Detroit and Kid Rock wants to be a part of it, we�re very open to that.�

Simmons said it�s important for different locales to reflect the needs of their customers.

�At the LAX Delta terminal Rock & Brews, we have 10 things on the menu that are under 10 bucks that you get in under 10 minutes,� he said. �If you don�t get it in time or you don�t like it, you don�t pay for it, because what the LAX site is aware of is, you�ve got to catch a plane, and you don�t want to bother with the muss and fuss, and you want it to be good and value for your money, but you don�t want to miss your flight.

�But in Maui, it�s very easygoing, and people chat and like to drink and sit around for hours, so that�s the vibe there.�

Rock & Brews is currently on a growth spurt, with locations slated to open in Buena Park, Calif., in August; Oklahoma City in September; and a second location at Los Angeles International Airport, in Terminal 1, in November. Reynolds expects the Dallas location and at least one other restaurant to open this year, too. He projected growth of about 25 percent annually going forward.

Negotiations also are under way for multi-unit deals in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

�It�s growing exponentially, which is a big word, like �gymnasium,�� Simmons said.

Rock & Brews also participates in charity efforts. Each restaurant invites local wounded veterans to the restaurant on opening day and presents the local veterans� organization with a donation.

�You can Google it,� Simmons said. �Put in �Redondo Beach�, �Rock & Brews�, �wounded warriors.� You�ll see photos, packed house, people toasting, having the time of their lives. After they served us, why can�t we serve them?�

They are the giants of their respective fields and have two of the most fanatical, dedicated fan bases imaginable.

It�s a match made in heaven! 

Legendary rock band KISS and the biggest sporting club in Australia, the Collingwood Football Club, today announced they have teamed up to produce a very special, one-off commemorative T-shirt � THE KISS MAGPIE ARMY.

This collector�s item has been produced to celebrate the iconic band�s return to Australia in October to perform for the �KISS Army� as part of their 40^th anniversary world tour.

It�s no secret KISS has had a love affair with Australia which goes back to their very first visit 35 years ago. The band loves being here and was keen to offer fans a fun �Australian-specific� item of merchandise to mark this special anniversary tour.  But what?

In August 2013 Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons became co-founding partners of the only football team of any kind in the greater Los Angeles area � LA KISS �.  The team is part of the US Arena Football League.  Suffice to say Stanley and Simmons are huge football fans and so an alignment with the biggest football club in Australia seemed the perfect fit.  

This amazing T-shirt features incredibly detailed drawings of the four iconic KISS faces on the front with the KISS and Collingwood FC logos, while the back is emblazoned with the words �KISS MAGPIE  ARMY�.  

This incredible one-off collector�s item � which is a combined KISS, Collingwood Football Club and AFL promotion - is sure to be hugely popular with both the KISS Army and avid Magpie supporters. 

The T-shirt retails for only $40 plus postage & handling and is available for purchase for a strictly limited time period from Thursday July 16 9.00pm until Friday October 2 through both the KISS (www.KISSONLINE.com) and Collingwood Football Club (shop.collingwoodfc.com.au) websites. 

Fans may also purchase the T-shirt in a bundle with a Gold Reserve concert ticket for the Friday October 9 show at Rod Laver Arena for a reduced price of $140, available through Ticketek:  http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=KISSCOLL15

KISS arrives in early October for a two-song performance on the Grand Final Footy Show live from Rod Laver Arena before heading to Perth to begin their Australian tour.

Expect to see a multitude of KISS MAGPIE ARMY T-shirts during the tour!

AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

Saturday October 3 - PERTH Arena

Tuesday October 6 - ADELAIDE Entertainment Centre

Thursday October 8 - MELBOURNE Rod Laver Arena

& Friday October 9 - MELBOURNE Rod Laver Arena

Saturday October 10 - SYDNEY AllPhones Arena

Monday October 12 - NEWCASTLE Entertainment Centre

Tuesday October 13 - BRISBANE Entertainment Centre

Final tickets are now on sale from from www.ticketek.com.au & 132 849

KISS MAGPIE ARMY

Commemorative T-shirts available from:

www.KISSONLINE.com  

shop.collingwoodfc.com.au

$40 plus postage & handling

Megan Gorrey / The Canberra Times

Kiss frontman Gene Simmons has urged Canberra brain cancer patient Jack Woodhams to be strong and described the brave youngster as "a true superhero".

Jack, 6, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour two months ago and discovered the benefits of music therapy while undergoing radiation treatment at The Children's Hospital, Randwick.

His parents Paul and Karyn Woodhams watched glimpses of their cheeky, music-loving son return with the help of the hospital's music therapist Matt Ralph.

Jack's experience of using the American rock band's tunes to help cope with his illness made its way to Simmons through social media and a global network of devoted Kiss fans this week.

The band and Simmons posted the story on their Facebook and Twitter accounts to an audience of millions with the message "Be strong, Jack!". Fans have also posted messages of encouragement and support.

Speaking from his Beverly Hills home on Thursday, Simmons said he'd been touched by Jack's story and was heartened to see the band's music used for a greater purpose.

"The initial reaction is, of course, how sad," Simmons said.

"The injustice of a six-year-old boy getting this debilitating disease is beyond words."

Simmons had watched a video clip of Jack's favourite song, Rock and Roll all Nite, which starred Jack, his family and medical staff and was organised through the hospital's music video program.

"We're not doctors but it's fantastic if Rock and Roll all Nite, which I'm proud to say I co-wrote, lifts his spirits and puts a smile on his face.

"It looks like his entire family is having so much fun.

"Before you know it, Jack will be signing autographs."

Simmons said Americans had created an image of a superhero that revolved around a strong, healthy man who stood on the edge of a tall building with a cape billowing behind him.

But Jack, he said, was the "real deal".

"That's my kind of superhero."

Simmons said Jack's story had highlighted the benefits of music therapy to a global audience and made thousands of people count their blessings.

"Jack is inspiring a lot of people to wake up and say, 'there but for the grace of God go I'."

The Woodhams family will be among the crowd when Kiss performs at Sydney's AllPhones Arena as part of their tour down under in October.

Mr Woodhams said Jack was "pretty stoked" about his newfound fame.

But he said his family didn't share Jack's story to bring attention to their son; they instead wanted to shine a light on the work of the children's hospital and its music therapy team.

"It's just good to see him happy, music makes him happy," Mr Woodhams said.

"He's always loved music, I guess that's why he responded so well to Matt in the first place."

By Or Barnea / Utab.com

Not Only the Four Musical Superhero�s from KISS Are in It, but Also an Additional Impressive Cast. This Just Might Be the Most Rockin� Cartoon You Will Ever See

One of the most beautiful things about the Rock empire named �KISS� is that the entire family can enjoy anything these four guys are doing. Sure, the strictly adult stuff are there too, but The band�s true essence is for everybody. Now Gene, Paul, Tommy & Eric are off to another adventure, and starting this week you can watch �Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery� with your entire family.

The movie is the twenty-fourth film in the direct-to-video series of Scooby-Doo�s official films. Not only the four musical superhero�s from KISS are in it, but also an additional impressive cast. Director Gary Marshall, Penny Marshall, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes and KISS� legendary manager, Doc McGhee � All contributed their voices to this wonderful project.

So what happens when KISS and the Scooby-Doo gang meet? According to Warner Bros Online: �Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. Gang team up with the one and only KISS in this all-new, out-of-this-world adventure! We join the Gang at KISS World � the all-things-Kiss theme park, as they investigate a series of strange hauntings.

�With help from KISS, they discover that the Crimson Witch has returned to summon The Destroyer from the alternate dimension of Kissteria! The evil duos ghastly plan, to destroy the earth! Can the Gang�s cunning and KISS�s power of rock save the day?! Tune in to this Rock and Roll Mystery for some thunderous, heavy FUN!�. The digital HD version is already out and DVD/Blue Ray will be on shelves and for online orders on July 21st. Don�t miss out.

By  Megan Gorrey / Reporter at The Canberra Time

The hard rock tunes of Kiss have soothed Jack Woodhams' soul even as a brain tumour and radiotherapy strained his body.

In the past seven weeks his parents Paul and Karyn Woodhams watched their son go from a healthy, happy boy to a very sick child in a Sydney hospital ward.

But through the healing power of music therapy, they watched as glimpses of their cheeky, rock music-loving son returned.
Jack, 6, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in May. One Friday he had dizzy spells at school and didn't seem quite right. By Tuesday he was vomiting.

He was rushed to hospital in Canberra, then Sydney, where scans revealed the mass had taken root on his brain stem and he needed daily radiation therapy to shrink it.

"Pretty much that whole first week he just laid in bed, he didn't want to do anything and you'd get yes or no answers," Mrs Woodhams said. "We hadn't seen him smile in a week, or even move around."

That was where music therapist Matt Ralph came in as he dragged a trolley piled high with xylophones, keyboards, bongo drums and ukeleles through the halls of the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.

He's one of two music therapists, funded by RedKite, the Australian Children's Music Foundation and Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation, who have leveraged music and sound to distract and entertain youngsters facing long stints in hospital.

The pair have played instruments, written and composed songs, created music videos, sung and performed with children and their families to build resilience and generate positive memories, particularly for children in palliative care.

Its calming effects are also increasingly used to ease anxiety for children before painful or daunting medical procedures, often reducing the amount of medication they take beforehand.

Jack was reluctant at first but his parents said the transformation was instant.

"Once he got given an instrument he changed, he came to life," Mrs Woodhams said. "You knew that our kid was still in there."

Mr Woodhams, a Canberra Times online producer, said his son's face would light up every time "Music Matt" was around.

"His movement wasn't the best for the first few weeks but he'd get the drums and his arms would be going, he'd be smiling and singing," he said.

A highlight was a film clip for Jack's favourite Kiss song, Rock and Roll all Nite, which starred Jack and his family and was organised through the hospital's music video program.

Mr Ralph said music offered a "courageous coping mechanism" that allowed children battling illness to make choices, decisions and demands about their environment and restored a vital sense of control and empowerment.

"I see them become more active, they're more physically engaged and more alert. They're more present and it increases their confidence," he said.

"They become relaxed and a bit more assertive, they become less fearful and less focused on anxiety."

Jack returned to Canberra last week and will go back to hospital for a scan and check-up in two months. In the meantime, the Kiss songs and music video have been on repeat at his family's Gungahlin home.

"Music's always been a good way of bonding for me and the kids growing up and to see the music still working in his recovery is pretty amazing," Mr Woodhams said.

BY JENNA L. JONES / OC REGISTER

Years before Joe Windham became the chief executive of the LA KISS arena football team, he was earning $100 to $4,000 an hour as a bodyguard. He worked on security details for Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and the face-painted rockers of Kiss. There were other high-profile clients, but confidentiality agreements prevent him from talking about them.

When he wasn�t guarding the lives of Hollywood�s elite, Windham utlized the knowleged he garnered while studying business management at Arizona State University, advising and consulting various businesses and start-ups.

He worked with the National Hot Rod Association and in 2011 became president of the Arizona Rattlers, another team in the Arena Football League. The team won three consecutive championships under Windham, until he left late last year.

It was during his time working security for Kiss that Windham first met the band�s frontmen, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and manager, Doc McGhee, who all share ownership of the LA KISS. The team calls the Honda Center in Anaheim home.

LA KISS, which has struggled to secure wins and a solid fan-base, played its first game in March 2014. During the season and postseason, the team won three games and lost 23. Only six players returned this year.

Although the Arena Football League has been around since 1987, it is still recovering from the cancellation of the 2009 season to settle financial troubles in bankruptcy court.

Last year, each team earned an estimated $2 million, according to Ivan Soto, executive director of the Arena Football League Players Union.

In contrast to the NFL, the arena league�s 12 teams play on a 50-yard field with a 24-man roster for a 20-week season from March to August. (NFL teams are allowed 53 players and play from September to January.) The league also has a flair for theatrics. LA KISS� first game at the Honda Center featured pyrotechnics, rock music and women dancing in cages above the field.

Although there was a managing partner of the LA KISS last year, McGee, Simmons and Stanley decided to bring on someone who had experience with a sports franchise and the business acumen to keep the team financially intact.

Windham started consulting this year and became the CEO in May. With 12 full-time employees, the LA KISS corporate office is just a few blocks from the Honda Center � where the team plays.

A RETURN TO THE GAME

During his first months on the job, Windham sought to develop a more sustainable business strategy.

The LA KISS players� housing was moved to Santa Ana from Lakewood to decrease driving costs; the team�s practice facility moved to Santa Ana College from Whittier; and the pricey entertainment during the games was re-evaluated.

Windham says it became clear the dancing cage women had to go, adding, �That cut was basic logic; it doesn�t make sense to have anything going on up in the air while the game is running. Plus, it was really expensive; it just doesn�t add to the game, so I wasn�t a big fan of it.�

The two main revenue streams for the team are ticket sales and sponsorships, Windham says. Tickets to an LA KISS game range from $10 to $250.

Although the LA KISS is still putting on a show with flames, lights and lasers, Windham says the team is returning to a focus on football.

�Last year was kind of a sensory overload. It would be like going to a Kiss concert and they didn�t play any music, or played crappy music. So we need to put a good product on the field. Football is our show.�

An imposing figure, Windham has a large frame that makes him easily mistakable for a player. He sat down recently for an interview to discuss player contracts, attendance, and Anaheim�s growing sports industry. The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Q. What factors caused Arena Football League executives to cancel the 2009 season?

A. The AFL got to a tipping point. The NFL got involved and all these people started buying up teams. Jerry Jones (owner of the Dallas Cowboys) bought a team, then everyone started paying players these crazy contracts, worth millions.

Our arenas, because they are indoor, only hold about 16,000 people. Average ticket price is about $35. But in the NFL, they have 60,000 to 70,000 seats and the average ticket price is $200, so you do the math. They can support a lot more. Plus, they have TV revenues.

Our expenses outweighed any possibility of revenue. (The league) was going to reorganize, and they ended up taking a year off, which I think hurt the league more than they thought it would. I wasn�t there, so this is just an outsider�s perspective.

Q. What�s the average pay for players in the Arena Football League?

A. It�s around $900 a game and that�s just the cash, but there is other compensation. The team takes care of their housing and food. We feed them two meals a day. The total compensation package is much more than ($900). If all of your expenses are paid and you are making that kind of money, it�s not too bad. You�re not going to get rich and you�re not going to retire on it, but you are going to be able to showcase your skills and possibly get to the NFL.

Q. Are players allowed to move at any time from the Arena Football League to the NFL or Canadian Football League?

A. We allow them to go to the Canadian Football League or the National Football League at any time during the season. We have an agreement with them. We still hold the player�s rights, so if he ever comes back to the AFL or if he gets cut from up there, we still own his rights. Basically, they go into �suspend� at the time, so if they stay there for two years and they want to come back, they�d have to come back to this team.

Q. Why is that?

A. The NFL, obviously, the minimum pay is $800,000 or whatever it is, and that�s a pretty good chunk. The AFL is a professional league and you�re paid, but you�re not paid in the millions.

Q. How do you attract players to come play for the LA KISS and move to Orange County?

A. We are trying to provide players with the opportunity to build something after football. A lot of these guys are hoping to get up to the NFL, and if they do, then they are gone. But if not, after this, there�s nothing else. (In Orange County) they have the potential to make something, to try and find a job and build a brand, and that�s what we are trying to help our guys do. We are trying to help them build a brand so they have something after football.

Q. With a seat capacity of 16,000, how many people on average attend each game?

A. We have about 8,000, maybe a little bit under, per game. We had a pretty tough schedule because the Ducks were using the Honda Center for much of the season.

I came to the party late, and the (LA KISS) hadn�t set the schedule with the Honda Center yet, so in the first part of the season we only had two home games. It�s hard to keep momentum because we played home games and then we were gone for 28 days � and then home and then gone for 21 days.

But we�ve been home for the last couple of games and there are more games at home. We are hoping to have some momentum and eclipse 10,000 to 12,000 (in attendance).

Q. Does being close to Angel Stadium affect your attendance?

A. When I was with the Arizona Rattlers, the Arizona Diamondbacks were only two blocks away. We would have a game on the same day as the Diamondbacks, and it actually helped our attendance.

If you have season tickets to baseball, the team is home for 13 games, and not too many people are going six days a week to a baseball game. But they are in a sports mode, so what we would find is that some people would go Friday to baseball and then Saturday to a football game. So it actually kind of helps to be close to other sports teams.

Q. Are you working with the Angels in any way?

A. We�ve talked about doing some cross-promotional things with the Angels and they get it. The Diamondbacks were a little less willing to do cross-promotion things. The Angels are looking at it because they realize that keeping more people in Orange County for sports is going to be good for everybody. If they have a game that starts at 1 p.m. and our game starts at 7 p.m., we could do something in their park that says, hey, if you bring your ticket to an LA KISS game, then you get $5 off or vice versa.

Q. Do you think the LA KISS are going to to become a more competitive team?

A. I think next year, we are going to be a force to be reckoned with. I think already people have noticed that we are here to play and stay. As we get better, I think next year it is going to be easier to recruit, which is going to give us a better team and then each year it will get better. Within three years, I wouldn�t be surprised if we got to the championship game and possibly win it.

Gene meets with the team prior to kickoff yesterday at the Honda Center in Anaheim.