Kiss News

SEALED WITH A KISS

Yes, opening a miniature-golf course with the rock band KISS may seem like an unconventional move. But then again, owner Christina Vitagliano has never preferred going the traditional route. Take for example when she opened her first Monster Mini-Golf in Connecticut in 2004. The black-light course was indoors, which in and of itself made the facility stand out from the competition. In addition, she picked Memorial Day weekend for the grand opening.

�In most people�s heads, that�s a day you want to be outside,� she says. �My landlord said, �You�ll probably get eight people.��

Vitagliano surpassed the landlord�s expectations many times over. In fact, that first insanely busy summer nearly 10 years ago culminated in regular conversations with the multiplatinum music act KISS, creation of a 14-foot-tall head of the group�s iconic singer/bassist Gene Simmons as a course obstacle, and the eventual completion of KISS by Monster Mini-Golf. Featuring the largest KISS gift shop in the world, a wedding chapel, and a VIP room, the Las Vegas facility debuted in March with a glitzy party (see sidebar). Just one month after opening, 10,000 guests had entered the front door, above which hangs a sign that reads, �We�ve put a whole lot of rock in our roll.� �It has not been a dull ride,� Vitagliano laughs.

Job Hopping and a Brainstorm
The 47-year-old took a long, roundabout career path to end up owner of Monster Mini-Golf and schmoozing with KISS, an internationally recognized rock band with a 30-year history of hit albums.SEALED WITH A KISS

Yes, opening a miniature-golf course with the rock band KISS may seem like an unconventional move. But then again, owner Christina Vitagliano has never preferred going the traditional route. Take for example when she opened her first Monster Mini-Golf in Connecticut in 2004. The black-light course was indoors, which in and of itself made the facility stand out from the competition. In addition, she picked Memorial Day weekend for the grand opening.

�In most people�s heads, that�s a day you want to be outside,� she says. �My landlord said, �You�ll probably get eight people.��

Vitagliano surpassed the landlord�s expectations many times over. In fact, that first insanely busy summer nearly 10 years ago culminated in regular conversations with the multiplatinum music act KISS, creation of a 14-foot-tall head of the group�s iconic singer/bassist Gene Simmons as a course obstacle, and the eventual completion of KISS by Monster Mini-Golf. Featuring the largest KISS gift shop in the world, a wedding chapel, and a VIP room, the Las Vegas facility debuted in March with a glitzy party (see sidebar). Just one month after opening, 10,000 guests had entered the front door, above which hangs a sign that reads, �We�ve put a whole lot of rock in our roll.� �It has not been a dull ride,� Vitagliano laughs.

Job Hopping and a Brainstorm
The 47-year-old took a long, roundabout career path to end up owner of Monster Mini-Golf and schmoozing with KISS, an internationally recognized rock band with a 30-year history of hit albums. She was a district manager for a retail chain and then spent 10 years managing and marketing restaurants and nightclubs. This eventually became tiresome.
�One day I woke up and said, �I don�t want to see another drunk person at 2:30 a.m. again,�� she recalls. �I needed to get out of that business.�

Her next move led to opening an antique auction house where she traveled the world looking for valuables, which would then be sold on site at her auction, housed in an old mill building in Connecticut. Although the constant stress and greed she encountered also made for a temporary career stop, it did provide her with something crucial: a venue. The only problem was what to put inside this large space �in the middle of nowhere.� After some soul searching and brainstorming, Vitagliano had her moment of clarity. She wanted to open an indoor, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf course, an idea readily panned by her friends and family. In spite of their misgivings, she was resolute: �I just wanted to see happy people.�

As good as her intentions were, the money to bring the idea to fruition remained elusive. Vitagliano picked up a part-time job to squirrel away cash; at the end of each week the goal was to create something that could be used as a mini-golf prop. Through pure creativity and a bit of old sculpting talent, she created monsters. She admits these first props were a little rough around the edges, but by creating abstract creatures for obstacles, she could get away with it. Who would question what a monster
really looked like?

After months of saving and building, she finally opened on that fateful Memorial Day weekend in 2004. As business began to boom, Vitagliano started to plan her next step. �People kept telling me, �This is a gold mine,�� she remembers. �I got concerned. Someone was going to run in with a lot of money and steal my idea. I first thought to open a second location, but before we signed the lease, I said, �This is wrong.��

Vitagliano did not want to spread herself too thin. She began to research franchising as a better option, a decision that led to a game-changing meeting. She and her husband, Patrick, flew out to Chicago to meet with a company that guides mom-and-pop operations through the franchising process of legalities, necessary paperwork, marketing, etc. Vitagliano gave her pitch: an 18-hole indoor, black-light mini-golf course, with party rooms for birthdays and corporate events. Each facility would feature special effects, pumping music, and video and redemption games. Both adults and kids would love the funky glow-in-the-dark atmosphere, and the same goes for the humorous monsters that adorn each hole, she proposed. �They�re ageless.�

The company�s response? "You�re not leaving here without franchising this business,� the owner told her. �We haven�t seen anything like this, and an original idea doesn�t happen that often.�

The only hitch was the company�s requirement of $150,000, which Vitagliano did not have. Fortunately, the two sides were able to work out a loan and signed the deal, but it did take some sacrifice. Patrick sold his production company to join Monster Mini-Golf full time, and the couple sold their apartment and lived in their course�s office with their dog for nine months while they worked to pay off the loan.

�We risked everything to get where we are now,� she says proudly. �Not a lot of people would do that.�

The Inspiration for KISS
Monster Mini-Golf�now headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island�grew substantially over the next few years. There are currently more than 30 locations across the United States and Canada.

As part of the build-out package fee, her team provides the props, animatronics, sound equipment, artwork, displays, and games. Vitagliano also teaches new owners how to be successful with marketing, public relations services, training, and product development. �I look at them like they�re my kids,� she says of the franchisees.

No two courses are the same, leading to a lot of fun and variety in the prop creation. In fact, one particular monster prompted the genesis of the KISS course in Las Vegas. For the last hole at one location, she created a giant clown head where guests putted up the giant tongue into its mouth.

Everyone started to kid her that it should be Gene Simmons� head. (The rocker is known for having a particularly long tongue, which he shows off during concerts.) Obvious trademark issues prevented that prop from becoming reality at the time, but the topic did become a running joke�and eventual aspiration�during meetings. Partnering with a major rock band could move her already bustling business up the charts. �I would always ask people if they had Gene�s cell phone number,� Vitagliano explains. �One person finally said, �Oddly enough, I do have his attorney�s contact info,� and I took it.�

So one day in 2010 she e-mailed the lawyer. Within a mere 15 minutes he called back. In the hour-long conversation, she described the company�s history, how it had grown in such a short period of time, and why it might be beneficial for the band to work with her. Realizing Vitagliano and her mini-golf concept could help KISS reach the next generation of fans, the attorney gave his blessing, and conversations with the group began. �They have so much passion for what they do,� she says. �I have never questioned if I picked the right band.�

She�s with the Band
The band has shown similar support for Vitagliano. �People come to us all the time with ideas,� says Paul Stanley, KISS cofounder and singer/guitarist. �But you need resources to implement it. You need a vision. We thought it would be a great marriage.�

While liberal about licensing the KISS name (there is a KISS burial casket, for instance), the band must have final say in the branding and use of their image. As such, every single design piece for the par-39 course�from Paul�s towering boot to Gene�s aforementioned head and tongue�had to go
past the band for approval.

�They�re four complete individuals,� Vitagliano says. �You had a lot of �love this, don�t like that,� but that�s what makes it that one-of-a-kind place. I like them because they�re challenging, and they�re challenging because they�re passionate.�

Other facility highlights include:
- The KISS gift shop, the biggest of its kind, featuring a wide assortment of officially licensed products, such as T-shirts, golf balls, clocks, animal crackers, sculptures, fragrance, and hats.
- KISS products line the redemption area: magnets, bandanas,
and toy cars.
- The �Hotter Than Hell Wedding Chapel� (classic Vegas!), with theatrical lights, sound, and a fog machine. The stage is fashioned after the KISS album cover for �Love Gun.�
- Myriad band photos cover the walls, and televisions show KISS concert footage.
- And, of course, the official KISS scorecard mobile app.

The day after the opening party, both Paul and Gene sent personal notes to Vitagliano thanking her for �doing exactly what you said you would do.�

�It�s nice when you earn their respect as well,� she beams. She and the band already have begun preliminary talks about taking the KISS mini-golf concept international. In some countries, the band has an equally rabid following to that of the United States.

�Now that we realize it�s going to work,� Vitagliano says, �we have to work hard.�

Here's a sneak peek of the first two pages of Paul Stanley's interview from KISS: Monster�The Official Album And Tour Magazine, which hits newsstands everywhere today!

If Gene Simmons is KISS� fire-breathing, Cro-Magnon wraith, Paul Stanley is its gallant dragonslayer. With his iconic, romantic makeup design, flamboyant costumes and seductive stage swagger, Stanley not only defined hard-rock glamour fantasy in the 1970s, he coupled that otherworldly visage with one of the greatest howls in music history, a primal scream of such depth, range and power that he is rightly regarded as a master.

But like the band whose thunderbolt block-lettered logo he has stood in front of KISS for almost four decades, Stanley has evolved�as a songwriter, an artist, a businessman and a human being. When KISS hit hard times at the dawn of the 1980s, when the band removed their makeup and tried to become something else, when Simmons� attentions wandered to Hollywood and sold-out arenas became half-filled stadiums, it was Stanley�s passion for the baby he helped raise that kept its pulse racing.

And even in those darker times, he was still learning how to better use the brush, writing songs that were structurally even better than KISS� output in their early years. Stanley eventually parlayed his persona into a successful stage career, playing the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber�s Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera, and constantly pushed his own creative and personal boundaries. He even found himself the late-in-life father of four children, perhaps one of his
most challenging and rewarding roles yet.Here's a sneak peek of the first two pages of Paul Stanley's interview from KISS: Monster�The Official Album And Tour Magazine, which hits newsstands everywhere today!

If Gene Simmons is KISS� fire-breathing, Cro-Magnon wraith, Paul Stanley is its gallant dragonslayer. With his iconic, romantic makeup design, flamboyant costumes and seductive stage swagger, Stanley not only defined hard-rock glamour fantasy in the 1970s, he coupled that otherworldly visage with one of the greatest howls in music history, a primal scream of such depth, range and power that he is rightly regarded as a master.

But like the band whose thunderbolt block-lettered logo he has stood in front of KISS for almost four decades, Stanley has evolved�as a songwriter, an artist, a businessman and a human being. When KISS hit hard times at the dawn of the 1980s, when the band removed their makeup and tried to become something else, when Simmons� attentions wandered to Hollywood and sold-out arenas became half-filled stadiums, it was Stanley�s passion for the baby he helped raise that kept its pulse racing.

And even in those darker times, he was still learning how to better use the brush, writing songs that were structurally even better than KISS� output in their early years. Stanley eventually parlayed his persona into a successful stage career, playing the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber�s Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera, and constantly pushed his own creative and personal boundaries. He even found himself the late-in-life father of four children, perhaps one of his
most challenging and rewarding roles yet.

So when KISS reclaimed the world with their 1996 reunion tour and then, after that classic lineup dissolved due to an unfortunate repetition of history, built a new empire with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, Stanley was ready to again evolve the KISS legacy. Stanley and Sim-
mons�the Lennon and McCartney of shock rock�once more went into the studio, but this time with Stanley in charge as producer. And under his rule, the new KISS lineup�arguably the absolute strongest to date�created the tough-as-nails rock epic Sonic Boom, a record that hit number 2 on the Billboard charts and, for the first time in KISStory, was positively reviewed and embraced by mainstream rock critics.

Now older, wiser and stronger than ever before, Paul Stanley, the Starchild, steers KISS into a new adventure with Monster, their 20th�and maybe best ever� record.

KISS MAGAZINE: Were you surprised by just how well Sonic Boom was received?

PAUL STANLEY: I think that on the heels of the numerous tours of this lineup, we built a solid reputation for pretty explosive shows and a consistency that hadn�t been there for a very long time, so the fans were ready and trusting that what they were getting on record was representative of what they had seen in concert. It was gratifying, but really, I wasn�t that surprised, because we had showed what we were made of. I just thought we could deliver what was evident in our live shows, and the early buzz from friends and people in the studio was very positive.

KISS: What was the creative climate like going into the production of Monster?

STANLEY: The whole recording recording sequence of events was interesting in that�Listen, one of the main reasons I had to do Sonic Boom was to make sure that our last album was not Psycho Circus, which was a disaster on so many levels. You know, you can�t make a band album without a band. We had two members who were somewhere between delusional and just AWOL, and you can�t make an album in a studio while you�re on the phone with attorneys.

Instructions for BOOMER's Hiring Our Heroes Voting

Read the following individual "Notes" below. Each Note represents a US Veteran who is a finalist to meet and interview rock band, KISS, in July for BOOMER Magazine.

We had an overwhelming amount of entries and need YOUR help to determine our hire. Share your favorite Notes with your friends and family on Facebook, and encourage them to "like" their favorite entry. The US Veteran's note that has the most Facebook "Likes" on this page will be selected by BOOMER Magazine for the job.

www.facebook.com/BoomerMag

KISS Finalist F: William R - Indianapolis, IN

I have been a huge KISS fan since I was in High School some 35 years ago. When I served in The Marine Corps in the 1980's, I had to rebuy all of my KISS music because I was unable to take my albums with me. So I had to get cassette tapes to listen to in my squad bay, and then in my two-man rooms when they were finished.

In the past 3 years, I have seen KISS at the Indiana State fair, on 8/9/10, and at Springfield, Ill, on 7/18/2011 and I have tickets for their concert on 9/1/2012 in Noblesville. I have been to the last 2 KISS expos here In Indianapolis, and gotten my picture taken with Eric Singer twice and with Tommy Thayer once this year, and I was able to talk with Tommy because I am originally from the state of Oregon and found out that Tommy has relatives from my hometown.Instructions for BOOMER's Hiring Our Heroes Voting

Read the following individual "Notes" below. Each Note represents a US Veteran who is a finalist to meet and interview rock band, KISS, in July for BOOMER Magazine.

We had an overwhelming amount of entries and need YOUR help to determine our hire. Share your favorite Notes with your friends and family on Facebook, and encourage them to "like" their favorite entry. The US Veteran's note that has the most Facebook "Likes" on this page will be selected by BOOMER Magazine for the job.

http://www.facebook.com/BoomerMag/notes?ref=ts

KISS Finalist F: William R - Indianapolis, IN

I have been a huge KISS fan since I was in High School some 35 years ago. When I served in The Marine Corps in the 1980's, I had to rebuy all of my KISS music because I was unable to take my albums with me. So I had to get cassette tapes to listen to in my squad bay, and then in my two-man rooms when they were finished.

In the past 3 years, I have seen KISS at the Indiana State fair, on 8/9/10, and at Springfield, Ill, on 7/18/2011 and I have tickets for their concert on 9/1/2012 in Noblesville. I have been to the last 2 KISS expos here In Indianapolis, and gotten my picture taken with Eric Singer twice and with Tommy Thayer once this year, and I was able to talk with Tommy because I am originally from the state of Oregon and found out that Tommy has relatives from my hometown.

I am a disabled vet and in the past 3 years I have undergone surgery 4 times and 2 of these surgeries have been in the past 6 weeks. I was going to purchase a meet-and-greet package to meet the band on this tour, but because of the cost and my limited income I was unable to do this and I would enjoy to meet all of the band members and thank them for always honoring the troops that have served and who are serving today so that we may enjoy the freedom we have today.


KISS Finalist E: Michael R - Roanoke, VA

Thanks for the chance of a lifetime � I am a 100% disabled Iraq War Veteran (Baghdad 2004-2005), with 15 years of service in the Active Duty Army prior to my medical discharge in 2006. I am a former Regional Director (SW Virginia) for the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program. I have a proven track record of pushing for Veterans to be hired within Virginia and have found countless jobs for Veterans.

I have been a fan of KISS for over 30 years; my parents are huge fans and insured we grew up listening to KISS. I know everything about KISS and I am fully aware of their support in hiring Veterans and their support of National Veterans' Programs such as the Wounded Warrior Project. I have tickets to the Bristow, VA, show and I will be attending with my 17- and 12-year-old sons, and insure I pass the honor of being a true KISS ARMY member to my sons. My family has suffered as much and if not more from my injuries suffered from my deployment, thus they are truly my biggest supporter through everything � Much like KISS, the KISS ARMY is a family within itself and support comes from family, and KISS has created this larger-than-life following that supports everything KISS �

There is no doubt their efforts to push for hiring Veterans translates to each member of the KISS Army, and members own businesses and have positions to hire Veterans and we follow suite with KISS and insure that happens � I have seen KISS on every major tour since 1984 and look forward to attending the Bristow concert � It would be a dream of a lifetime to be selected to conduct the interview (maybe sneak my boys in). I have more than enough backing to relate all things Veteran-related and a bonus, a KISS ARMY member � Please feel free to Google my name and read about my efforts on behalf of Veterans within Virginia � Also I didn't win the Hire a Vet for a KISS Roadie.


KISS Finalist D: Will R - Des Moines, IA

Message: Dear BOOMER magazine and staff,

I would love to have the opportunity to meet with KISS and interview the band members for BOOMER magazine. If chosen, I believe I could do a great job of representing veterans and your publication.

Since I was a child, I have been a huge fan of KISS. My very first record I ever owned was Rock & Roll Over that my mother let me pick out for my seventh birthday. From then on I was in the KISS Army. I own every KISS album and have seen them in concert three times. I am also a fan of �Gene Simmons� Family Jewels.�

Being Jewish myself, knowing that KISS was a bunch of Jewish kids from New York, just made them that much cooler. As an adult, I have been active in my synagogue and serve on the Greater Des Moines Jewish Federation Board and Jewish Community Relations Committee.

In 1989, I joined the U.S. Army and served as an M-1 Tank Crewmember. In the fall of 1990, I was deployed to the Persian Gulf and was in combat as a part of Desert Storm. After my enlistment in the U.S. Army, I became an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (Post #9127) and have served in several leadership roles, including Post Commander from 1998-1999 and Club Commander from 1998-2001.

In addition, for the past six months I have been working on developing a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization with the goal of assisting low-income and impoverished veterans and their families with the costs associated [with] funeral and burial expenses. I hope to launch this new organization on Veteran�s Day of this upcoming fall.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or need any additional information in helping you make your determination.

And thank you for the opportunity to interview KISS.


KISS Finalist C: Robert C - El Paso, TX

I surely meet three requirements, I'm a war veteran, I'm a crazy KISS fan and I will be available on that date. I'm living proof of the American dream because my dreams came true when I met KISS for the first time. I was born and raised in Bolivia, South America. And I knew I was never going to see KISS in my country, so when the opportunity came up to move to the U.S., I did!!! Based only on the idea that I had more chances to see KISS in the US than in South America. And once I moved to New York when I was 18 years old, guess what? Six months later I joined the US ARMY. June 14, 2001, was the date I joined. Guess what I did with my first paychecks? I bought KISS goodies.

Couple of years later I got deployed to Iraq and served in that combat zone for a year. But once again, KISS comes on my way ... while I was in Iraq I managed to get their latest CD/DVD at the time, KISS ALIVE Symphony. Can you imagine me listening to KISS in Iraq??? Imagine how scratched that CD was because of the times I played it. KISS was the motivation to keep going. And once my time was up in Iraq, I went back to the US and celebrated my safe return going to a KISS concert on their Rock The Nation Tour 2004. I always linked the military with KISS because you need something to push you and motivate you. My way of saying thanks to this country (US) for letting me come in was to join the military. I'm a proud US Veteran.

So that short story is one reason why you should hire me to interview KISS, my heroes, plus I have interesting military-related questions I would like to ask them in a kind of "military environment" as we used to do it in military boards. And finally, I would like to thank them personally for their support to our troops. I might be a hero to them ... but they're my heroes.


KISS Finalist B: Joe D - San Antonio, TX

I have been a KISS super-fan forever. I have been to 67 KISS shows worldwide with several in the Northern Virginia area. My career had me assigned there for 10 consecutive years, and I lived in Woodbridge, VA, from 1994 to 2004.

I am originally from Newark, DE. Last year when I retired, I had a KISS-themed retirement party and was blessed to have it featured on KISSonline.com. Currently, I have remained retired but have become extremely involved musically. Specifically, San Antonio's own KISSit tribute band has hired me to be their summer tour coordinator throughout South Texas. [The] tour ending on July 14th. I'm having a blast because it is my passion to live my life with KISS by my side and in my house ... [I] got the KISS room to prove it! Try moving a KISS pinball machine your whole career, although [it�s] a lot more fun than what the Air Force makes you carry.

I am also coordinating the 1st ever San Antonio KISS fan expo in 2013! Everyone who knows me, automatically thinks KISS! I could not have gone through my 21 years of active duty without them. KISS truly alleviated all the stress that comes with serving. I am truly proud of KISS' current focus and charity causes with the Wounded Warriors. Gene, Paul, Eric and Tommy get it. They clearly are not performing for money anymore. If that were the case they would have retired a long time ago. We have always had the KISS Army and now we also have the KISS Navy. It's only a matter of time before all the branches are uniquely identified. Their commitment and attention to detail easily translates to the military lifestyle. I only wish I could have tested for promotion with all KISS-related questions. I would have made all the ranks.

The honor would be all mine to represent BOOMER magazine, interview KISS and once again serve as a military role model to my family, my son, daughter, friends and the community. KISS is relevant and their name screams quality. No tapes � just live music that must be seen and heard. It's their planet we are just living on it.


KISS Finalist A: Chris R - Annapolis, MD

Greetings to the KISS Army!

I am hoping to realize the dream that all of us share, to sit down with KISS and discuss their music, experiences, legacy, future, and relevance to our military community. In my interview, I will explore areas with the band with questions that have built up over the 36+ years I've been a dedicated fan, examining issues that have been largely ignored by the media, and give you information that will provide new insights and respect for these icons that have been rocking our world for decades.

My military experience, including service in the Marine Corps for 20 years, and now as a Department of Defense attorney, gives me a unique perspective on the impact that KISS has had on military members individually the Armed Forces collectively. For virtually all of my life, I�ve been known as �that Kiss freak�, and as a baby-boomer myself, this reputation has had an array of amazing consequences. From my first live KISS concert in Buffalo, New York, in 1977 (I still have the ticket at home), to listening to the band through college, law school, playing Destroyer as I was preparing for courts-martial in the Marines, and rocking out to �Alive!� while deployed with the Marines in support of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, my connection and commitment to the band has been and remains rock steady through today. My love of the band even resulted in me picking up the guitar myself, and I�ve learned to play some of the catalogue.

Like all of you, I have a legion of questions that need to be put to the band regarding their music (and not just the lyrics, but also how their approach to song-writing and guitar playing has changed over time) their past, the band�s amazing trajectory and where it all will lead, their connection to the U.S. Armed Forces, plus there is one seminal question for Gene Simmons that has NEVER been asked � and I can�t understand why. This is the singular opportunity to have an interview conducted by someone who has grown up with KISS, through every lineup and genre, and can ask meaningful and penetrating questions that will do justice to the band and the KISS Army.

I am a true fan that has remained loyal and faithful to our rock gods for my whole life. If given this amazing opportunity of a lifetime, I promise to represent the actual military component of the KISS Army with integrity and zeal. Thanks for your consideration.