KISSY-FACE

"It's the one that changes your life," she says. "You hear it and you're like, 'Oh my God.' "

Despite what you haven't been reading about the band in the mainstream rock press these past 15 years or so, the cult of the Kiss Army is "Alive" and well.

And this summer, Kiss is showing its appreciation for all the support by hosting the first official series of Kiss Conventions, including a stop at the Pittsburgh Expo-Mart tomorrow from noon until midnight.

"Anytime anyone interviews us, they say, 'Why do you keep talking about the fans?' " says Gene Simmons, addressing a crowd of more than 1,000 gathered at a recent convention at the Sheraton in downtown Cleveland. "It's because we wouldn't be here without you, and it means the world to us. And that's why we're doing this."

In addition to a traveling Kiss museum of costumes, album art and memorabilia, fans get a chance to relive the old days of makeup and blood with a live Kiss tribute band.

But what really makes this convention a rock 'n' roll first is the involvement of the band. Guitarist Bruce Kulick and drummer Eric Singer each host their own private seminar, after which the full band sits down to a two- hour question-and-answer session. The capper is another two hours of Kiss Unplugged, followed by an autograph session.

"What we're trying to do," says Paul Stanley, on stage in Cleveland, "is break down as many barriers as possible between us and you."

And so, as three young women in Kiss makeup and not much else circulate through the crowd with wireless microphones, the band fields questions that range from "How does it feel to be in the best band in the world?" to ''Where is Eric Carr buried?"

The most striking thing is the sense of community. At times, it seems as much a religious revival as a rock 'n' roll convention. One guy takes the opportunity to talk about how his parents got divorced when he was young, and Kiss was the "only thing that helped me through it."

Speaking by phone later that week, Stanley says it means the world to him to hear how much he's touched these lives.

"It's very cool when you have people getting up and telling you that in some way you were an inspiration or a light at the tunnel that somehow got them through a hard time," he says. "It doesn't matter what you wind up accomplishing, whether it's becoming a street sweeper or a doctor. If somehow we've played a part in you being able to fulfill your dream, then we've done more than just make music."

Just how much Kiss means to their fans is never more clear than when 32- year-old Scott Davis, an unemployed Latin teacher, announces that it's his birthday and his wife won't talk to him because he stole her credit card to order his $100 convention ticket. Stanley responds by leading the crowd in a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday," to which Davis responds, "That's the best present I ever had."

Davis says later that he hopes to patch up his four-year marriage after the convention.

Daniel Fox, 10, doesn't know from marriage. His dream to be on stage with Kiss comes true when Simmons invites him to sing lead on "Rock and Roll All Nite."

"I forgot a whole verse of the song, I was so nervous, but Gene helped me out," says Fox, clutching his autographed Peter Criss drumsticks. "Other bands don't let little kids on stage, but Kiss does."

Stanley says they were inspired by the Kiss conventions fans have been putting together for years.

And the $100 price tag? To the average Kiss fan, it's a small price to pay for a day like this.

"No other band does this," says Charlie Voge, a 25-year-old college radio program director. "You're 20 yards away from your idols. You get to sing. They're answering questions. It's hard to comprehend how cool it is. There are no egos, no barriers. ... It's like having them in your living room."