Listen To This Story
There are those people whose musical tastes span a variety of styles. Dennis Michalski of York, isn’t one of those people.
Dennis has been all-in for the hard-driving rock band KISS since he first saw them in concert when he was 12 years old.
"After I had seen them on stage, they just totally blew my mind," Dennis said. "Changed my life, forever. It was just so amazing that, I don’t even know how to explain it."
He may not have been able to find the words then, but now it’s others who are speechless when they see his KISS memorabilia collection. Pull back the curtain and walk into his basement, and you’re transformed into a rock and roll fantasy.
"First thing I collected was my ticket stub, because I still have it. I remember holding on to that going into the show, and, I kept that, and cherished it forever, and ever, and ever."
That ticket stub got him in the door to the concert, and opened the door to a lifetime of collecting everything KISS. If you can put a photo of the make-up wearing, fire-breathing rockers on something, it’s been probably been done. And it’s probably in Dennis’ basement. There’s leather jackets and lunch boxes, even bags of confetti that fell to the floor following KISS concerts.
"I’m looking at perfumes, neckties, a lot of clothing, any kind of clothing item that you can think of. Guitar strings," Dennis said. "They come out with their own pop now. Guitar pics is a big one for me. They even got a toothbrush."
Dennis’ basement is one giant wall to wall and floor to ceiling KISS. And his collection is still growing.
"Yeah, it was in the basement. Now it seemed to spread throughout the whole house. I got stuff upstairs. Everywhere," Dennis said. "I’ve got a storage in the washer and dryer area there where I might keep some stuff, too. I’m starting to double up things now. I’ve already got one layer, now I’m starting to put another layer of KISS stuff on my walls. I need a bigger room."
So just how many KISS collectables does Dennis have? Don’t ask him.
"I tried to sit down and do that one time and look around and see, and add everything up, but I just, I’m scared to even think about it," he said. "I don’t even know how to do it, how to get started. There’s a ton."
That ton includes a number of guitars -- his favorite is one signed by Ace Frehley of KISS. He got that one at a fantasy camp where he met the legend. In Nebraska, though, Dennis is becoming sort of a legend, too.
"People still call me the KISS fan. You know, the KISS guy," Dennis said. "I remember walking in Lincoln one time and this guy had just stopped dead cold and said, “You’re that KISS guy, aren’t you?” and pointed out to his son, 'This was the guy that everybody talks about,' and the little boy, his eyes just lit up. Like it was, he seen a rock star or something, you know? And I was just, after I walked away, I realized it made me feel good."
That rock star feeling is why he’ll never stop following his favorite band. If you could rate the biggest KISS fans, Dennis would be off the charts.
"There’s a lot of crazies out there, but I think I’m up there. I’m definitely more than average," he said. "But I’m not a KISS freak. I’m a KISS fan."
So what does this 58-year-old KISS fan plan to do with his basement full of memorabilia? He says one day he’d love to open his own KISS museum. In the meantime…
"I’m trying to figure out a way to put more stuff down here," Dennis said. "I picture myself being 70, 80, and still having a really cool collection."
Which would make him a senior citizen who’s not too old to rock and roll all night, and party every day.
Watch this video segment on KISS super fan Dennis Michalski of York, Nebraska from our Nebraska Stories program on Nebraska Public Media.