Get Kissed: It's rock 'n' roll all night and contests all day at first Cape Girardeau Kiss Convention

Show up dressed as the Demon, Starchild, Spaceman, Catman, the Fox or the Ankh Warrior. Or go without makeup at all.

On Saturday, The Mississippi Mud House, 811 Broadway, will host the first-ever Cape Girardeau Kiss Convention. The convention opens at noon with a full day of nostalgic glam metal events including a trivia contest, a tattoo contest, an air guitar contest judged by local rock guitar players, an original art contest judged by people in the art community and a costume contest judged by the crowd.

Live music will kick off at 7 p.m., featuring a St. Louis-based Ace Frehley and Kiss tribute band, Rocket Ride. The band is named after a song Frehley wrote and performed with Kiss in 1977. Local rockers Drivin' Rain will follow. Drivin' Rain has opened for tribute acts in the past, including the Kiss tribute band, Kiss Army, in 2007 at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau.

Timexx Nasty, Drivin' Rain frontman and organizer of the convention, said he just wants people to be able to come in and have a fun day surrounded by all things Kiss, and he hopes to make the convention a regular event.

Timexx said special prizes will be given for winning each contest. The winner of the trivia contest will receive the title of "official Kiss historian." Contestants will go onstage and compete in a contest similar to a spelling bee. He said the trivia is for "all these guys who think they know everything about Kiss."

The winner of the art contest will be presented with a one-year membership in the Missouri Arts Council.

A special guest, Bill Baker, a Frehley archivist, will also be on hand to meet fans and sign copies of his book,"Ace Frehley: The Ultimate Scrapbook." Timexx said Baker used to work with Frehley and produced the book of photography he will share at the convention.

Other forms of Kiss entertainment will feature a documentary on the birth of Kiss conventions,"Kiss Loves You," and the band's 1978 film "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park." Timexx said some of the documentary is not so flattering, but covers the history of the band.

The band's music, movies and fan gear will be available inside from vendors. Timexx said the restaurant will also offer a special menu on the day of the convention, with items named after members of Kiss. A face painting artist will be on hand to give fans a black and white makeover.

Timexx said because he is a Kiss fan and the band has been in the area several times before, he knows there is a good amount of fans in and around Cape Girardeau. He said the reason for the convention was to give people a way to pay tribute to the band, and said he hopes a combination of events and music will have people showing up for the whole day. Timexx said the event is for all ages, and there will be no liquor or smoking allowed.

John Wicker of St. Louis, friend of Timexx and a command sergeant major member of the Kiss fan club, Kiss Army-Missouri Division, travels throughout the country to attend conventions and help spread the word about Kiss events. Wicker helped get the Cape Girardeau convention off the ground, after he said he and Timexx decided too much time had gone by without a convention since the last one in 2007 in St. Louis.

A limited number of tickets for the convention are available at PMac Music and the Mississippi Mud House for $10 in advance. Tickets will be $15 at the door on the day of the convention.