Miguel Vasquez has been a member of the Kiss Army since he was 6 and a member of Spurs Nation since birth.
He never could have imagined it, but both worlds collided on Friday with the grand opening of Rock & Brews.
Rock & Brews, a restaurant concept from Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, opened on the West Side of the AT&T Center to plenty of fanfare and Stanley himself.
The “Starchild” of KISS sang the Star-Spangled Banner before Friday’s Spurs game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I’ll be at Rock & Brews for every game from now on,” said Vasquez, a season ticket member in Section 226. “I really like everything about this place, and meeting Paul tonight was awesome.”
KISS is no stranger to playing sold-out shows in arenas, and now Stanley and Simmons bring a family-friendly restaurant to the AT&T Center that features an impressive collection of craft beers. Sixty beer taps like each side of the bar, including many Texas breweries.
“It’s important to have a place where families can bring kids and everyone can have a good time,” Stanley said. “We’re going to celebrate every night.”
Stanley said San Antonio’s military connection as the home of Fort Sam Houston, Randolph Air Force Base and Lackland Air Force Base meant a lot to him.
A minute before he walked onto the court for the anthem, Stanley was in a waiting area with about 25 soldiers. He spent that time shaking as many hands and thanking as many soldiers as he could. Before he sang the anthem, Stanley asked the crowd to sing along with him to honor those in service and veterans.
“I thought he was great, and it was heartfelt the things he said out there,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Very heartfelt and appropriate.”
Rock & Brews is part of the AT&T Center’s $110 million renovation project, changing the look of the arena’s Plaza Level. While fans enjoy a band after a game at Overtime, they’ll be a couple of feet away from Rock & Brews’ beers, giant pretzels from Germany and selection of burgers and sandwiches.
Posters from past rock shows at the AT&T Center cover the Rock & Brews walls, along with a large portrait of Texan Stevie Ray Vaughn.
The restaurant has a dozen locations around the country, and San Antonio’s is the first in an arena. Rock & Brews co-founder Michael Zislis said while the standalone Rock & Brews have about 200 seats, the AT&T Center location will be equipped to handle up to 6,000 patrons in a night.
“It’s been an incredible experience working with Spurs Sports & Entertainment on this place,” Zislis said. “They were forward-thinking on opening a Rock & Brews in an arena, and we’re already getting call after call from other arenas.”
Brenda Flores, a section leader of the Baseline Bums, came to the game with her face painted in a “Starchild” design. A KISS fan for 40 years, Flores said she couldn’t ask for anything better than seeing Stanley at a Spurs game.
“So many KISS fans have come up to me telling their KISS stories,” Flores said. “It really is an army.”
Another KISS Army member is season ticket member Grant Stewart, who showed off a picture of himself in a KISS shirt at the age of 8, and another photo from a past Halloween of himself dressed as Simmons while his wife, Stacey, wore Stanley’s KISS makeup.
“I can’t think of a better combination than KISS, the Spurs and food,” Stewart said. “This place is amazing.”
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