Behind the music

By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MIDWAY THROUGH MY CELL PHONE INterview with Ted Emporellis, he excuses himself because his hotel phone is ringing. On the other end of the line it's Gene Simmons, legendary bassist for the hard rock band KISS.
Taking calls from high-profile musicians turns out to be the norm for the former Boardman resident, the son of Angie and Dean Emporellis, who is KISS' tour manager during its current nationwide tour with Aerosmith.
"I'm always in communication by phone or by walkie talkie, sending text messages and e-mails on the phone. You name it, I'm just in constant communication with everybody if they need me. That's one of the stressful things about this job, you have to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In that same breath, that's why you can command so much money too. You never have a day off," he said.
Working with the band has been a dream job for Emporellis, who counts the makeup-wearing rock act as an early inspiration. At the time he received a call to work on this tour, Emporellis, who lives in Los Angeles, had taken a break from the music world and was pursuing work as an actor. But, the opportunity to go out on tour was too hard to pass up.
"KISS was one of those bands that I grew up with. It was the first record I ever bought. First concert I've ever seen. My first experience with music altogether. To put things in perspective, if it wasn't for this band, I wouldn't even be in the music business at all. That band sparked my interest in music," he said.
"Whether you loved them or hated them, that wasn't really the point. It was just the fact that they were heroes of mine. I figured what better way to bookend my career in music than with the band that got me involved in it the first place."
Before KISS
Before this gig, Emporellis served as Bon Jovi's tour manager during that group's international slate of concert dates. He then worked on a day-to-day basis with Bon Jovi until a disagreement with the organization caused him to seek other opportunities.
He doesn't speak ill of his time with Bon Jovi. Instead, he attributes his time with the group and its namesake as helpful to what he's doing now.
"The thing about Bon Jovi that a lot of people didn't know, I was on all-year salary. I didn't do just the band. I did Jon's personal stuff. I did the movies. I did the TV shows. I did 'Ally McBeal,' commercials, everything that dealt in Jon's life. There were a few of us, but I was more the hands-on, day-to-day guy.
"Doing all that, I was able to become a better organizer, a better logistics guy and that's transferring very well into KISS."
Emporellis must constantly keep aware situations prior to and during each day of a show. His ability to do that has impressed the band and its management.
"It's not for everyone. I enjoy the challenges and the opportunities that I face every day. There's never a problem," Emporellis said. "My definition of a problem is smoke in the cockpit, somebody shooting at me. Everything else is not a problem, it's just a challenge or an opportunity to come up with a great solution. In this line of work, there's a myriad of those every single day. Just use your imagination."
Local start
Like many people who deal in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the music business, Emporellis got his start on a local level and, through hard work and good references, moved his way up.
"You can carry a million business cards on you, but if nobody knows who you are and you don't have a good reputation, then you just won't work. Somebody has to know you."
He admits to being able to "keep a beat" and "play a few chords," but what got him his start was helping his brother, Yanni, set up and tear down his drum equipment. Then, Emporellis became the lead tech during the heyday of the Infidels, which led to stagehand work for Pittsburgh area promoter DiCesare-Engler, which was bought by SFX and is now a part of Clear Channel.
"I would drive to Pittsburgh, running spotlights for various artists at the IC Light tent. Then, being a runner for The Rolling Stones at the 1989 Steel Wheels Tour. All that kind of stuff. Getting my name out there. Starting off young and learning everything about every possible job that's there."
By the mid-'90s, with a growing desire to become an actor, Emporellis changed his address to New York. He paid the bills by taking tech-related jobs at Madison Square Garden, "Late Show with David Letterman" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
Before and after acting training, he was a drum tech for a variety of well-known acts including Megadeth, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. He began his association with Bon Jovi in 1997 and had his first tour manager experience with Bette Midler's 1999 tour.
Working with celebs
Although it's difficult at times, Emporellis strives to maintain a balance between being professional and acknowledging the stature of the high profile acts with whom he works daily.
"Absolutely, because at the end of the day, they put their pants on and take 'em off the same as I do. Don't get me wrong, there's times when I still get starstruck," he said.
His current duties will be completed when the tour ends in October -- later if dates in North America, Japan, Australia and Europe are added -- Emporellis will return to life as an aspiring actor.
He mentioned that he hasn't had a role in anything worth printing. Of course, it's difficult for him to get a leg up in an industry when he's rarely around to audition and take a job.
"It's really just more training," he said in regards to his pursuit of an acting career. "I don't want to say it's just a hobby, 'cause it's more than that. I'm very realistic too. I'd like to try it. I keep trying it, kind of like playing the lottery. You hit it someday, you get all six numbers in a row. If it doesn't happen, I wouldn't be surprised and I have a great career to fall back on.
"Right now, I live better than most actors ever would."