CRYSTAL - Ian Dischinger's "Rock 'n Roll" room pays tribute to an earlier generation.
A poster of Elvis hangs above his bed. There's an AC/DC logo on his carpet. And on every corner of every wall, Kiss and Gene Simmons make a prominent appearance.
"I wanna Rock 'n Roll all night, and party every day," Ian said, sitting on his heavy metal-themed bed sheets. "That song is my theme song."
Ian admires Kiss — and emulates them too. The 25-year-old, who has Down syndrome, plays drums and sings for Rock of Ages, a band for people with special needs. "Rock and Roll All Nite," the iconic 1975 single, is a staple of the band's performances.
It took Ian's mother, Deb Beautaunt, a little while to come around to Kiss.
"At first I was like, 'oh, man,' Kiss? Now I gotta listen to that in the car all the time,'" Beautaunt said. "(But) I really started enjoying the music, and appreciating what he saw in that music."
When Kiss announced a farewell tour through Minneapolis in 2019, it was a no-brainer. Beautaunt immediately looked up tickets for VIP backstage passes. It could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Ian.
The prices, of course, were astronomical.
So Beautaunt turned to a backup plan, a Hail Mary of sorts: She entered a contest for VIP seats.
And they won -- beating out thousands of applicants from across the country.
Ian would be meeting Gene Simmons.
"Shocked," Ian said, "and amazed."
Ian needed to look the part. They spent two hours putting on makeup on Monday, hours ahead of the Target Center concert. By the end, Ian looked like his own version of Gene Simmons.
Around 8 p.m., Ian and his older brother finally met the band — and then they enjoyed the final concert Kiss will ever play in the Twin Cities.
Ian may have met his idol, but he already has his own fan club back home.
"I'm so proud of Ian," his mom said. "He's accomplished so much in his life."
Maybe Ian shouldn't be the one in awe.
"Gene Simmons should be excited to meet Ian," Deb said. "Indeed."
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