CADILLAC — On an October morning in 1975, Cadillac became the loudest small town in America.
The football field was likely in the decor of the autumn season as autumn leaves were brightly colored and the faint smell of popcorn filled the stands. The high school gym echoed from amplifiers, and, in the heart of the homecoming parade, four men in black leather, platform boots and face paint waved to a stunned but excited crowd.
It was KISS — yes, that KISS — strutting through a northern Michigan town better known for lumber history than for hosting rock legends.
That visit put Cadillac on the map of rock-and-roll destinations, and, during an upcoming October weekend, the city is preparing to rock and roll all night and party every day.
While the story is steeped in Cadillac and rock history, if you haven’t heard it before, here’s a quick recap.
The band’s visit wasn’t a fluke; it was the payoff to an unlikely football turnaround. A year earlier, the Cadillac High School Vikings had stumbled out of the gate in 1974 with two straight losses — a shock after their undefeated season the year before.
Assistant Coach Jim Neff, looking for a spark, decided the team needed more than pep talks — they needed power chords. He dropped the needle on the band’s records, filling the locker room with KISS anthems before games and practices.
The Vikings won their next seven games and shared the conference championship.
When Neff wrote to thank the band, KISS did more than write back — they showed up.
On Oct. 9, 1975, Cadillac was theirs. They marched with the team, played a full concert in the high school gym, received the key to the city and roared off in a helicopter from Veterans Memorial Stadium, scattering leaflets reading “Cadillac, KISS Loves You” over the town.
“It’s one of those moments people mark time by,” Neff said recently. “They’ll say, ‘I was a junior when KISS was here,’ or, ‘My kids were at that concert, and you could hear it two miles away.’”
Now, 50 years later, Cadillac is cranking up the amps once more. The KISS50 Cadillac Reunion will run from August through October, with the big anniversary weekend set for Oct. 9 through 12.
The celebration will blend nostalgia, community spirit and enough black-and-silver garb to make the 1975 version of KISS proud.
Downtown is already transforming with KISS banners and window displays, while a giant welcome banner greets visitors entering Cadillac West. The Wexford County Historical Society Museum has opened a special KISS50 exhibit packed with newspaper clippings, rare photos and artifacts donated by local fans.
Businesses are joining in, too — Clam Lake Beer Co. is pouring “Clam Lake Party Every Day Hazy IPA” and “Rock and Roll All Night Session Light,” The Sweet Shop is scooping a “Cadillac Rock City” ice cream flavor, and Wildflour Bakery is frosting KISS-shaped sugar cookies. Even Mackinaw Timbers Cabins has gotten in on the act with a full-on KISS-themed cabin.
For the anniversary weekend itself, the events will hit a high note. On Oct. 10, fans can cheer the Vikings under the Friday night lights at Veterans Memorial Stadium before a KISS-themed drone show lights up the sky. The next day brings the KISS50 5K, a “KISStory” rockumentary screening and a concert by Mr. Speed — the tribute band endorsed by KISS — at the Venue Events Center. The weekend rounds out with alumni reunions, KISS-themed skating, bingo and more.
Kathy Morin, executive director of the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau, said the event is more than just a nod to rock history — it’s a celebration of the community’s own story.
“Cadillac has had this magical connection to KISS ever since the band surprised the community with a homecoming concert 50 years ago, and we are celebrating in a big way in 2025 to commemorate that anniversary,” she said.
Morin said the bureau, along with Cadillac Area Festivals & Events, worked with Pophouse Entertainment — which owns KISS’ artist share of the master recordings and publishing rights — to obtain the necessary rights and permissions for the use of KISS-related content displayed.
While there’s no confirmation that Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Tommy Thayer or Eric Singer will appear in person, invitations have been sent. Neff admits it would be “icing on the cake” if one of them showed up, but he’s just as focused on making sure the spirit of 1975 comes alive again.
That spirit, he says, is part of Cadillac’s DNA now.
When giving KISS tours around Cadillac, Neff said one stop always stands out — the high school gymnasium where the concert was held nearly 50 years ago. Once inside, he has visitors face where the stage once stood. He then asks them to close their eyes. That, he says, is when the magic happens.
“You can feel rock-and-roll history. You can go to Madison Square Garden and not get that feeling you get standing in the Cadillac High School gym,” Neff said, recalling the building shaking to KISS in ’75.
As for what he hopes this reunion weekend will create, Neff said he wants a lasting memory for those who were there 50 years ago, as well as for those who weren’t.
“Ten years from now, I hope people will look back and say, ‘I was there for that,’” he said.
This reporting is made possible by the Northern Michigan Journalism Project, led by Bridge Michigan and Interlochen Public Radio, and funded by Press Forward Northern Michigan.
