Cadillac Rock City: How KISS Cemented a Small Michigan Town into Rock History

In October 1975, Cadillac, Michigan, was about as far from a rock concert as you could imagine. Then KISS rolled into town. Full makeup, platform boots, and pyro. They performed in a high school gym, joined a homecoming parade, and lifted off from the football field in a helicopter before the big game. Fifty years later, that wild weekend still lives on as one of the coolest and most unexpected moments in Michigan history.

The Spark: Music, Morale, and the K.I.S.S. Philosophy

It all started with Jim Neff, an English teacher and assistant football coach at Cadillac High School. After a rough start to the 1974 season, Neff decided his players needed a spark. He started blasting KISS records in the locker room before games and introduced the team to the band’s name philosophy: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Something clicked. The team went on a winning streak. The community caught on. And before long, the story reached KISS themselves. That connection led to an invitation, and soon, the world’s loudest band was headed to one of Michigan’s quietest towns.

Feeling short next to Gene Simmons

The Day KISS Came to Town

Took this photo 9/11/2012 on my slide phone.

On October 9, 1975, KISS arrived for homecoming weekend. They joined the parade down Main Street, visited the school, met the football team, and later that night, turned the Cadillac High School gym into a rock arena. The show had EVERYTHING. Smoke, lights, leather, decibels, and a sea of stunned faces singing along. The football team and cheerleaders were decked out in face paint. Local officials wore KISS makeup and handed the band the keys to the city. When the night ended, KISS left the way only KISS would: by helicopter, taking off from the football field before the big game. Videos and photos show the crowd cheering beneath as flyers that read: "Cadillac High KISS Loves You!" rained down from above.

50 Years Later: Cadillac Still Rocks

This weekend, Cadillac is going all in for the KISS50 Cadillac Reunion. From October 9 through 12, the town will host a full celebration with KISStory walking tours, memorabilia exhibits, drone shows, and live tribute concerts. The KISS monument still stands proudly near the football field. Ashley and I visited it a few years ago, and it is surreal to see it sitting right there next to the end zone where the band took off. Cadillac has embraced this moment in history completely, turning it into part of the city’s identity.

Tribute band Mr. Speed is performing this weekend too, and they are fantastic. If you ever get the chance to see them, do it. For more on this legendary weekend, ESPN produced an incredible Outside the Lines feature for the 40th anniversary that captures it perfectly and gives a bit more background.

As a performer, I love stories like this. There is something about small towns getting a moment in the spotlight that hits me every time. When big personalities meet small communities, amazing things can happen. KISS in Cadillac is proof that music and community can collide to create something unforgettable. It is a perfect mix of pride, chaos, and showmanship, all wrapped into one Michigan weekend that people are still celebrating half a century later.

The greatest frontman in music and I without our makeup on.

Fifty years later, Cadillac still rocks. This story is proof that you do not have to be in New York or Los Angeles to make history. Sometimes, all it takes is a teacher with an idea, a football team with heart, and a rock band that says yes.

If you are anywhere near Cadillac this weekend, go check it out. Walk the tour, see the monument, hear the tribute shows, and feel the pride of a community that still celebrates one of the most legendary weekends in Michigan history. See incredible photos of the Cadillac takeover from photographer Fin Costello here.

And if you are ever looking for entertainment for an event without the makeup or the heels, I just might be your guy.The hair might still be big enough......