Why KISS Fans Need To Visit Cadillac, MI
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Let’s jump in our wayback machine and go to the year 1973. It’s fall, and the weekend entertainment consists of going to a Cadillac Vikings high school football game or going to the movies. Now, you don’t miss a football game because the team is on a winning streak and they end that season with a perfect 9-0 record.
Local fans are excited and looking forward to the next season, but the team immediately loses the first two games. Now, that’s not looking good for the coaches, Dave Brines and Jim Neff, so they came up with a plan.
They were going to play KISS music before practice and before games to energize the players before they headed out on the field and it worked!
But why KISS? Well, assistant coach Jim Neff, a Rock and Roll fan, was put in charge of picking the music and he “chose a new and outrageous band — KISS. They were wild, bold, and loud. Plus, their name invoked an old football credo — Keep It Simple Stupid.”
Who knew KISS could be so inspiring? The coaches took a chance and it worked. The players began dominating the field and won seven games and a conference co-championship.
It wasn’t long before the band heard about their music inspiring a small town football team to go all the way to the playoffs and they instantly adopted the Vikings as their team.
Now, die hard KISS fans are saying, of course it worked, but back in the 70s you can imagine some of the push back the coaches would have received from the community. However, at the end of the day they couldn’t deny that the music worked.
Jim Neff kept in contact with KISS after the winning streak and was the catalyst behind getting the band to come to town to be part of the homecoming parade and perform at the gym. Everyone got into the KISS spirit and local stores probably sold out of makeup as the entire town showed up with faces painted to match KISS.
After the concert the band left town in 70’s rock star fashion via a helicopter from the football field. Iconic move.
The legacy of the band playing in Cadillac has lived on and is a story that continues to be shared by locals and KISS fans alike. Many KISS fans make the pilgrimage to Cadillac to see the KISS monument that stands in front of the football field that started it all.
We are rolling up on the 50th anniversary of this epic event and plans are being put in place to make it a weekend to remember. KISS fans will want to start making plans to visit Cadillac in October 2025. Stay tuned for more information. I’ll share it as it becomes available.
There is no other place in the US where KISS showed up for homecoming and performed a concert for locals. And for that reason a trip to Cadillac is an absolute must for KISS fans.
