via Cadillac News

When I got a phone call from a KISS Cadillac fan in Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago, I knew things were about to get crazy.

He told me he was coming to the KISS Cadillac Homecoming 40th Anniversary Celebration on Oct. 9-10, had just bought his VIP ticket to the homecoming concert, and wanted some advice on lodging and things to see and do while he’s in Cadillac.

Then, this week, the article about the “Cadillac Key” by Mardi Suhs was spread world wide by KISSOnline.com, the official KISS website, and on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram media. There is now smoke coming from my email inbox. Messages from Ypsilanti, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Texas, Ohio, Indiana and “parts unknown” are coming in every day.

So, it looks like we’re going to have a rock and roll party on Oct. 9-10, and apparently no one wants to be left out.

Everyone wants information about the concert on Oct. 10, so here it is.

In the spirit of the 1975 concert, there will be no reserve seats. You’ll be able to sit in the bleachers or stand in front of the stage, your choice.

VIP tickets, priced at $50, are available only online at www.kisscadillac.com. Several perks go along with this $50 VIP package, including early entrance into the concert for first choice of viewing locations.

On Monday, Aug. 3, one thousand $10 general admission tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m., available only online at www.kisscadillac.com.

(The original 1975 general admission ticket was $3.50, which equates to $15.84 in 2015 dollars, so $10 is a good deal.) Locally, another block of $10 general admission paper tickets will go on sale Monday, Aug. 10, at the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau office in downtown Cadillac. Another block of tickets has been set aside for sale to Cadillac students when they return to school in September. Now, although this promises to be a “hot ticket,” I want you to know something.

From the beginning, the main goal for this concert has been to donate allnet profits to the Cadillac Viking Athletics Boosters and Cadillac Band Boosters. In the spirit of that goal, we decided that everyone who attends the concert will do so on a paid ticket with no exceptions.

That includes every member of the organizing committee, even me. I am buying my own ticket and tickets for my family. This policy means fair treatment for everyone.

As for the concert itself, we’re going to try to re-create the energy and excitement of that 1975 show in the Cadillac High School gym. On the way to the gym, you’ll see some displays of KISS Cadillac history, including the now famous Key to Cadillac. You’ll also have a chance to snag an event T-shirt so you can rock in style.

No, we are not going to pull a “fast one” on you and sneak KISS into town. KISS will be on tour in Australia next October, plus it’s really not logistically possible to have them play here, given how big they’ve become. (See http://www.neffzone.com/ kiss/tribute.html for a longer explanation.) As I said in a previous column, however, we will be rocking the concert in the gym with the best KISS tribute band in the world — Mr. Speed (http://www.mrspeedonline.com).

“You may remember that in 2009, Mr. Speed played to a sold-out audience in the Cadillac High School auditorium. They followed that with a sold out 2010 show at the Little River Casino in Manistee. In 2012, Mr. Speed traveled to Las Vegas and came away with the title “World’s Best KISS Tribute Band” in a contest judged by KISS lead guitarist Tommy Thayer. Mr. Speed topped 200 other KISS tribute bands from around the world to win that designation. In 2014, Mr. Speed was chosen to appear on AXS TV’s “World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” series, another testament to the band’s status. Now add in two performances at The Wex and an acoustic show at the former McGuire’s Resort (now Evergreen), and it’s pretty plain that Mr. Speed has shown its affinity for Cadillac and the KISS Cadillac story.”

I know the passion this band has for Cadillac firsthand. I have been giving tours of KISStorical Cadillac sites for 40 years.

KISS fans from all over the country have come to Cadillac and contacted me.

I’m pretty easy to find. In all these 40 years, not one single person from any KISS tribute band (other than the members of Mr. Speed) have taken the time to come to Cadillac and see the sights. Not one! To other bands who now claim they are interested in the Cadillac story, I’d ask: “Really? Where have you been for 40 years?”

So, on Oct. 10, we’ll be recreating the concert in the gym with a phenomenal band. The concert will be from 2 to 4 p.m. (in the afternoon). Why? The football game is on Friday night, and we did not want to tamper with that. The homecoming dance is on Saturday night, an event that is attended by80 percent of Cadillac High School students, so we did not want to alter that.

Having the show at 2 p.m. means visitors to Cadillac will have time to explore the town before and after the concert. With an ending time of 4 p.m., concert attendees have plenty of time to patronize restaurants, pubs and businesses after the show.

(Alumni groups are already planning get-togethers after the concert.) If you want to bring children to this all-ages concert, you don’t have to worry about bedtimes. Teens can attend the concert and still go to the dance. An afternoon concert will make it easier for everyone to attend, and it will also be good for Cadillac businesses.

“Meanwhile, back at the ranch,” as the popular saying goes, CHS students attending the homecoming dance on Saturday night will get a special treat. Mr. Speed will kick off the dance with a few songs in a “mini-concert” just for the dance attendees.

Then the students will be able to use the concert-quality sound system for their dance music.

Well, that’s it for now. I hope you get in the spirit of things, buy a concert ticket, come to the show with friends and family and have a great rockin’ time. That’s what I plan to do.

More details will be announced in future columns, on the event website at www.kisscadillac.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kisscadillac, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kisscadillac, on Instagram at https://instagram.com/kisscadillacneff, in the Cadillac News in print and on www.cadillacnews.com, and on www.neffzone.com/kiss.

JIM NEFF is a local columnist.

Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.

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Jim Neff