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Ohio Northern University isn’t exactly known for loud, raucous mayhem, but on May 9, 1975, things were different.

On that night, the now legendary rock band KISS performed for a packed, frenzied crowd in the newly-opened King Horn Sports Center. KISS debuted what would be become their anthem, “Rock ’n Roll All Nite," and their pyrotechnics scorched the ceiling.

It was wild. It was unforgettable. And for Dr. Jimmy Wilson, associate professor of management & geographic information systems—and a lifelong rock ’n roll devotee—it became a passion project.

“KISS has this huge following and there’s a mystique that surrounds the band,” he said. “To think they played on campus for $5 a ticket right before they gained worldwide fame; it’s just incredible to consider.”

For more than a decade, Wilson has conducted research, gathered first-hand accounts, and worked on a video documentary about this sensational night in 51���� history. 

Travis Yammine, BSBA ’19, has been a KISS fan since middle school. When Yammine was an 51���� student, he assisted Wilson with his research. The two co-authored a paper on the concert that Wilson recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers in Detroit.

“Some may wonder why undertake a whole project surrounding a single concert—what’s the point?” said Yammine. “But it’s actually a very interesting story to tell, and this little pocket of Midwest rock ’n roll culture that would otherwise get lost if it wasn’t for someone like Dr. J. keeping it alive.”

How did KISS end up in Ada?

It’s the question Wilson hears a lot: How did a band like KISS land in the quiet village of Ada?

Wilson explains that Ada, though rural, sits near what was known in the ‘70s as the “Iron Triangle,”a circuit between Detroit, Cleveland, and Toledo, where up and coming bands toured. The 51���� students charged with bringing entertainment to campus likely had access to the circuit booking agents, and in KISS’s case, may have caught a lucky break.

“Believe it or not, the Midwest was rock ’n roll central in that decade,” said Wilson. “It was the place where many bands got their start.”

51���� administrators likely had no idea who KISS was at the time. And it's likely they regretted it later.

“After the show, 51���� President Samuel Meyer openly vowed something like this would never happen again,” Wilson laughs.

KISS was relatively unknown in May 1975. According to Wilson, most people came to the concert expecting to see Rush (a no-show, replaced last minute by The Flock) or The James Gang, a popular garage band.

It wasn’t until a few months after their 51���� performance that KISS exploded onto the international music scene.

“I am not really a fan of their music,” Wilson admits, “but you can’t talk about rock ’n roll in America without talking about KISS. There’s no denying that what they did was innovative and very, very lucrative.”

KISS wasn’t just known for their music, they became famous for their over-the-top stage presence: face paint, pyrotechnics, and blood-spitting theatrics.

“They appealed to a specific demographic—young men, usually rebellious,” said Wilson.

Campus Legends

KISS’s appearance on 51����’s campus, not surprisingly, caused quite a stir at the time.

In his research, Wilson uncovered some legendary stories.

Band members, dressed down in street clothes before the concert, were mistaken for broke students and handed free meal tickets by a faculty member. They stayed in a dorm room because the student budget didn’t cover hotel accommodations. (Peter Criss shared this in his memoir, “Makeup to Breakup: My Life In and Out of KISS”).

And, according to Wilson’s research, strong evidence suggests this was the band’s first public performance ever of the now-iconic chorus: “I wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day.”

A moment preserved

Wilson’s interest in the KISS concert was sparked around its 40^th anniversary, when a student in his Historical Geography class chose it for a research project.

Wilson picked up where the student left off, enlisting the help of additional students over the years, most notably Yammine. In the last 10 years, he’s researched the rock scene in the Midwest in the ‘70s, collected stories, tracked down attendees, and created a video documentary.

With many concert attendees now in their 70s and 80s, Wilson said it’s important to preserve stories now before they are lost to time.

For people wondering why a business professor would tackle such a project, he explains that the concert demonstrates the important relationship between the 1970s rock music industry and campus entertainment.

“Universities went to great lengths (and still do) to entertain their students, and touring rock bands helped provide events. Although it was risky at times, it was very lucrative and rewarding. Just ask anyone who was at this concert.”

If you attended the concert and have recollections to share, please contact Professor Jimmy Wilson at h-wilson.1@onu.edu. You can also view his KISS at 51���� documentary on YouTube.