In the blistering summer of 1978, Cleveland, Ohio became the playground for four rebellious teenagers: Hawk, Lex, Trip Verudie, and Jeremiah "Jam" Bruce. These friends were united by their fervent love for rock 'n' roll and shared a dream of seeing their idol band, KISS, in concert. Unfortunately, their plans hit a snag when Jam's highly conservative mother discovered the concert tickets, promptly reducing them to ash and sending her son off to a strict Catholic boarding school.
Refusing to give up, Trip managed to secure a pair of tickets and backstage passes through a radio contest, but their exhilaration was short-lived. They quickly found themselves in a race against time to rescue Jam from the overly stern Father Phillip McNulty. In a wild burst of creativity, they devised a ridiculous plan involving hallucinogenic mushrooms and a pizza delivery disguise, successfully stunning the priest before taking off on a road trip in Lex's mother’s Volvo.
Their adventure was filled with excitement, including a chaotic encounter with disco fans Kenny and Bobby. Trip's mischievous antics escalated when he launched a slice of pizza at their windshield, leading to a spirited scuffle. As the boys forged ahead, Christine, Kenny's girlfriend, decided to take off with their vehicle, leaving them stranded.
Upon their arrival in Detroit, they were crushed to learn that Trip's quick exit from the radio contest led to the tickets being given to someone else. Consequently, the boys split up, each striving to find a way to snag KISS tickets and retrieve their stolen Volvo. Hawk found himself in a wild male stripping competition, emerging worse off after a night of indulgence, but without his shirt.
Meanwhile, Trip's quest for tickets took a dark turn as he resorted to mugging a young boy for his ticket. However, his plans were thwarted by the boy’s older brother, Chongo, who insisted on $200 to keep quiet. In an unexpected twist, Trip ended up playing the good Samaritan when he thwarted a robbery at a convenience store. The store owner, grateful for his bravery, handed Trip $150, which he unwisely gave to Chongo’s gang in hopes of resolving his earlier troubles, only to end up beaten and robbed in the process.
As Lex tried to navigate the chaos of the event, he found himself unexpectedly vaulted over a fence, where he impressively tamed a pack of wild dogs with just a Frisbee. This remarkable feat not only saved him but also led to the recovery of Christine's stolen Volvo from two car thieves at a nearby chop shop. Meanwhile, Jam faced off against chaos of his own at an anti-KISS rally with his mother, where he fought back against her oppressive nature. Their confrontation shocked the crowd when Jam dropped the bombshell that he had lost his virginity in the confessional, leaving everyone speechless and setting him on a path toward personal liberation.
Later, when Lex and Jam reconnected without any concert tickets, they crafted a tale of being mugged to explain their predicament. Initial disbelief from the event's security was soon cleared up thanks to Trip's resourcefulness and Chongo’s crew showing up, leading to the discovery of a pile of cash, a KISS Army ID, and Trip's wallet. The authorities subsequently confiscated Chongo's tickets, and as the dust settled, Lex, Jam, and their friends made their triumphant entrance into the concert hall just as KISS kicked off their legendary title song. In a moment of pure ecstasy, Peter Criss hurled a drumstick into the crowd, which Jam caught with overwhelming joy, fully savoring the glory of the experience.
