Hello Weekend at Ribfest on June 15, 2024.
hello weekend chicago highlights youtube
The cover band “Hello Weekend” consists of six members: Christina Bagby and Connie Baltzell on vocals, Chris Brown on guitar, Scott Steele on bass, Ivan Dunki on drums and Bob the Bunny (who did not seem to be evident this night at Chicago’s Ribfest.) This line-up list was from a September 17, 2014 in The Daily Egyptian that serves Southern Illinois University, so the line-up may well be different 10 years later. (I definitely did not see someone who fit the description Bob the Bunny wearing a mask.)
There was a lot of discussion about the sexual identity of the lead singer. I maintain that the lead singer is female, but, at the point when the singer took off the long blonde wig to reveal a bald head, the discussion increased, with votes pro and con. Whoever sang lead, he/she was very good and very powerful. The Lady Gaga material seemed to be his/her favorite, which gave my companion some evidence for his point of view that the lead singer was simply a cross-dresser. Regardless of Christina’s true gender, she was one hell of a singer and we enjoyed the Chicago performance at RibFest, which followed a performance by an Irish folk band earlier at a different stage.
Irish folk band also performing at Ribfest on a different stage on June 15, 2024.
The weekend began with the Seth Meyer performance at the Vic on Friday night, which was going to be filmed for a network special the next night. Much of the material had to do with Meyer’s three children, ages 8, 6 and 2. His description of his two-year-old daughter meeting President Biden was very funny and all of his material was fresh and fun. His lead-in was a comedian from Dubuque, Iowa, who likened his appearance as the lead-in to being the lead-in act for Pearl Jam when he would attend their concerts in his youth. He told a truthful story about his time as a ticket seller at a movie theater in Dubuque (which no longer exists). It seems that his entrepreneurial spirit caused him to charge ticket-goers for adult prices while ringing them in as children and pocketing the difference in the ticket prices. This ultimately led to corporate stepping in and closing the theater, firing all the employees, including Brooks, the comedian.
Tomorrow will be the Gold Coast Art Show within walking distance in Grant Park.
Lead singer of Hello Weekend at Ribfest on June 15, 2024.
Ribfest in Chicago on June 15, 2024
Waiting at the Vic Theater in Chicago to give Seth Meyer a copy of BEE GONE after his June 14, 2024 show.
Scott Steele, bass guitar for Hello Weekend, at Ribfest.