For the last couple of years the Riot Fest has been another music festival present the Chicago summer rotation. It consists of three days packed with below average rock music that I don’t generally care much for. There were a couple of headliners whose name I at least recognized, but that was about all. This isn’t so much the sort of place I would have gone to myself, but thanks to an opportunity to join the Chubby Wiener food tent team, it happened. May knew someone, who knew someone, that ran the tent, and they were looking for some help. I was more than happy to join her, and even drag two friends into it as well.
We showed up, got 3 shirts for just the four of us, and then got to work. May and Dirksen basically did nothing for the first while, but Spencer and I were hard at work. In the photo below you can see us starting to get the hang of it, while those other two just loafed about behind the tent.
Business started out a little bit slow, but things were booming during for the dinner hours. People were lining up to pay big money for these delectable meat tubes, and we were scrambling to get them served. Spencer would take their order and cash, and I would relay their desires – ‘ONE CHUBBY EVERYTHING…ONE CHEESE FRY!!!!!!’. The food team would throw them together, and then I’d pass ’em along to the happy customers. We also sold corn dogs, veggie dogs, and Diet Pepsi. Water? Regualar? Nope, just Diet Pepsi. It was genuinely impressive how quickly we were churning these things out.
In exchange for my slave labor, I got to have an atypical Saturday with friends, eat some incredible Chicago food, and also gain free entry to see a couple shows. The extent of the benefits will be realized next year though, since having served on this shift means that going forward I can work the mornings and see those bands I actually care about. This basically gets me a free pass into next summer’s Lollapalooza, Pitchfork, and Chive Fest. Cubbby Wieners are fantastic.
Conquering Chicago & Beyond 