WeishFest 2024 at Salt Shed

9 Nov, 2024 John Kosiewicz Alternative, Concert Reviews, Folk, Indie, Pop, Rock

WeishFest - Photo credit: John Kosiewicz

WeishFest 2024

Most of the shows I cover for Front Row Music News are about the music, the artists, and the experience of seeing them perform live. But some events mean a little more, and WeishFest is one of them.

On Saturday, November 9, 2024, I returned to The Salt Shed in Chicago for WeishFest 2024, marking my second year collaborating with the Andrew Weishar Foundation. WeishFest is more than a concert. It’s Paying It Forward, bringing people together through music to support families battling cancer.

This one is personal to me. WeishFest started right here in my neighborhood, and my son attended Brother Rice High School several years after Andrew Weishar, making the connection to the foundation even more meaningful. Being able to contribute my photography and videography talents is the least I can do to help support this mission and pay it forward for Weish4Ever.

Weish4Ever: The Andrew Weishar Foundation

WeishFest was created in honor of Andrew Weishar and his legacy of helping others. Through the Andrew Weishar Foundation, also known as Weish4Ever, the mission is to support families facing the challenges of cancer. A cancer diagnosis affects more than just the person receiving the news. It impacts entire families, bringing emotional and financial challenges at a time when support matters most.

By bringing together live music, a dedicated community, and people willing to give back, WeishFest helps make a difference for those families. All proceeds from the event benefited the Andrew Weishar Foundation, making every ticket, every performance, and every contribution part of something bigger than a night of music.

The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023, and I was fortunate to be there to document the milestone and the first time at The Salt Shed in Chicago. You can revisit my coverage of WeishFest 2023: 10 Years of Paying It Forward to see how the festival continued Andrew’s legacy through music and giving back.

Now, in its 11th year, WeishFest returned to The Salt Shed with another great lineup and the same important mission: keeping Andrew’s spirit alive by paying it forward.

WeishFest 2024 at The Salt Shed

This year’s lineup featured O.A.R., Mike Posner, Wilderado, and Hans Williams, along with local artists Sean and Charlie. From the earlier performances to the night’s full-band sets, the event brought together a mix of artists and sounds, all supporting the same cause.

One of the things I enjoy about covering WeishFest is that there’s more to photograph than what’s happening on the main stage. Along with the full-band performances, this year’s coverage includes some of the pre-show artists performing shorter acoustic sets. I’ll also be sharing moments from the audience and throughout the venue, capturing the people who came together to support the foundation.

Those moments are an important part of the story. The artists help bring everyone together, but it’s the community behind WeishFest that makes the event what it is.

Sean and Charlie

WeishFest made room for local talent, including Chicago-area duo Sean and Charlie. Having covered them at WeishFest 2023, it was great to see local artists represented as part of an event that brings people together for such an important cause. Their involvement is another reminder that WeishFest is about more than its nationally recognized headliners. It’s also about the local music community coming together to pay it forward.

Hans Williams

Originally from Louisiana, Hans Williams is a singer-songwriter whose music brings a personal, reflective side to the WeishFest lineup. During his pre-show acoustic set, Williams took a moment to talk about his song “All Is Well” and the importance of leaning on the people who care about us.

He spoke about how difficult it can sometimes be to accept help, even when we have a strong support system around us. His message was a reminder that supporting someone through a difficult time isn’t a burden, but an opportunity to be there for someone who matters. As Williams explained, we should allow ourselves to accept that support, just as we would be honored to offer it to a friend.

It was a particularly fitting message for an event dedicated to helping families battling cancer, and a reminder of why the community behind WeishFest matters so much.

Wilderado

Wilderado is an indie rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, known for its blend of alternative rock and indie folk. The band was part of the WeishFest 2024 lineup, bringing its music to The Salt Shed in support of the Andrew Weishar Foundation.

Mike Posner

Singer-songwriter Mike Posner joined the WeishFest lineup, bringing a catalog that includes familiar hits like “Cooler Than Me” and “I Took a Pill in Ibiza.” Beyond his music career, Posner has also become known for his personal journey and work as a speaker and adventurer.

O.A.R.

O.A.R. has a history with WeishFest that goes back years, making the band’s return to the festival especially meaningful. The Maryland-based rock band has been part of the event’s musical history, appearing among the artists who have helped bring people together in support of the Andrew Weishar Foundation. O.A.R.’s connection to WeishFest is part of what makes this event feel like more than a single night of music. It’s a community that continues to come together for a cause that matters.

At the end of the show, the band’s appreciation for the foundation and its mission came through in a heartfelt message to the WeishFest community:

“WeishFest, thank you so much. We love what you do. We are with you all the way. We’re family. Appreciate y’all!”

Those words captured what WeishFest is all about. The artists provide the music, but the shared commitment to helping families battling cancer is what brings everyone together. Having a band with O.A.R.’s history at the festival express that kind of support was a fitting way to close out the night.

WeishFest 2024 Photo Gallery

From the pre-show acoustic performances to the full-band sets, WeishFest 2024 was about more than the music on stage. The photos also capture the audience, the atmosphere inside The Salt Shed, and the people who came together to support the Andrew Weishar Foundation.

Take a look back at the artists, the moments, and the community that made the 11th annual WeishFest a special night for Chicago’s Concert for a Cause.

Paying It Forward

Returning to WeishFest for a second year was an opportunity to support a cause that means a great deal to me while doing what I love. Photography and videography have given me the chance to document countless moments in live music, but being able to use those talents to help an organization like Weish4Ever makes this one especially rewarding.

WeishFest is a reminder that music can do more than entertain. It can bring people together, build a community, and help families who are going through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Thank you to the Andrew Weishar Foundation for allowing me to be part of this event again. I’m proud to help pay it forward, and I can’t wait to return for WeishFest next year!