Part 2: By 2001, the Holiday Ball was too popular for its own good. Probably 400 people packed the well-decorated but grimy 3rd floor warehouse space that year, and when it became too crowded to move, another 200 or so were turned away at the door. The disgruntled mass of people on the street dressed in thrift store holiday finery attracted the attention of the police who nearly shut down the whole party, thinking it was a “rave.” Upstairs, the bathroom lines were epic, leading many to piss from the roof, out windows, in stairwells and into various buckets strewn about the space. Don’t get me started on the vomit and used condoms.
As the singer, I enjoyed a weird perspective on the Holiday Ball. I had a great time but it was always like working a job. I only had periodic breaks when I could dance with my girlfriend and talk to people. By the end of the night I was fried, not as drunk as I wanted and could barely speak.
But for one day a year, I was a semi-celebrity. Obviously much of the adoration was tongue-in-cheek but it felt nice to entertain such a big crowd for an event that lots of folks looked forward too.
By 2003, the whole thing was played out. For 2 years we had moved the party off-site with purchased tickets (it had been free), off duty cops as security, licensed bartenders, insurance policies and sketchy promoters. We recorded a CD which basically no one bought, probably because it didn’t capture the essence of the Ball. So we called the whole thing off. I moved out of state, went to Library school, had a few jobs and wound up in my present circumstances.
Chicago being what it is, the hipsters have changed and many of my friends from those days have moved away, or bought houses and started families. The cool kids there don’t talk much about the Holiday Ball anymore and I don’t get recognized in diners when I go to visit. Naturally it’s the perfect time for a little re-boot.
This Saturday night it happens again on a much smaller scale, at a Chicago club in front of a small crowd. The band is back together and I’ve polished up on my “Winter Wonderland” lyrics. With the passage of a few years, there are no expectations and no stress, only fun.
