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Everyone in the region knows the “Rio” formation. The Weiperz cult band, which describes itself as the “hottest band in Hesse”, has been playing on stages for 66 years, not only in the region, but now also in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria and Thuringia.
Weiperz – The formation “Rio” delighted its audience countless times – manager Matthias Kraft expected over 3,000 performances in total – with their comprehensive repertoire of current chart songs, popular hits, Ballermann hits and, thanks to the strong brass section, brass music classics such as “Auf der Vogelwiese…”.
Weiperz cult band “Rio” is celebrating its 66th anniversary
Rio was founded in 1960 from the music association 1924 Weiperz. The initiator at the time was conductor Karl Kraft, who formed the combo with the musicians Hans Gerst, Otto Kraft, Hugo Gärtner, Franz Klug, Bertold Gärtner and August Klug. Starting small with a suitcase amplifier and a private car, Rio now tours the country in a 7.5-ton truck full of equipment. The program is always designed according to the musical taste of the time.
The musicians and fans fondly remember the 1960s with television appearances on “Blauen Bock” or in the “Südwest Starparade”. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rio played with the Flippers and Truck Stop. In the 1990s, great successes were celebrated with Schürzenjäger and Pur shows as well as Ballermann parties staged in the festival tents and halls.
PROGRAM
Thursday, May 14th: The festival begins at 12 noon after the Ascension Procession with the Schlüchtern town band. Starting at 2 p.m., the “Rio Oldies” with a line-up from the 1970s and 1980s will play for two hours and show that they still have it. The current Rio formation concludes. Hiking groups are invited to spend Father's Day in Weiperz. There is food, drinks, coffee and cake – and as a special feature a 15 liter keg of beer that you can tap yourself – and there are ten schnapps for free.
Friday, May 15th: Twilight drinks with reduced prices and a DJ concert from 7 p.m. All the hits you want that evening will be played, maybe even live…
Saturday, May 16th: The “Beer Transporters” play from 7 p.m. From 9 p.m. it's “Rio-XXL”. The current formation plays with many alumni, friends and temporary workers.
Admission is free on Thursday and Friday, entry on Saturday is 8 euros. The organizer is the Weiperz fire department.
In the music village of Weiperz, it feels like the clubs celebrate an “anniversary” every five years. The Rio formation also stuck to this rhythm – until its 60th anniversary in 2020. The festival was already planned, but then Corona put a stop to the plan. The idea was to celebrate at 65, but scheduling conflicts in the musicians' village of Weiperz didn't allow this.
So now at the age of 66 – when life begins, as Udo Jürgens so aptly sings about in his well-known classic. So next week (from Father's Day Thursday with the legendary Rio oldies to the birthday party on Sunday, May 17th, with Rio in an XXL line-up) a big open-air event is planned at the former Weiperz schoolyard near the village community center. (By Walter Dörr)
DJ Erwin is also celebrating his anniversary this year: Even at 72, he is still at the turntables in the region's festival tents. His career began 50 years ago.
