The Chicago music scene is abundant with opportunities for musicians of all genres and ages. The Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts (BJFA) is a charitable non-profit organization. Each year, the organization produces the Bitter Jester Music Festival. The 17th event began on June 2 and ends with the Grand Finale on Jun 25, 2023. While the event is happening now, we will take our time machine back to 2022. 

Typically, the Grand Finale takes place in Highland Park on July 4. The final performances line up with the Highland Park July 4 parade and fireworks. Unfortunately, last year a gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle decided to shoot 55 people, killing seven. The immediate aftermath was chaos, sadness, and anger. It was an emotional time, but all of the musicians and volunteers paved the path toward healing. Two months after the tragic events, all the musicians returned and performed. They donated their time and music to fundraise for the Highland Park Business & Employee Recovery Fund. 

The album was recorded live at Billy Corgan’s (of the Smashing Pumpkins) Madame Zuzu’s Tea House on Sept 4, 2022. The vinyl was pressed by Smashed Plastic in Chicago and produced by the Bitter Jester Foundation and Val’s Halla Records in Oak Park. That is where you can order your copy today. You can also pick it up at this year’s festival. It is an 80-minute experience that takes us back to the festival’s Grand Finale, where the finalists take the stage and a winner is announced. The music on the vinyl is used with permission from the artists. The majority of the album sales will be donated to the Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts, a 501(c)(3), which produces the yearly festival. 

Side A BreakDown

We start with a couple of speeches describing the incidents that led up to this performance and how extraordinary it is that everyone slated to perform the day of the shooting was able to come back out. Sadly, some people were still recovering from their injuries, impeding their ability to come back out. It will be a long road to recovery, but this night was the beginning of that healing process. 

The first performance of “Fat Chance” by Pretoria is insanely impressive. The tone, clarity, and lyrics are exceptional. You almost forgot this was a live recording, if not for the crowd in the background. You can hear the emotion in the vocals from Rob Gullet. The drums by Ben DeWitt at the end was a great way to top off the performance and build crowd enthusiasm. 

The second performance of “Breadsticks” by Fightin’ Bob was a funky mix. The lyrics initially threw me off, but then I got into it. The background vocals by Saul Dinauer and Jack Koshkin were in sync to perfection. This is the funkiest sound I’ve ever heard. There were parts where it seemed a bit off with each other, but then they would get back on it. 

The “Hourglass” performance by Keep the Eleven was more rock. The lyrics were impactful, but I wish Reece Bittner was a bit louder. He would almost blend in at times. The solo at the end was out of a dream. 

The last one on this side, we go a bit dark and pensive with “The Axeman” by Venganza. Then we go straight for headbanging. I can envision a mosh pit happening and Juan Nicanor literally headbanging. It is a very fast-paced song. The growl was intense. Kaleb Rodriguez deserves a raise for those drums. He fucking killed it. 

Side B Breakdown

“All gone.” by New Age Americans was so smooth; I was into it from the first note. I can tell why this band is in the Grand Finale. I love how the beat slows and builds up gradually. The vocals from Jake Smith sound right out of the studio. The instruments completely rip it. There is immeasurable talent here. 

“Pier 39” by Fluctuation is also smooth. It makes me want to hit the pier and walk with my lover. The background vocals by Ben Hondonicky mesh perfectly with the lead singer Billy Berberich. I got so lost in this performance that I forgot I was supposed to be reviewing it. I need these guys on the radio now and their album like yesterday. 

In the third performance, we switched things up and picked up the pace with “Fly On” by Summer Drive. We tone it down just a bit when we get to the vocals by Armando Carlo IV. My favorite part is when they did the “I don’t want to think” part and how the delivery was done. The effort to make the crowd join in was so much fun. I was in my living room dancing and going to bapa dadada. I want to fly on too.

“4th of July” by Exit 122 took by me surprise. They wasted no time starting and kept the energy going throughout the performance. I think there was one part where the vocals were a bit off, but they got back up. It was fun overall.

Ending side B, Nic DeGrazia, the festival’s Producer, brings us a message from Ryan Badger, who is still recovering but watching. Ryan was at the July 4th parade and was tragically impacted. He sent his words of encouragement to everyone, expressing how much this event means to him. 

Side C Breakdown

Starting off strong we have “Limousine” by Summer League. The trumpet by Jacob Boyer in this performance is beautiful. The instruments almost drowned out Fletcher Sapp in some parts, but he delivered. I love the switch-up on the vocal delivery from the first verse to the second. It works well because of the messaging and emotional impact it gives. The crowd went absolutely wild. Then he switches up again and gives us some smooth and soft vocals to close the performance. 

The performance of “Worth the Wait” by Scorched Waves was upbeat and high energy. The inflections of the lead singer Tierman Brinkman are incredible. He knows exactly which words to emphasize and when. I started clapping when someone was saying, “hey hey hey.” Background vocals from Tyler Armstrong and Damian Kessler are great as well. They do not take away but add to the performance. The drum solo by Damian really gets you in the mood. Jaren Wojcik on the keys is exceptional. 

Slowing its way down for the third performance on Side C is “Aurora Borealis” by Opening Day. Hanna Worpell has a soft and sensual voice. The fucking flute by Hanna here, I got chills. It was an emotional performance, and I’d be shocked if the lead singer didn’t lose her voice from belting. Very well done. In the end, it goes off-the-wall instrumentality. 

“God in Jeans” by Linda Therese has a slow guitar intro with an angelic voice. I love her lyrics. It makes me want to swing back and forth with my lighter. It was such a beautiful performance. Very soft and airy. I had tears in my eyes. 

We have a heartfelt message from Council Member Andrés Tapia to end this side of the festival record. “This will be our reply to violence” is the quote he leaves us with. It’s much longer, and you have to hear it for yourself for the full impact. 

Another speaker, Eric Ephraim, sends us off with some words, and thanks to Nic DeGrazia, the show’s Producer for putting this all together. He discussed the impact the shooting had on the local businesses and how we could donate to those businesses.

Side D breakdown

Let’s get gritty here with “Girl in a Magazine” by Pete’s Diary. It feels like very alternative rock and almost transports me to a different era. I love the progression in the beat. The performance is straight out of the 80s. The ending was phenomenal, setting you up to clap. They sound like they are already touring and in concert. 

Next, we get into presenting the awards and winners. The Ska-lers come back to present the third-place prize. They reminisce on their past performances and how this award came to be. In third place, we have Scorched Waves. The two finalists get a chance to play for us one more time. The two finalists are Summer Drive and Summer League. 

First, we have Summer League with “Through the Day”, which is exceptional. They are so upbeat and fun. They were one of my favs from the earlier performance, so I’m not surprised they made it to this point. The crowd participation is top-tier, and you can tell everyone loves this band, especially at the end when Fletcher gets the crowd to help him out. They showed out for their last performance. 

Now we have our defending Grand Champions Summer Drive with “Boom”. They want to make sure we’re ready to headbang. So get ready, people; we’re going on a ride. And headbang we did, but the band had more fun than us, that’s for sure. They left their souls on the stage.  

My vote goes to Summer League as the winner, although everyone did spectacularly. Nic runs us through the votes, and it’s a tight one. It was tied all the way to the final vote. The Grand Champions were Summer Drive for the second year in a row! We close out Side D with a final performance of the star-spangled banner—a rendition by Peter Hanson. 

Some background on the community effort that went behind making this record what it is from BJFA. “Peter Hanson (from Venganza / Star Spangled performer) mixed the Summer League song “Limousine” and coupled with the artwork by Karol Skoczen (a former BJMF competitor) and the mix of Scorched Waves “Worth the Wait” by Max Beardsley (also a BJMF competitor and Ryan’s bandmate) really make this a community effort and speaks to the level of enthusiasm, love, and dedication musicians have about our event. The cover photo was also by a former competitor (Courtney Kurhayez) who is now one of our two Marketing Directors, along with her sister Arden (also a former competitor).” 

Thoughts on the Overall Vinyl

This is truly an experience. You are transported to Zuzu’s in Highland Park from the start. The album flows really well. You can tell there is thought put into the lineup, so the bands mesh well from one song to the next. I thought I would have to break it up to listen, but I couldn’t stop once I started. I wanted to keep listening and see who won. It was also emotional because you heard various speeches from volunteers, organizers, and community members pushing everyone toward healing. 

If you weren’t at the event last year, you can experience it live in your living room or at least on your record player. The bands brought their all; you could tell they were more motivated than ever to put on a show. I give my hats off to the bands, volunteers, and organizers for being Chicago Strong. Tragedy strikes, but music and the arts will prevail. 

Head out to Bitter Jester

Every year you can go out to the Bitter Jester Music Festival. If you are a band who thinks they have what it takes, stay on the lookout for applications which usually go live in February. The only requirement is that at least half the band must be 21 or younger to apply. 24 bands start, but only one can be the victor. Bands from all over are welcome to apply, not just those in Illinois. Follow Bitter Jester on Instagram for live updates of the current festival and news for next year. 

To order the vinyl, head over to Val’s Halla Records. You can also get more information about BJFA with these links:

https://linktr.ee/BitterJesterMusicFest

https://www.bitterjesterfoundation.org/

While we could not make it out this year to the event, stay tuned as you never know what will happen next year. Make sure to go out to the music festival for the remaining weekends in June and come back in September for the Best of Showcase. 

If you have a festival or musical project you want to be reviewed on a top underground music blog, send the details over to mellystarzsubmissions@gmail.com or use our contact page.