The Bitter Jester Foundation for the Arts (BJFA) is a charitable non-profit organization. Each year, the organization produces the Bitter Jester Music Festival. We are graced with the pleasure to listen and review the Bitter Jester Music Festival Volume 2 vinyl. The album was recorded live in Downtown Highland Park, IL, throughout June and at Navy Pier in Chicago in September, 2023. 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 happening weekends throughout June. 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 annual volunter-run festival. 

In tune with BJMF’s commitment to educating and advancing musical careers, all of the mixes were done by former BJMF competitors. Kevin Ray (BJMF Music Director) was the lead mixing engineer on Volume 2 and coached the younger mixers, providing valuable feedback and education they could take with them in the future. Kevin is a former competitor (2012-2015) with his band The Ska-Lers. The other mixers on this Volume 2 include Peter Hanson (lead guitar for Venganza), who mixed:

• Beekman
• Livingroom 
• Exit 122

We also had Max Beardsley (drummer for mtn air) who mixed the following:

• Heat Above 
• Scorched Waves 

And Jack Koshkin (guitar and keyboard player for Fightin’ Bob) mixing:

• Free Joel 
• Fightin’ Bob 

As you may have guessed the biggest challenge in having different mixers and styles of music is making the vinyl sound cohesive. Also, add in doing the mixing in four different studios and it could be a recipe for disaster. However, that was not the case and the final product flows and sounds impeccable. To further ensure the project flowed, Kevin Ray did a final pass-through and was in the driver’s seat for the final mastering. This resulted in the vinyl we are about to talk about and which you can order now or pick up at this year’s festival. 

Side A

1. Take a Peek by Heat Above: This was the perfect way to start the album and engage the crowd. I was clapping my hands along and throughout the song because that’s what Heat Above told me to do. Brady Lott should teach a masterclass on crowd engagement. The segue into the song was flawless. The delivery on “so slow” by Brady was perfection. It helped me paint a mental image of the performance without being live. Sometimes, I struggled to hear him, but I think it was because of his energy and excitement. Matt Davis on Guitar and Jack Davis on Bass were able to stick to the highs and lows of the song and helped emphasize the lyrics. 
2. Standby by Ur Mom: We slow down for this next track, but not for long. Maura Wolf can easily change her vocal range to match the different parts of the song. She has a unique tonal quality to her voice. Her voice is a standout and is worth highlighting every chance possible. When the backing singers Tommy Hinds and Andrew Vucsko-Cameron enter, no one overpowers each other. They were in unison to a point where there was a moment I was unsure there were two backing singers. The instrumental portion was placed in the perfect spot in the song. Then, all singers come back in to close us out. 
3. What’s New With You? By Livingroom: The beginning is so upbeat and funky that I was dancing in my seat immediately. However, the song is about missing a love connection. Lev Sheinfeld throws his pennies into the sea, hoping his wish will come true someday. But he also acknowledges he may have messed up to cause this disconnect. You can hear the emotion in Lev’s voice, which gets more emotional as the song continues. He has a gift for expressing emotion by changing his delivery on certain lyrics. Even the instrumental breaks become more somber the further into the song we get. Rob Lieblang on drums is able to slow down the drums and draw us into the somber emotion they are trying to convey. 
4. Hollow by Exit 122: We get straight into jumping around and banging our heads with Anthony Mravle on this song. I can relate to wondering if people who say they are friends are your friends. While the band is young, they know that sometimes you must learn these lessons and feel hollow. Ricky Churnovic on drums sets the pace and ups the ante. 
5. No Future by Free Joel: We go into a smooth, jazzy feel and snap our fingers to go along. This is the end of a relationship, and while it hurts so bad, there’s no future left. Sometimes, you have to let things go. Noah Martin makes minute changes to his voice when delivering certain words that you would overlook if you weren’t paying attention. However, they genuinely make a difference in the delivery and message of the song. The instruments by Kyle Krawczyk (drums), Jillian Burton (bass), and Reid Webber (guitar) rise with the song to get to a crescendo before backing out. The instrumental portion to take us out was so smooth it made the crowd go wild. 

Side A flows beautifully from energy to song content. I am tempted to say that the tracklist tells a story. There’s love, heartbreak, betrayal, and understanding there’s no future in some places. Every band has a unique signature and sound, but the placement works well, so you never feel like anything is out of place. There were no dull moments for me. It shocks me every year how young these bands are and how honed into their craft they are. They are all beyond impressive. 

Side B 

1. Woah! By David’s House: Woah is absolutely right about this song and performance. It’s time to boogie and say woah. Lauren Kusiciel tells this man that’s all he is, just another young man at her door. They’re just playing games and flying across the universe. I enjoy how she changes her delivery and goes up and down during different parts of the song for the full effect. Andrew Colias on the keys adds an extra element when Lauren makes changes to her delivery. Adding more emphasis is Caden Lagman on drums. Everyone in the band plays off each other to ensure the instruments hit at the right moments, even during solos. The volume and delivery at the end shows us the undeniable talent the band has. 
2. Jupiter by Fightin’ Bob: Keeping with the funky tunes, we head to Jupiter, which is fitting since we were just flying across the universe playing games. It takes some time to get there while we vibe out with the instruments. As the song progresses, I feel like I am leaving this planet and going through a vortex to another dimension. Fightin’ Bob shows us again how they are like nothing else out there in the best way possible even without lyrics to guide us along. It is no wonder why Saul Dinauer was a BJMF 2023 Instrumentalist of the Year. He really takes hold of the song. Jack Mackowski on percussion does not go unnoticed as he adds some extra umph to the song. Rafael Gandre uses the synthesizer to get us through the galaxy and give us those funky space vibes.  
3. Because Of You by Scorched Waves: We have left Jupiter and are now on the run. We are going a million miles a minute from the very first second. The band kept the pace, and no one fell behind at any point, which is incredible considering how fast-paced this song is. The song talks about the feelings of anxiety provoked by someone or something. Then came the apologies and gaslighting from the other party. In the end, they want things to be seen from their point of view. Tiernan Brinkman on lead vocals drives the message of the song across and stays with the speed of Tyler Armstrong (guitar), Finn Vuorinen (bass) and Damian Kessler (drums). There is a point in the song where every instrument is going full force. This is where Jaren Wojcik on percussion stood out to me the most.
4. Count to Three by Beekman: An epic love story unfolds before our ears. From feeling nothing to not being able to let go. The energy was great, and the crowd seemed to love it. Love is always an emotion we can all relate to. Love often comes in unexpected ways and unexpected times. Sometimes, it can be the most remarkable thing or the worst. This person becomes our whole world or the moon. Sometimes, even when it ends badly, we can never look away from something that meant so much to us. Kelly Beekman lets us into her heart with her vocal delivery. 
5. Harder Days by Polly on the Wall: The amount of emotion in Tyler Benson’s voice had me in tears. I cannot imagine experiencing this live; I would have broken down. The instruments start us off slow and then Ernesto Garcia really brings the energy on the drums. There is one chord that stands out to me the entire time. It is so consistent, and I feel it really makes the song. We all have some days that are harder than other days, but we still fight through. The spooky, scary skeletons in our closets can be the worst, especially when they make us sit in self-doubt. This song is something every creative person can relate to in any genre. The message is beyond anything I could have ever put into words. This is the perfect way to end another incredible year at Bitter Jester Music Festival. 

With that emotional send-off, I might not have any words or tears left. Side B was a roller coaster and gave us a little bit of everything. We were in space, landed on Jupiter, and then started running to get the epic love story. In the end, we had to face our spooky, scary skeletons in the closet of self-doubt and fight through to the other side. It astonishes me how the bands get better and better every year at Bitter Jester Music Festival. 

Support The Bitter Jester Music Festival and Organization

Every year you can go out to the Bitter Jester Music Festival. If you are a band who thinks they have what it takes, applications are open until April 22,2024. The only requirement is that at least half the band must be 21 or younger to apply. 24 bands compete, 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 taking place on June 7, 8, 14, and 15, 2024. The Grand Finale will be on Sat, June 29.  

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

This year we will be at the event in person and will get to experience returning and new bands fighting it out (in friendly competition) for the coveted prizes. Good luck to all the bands this year and we will be seeing you soon. You can also find many of the songs on this and last year’s vinyl on the #StarzOnTheRise Spotify playlist. 

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.