The Bitter Jester Music Festival preliminaries were held on June 7, 8, 14 and 15th, 2024. This was my first time being there in person. I had no idea what to expect besides incredible talent. The snippets of the talent posted online were intimidating especially as a first-time judge. However, all the organizers were dedicated to helping all the artists and judges involved. Their dedication is one of the things that stood out to me the most during my month-long experience. Aside from the talent, another thing that stood out to me about the performers is how much they support each other. They are all competing against one another but are also rooting for each other. There is a comradery that I haven’t seen in other spaces before. 

Judging Experience

The judging experience is like nothing I have ever been a part of. The first night I was running super late because it seemed to be impossible to get an Uber from the Chicagoland suburbs to Highland Park. But I eventually made it and just in time for the competition acts. We got a rundown of how the judging process works. That night I will say, I was really confident with my judging style and opinions. Bitter Jester had a podcast hosted by Vlad Halai, where the judges got to sit in and discuss our experience. The podcast also interviewed various bands and others involved in the night. I also checked out the Val’s Halla booth and was able to purchase the vinyls that I have reviewed the past two years. To my surprise, one of my quotes made it onto the back cover. I wanted to cry but I had to get back to judging. That night was a bit cold but we had warm drinks available. 

Night two was challenging because it was raining. This means the bands had to move under cover. The show goes on with or without rain and Bitter Jester is ready. Thankfully it did clear up and we were able to be more comfortable. What many of the judges did this night which I enjoyed was get up and walk around to experience the bands and get a feel for who they are as musicians. And yes, we did this even with the rain, I will say this night I was less confident in my judging abilities based on what others would point out. I felt underqualified and was more apprehensive about my choices. That night I interacted with the bands more as well. The first night I think they were all enamored by one of the judges so they didn’t interact with the rest of us as much.

Learning my lesson from the previous weekend, I got a room at the Courtyard by Marriot in Deerfield. I was planning to enjoy more of the festival and surrounding area and also avoid being late. I had a wonderful stay and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. Smokey Smothers and I enjoyed our stay and were grateful for the room after exhausting days judging incredible acts. We even ran into some of the bands during our stay. Night three will go down in history for me. It was a heavy night with many of the bands gearing towards louder styles. I have never in my life used earplugs at an event. This was the first time I did and it changed my life. So much so, that I decided to go to Sensaphonics and get some custom ones. I advise everyone to look into ear protection to save your ears.

The final night of deliberations was intense. The weather was lovely but the judges were at each other’s throats (professionally of course). It was a historic 45-minute debate with judges deciding between two very different artists. This is one of the times that we are so grateful for wild cards (the extra bands the BJMF producers pick to join the winners as Finalists at the Finale). The lineup was stacked for the Grand Finale. 

It was interesting to see the dynamics of the judges every night. I think the team at Bitter Jester puts a lot of thought into choosing which judge should be on which night because you see similar personalities each night. I learned so much from all of the judges. Most of them are invested in the competitors’ future and are willing to provide feedback no matter how harsh. Some judges also offer performance opportunities. It is truly beautiful to see. 

Everyone at Bitter Jester is in it for the right reasons and does this because they care. Their passion can be seen in everything they do and can sometimes be intense. The social media team (in 2023 Arden Kurhayez and Courtney Kurhayez) is incredible with their live updates. I appreciated how accommodating the team is to the judges and how much credit we get for volunteering our time. The festival is very organized and when anyone raises an issue it is resolved immediately, if possible, or on the next judging night. 

The Grand Finale 

For the Grand Finale, the stakes are high and the performers must be on their A game. Historically, the Grand Finale took place on the Fourth of July, which meant that the timing had to be impeccable. While this year the date changed, the same rules apply. Performers had a 30-second grace period before a point deduction was applied. It was 15 seconds under or over their set time. This means they had to be smooth throughout the entire set. They were also each given a 30-minute set. To add to the pressure, we are next to a train tracks which can impact audience interaction. You may think this is harsh, but it isn’t because it only prepares them for the future. 

The Grand Finale was HOT!! And I mean that literally. I almost felt like I was back in Miami for a minute. This was also the first time I was driving in Illinois since getting my car shipped here so I wasn’t prepared for the long drive and navigating traffic. This, unfortunately, meant that I missed a little bit of the beginning. I was really upset because I missed one of my Preliminary Round favorites Anna Louse Bramlett. I am still kicking myself for missing her performance. 

When I arrived, I could hear the music from the parking lot. If you are in the Highland Park area it’s impossible not to know there is a festival happening. Even though I was running late, I was able to catch Sunset Drip’s last two songs. This was another set I was mad that I (mostly) missed. They did sound a little rough, especially with the vocals. This might be due to one of their lead vocalists missing. 

Next up we had Exit 122 take the stage. They made major improvements from their Preliminary Night. During Prelims, I was missing my pop-punk vibes from them but I felt I got it today. The crowd was enthralled for every song. 

Heat Above decided to heat things up, as if we weren’t already on fire outdoors in 90 degree weather. A standout was when they performed “All in your Head.” I love Jalon Swinton and his solo was cool as hell. Brady Lott needed to have as much fun throughout the performance as he did on the last song.

Lauren Blackford is a standout solo artist. She applied to the festival to prove a point– that a solo artist can compete in a battle of the bands – and we had to wait until the end of the night to see if she did. She was a major standout during Prelims, with the judges fighting about and for her. We all wanted to see her in the Finale as a Wild Card even if she didn’t win her Prelim. Well, I must say we were right because she was even better during the Finale than on her prelim if that’s even possible. The train did try to get in her way but she handled it like a pro. There was a little mishap with an awkward silence at one point but she quickly recovered. I was holding my breath hoping she didn’t go over time when she was playing “Wasted Potential.” She closed out with an a capella and I almost cried when she did her rendition of “Creep.” I was so happy that she took my suggestion and closed out the show with a specific lyric. It gave the desired impact. At the end of her set, Peter Sagal (host of “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! On NPR) came. He was one of our co-hosts for the evening and he did a mini interview on stage while the next performer was setting up. 

Next up we had rae who is a singer-songwriter from Nashville. I loved her performance a lot. She took the Prelim judge’s suggestions and didn’t fumble with her tech this time. Her music is folk-pop with a little rock. The entire performance was much smoother this time around. The looping made a difference in her performance as well. I felt her body react to the song; she is truly inside her music. 

Scorched Waves are the defending Bitter Jester Grand Champions and they came back to have some fun. They were so fucking groovy. Jaren Wojcik was having the time of his life. If I knew the keys could be punk, I might have continued to play them. Jaren’s keys solo was sooo cool and he even plays the COWBELL!! The band is always in sync and professional. The crowd loved them and was on their feet the entire performance. All of us screamed along when appropriate. The party never stops with Scorched Waves because the energy is always there. 

At this point in the day, it finally started to cool down, thankfully. Just in time for Ur Mom to hit the stage. They were Runner-Ups last year and came to take the crown this year. They will be opening up at Ravinia Festival on August 29, 2024. Another fun fact is Tommy Hinds went to school with my graphic designer at UIC. I must say that I will never get over how incredible Maura Wolf’s voice is. Hearing it on the vinyl last year is nothing compared to hearing her live. I was curious to see if Andrew Vucsko-Cameron would leave the stage with his guitar and interact with the crowd like he did during the preliminaries and he did. I was super nervous and scared wondering if he would make it back to the stage in time and he DID! The crowd was completely enamored by the slow song they did which was their second-to-last song. They also dropped a new song that day titled “OCD” which is such a thought-provoking and relatable track. 

New to the festival this year-and a band that we could not stop talking about- was VICK LUNA. They are a nine-piece band with a smooth, meditative, soulful sound. I felt that I left the planet for some of their set. They evoke emotion no matter what they are playing. They are the definition of soul: inside and out. The singers are so freaking incredible. Jadon Perkins made me believe he was truly brokenhearted. Their rendition of “Golden” had the crowd clapping and jamming out. They screamed super loud and there is no question why they were selected as wild cards this year. Fun fact: the band wore all white as a tribute to Santeria, a religion I and many other Cubans are familiar with. 

While I was backstage talking to VICK LUNA I got an exclusive. Sunset Drip came up to Vick (the band’s leader) to discuss a potential booking for August. Seeing bands come together live is such a magical experience. This festival is truly made for bands to support each other and grow their careers. I’ll be looking out for these bands to come together in August and hope for an invite. 

Closing out the competition portion of the night we had the heavy metal band Venganza. This is their last year in the festival (they’ve aged out) and they left it all on the stage. They are so loud and captivating that you could hear them from the port-a-potties. Somehow they made one of my favorite cartoons metal which I had no idea was possible. Hearing the Scooby Doo theme song as a metal version is insane but so much fun. They even had grandparents moshing. They’re the truest metal band I have ever seen or enjoyed in life. I will never forget them because they are the first band to ever make me wear earplugs and now I have to get custom ones!!!

Head-to-head Showdown

Now that all the performances are done, the judges went into deliberation to narrow it down to the top two. These two acts will go head-to-head with one song each. These are songs that they did not perform during their original sets. The judges will deliberate again and make their decisions based on these songs without considering the previous performances. 

While the judges were deliberating, the audience got a Showcase Act which happens to be Peter Sagal’s favorite band: North Grove. He introduced them by asking us, “What goes in the bucket?” The crowd who knew all screamed out “Funk!” These high schoolers had big shoes to fill since they were not only closing out the night but also had to play for an undetermined amount of time to give the judges space to deliberate. You can’t help but groove along with them and they have so much fun on stage. They all have big personalities and I know they will only grow into becoming even more awesome. Sadie Parkinson has such a cool voice but Luke Fougere can also sing. Since the Finale was stacked with talent, they had to do an encore because the judges were taking so long. But North Grove was ready with a slew of songs. I look forward to seeing them win a preliminary in a couple of years (if they keep applying of course). 

After North Grove, the bands all gathered and we reached the climax of the evening. Nicolas DeGrazia and Peter Sagal got on stage to announce the winners of the evening including the two brands that would be going head-to-head for the coveted title of Grand Champions. The 3rd Place “Ska-lers Honorable Mention Award” went to….Lauren Blackford. Next up they announced the two showdown finalists……Scorched Waves and Ur Mom. 

While the bands got ready, Nic and Peter announced some of the Musician of the Year awards. The vocalist of the year award went to…..Lauren Blackford. The Drummer of the Year award went to “Pinko” Sulmer from VICK LUNA. Last up is Bassist of the Year went to…..Peyton Gaddis also from VICK LUNA. 

Now it was time for Scorched Waves to do their Finale showdown song. They did a Britney Spears song which had me confused at first. It was a unique rendition of the song with the band and crowd having fun with it. After they finished we got another round of Musician of the year awards. Guitarist of the Year went to….. Tommy Hinds from Ur Mom. The Instrumentalist of the Year award went to…..Quinn Romie from VICK LUNA. As you can see Vick Luna swept the competition with Musicians of the Year awards. This shows they have the talent to come back and win in the future. 

Ur Mom was on stage ready to perform an original song titled “Lava Lamp” which is super groovy. You just can’t help but clap along. Maura’s voice makes you fall into a trance and the performance overall seemed to be a crowd favorite. Everyone was jumping for them and the crowd went wild chanting “Ur Mom” at the end of the performance. While awaiting the final decision from the judges, there was a fun crowd-level assessment. We had to scream for the band we thought won. It was pretty close, but I think it went to Ur Mom. 

In survivor style, Nic and Peter read out the judge’s picks one by one. The official total was Scorched Waves with one vote and Ur Mom with six votes. There was a clear winner for the 2024 Bitter Jester Music Festival. Congratulations to everyone who was in the competition and performed this year. 

Next Year

I hope to be invited back to judge or be media again next year. Even if I am not I will be making an appearance to support this exceptional organization. This was a life-changing experience for me. I learned so much from the musicians and other judges. I’ll definitely be reading some books and honing more of my ear to provide better feedback for any artist in the future. I am looking forward to following the career paths of all of the performers. Some are so young that they can potentially be part of the festival for many years to come. 

Bitter Jester provides so many resources for the performer’s future that even if they do not come back they have a foundation set. Each year the reach continues to expand. This year they made it to Canada. I can’t wait to see where the applicants come from next year. You can volunteer your time and make donations to the non-profit organization. But the best way to support is to show up and cheer for these performers. Head over to the Bitter Jester website for information on how to apply and for 2025’s festival dates. 

If you have a local event in Chicago you want media coverage for and to be posted on a top 100 hip hop blog send it to mellystarzsubmissions@gmail.com or head over to our contact page for more information.