I don’t know how Nic DeGrazia, the mastermind behind the Bitter Jester Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois, found my information, but I am so glad that he did. Bitter Jester is, as he put it, “a small but mighty music festival,” and I feel like that is a vast understatement. This event features emerging artists and has been for almost twenty years. It’s not just emerging acts, though; it’s for young artists (complete with an age cut-off for those who can participate). On top of doing an annual festival, this amazing non-profit (don’t worry, I’ll bring that up again at the end of this post when I ask you for your donations to go to this amazing organization) records the finales of their music festival which is the end product of many battles of the bands spaced throughout the summer. I am beyond honored to have been given a sneak peek of their 2024 festival.
This particular album kicks off with “Sinclair” from Charlieboy. I was instantly struck by the crispness of the recording and this band in general. I don’t know what I was expecting, but when you tell me something is a live recording and from a festival at that, I assume grit and grain. That’s not at all what you get with this first track. Time will tell if that’s the recording being so well done on this album or the sheer talent of Charlieboy, but either way, I was instantly in love. Charlieboy’s overall sound is indie rock. It’s no frills but features a prominent cowbell, which will get you moving and grooving. To think that this band is made up of young performers is something that is hard to keep in perspective, but I have a feeling that this will be an ongoing trend throughout this album.
“Lava Lamp” from Ur Mom brings an undeniable groove to this compilation that is thoroughly inescapable. The vocals in this song are what really caught me. They feel a bit like Tank and the Bangas but with a bit more of a sultry attitude to them. When you add that to the super groovy instrumentation happening behind them, you are left with the kind of song that transports you into a smoky jazz club. I love how, although this is just the second song on the album, we are already seeing the diversity that makes the Bitter Jester Music Festival such a brilliant idea. Although there is very little in common when it comes to the styles of “Sinclair” and “Lava Lamp,” the passion that seeps through every beat is absolutely in the same vein of things.
Wrapping up Side A of this album is “I Need to Get Out Of Here” from Scorched Waves. It took me a second, but as this song really started to pick up and get into it, I realized that I knew exactly who this was. I just saw Scorched Waves perform a couple of weeks ago at The 7th Street Entry when they opened for Wheatus. Full disclosure, I haven’t spent much time with this band since that show, but I loved the fact that I could recognize their distinct ska-leaning Panic at the Disco leaning indie-rock flavor. I also loved how hearing this song transported me back to that fateful night when I got to see them perform. As I listened to this song wrap up Side A on the album, I couldn’t help but chuckle about how small this world is. Here I was, listening to a seemingly random album from a festival that I had somehow connected with, and I was listening to a band that I had just seen live.
Side B kicks off with “See It/Believe It” from Sunset Drip, and this song brings you into this second side of the album with a fierce sense of swagger and energy. This song is a powerful grunge-inspired track that definitely gets the blood pumping. Although I couldn’t hear the audience in the recording (other than hoots and hollers after each song), I could definitely feel the energy of a live audience as this song played through. That doesn’t come from the integrity of the recording quality because, again, it’s done so flawlessly on this album, but it comes through with the energy that Sunset Drip has put into this track.
From grunge to a more pop-punk leaning punk song, the album continues to fly forward with “Over and Over” from Exit 122. This song is fun and brought me back to my youth. There’s something overly energizing about this song but also something painfully nostalgic. Okay, maybe using the word “painfully” gives you the wrong impression. This is a slamming song that I instantly fell head over heels for, but there was something about it that just felt dated in a way that it took me back to my years spent at smoky punk rock clubs that I had no business being in when I was an angsty teen, and I loved it. I also really love how you can hear this band try to get the audience moving in this song. About halfway through the track, you hear someone in the band urge the audience to get on their feet. I don’t know if that ended up happening but I hope so because Exit 122 is more than deserving of a super energetic audience to match their high-powered sound.
I love the way that pop-punk remains the name of the game as we get treated to “Calling Out” from Venganza. Again, hearing these young bands playing a sound that is so familiar to me but something that is a bit of a call back to my youth made my heart flutter. This song is another fast-and-furious song that seems a bit more in line with Chicago-based Allister. It’s definitely pop-punk rooted, but there’s something a bit more abrasive about some of the riffs. Just when I thought I had this band pegged, they hit me with a slight Mest-feeling interlude in the middle of the song where things slow and calm down ever so slightly giving way to a trombone? This song is wild, but it’s genius, and I completely understood why this band and this song in particular was a pick for this album and this festival.
Things slow down beat-wise as the album ends Side B with “Is It Still Raining” from Heat Above. This song brings the focus back into a bit groovier sound but keeps the energy high. This highly danceable track feels like a summer festival. I don’t know how to expand on that and feel like, by saying that, I’ve backed myself into a bit of a corner, but just take a listen, and I’m sure you’ll get it. Somehow, this song made me feel a cool breeze against my sun-drenched skin, and I could feel the condensation of a cold drink in my hand. It was a super cool feeling and one that has me ready to dive into this summer’s festival season, which is quickly approaching.
Side C kicks off with the introduction of Peter Sagal. As if my mind wasn’t blown enough when I realized that I had actually seen one of these bands before, I was now listening to the voice that soundtracks my weekend mornings. I’m an NPR geek, so hearing Peter’s distinct and friendly voice talk about his support for Bitter Jester and all of the things they do made me feel like I was in good company. There are so many times when I cover up-and-coming acts and feel like it’s a bit of an uphill battle. I don’t know what it was about hearing Peter praise this organization, but it lit a fire under my butt and made me so excited to jump into the rest of the music.
“Canyonlands” from rae was up next. The first singer-songwriter on the album, I was instantly captivated by rae’s smooth and honest voice. Like any great singer-songwriter, the lyrics in “Canyonlands” are what really hooked me. They were honest and diary-like which meshed well with rae’s stunningly clear but somehow raw vocals. Although I feel like this was definitely a shift in mood from the celebratory voice of Peter Sagal, this was a gorgeous track.
Anna Louise Bramlett’s sound is distinct and powerful. The way that she kicks off “Left Shoe” is stunning, and as the rest of the band comes in to join and create a joyous and danceable vibe, I couldn’t help but give up on sitting at my desk. This song made me want to move. It was simple and honest yet felt full and deep in so many ways, and Anna Louise Bramlett’s voice was goosebump-inducing. It had power, but that was a given. It was the subtle pain that came through in some words and the stunning runs and trills that she was able to do without hesitation that really got me.
Closing out Side C is Lauren Blackford with “Wasted Potential.” Before Lauren starts the song, she gives you some insight into what the song is about. I’m obviously not going to give it away, but it felt playful and almost a bit juvenile, but then you hear this song. The vocals are as deep as the sea, which, like the vast sea, are so easy to get lost in. To say that they are emotive would be an understatement, and for a few seconds in this song, I almost forgot that I was listening to a young adult. There’s so much maturity and talent in “Wasted Potential”‘ and Lauren Blackford’s overall style and sound that it’s not hard to imagine Lauren taking over the country one venue at a time in the near future.
All good things must come to an end, but we still have four amazing songs left on Side D before the journey of this compilation is over. This side starts with “Drum & Bass” from North Grove. This track is an insane rollercoaster ride. It starts powerful before dropping down and starting the tug of war between tender and insanely energetic. The vocals in this track was the first time on this album where I felt like I could hear the live-recording. That’s not a knock on this band at all. In fact, it’s a compliment. Vocalist Sadie Parkinson came off as a bit out of breath for parts of this song, and I loved how that made me imagine Sadie and the rest of the band rocking their butts off on stage to the point where they were out of breath.
This album closes with the return of Scorched Waves (performing “Dreaming Eyes”), Ur Mom (performing “OCD”) and Lauren Blackford (performing “Reset Button”). I’ve already talked your ears off about all of the bands featured on this record, so I’ll opt out of praising these three yet again, but don’t let that stop you from checking out these final tracks because they are all amazing.
There was a winner of this battle, and they are featured on this album, but I’m not going to tell you who it was because, truthfully, that doesn’t matter. What matters is we just went through an entire album of insanely amazing, creative, and innovative music done by, in some cases, literal kids and promoted by a non-profit. I will support the arts until the day I die. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. If I didn’t have people in my life who allowed and even encouraged me to get into this whole “going to a concert every night” thing, I wouldn’t be doing it. It’s a thankless passion project for the most part, but there are moments when you see the light, and Bitter Jester is that light. I don’t know how Nic of Bitter Jester found me but it’s a partnership where this review is just the beginning.
For more information on Bitter Jester, who they are, and what they do, check out their website HERE!
Do you have some spare money hanging out? Please donate to this amazing organization HERE!
Want to go check out one of the amazing events associated with this organization? Here’s the most current timeline:
June 2, 2025: Satellite Concert #1 @ Chicago Botanic Gardens
June 6, 2025: Opening Night Preliminary Concert
June 7, 2025: Night Two Preliminary Concert
June 9, 2025: Satellite Concert #2 @ Chicago Botanic Gardens
June 13, 2025: Night Three Preliminary Concert
June 14, 2025: Night Four Preliminary Concert
TBA, JUNE 2025: Wild Cards Announced!!
June 28, 2025: Grand Finale Concert
TBA, SUMMER, 2025: A Bitter Jester Band Opens @ Ravinia Festival
SEPT. 1, 2025: “Best Of” Showcase @ Navy Pier
Who knows– you may even see me at some of these events!
PHOTO CREDIT: @photos.by.farver
Looking for more amazing music from this festival?!
Here’s the link to pre-order Vol 03: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/vinyl-live-at-bitter-jester–03
Here’s the link to purchase Vol 02: https://valshallarecords.com/product/various-bitter-jester-music-festival-vol-01
Here’s the link to purchase Vol 01: https://valshallarecords.com/product/various-bitter-jester-music-festival-vol-02
Wanna check out all of the bands featured on this particular album?:
Also, and I promise this is, make sure to following these amazing accounts as well that have both facilitated and supported Bitter Jester Music Festival:
@bitterjester_musicfestival
@psagal / @waitwaitnpr
Discover more from Girl at the Rock Shows
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Leave a Reply