5th Annual Late Nite HP Bitter Jester Battle of the Bands a Success!

July 8, 2010

The conclusion of the 5th Annual Late Nite HP Bitter Jester Battle of the Bands went off without a hitch on the 4th of July.

Since 2005, Bitter Jester has partnered with Late Nite HP to produce a battle of the bands in Highland Park, IL. Every Friday night in June, high school bands battle one another. A panel of judges declares a winner each Friday and the winning bands then move on to battle at the City of Highland Park's pre-fireworks concert on the 4th of July at Wolter's Field.

The Friday night winners each play a twenty-minute set on a professional outdoor sound stage and are once again judged by a panel. This time, however, the judges narrow the (usually five) bands down to the top two. The two finalists are announced and they each then play one single song for the gathered crowd. It's then up to the audience to determine the winning band by show of applause and cheering!

The winning band is awarded a $400 check from the City of Highland Park and the runner-up band is awarded a $200 check from the City. This year's winning band, The Burrows 4 from Deerfield, was also the co-winner of last year's battle. The runner-up band, The Aftershow from Buffalo Grove, was new to the battle this year.

Daniel Kullman's pictures from the event can be found by clicking here!