John has been a judge since 2020
John performs a Championship set with Van Buren & Wells at Bitter Jester in 2013.
John Williams
Bitter Jester Music Festival Judge
2013 Bitter Jester Grand Champion
John Williams is a 30 year old singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (including bass, drums, trombone, and piano) and the lead vocalist / guitarist for the Chicago-based Funk Rock band, Lunchbox John & The Goodsnacks. He has been singing and writing songs for as long as he can remember and is an alumnus of Adlai E. Stevenson High School and UIC.
With over 15 years of gigging experience across 3 different bands and a solo acoustic project, John has headlined iconic Chicago stages such as The Hard Rock Café, Lincoln Hall, Reggie’s Rock Club, both WGN Radio & the Midday News, Buckingham Fountain, Navy Pier’s Beer Garden, the Cubby Bear and many more.
2026 marks John’s 5th year returning to the Bitter Jester Music Festival in Highland Park. He was a three-time Finalist and was crowned the 2013 Grand Champion with his former band, Van Buren & Wells along with fellow Bitter Jester Alumni Judge Jackson Dreyer. John was also as a judge for the first-ever Bitter Jester Original Songwriting Competition in 2020.
John’s musical influences stem from a deep appreciation of the Blues and a love of classic Rock, Funk, and Pop music. His powerful, gritty voice and improvisational guitar skills mirror those of his musical heroes B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tedeschi Trucks band, John Mayer and more. He has written over 80 original songs, recording 4 EPs and 1 album to date.
You can follow John’s band on Instagram & also on Facebook as they gear up to record their debut EP, or listen to his previous musical projects Today’s Trade (on streaming platforms everywhere) or Van Buren & Wells on YouTube.
Outside of music, John works in Media & Advertising technology at Roku. He is an avid outdoorsman who loves spending time on the lake or hiking trails at national parks.
“Bitter Jester is the best Battle of the Bands EVER put together! It’s iconic and does so much for young musicians everywhere. I’m excited to be returning as a judge and I cannot wait to hear all of the amazing talent out there once more. Good luck!”
