Hamon has been a judge since 2021
Hamon Kim
Bitter Jester Music Festival Industry Advisor for Artist Management & Verbal Commentary at the Grand Finale
Hamon works in the fields of Artist Management and Business Development. A product of Chicago’s North Shore and an Alum of Glenbrook North High School and Northwestern University, he has always had deep roots in the local community and an even deeper love for the city of Chicago and the North Side, specifically.
Growing up, Hamon always had an interest in music. He started off playing the cello before switching his interests to long hair and the guitar in middle school. He still has a special relationship with his Les Paul and Northwestern Purple Fender Telecaster.
“Sometimes it rains... and you have to hold the umbrella and be the hype man for Manny Torres!”
These days, Hamon’s focus has centered on the development and management of emerging Chicago-based artists with the goal of helping them “to own their sound and their city.” A couple of Hamon’s clients have made it to the finals of American Idol and the Voice.
He has had a special affinity toward young up-and-coming performers, wanting to help give them every opportunity to fulfill their greatest potential and help them share their sound (and message) with the world! At his very core, Hamon believes that every artist has a valuable and relevant story to tell. He believes each of those stories can play an important part in making our world a better place - an experience we can enjoy together.
At the end of the day, this quote captures Hamon’s passion:
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-H. Thurman
Hamon’s goal is always to find and work with artists that make him come alive… and then to help those artists fully come alive in all of their songs and performances, making this world just a little bit more alive, in turn, one song and one performance at a time!
Hamon can be found at BJMF on most nights (including at Navy Pier!) and makes it a point to connect with virtually every single BJMF performer! He and also provides words of wisdom to the Grand Finale musicians via additional verbal commentary he records throughout the show that is given to performers in the post-show feedback packet.
Find him on Instagram @hamonkim.
