LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After a five-week-long “Battle of the Bands,” The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails, the swanky speakeasy and live rock lounge at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, has crowned BADD JUJU, a local Las Vegas music collective, the winners of the competition.
A musical collective founded in 2023 and fronted by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Eric Torres, BADD JUJU features a versatile cast of band members including Joe Palispis on guitar and backup vocals; Niko Candeleria on drums and percussion; Ricardo Mondragon on bass; Zane Shihadeh on keyboard; Sam Knapp on bass; and Liam Mullen on keyboard.
BADD JUJU’s vast musical catalog features originals as well as classic and contemporary hits creatively arranged into unforgettable mash-ups. Some of their most popular covers include hits like “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince, “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz, “Hard To Handle” by the Black Crowes, “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross, “This Love” by Maroon 5 and “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae, among others.
As winners of the competition, the band received $5,000, a recording session with Iconica records and a six-month residency at The Barbershop. Guests can see them take the stage for the first time as Barbershop residents at 10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30 The residency will extend through March 2025.
