By Bruce Karnick

Thursday evenings have been host to the Parks Department’s “Music in the park” concert series at Levee Park. The events are free courtesy of the Ruth and George Doffing Charitable Fund. Last week on the 13th, Jake Nelson was in town. When the official space filled up to the 250-person maximum, people simply spread out into other areas of the park, where they could still see and hear. In total, over 350 people stopped down to check out Jake.

I was able to enlist Jake’s keyboard guy, Brian Schommer, to gather some information on the band. Here is what Brian gave me.

Jake Nelson is a Minnesota-based singer/songwriter who grew up in White Bear Lake and now resides in Arlington, Minnesota. He is inspired by artists ranging from Lee Brice to Phil Collins to Frank Sinatra. His style is a unique blend of alternative country with a “Jake” spin. Jake is backed up by his band, which includes Andy Distel (Minnetonka, MN) and Michael Contreras (Mpls, MN) on guitar, Damien Jungroth (Princeton, MN) on drums, Jamie Vanderhagen (Albany, MN) on bass, Brian Schommer (Hastings, MN) on keyboards and Ash St. John (Hugo, MN via Iowa) on fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Jungroth, Vanderhagen, Schommer and St. John also provide back-up and some lead vocals.

In 2015, Nelson released “Full Swing,” a self-produced, recorded, mixed and mastered project that he takes pride in. Recorded in the basement, it may not be perfect but every track, every song and every aspect is “Jake.” In 2017, he released his debut, self-titled album co-produced by Nelson and drummer Jungroth at Downright Studios in Princeton and mastered by Adam Tucker of SignatureTone Studios in Minneapolis. The song “You’re Not Alone” from this album won 2018 Midwest Country Music Association Song and Video of the Year. “Grew Up Home” from the album helped raise over $150,000 for Minnesota Military Families and “Whiskey Burns” has received strong airplay at radio stations across the upper-midwest.

Nelson’s most recent release (June 2020) “Worth It” has been taking off in directions that even the band themselves are overwhelmed and humbled by. Friday, August 7th marked the release of the video for “SPFU and Me.” As of Thursday, August 13th the video had over 26,000 views. The title track “Worth It” has been receiving a lot of early recognition from local country radio and the album as a whole continues to trend upward on several “emerging artist” sites. “Worth It” and other music by Jake Nelson is available on iTunes, Google play and Spotify. You can find Jake Nelson on Facebook at JakeNelsonMusic and online at www.jakenelsonmusic.com With all of the 2020 festivals postponing, 2021 is filling up fast and looks to be an incredible year ahead for Jake Nelson and the band.

Thanks for the help Brian! This week, August 27th, will feature Starlette’s Web. From their website, www.starlettesweb. com. Starlette’s Web, featuring nationally-recognized performer Stephanie Varone, is the Midwest’s ONLY tribute band to iconic female artists of Pop, Rock, and Country from the ‘80s to today. Led by Stephanie V., Starlette’s Web pays homage to some of the most influential female artists and female-fronted bands of all time, including Joan Jett, Shania Twain, Tina Turner, Katy Perry, Cher, Alanis Morrisette, Dolly Parton, Lizzo, and more!

We hope to see you at Music in the park!

A beautiful night by the river for Music in the park. Over 350 people agreed! When the original space hit the 250-person limit, people simply used nearby areas to watch and listen as Jake Nelson sang both covers and originals. Photo by Buce Karnick

BUSTED! Jake caught photographer Bruce behind the band sneaking some crowd photos so of course he had to ham it up for the camera. Photo by Bruce Karnick.