“From the first time I heard him playing guitar and singing his songs in a smoky bar on La Brea and Sunset, I became a devoted fan of Jake La Botz.” —Steve Buscemi
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”Jake LaBotz turns paranoia into a haunting, Tom Waits-worthy piece of cabaret Americana with “They’re Coming for Me,” the title track from his newest solo effort. He delivers his lyrics like a method actor, imbuing each line with a mix of theatricality and wild, wide-eyed believability.” —Rolling Stone
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“…this idiosyncratic songwriter can handle types of heavy lifting that many others frankly can’t.”” —No Depression
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“One of the year’s best Americana albums.” —PopMatters
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“This album has staying power. It’s a good kind of weird.”” —GLIDE
Bio
Jake La Botz’s rough and tumble upbringing took him from juvenile delinquency and punk rock to learning blues from the last of Chicago’s pre-war era bluesmen. From there, with guitar in tow, he made his way across the U.S.A. until he hit the end of the line in Hollywood where an improbable acting career began to unfold.
After getting clean from heroin at thirty years old, La Botz became a Buddhist meditation practitioner. He also took his bluesy guitar chops to the Greater Mt. Zion Church in South Central L.A. where he steeped himself in gospel music. Ever since then, La Botz has been putting out his own style of Gospel-noir Americana. The eccentric stories, characters, and underlying spiritual messages often heard in his songs come to a head on his latest album Hair on Fire.
Among more than twenty film and TV credits, La Botz has acted in True Detective, Rambo, and On the Road. His most recent film, D.O.A., stars fellow musician John Doe from the punk band X.
Beyond music and acting, La Botz is also a writer. His debut collection of short fiction is forthcoming from Cornerstone Press in April, 2026. A graphic memoir is also in the works. See the Fiction tab for a complete list of publications.
MUSIC
Singer/songwriter Jake La Botz plays roots music that reflects his time performing in streets, bars, churches, and even tattoo parlors. You can also hear the various places La Botz has lived in his music — including his time in New Orleans, the Mississippi Delta, and his native Chicago where, as a young man, he found kinship with some of the last of the pre-war era bluesmen: David “Honeyboy” Edwards, “Homesick” James, and “Maxwell Street” Jimmy Davis. In 2017 and 2019 Jake released his studio albums Sunnyside and They’re Coming for Me on Hi-Style Records to critical acclaim. Produced by Jimmy Sutton, both albums won Independent Music Awards. Jake has toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe and has shared the stage with Ray Charles, Etta James, Dr. John, Mavis Staples, JD McPherson, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Tony Joe White, Low Cut Connie and a host of other greats.
ACTING
“Acting’s what I wanted to do as a kid, so I bought a second-hand suit and volunteered as an usher to see live theatre for free,” La Botz recalls. “I wanted to be near the action, and the magic, the mythology and the storytelling, that creativity. Later in life I crashed a movie premiere (which is something everyone in LA ought to do at some point), and there I met Steve Buscemi; I invited him to a gig, and he actually came out! Such a cool guy.” Buscemi began to frequent La Botz’ shows, and the two struck up a friendship; before long, Buscemi was set to direct a film (Animal Factory), and wrote in a role for La Botz. From there, La Botz went on to act in a number of other films including Rambo, On the Road, and The Grace of Jake. He also starred in the stage musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County written by Stephen King and John Mellencamp.
FICTION Writing
Published stories:
“Fourth for Cards” - Wrong Turn Lit - July 31st, 2023
”Pick a Part” - The Museum of Americana (Issue 31) - Oct. 15th, 2023
”Almost Free” - In Parentheses Magazine (Vol.8 Issue 1 - print edition and online) - Oct. 15/17, 2023
”Triple Feature” - Bear Paw Arts Journal (Issue 1) - Nov. 25, 2023
"Mashed Potato Time" - The Inquisitive Eater - New School Food - Dec. 15, 2023 “The Microphone” - Revolution John Journal - Jan. 25, 2024 “Self-Help” - Berlin Literary Review - (Issue 3) - Feb 8, 2024 “Your Place in this World” - Third Wednesday Magazine - (Vol. XVII, No. 2)- March 4. 2024
"Good Sturdy Furniture” - Metonym Literary Journal - (Vol. 12 - print edition) - Spring, 2024 “Closer” - The Hooghly Review - (Issue 3) - April 30th, 2024 “Tonight’s Sermon” - Progenitor Literary Journal - (Vol. 59 print and online) - May 14th, 2024 “Pierce” - Fiction on the Web - coming June 28, 2024 “Sponsors” - Exacting Clam (Issue 14) - September 1, 2024 “March 15th” - The MacGuffin (Volume 40.1 print only) - coming soon
MEDITATION
Jake La Botz is a Somatic Meditation teacher trained by Dharma Ocean lineage holders Reggie Ray and Caroline Pfohl. He’s been practicing and studying for over twenty years within the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition and has taught in settings as varied as colleges, prisons, Dharma centers, and living rooms.
Teaching SCHEdule
Sept 14th, 28th & Oct 12th, 26th 2024, 11am-1pm
Riverview Library — 1 George St E, St Paul, MN. Please email in advance if you’d like to attend. info.jakelabotz@gmail.com