Press Information

June 13 Gig Press Release here

Press kit:
https://eviljake.com/press

Event link:
https://eviljake.com/shows

Contact:
Peter Berberian @ HudsonWide
https://eviljake.com/contact

Evil Jake has always occupied a strange and enviable lane: a band with the chops, hooks, and industry validation of a major breakout, but the instincts to walk away rather than overstay the moment.

During their original run in the mid-2000s, the band earned national press, heavy radio rotation, and prime television placement, with music featured across MTV, NBC, Bravo, Fuel TV, and in films including Jack Black’s School of Rock. Their songs landed everywhere from The Real World and Road Rules to Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, alongside a national Macy Gray Mountain Dew commercial. They toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, completed a USO celebrity tour overseas, and built an audience long before algorithms got involved.

Critics consistently pointed to the same thing: sharp songwriting, undeniable hooks, and a level of musicianship - including a Grammy! - that separated Evil Jake from the pack.

Evil Jake is not a reunion band.
They are a band that never forgot how to play.

UPCOMING LIVE DATE

Saturday, October 24  @ Arlene’s Grocery NYC

BACKGROUND

Evil Jake’s critically acclaimed album Be My Ex-Girlfriend was produced by Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Army Navy, Juliana Hatfield, J. Mascis) and featured backing vocals from Sam Endicott of The Bravery and Patti Rothberg. The title track received national radio airplay and major television placements, helping establish the band as a standout in the NYC rock landscape.

The band has shared stages with artists including The Strokes, The Bravery, Charlie Daniels Band, Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Colin Hay (Men at Work), and many others. The band’s current lineup includes Grammy-winning drummer Rich Kulsar, whose work has added a new level of precision and power to Evil Jake’s live sound as the band returns for its first full-band performances in seven years.

SELECT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

  • National television and film placements including Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, The Real World, Road Rules, multiple feature films, and Jack Black’s School of Rock
  • Breakout album Be My Ex-Girlfriend featured guest vocals from Sam Endicott (The Bravery) and Patti Rothberg, cementing the band’s national profile
  • Featured in a national Macy Gray Mountain Dew commercial
  • Completed a USO Celebrity Tour across Bosnia, Kosovo, Iceland, Hungary, and Austria
  • #1 Indie Rock album on CDBaby
  • Over 1,000,000 downloads on mp3.com; #1 in Rock, #3 overall
  • National radio promotion and CMJ charting
  • Winners of Hard Rock Café Battle of the Bands and Jim Beam Rock Band Search

PRESS QUOTES

“Enough hooks to land a whale.” — All Music Guide
“Undeniably and unapologetically fun.” — Switch Magazine
“A stone’s throw away from The Strokes, but with better vocals.” — Starpolish
“Great instrumentation from this guitar virtuoso" — Lycos Music
“Dangerously catchy.” — Erie Times
“Allegedly quite fun.” — Village Voice

LINEUP

  • Mike Jacobs — guitar, vocals
    A fixture on the East Coast music scene since his teens, Jacobs is a founding member of NYC power-pop favorites The Pasties and has been described by national press as a “guitar virtuoso.” His career spans club stages, national tours, television placements, and collaborations across genres.
  • David Leatherwood — bass, bvox
    Former member of major-label acts including Patti Rothberg, Puracane, and Mach Five. Has opened for Depeche Mode, Aerosmith, Sting, Duran Duran, Live, and Fuel.
  • Rich Kulsar — drums
    Grammy-winning rock drummer!

CONTACT / ASSETS