PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOLD OUT. RAVE REVIEWS. NOW EVIL JAKE IS RUNNING IT BACK.

NYC Rock Band Returns to Headline Arlene’s Grocery After Packing Out Their Last Show

New York, NY — Great nights rarely get a second chance.

Packed room. Rave reviews. A post-show that stretched far beyond last call. When Evil Jake returned to the stage after nearly a decade away earlier this year, the expectation was curiosity. What happened instead was something closer to ignition.

Arlene’s Grocery sold out.

Now, by popular demand and with momentum building, Evil Jake returns to the Lower East Side on Saturday, June 13, this time headlining and bringing the chaos back for one more night before summer.

Normally, nights like this don’t repeat.

This one does.

For those who missed the first show, Evil Jake occupies a lane that feels increasingly rare: hook-heavy guitar rock built for actual rooms full of actual people. Loud guitars. Big choruses. Real musicians. The kind of band that remembers songs should hit hard live.

The band's original run earned national press, radio support, television placements, and a devoted following built one sweaty room at a time. Their music appeared on MTV, NBC, Bravo, Fuel TV, and in shows including The Real World, Road Rules, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Jack Black’s School of Rock, along with a national Mountain Dew commercial featuring Macy Gray.

The band toured throughout the United States and Europe, completed a celebrated USO celebrity tour overseas, and built a catalog that quietly outlasted trends.

Their breakout release, Be My Ex-Girlfriend, featured guest appearances from Sam Endicott of The Bravery and Patti Rothberg, earned national radio support, and charted on CMJ.

The current lineup features Mike Jacobs on guitar and vocals, David Leatherwood on bass, and Grammy-winning drummer Rich Kulsar, bringing heavyweight musicianship to a band that has always favored precision over excess.

"This isn't a reunion band. Just unfinished business." 🎸

EVENT DETAILS

Evil Jake
Saturday, June 13, 2026
Arlene’s Grocery
95 Stanton Street
New York, NY

Doors: 6:30pm
21+

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

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

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

Press Information

June 13 Gig Press Release here

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, June 13 @ Arlene’s Grocery NYC
Press Release / Details here
95 Stanton Street, New York, NY

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 Kelso — drums
    Grammy-winning rock drummer!

CONTACT / ASSETS