Singer-songwriter bringing music to Ottawa

Growing up on the North Side of Chicago, Jake La Botz didn’t find much comfort away from the Windy City.

“The suburbs were always terrifying to me,” he said in a phone interview from his Winona, Minn., home.

At some point, the singer-songwriter-guitarist’s preferences to a quieter way of life surfaced, and he’ll bring his blues rock to another small, Midwestern town this weekend.

La Botz will perform 7 p.m. Friday, June 25, at Dockside Bar and Grille, 1001 E. Main St., Ottawa. Old friends and Ottawa-based Katie Belle and the Belle Rangers will be the opening act.

More than 20 years ago, La Botz was part of the music scene in Chicago’s Wicker Park along with Trupiano and her husband, “DuffelBag Joe” Trupiano.

“Those were some wild days, salad days when we were playing music and having fun,” said Katie Belle Trupiano, whose own bands sounds run from alternative to country music.

The Trupianos eventually made their way to Ottawa, Katie Belle’s hometown, while La Botz moved to Winona, where his wife grew up. Both communities are different worlds than Wicker Park.

“Cities and smaller rural towns, I really like them,” La Botz said of Winona. “It’s not dissimilar to Ottawa and other places in Illinois.”

La Botz likes to tour, but the pandemic quashed most opportunities to do so. But he’s back this month, playing venues in small towns and even Minneapolis, Chicago and Las Vegas. (jakelabotz.com). The tour is in support of his latest album, “They’re Coming For Me.”

“Now that things are opening up, I’m getting back out there,” he said.

As a child, La Botz wanted to be an actor and was involved in community theater in Chicago, prior to getting into music as a teen.

Trupiano said La Botz’ songs are similar to her own, yet there are definite differences.

“We parallel, but he’s more bluesy than us,” she said. “Jake has a rich, velvety voice and is a great storyteller.”

Although he moved to music, La Botz has remained active in acting. He’s accumulated 22 acting credits, including short films and television shows.

When living in Los Angeles, La Botz became friends with actor Steve Buscemi, who wrote a part for the musician in a movie he directed.

LaBotz’s acting credits include “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” “On the Road,” “Rambo” (2008) and TV series “True Detective,” in which he played country music legend Conway Twitty. La Botz’s music also has been used in 18 film and TV soundtracks.

“It’s only really if the phone rings,” La Botz said of his acting career. “If you’re not in New York or Los Angeles, it’s hard.”

LaBotz is glad Trupiano recommended Ottawa as a place to perform — even if it’s somewhat close to the Chicago suburbs.

“She felt it would be a good place to play. She was right on it,” La Botz said.