Jake Clemons Brings Eclectic Show to Larimer Lounge This Friday, Speaks With CMB
by Tim Wenger
Jake Clemons, in the vast and nearly un-summit-able world of music, is much more than just a name. Although most may immediately recognize him as the cousin (and shoe-filler, of sorts, in the E Street Band) of legendary saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Jake is carving his own path with his multi-instrumental talents and the self-titled solo project he has taken to clubs around the country.
Currently touring in support of his newest EP Embracing Light that was released last fall, the show hits the Larimer Lounge this Friday, April 4. “The tour is going great,” says Clemons. “We’re going to play all of the songs (off Embracing Light). It’s a two hour show, we’re gonna play a lot of rock and roll.”
This will be the first time Clemons has played Denver with his solo act, although he has been through on tour as a member of other bands a few times.
Clemons says that recording Embracing Light was different from solo work he had recorded before. “It was very different,” he says. “We released a live cd of demos that we recorded at 12:30 at night the night before tour, in maybe four hours. Very guerilla style, just trying to get some tracks down. (For Embracing Light), we worked on it for over a year. A lot of that was because I was on the road so much. I would a studio that I carried with me, basically, and record and then send it back to the states. Whenever we had extended breaks I would go with the band and track. It was pretty crazy.”
Balancing life between his solo project and touring with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is quite a hectic workload, but Clemons finds balance between the two and thoroughly enjoys the constant touring and recording schedule. Most of last year was spent on world tour with the E Street Band. He says, however, that the solo work is his big focus right now. “Both worlds are really, really important to me,” says Clemons. “But it is the meat, it has inspired me to be successful.”
He has picked up a lot through his time with Springsteen and the E Street Band, and tries to relay his experiences in his own work. He says that being on stage with the E Street Band does not feel all that different from being onstage in small clubs like the Larimer Lounge because the energy is always there, whether on stage at a stadium or a small rock club. “The cool thing about touring with Bruce is that he always brings that element with him,” says Clemons. “So, honestly, it doesn’t feel so different. There are times when Bruce will grab me and we’ll run out to the audience. That personal connection is still there.”
Learning from doing large world tours and playing in front of thousands of people has helped Clemons dial in his own stage show, learning how to make a personal connection with his audience and always maintain a high energy. “For me, that’s something that I’ve loved and enjoyed since the first time I saw the E Street Band. I make my best efforts to apply that to my own experience.”
Despite Clemons’ own growing fame, the average music fan probably does not know exactly know what they are getting into by heading out to see his solo show. He still prefers it that way. “A lot of people come to the show and say that they did not know what to expect,” says Clemons. “Maybe they expect me to be playing the saxophone the whole time, or they didn’t know that there’s a band behind me. It’s cool because those expectations aren’t the experience itself.” At his show, Clemons might be seen playing guitar, sax, drums and piano. He is always working on new tunes while on the road.
As far as future releases, Clemons and studio musicians have some extra tracks from previous recording efforts that they may engineer and release in the future.“We recorded rough tracks for like fifteen songs,” says Clemons. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to hear the songs in the new future.
Online: jakeclemons.com
Category: National News
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