Dirk Weaver/Clint Chandler-guitar, Stan Saxon-Drums, David Dubas/Race-Bass, Kari Nelson fiddle
Influences
George Jones, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Hank Williams, Conway Twitty, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Pat Green (old stuff), Cory Morrow, Johnny Horton
The honky tonks of downtown Nashville give visitors a listen of all genres of country music, including the unique sounds of Jake Maurer’s rocked up traditional country. As tourists stroll through downtown Nashville, they cannot help but take notice of the deep, country voice, streaming out of the world famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge.
Meet Jake Maurer, the born and bred Illinois small town country boy. Fans and tourists pack the floor of Tootsie’s to see The Jake Maurer Band’s entertaining show, loaded with talent and full of energy and fun. Not to mention, the crowd of women captivated by Jake’s charm and innocent blue eyes and men who appreciate his traditional country sound.
Jake Maurer is from the small Midwest town of Metamora, Illinois. He is the oldest of four and is proud of his “perfect parents” and smalltown values. His love of the Midwest, as described in much of his music, is based upon his experiences in the great state of Illinois. He describes his hometown as a “football crazy town.” As he talks about his earliest dreams, he says, “All I ever wanted to do was be a football player for the Metamora Redbirds.” Jake did go on to star as a 3-sport athlete for the Redbirds and then continued his football career as linebacker for Eastern Illinois University. Jake is enjoying Nashville, which he refers to as, “honky-tonk Heaven” but says, “There’s nothing like being home for a Friday night football game and a Sunday dinner.” Football is only one of Jake’s small town values. He loves horseback riding, homecooked meals, reading cowboy novels, grilling out and drinking beer with friends. But, the most important things in his life are God and his family, which recently welcomed a new baby boy. Many songs on Jake’s first album illustrate his conservative values and are dedicated to these very topics. His title track, “Hard Drinkin’ God Fearing,” brings these things together as he says, “My mom and daddy taught me how to work and how to pray. My friends taught me to party, how to drink away a Saturday.” Jake loves to let loose and have a good time, but also values hardworking, honesty and faith that have brought him to where he is today.
Music was introduced early in Jake’s life, as he watched his Dad’s family join to make up the entire choir at his grandparent’s church. At the age of 3 Jake was the solo act in a Christmas concert, but he credits his high school choir director, Ron Keiswetter, for helping him develop his appreciation for music and his college friends for introducing him to the music of George Jones. He soon found he also loved the sounds of many outlaw country artists, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and enjoyed the classic country of Johnny Horton and Hank Williams. The beginning of Jake’s music career was brought about by chance. After college, he had embarked on a journey to the Montana countryside and then returned to Illinois to teach and coach football. As he and a fellow football coach discussed how they might spend their “free time after the football season,” they realized they both play guitar. After playing together a few times, the two decided to try out some open mic nights and eventually formed the band, “Irons in the Fire.” Jake says that “After playing those Friday and Saturday nights in front of people, I found out this is what I love to do.” Country fans are happy about that! After three years of teaching and coaching, Jake and his wife decided it was time to head to Nashville.
You can learn more about Jake by listening to the music he writes. His love of the Midwest is described in Midwest Morning and Seasons Change. Midwest Morning describes Jake’s roots as he says, “I ain’t exactly southern and I sure ain’t Chicago, just somewhere in between on this old country road.” As he talks about Seasons Change, he says, “That one’s my life completely,” and the line “This town is in my blood, this place is where I belong” describes again, his strong feeling for his beloved hometown, which he describes as “his favorite place in the world.”
The personal messages in Jake’s music make each song unique, and yet his style can be compared to the sounds of Johnny Cash and Josh Turner. This is particularly evident in Jake’s song, “Chariots of Fire.” Jake has tackled many topics in his music; the life of a drinker in “Diehard Remain” and “When Did I Sell My Soul,” humor and hunting in “Red” and love in “Katherine Marie.” Jake enjoys the storytelling aspect of music and gives his fans exactly that in “Tough get A’goin,” which tells of the generations of hard work within his family.
In Jake’s two years as a Tennessean, Jake has picked up a bit of a southern twang, and changed a bit of his attention from the Midwest. But, his recently released CD retains his ultimate focus of his devotion to family and God in Glory Wheels, written by Travis Lamb, Grandad, Millionaire and Sun Comes Up. Millionaire, co-written with Joanna Smith, llustrates Jake’s values, as he sings, “We ain’t got much, but we’ve got everything we need. . . . If life’s really about the gettin’ there, who really wants to be a Millionaire.” Of course, Jake includes some humor in his writing, as illustrated in Leave My Garage Alone, which begs his wife to do exactly that.”
A typical night for Jake will find him in boots and jeans, singing to an adoring crowd in downtown Nashville or out on the road. Jake loves meeting his fans and finding out a little bit about them, and the different journeys that have brought them all together. The fans love this part of his show also, as they get a closer look at those blue eyes and get a chance to talk to the personable and down to earth country boy. Jake also enjoys the challenge of winning over a different crowd each night, and appreciates that his career allows him to introduce differing genres of music to varying generations of people. Jake is continuing to write new songs and develop his guitar skills, and in the meantime he says, “I’m having a great time in the World’s Greatest Honky-tonk.”
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It was good to see you again. You were great as usual. Tell Katie that Barb and I said howdy. Hopefully we can get back down your way again soon. I'm giving Steve your number so he can check with you about coming up. (Be nice to him :). See ya.
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No I am in Springfield! Doing the athletic training thing! Looks like things are going well for you out in Nashville!! Whats new with you? So great to find you on here!!
Hi Jake. Is your cd on sale yet? I would really like to buy it. We are going to Chicago at the end of September and will be there for the Country Music Festival on the 3rd & 4th October. Is there any chance you could be performing? I do hope so.
Congratulations on the birth of your baby. Hope you"re not having too many sleepless nights.
Oh Jake we have been making plans for this for months!!!!! Jaydon and I will definitely be around Friday and Saturday night!!!!! We would not miss it for the world....can't wait!!!!!
mr. maurer, when you come back to matton you have to come visit me and emma and not hang in the beer tent the whole time! we miss you alot and we wanna see if you really live in a big box :)
