Acoustic Conversations with Jake Oken-Berg

If there’s a gimmick to Jake Oken-Berg, it’s the run for Mayor. That’s what gets you to ask, what’s up with this guy? But that’s where the gimmick ends. Because it turns out, he’s as stone serious about politics as he is about his music. And when you close your eyes and Jake starts to play, you hear clearly why any loss to politics is a big win for music. He is hard on the keys, but he’s not a Ben Folds-pounder. He’s deliberate in his playing and laser-focused in his songwriting, pressing against the boundaries of piano pop.