Guest Blog # 2

4 Days left. Thanks SO MUCH for your support thus far. I'm honored to post this second guest blog, written by my good friend Dain Bornstein (pictured above right), who has been a very important part of my life and musical career:

I met and became friends with Jakob in 1998. Over the past 12 years Jakob has written hundreds of songs, recorded hundreds of songs, sold thousands of albums, been through several band members, and, many incarnations of his name. I have personally witnessed Jakob bring audiences to both tears and laughter. I am constantly in awe of the lives he has touched with his spirit and music.

Jakob's commitment to his craft has never wavered over the time that I have known him. Since we were kids I have been inspired by his drive & dedication to his music. I have never met anyone who is so committed to seeing his dreams and goals come to fruition. What makes Jakob even more special is that while he is completely committed to his own success, he also encourages his friends and peers to do the same. Jakob believes that we are each uniquely capable of defining our own futures, that we have the power to create the world we want to live in.

Another thing that has always amazed me about Jakob is that he always takes the time to talk with his fans and give back to the community. He loves to make connections with the people whose lives he has touched. I'll never forget a year or two ago when he had the opportunity to play some music and hang out with some high school kids that were in town from the same youth group we had been in when we were in high school. It was about 1 in the morning by the time we were able to get there because he had a show earlier in the night, but the kids were only in town for that one night, so we headed over to where they were staying and hung out for several hours. Jakob played some songs for them, took requests, and answered their questions. One girl in particular had been really moved by his music and is herself a musician. She asked Jakob for some insight into the music industry, and then also played him a song that she had written. It was a great moment and it's moments like those that have shown me what an impact Jakob has already made, and will continue to make on his fans and friends.

While many people mark the years of their lives by dates - perhaps holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, I can mark my years by songs - by concerts - by tours. Jakob's songs can bring many of us back to a particular point in our lives - whether hearing "Providence" helped you through the grieving process of losing a loved one, or if "Whole Again" comforted you in the wake of a break-up. Jakob's first EP with his high school band (End of August) was my personal soundtrack of the summer between high school and college - the summer I moved across the country and fell in love for the first time.

Join me in helping to support Jakob's music - so that others can be touched by his words & message. He believes that anything is possible, and I believe that we have the ability to make THIS possible. This is our chance to be part of something spectacular, something that is so much bigger than an individual person. I know it's been said many times before over the past 3 weeks, but every donation, even $5 or $10 is a huge step towards reaching the ultimate goal of $18,000. Let's do this!