Jake Jacobson has been working to improve the sound at the Linn County Fair and Rodeo arena over the past three years. (Submitted photo)
By John Teagarden, Linn County Fair Board
A much-improved sound system greeted spectators at the demolition derby and Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pull the first weekend of the 2024 Linn County Fair and Rodeo in Mound City. And the sound system will be in place for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) rodeo Friday and Saturday, Aug 9-10.
“Jake Jacobson goes by the handle of ‘Crazy Jake Productions,’ but don’t let that fool you”, said Austin Stroup, fair board president. “Jake is a problem solver.”
This is the third year for the sound to be handled by Crazy Jake Productions.
“Last year I mounted eight digital wireless speakers on the arena fence, four on each side,” Jacobsen said. “The sound (in layman’s terms) came remotely from the hard-wired speakers and control board in the announcer’s stand. If we had ran mic cable (hard wired) to each speaker there would have been a time delay in the sound getting to the farthest speakers, creating an echo.”
“That was the first time that I have mixed this technology in a large arena situation. We all were pleased with the results,” he reported.
Crazy Jake headquarters at Dannebrog, Neb., (population 302) during the summer where his family has a farm. He spends winter months in the Scottsdale, Ariz. (population 7.5 million) area where he provides production for the Prescott, Ariz., 10-day rodeo plus several concerts and Professional Bull Riders events. He also provides the sound and music in the Coors Tent at the National Finals Rodeo in December.
“But my favorite places are the rodeos in rural America,” Jacobson said.
In the past two weeks Jacobson has provided the sound and music at Broken Bow, Neb. And Rifle and Norwood, Colo. After Mound City, it’s on to Hastings, Neb. and Longford, Kan.
“Mound City has quickly become one of my favorites,” he said. “The facilities are top notch, and the crowd is ‘into it.’ Plus, I get to work with what I consider the ‘A-Team’ announcer Troy Goodridge, rodeo clown Shawn “Boom Boom” Thompson and trick rider Cheridyn Bateman.”
Make plans the attend the PRCA rodeo this weekend, Aug 9-10 at 8:00 p.m. and “hear” the action via Crazy Jake Productions.
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