Aspiring Windy City subway buskers can learn a lesson or two from musician and actor Jake La Botz, who performed for riders on the CTA's Red Line before making his way to the West Coast.

"You can play in the tunnel and people will stop and hear you, but you don't want to play on a platform where the train is just coming from up from street level," he said.

"If you do that, you'll get the cold air coming down on you."

Making Chicagoland stops on his second "Tattoo Across America" tour, to the north Thursday at Chicago's Tattoo Factory, and to the south Friday at Body by Design in south suburban Crestwood, La Botz was reared in Chicago's Uptown and Lakeview neighborhoods.

An artistic triple-threat by high school with his sights set on the thespian and literary worlds as well as music, La Botz first was introduced to the blues on trips he took with his family to the South Side's legendary Maxwell Street.

There, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jimmy Davis, Homesick James and Honeyboy Edward, eventually sharing the stage with the blues greats.

"The original guys from the pre-war era were hanging around, and I feel so lucky to have been born in Chicago for that," the guitar player said.

"There's so many people around the world that would like to connect with people like them from that era that don't exist anymore."

In the mid-'90s, after logging playing time around Chicago's subways, streets and bars, La Botz made his way to L.A. He alternated between work in acclaimed indie films such as 2000's "Animal Factory," 2001's "Ghost World" and 2005's "Lonesome Jim," to name a few, and music.

In 2000, he released his debut set, "The Original Soundtrack to my Nightmare," and followed it up with 2002's "Used to Be," 2004's "All Soul & No Money" and his latest effort, last year's "Graveyard Jones."

To tour in support of "Jones," La Botz undertook his first "Tattoo Across America" tour. For him, touring at tattoo parlors is fitting; he gave himself his first tattoo when he was 14 and has received scores more since.

"Tattoo artists are kind of like rock stars of the art world," he said.

"They're always at the center of what's happening, because people want to be seen with them and be tattooed by them. They're interesting people, and they have this place that's a cool hangout. And there's a natural affinity with tattoo artists and musicians."

Early next year, La Botz will grace the big screen in what is his first epic feature; he spent three months in Thailand earlier this year filming a supporting role alongside Sylvester Stallone in the forthcoming "John Rambo."

In addition to acting, La Botz was asked by Stallone to perform a pair of songs to be featured in the film.

"It was a very intense job," La Botz said of "Rambo."

"Sylvester Stallone is a very interesting guy, very creative guy. He had great ideas. Every day he'd come up with stuff that wasn't in the script and pull it out on the spot."

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Jake La Botz

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Tattoo Factory, 4441 N. Broadway, Chicago

Cost: Free

FYI: (773) 989-4077

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Where: Body by Design, 13655 S. Cicero Ave., Crestwood

Cost: Free

FYI: (708) 388-4151