rickyleepotts.com | a voice of rhythm, reason, & reality

Before I even begin all I have to say is WOW. I have seen pieces from this artist before but never a collection like this. And I never knew his name or how to get a hold of him; until now. His name is Nathan Sawaya and he is a world renown artist. And this is not your grandmother’s art work. This is some of the coolest, and possibly most detailed, creative, and interesting art that I have ever seen. So with that being said, take a look around his website. You will see things that you never thought could be made from these tiny bricks.

You remember Lego’s, right? They were the little blocks that came in various colors that you could build anything that your heart desired. You could get them by the bucket or in various sets including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or Pirates of the Caribbean. And the older I got the more expensive they seemed to become. But regardless, thanks to the folks that always paid for those little plastic pieces. I still, to this day, have a pirate ship that I build. I even have a huge barrel that I used to keep them in. I remember pouring them on the floor on a hot summer day and building until I was blue in the face.

But this guy takes Lego’s to a whole new level. (Why is there a ‘ in the word Lego?) He creates sculptures of these bricks in various size and shape and has come up with some of his own. The image you see above you is by far the coolest one in his collection. It is a man, all yellow, ripping himself open. His guts pour out onto the floor and all I want to do is stare at the attention to detail this guy puts into his pieces.

He is a New York based artist that puts his work on tour. You can find his work in certain galleries throughout the year. The show is called The Art of the Brick (so fitting) and he shows some of his most popular pieces. You can even purchase nearly every piece that he creates. And if you do not see something you like he will make a custom one for you! He does anything from sculptures large and small, portraits, and even logos. So if you are looking for a creative way to express your business, maybe a Lego is the answer. (I have also seen Lego’s spelled in all caps. So is it Lego or LEGO?)

I am really glad that I got to see this guy’s work. I really enjoy finding new artwork (like head stones for those who read my post from yesterday) and this is one that I can relate to on a lot of levels. But what was your biggest ear when playing with these little blocks? Was it having an image of what you wanted to do but could never get the bricks to bend the way you wanted? Or was it the fact you would get almost to the end and you were missing a piece? And it was never a piece that you could easily replace. It was always the piece that would make the product a complete master piece. Or perhaps it was the fact that as soon as you build something you wanted to build something else?

I want to know what a typical sculpture costs him. I mean, I assume he has some major benefits with the LEGO (see, I used it here to be fair to those who do not know the true spelling) company but does he buy them in bulk? It seems that a lot of his pieces are all one color. What if he needs a custom color? Does he paint them himself or does he improvise? There is a FAQ section on his website but I would much rather have my own thoughts on how he handles these things.

I actually took the time to email him today. I reached out for a multitude of reasons. The first was to get a price quote. I am interested in getting a life size Tiger Woods sculpture made for me. It would of course be one of the only ones in the world, if not THE only one in the world. And it might be a way for me to get a segway into meeting Tiger again. (I met him in 2000 when I was a volunteer at the PGA Championship but I have grown up quite a bit since then. I want to be able to have an adult conversation with the man.) I mean, how freaking cool would that be? You walk into my house (or apartment right now) and there was a life size Tiger Woods LEGO sculpture. Talk about a conversation starter.

I wonder how he ships these things. Do you think he builds them on site? I mean, I assume he has a massive studio where he can explode with creative juices but what if he needed to ship a life size sculpture across the country. (Hence my potential Tiger sculpture.) I would like to see the shipping costs for something like that. I highly doubt he sends the pieces broken apart. Perhaps he builds is first, then glues the important, and breakable, pieces together. So many questions and not enough time!

Either way this makes me want to dig out my LEGO collection and start creating. This craft has taken him years and I am sure he starts many projects that he never finishes, but this is taking a modern tool and creating beautiful, and profitable, pieces of art. I want to see these up close and personal. I bet there is a Do Not Touch sign hanging near every piece.

So what is your call on the Tiger Woods sculpture? I am saying ten thousand dollars. What is your guess?

With all the recent deaths that seem to keep popping up it is hard to not give at least a thought to the subject. First was Ed McMahon. Then came cancer patient Farray Fawcett. Next was the absolute king of pop and biggest icon of my, your, and any generation, with the passing of Michael Jackson. And today Billy Mays passed away. (You know, the Oxi Clean guy.) That is four deaths of extremely famous individuals in the same week. There are even rumors floating around, which I do not believe are true, that Jeff Goldblum has died as well from a fall on his most recent set. (This is not true according to CNN.)

I was most upset with the death of Michael Jackson. The main reason was because of how big of a fan of his I was, and will continue to be for the rest of my life. He was an inspiration outside of the fact that every song he recorded was incredible. He was as close to perfect as you could get and was basically the greatest performer ever to grace our earth. And if you have an ounce of doubt, then please stop reading now as I do not want your eyes reading my work.

So with all that aside, while trying to sift through the media that has nothing to talk about but these famous deaths, I found a post that talked about the fifteen most creative tombstones. It was a collection of creative, and sometimes awkward, head stones. And that got me thinking about my own head stone. (No, I do not want a headstone that is in the shape of my car. Or do I?)

What kind of head stone (which is right; one word or two) would you choose if you had the chance? I kick start my thoughts of picking something that involves music, golf, or video games. But that might not be long standing. That could be a stage, right? Everyone thinks that I will grow up one day and stop playing video games and stop being so obsessed with music. Anyone that thinks that is wrong.

But why not be creative when it comes to this? It could quite possibly be your last ditch effort at leaving a mark on the future. Ten, twenty, hell even fifty years from the time you die who will remember you? I bet you will get a little more recognition in the after years if you have a space ship as your headstone.

I am sitting with a girl today that brings a whole new meaning to the word Indie rock. She matches an awesome sense of fashion with an a voice that will send chills down your spine. She has a certain look about her that sets her apart from most singer songwriters. Currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, she is slowly making her way to the top of the charts. I am proud to introduce to you Kate Linne.

Where are you originally from?

I grew up right outside of Louisville, Kentucky in Oldham Country, which was the ultimate ultra-vanilla white suburban experience. We were very sheltered; you can’t even buy beer inside county lines. It’s a nice town, but I spent the majority of my high school experience counting the days until I could get out of there and move someplace where something actually happens.

Do you like living in Nashville?

I love living here however, it’s a little bit of a double-edged sword when it comes to music. Everyone here is a musician, which is one of the best things about it, because it makes Nashville such a supportive and creative community. The flip side of that, though, is that it’s hard to find people who are simply fans. Nashville audiences always watch any performance with a critical eye; this is a bit disconcerting, but I think it ultimately makes you a better musician.

When did you first know that you wanted to be a performer?

When I was in kindergarten, there was a teacher named Mrs. Edwards who played the piano during all the school plays. I thought she was the hippest lady around, and I wanted to be like her. So, one day I came home, all serious and grown-up feeling, and was like, “Mom, I have made a decision about my life. I want to learn how to play the piano.” Of course, this only lasted for about 8 months, but it was a good start.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would you go?

One of my best friends is a dedicated world traveler, and she has always told me that London is my ultimate dream city. I’ve never been there, but I would love to go.

Describe your genre in one word.

“Smartpop.” Like Orville Redenbacher.

Do you write all your own lyrics?

Yes, I write all of my own music and lyrics. Lyrics are really important to me, so I’m a stickler for quality control as far as that’s is concerned. I think one of the biggest challenges that writers face is figuring out how to express the same emotions that all people have (and have been having for years) in fresh and unique ways that really grab the listener. I’m not saying I knock it out of the park every time, but I certainly always try.

Have you ever co-written with anyone?

Yes, I’ve done some co-writing, which is always a fun experience. It gives you the chance to see how other people approach the creative process, and how they work through the conceptual roadblocks that pop up during the writing process. This year, one of my goals is to really branch out in my writing and explore all kinds of new genres. The other day, I even wrote a country song, just to see if I could do it. There are certain words that you can add in there to make any song sound more country….like “ain’t,” “mama,” “truck,” and “Jesus.” And if you ever say “guitar,” you have to say, “GEE-tar.”

What is the largest crowd that you have played for?

Probably about 100 people.

The smallest?

30 people. But they were all close friends, so it was still a really fun show.

Do you have a favorite venue?

I really like the Mercy Lounge. It’s in an old warehouse close to downtown Nashville. The sound is good there, and the backstage area has all of these Christmas lights. It’s very vibe-y and cool. Plus, the drinks are cheap. Very important.

How do you pronounce your last name?

My last name is pronounced “Linn-Ae,” with two syllables. It’s a Swedish family name. Very few people EVER get that right, and I’ve just stopped correcting people. It’s gotten to the point where sound guys come up to me and say “Caitlin?” and I’m just like, “Yeah, yeah, just tell me where to plug in.”

Who does all of your graphic design work?

My artwork was done by Aaron Rayburn, one of my friends in Nashville. I think it’s actually still featured in the DiscMakers catalog. I’m the “eco-friendly packaging” girl, which makes me proud. I always try to do what I can to help out the planet, so it makes me feel good to know that when people rip my CD into iTunes, it’s OK if they throw the packaging away…it will biodegrade nicely without killing any small animals.

I am absolutely in love with your MySpace header image. Who came up with that design?

That was also a product of Aaron’s genius graphic designer brain. That image is actually a photo with a pencil drawing overlaid on top of it in Photoshop. I don’t really know how he did it, but I do know that it’s very cool.

Where do you get inspiration for a new song?

(Laughs) I can never answer this question in a short and concise way, so get ready for the long answer.

We’ll start with the lyrics. Usually, whether I mean to or not, I end up writing about my own life. I have noticed that I end up writing WAY too much about love…either being ecstatic and head over heels in it, or being depressed and hopelessly out of it. This past year has actually ended up being very dramatic for me in that department, so I have definitely had a ton of material. One of the best feelings in the world is when you can take a bad experience and turn it into a good song, so I feel very driven to write for that purpose. It’s completely involuntary…it’s the only way I know how to deal with the really hard times in my life. I just write.

As far as the music goes, I get a lot of inspiration from songs that I fall in love with that other people have written. Sometimes I’ll hear a chord progression or a riff that just really grabs me, and I’ll immediately sit down and figure out what it is and why I like it. Then, I usually get an idea for a melody while I’m playing through the progression, and all of a sudden it develops a life of its own, and turns into a song that is completely different than the one that inspired it.

Sometimes, also, things will just pop into your head and come out on paper without any effort. And from my experience, these are usually the best songs or the weirdest ones. You know, the ones that you write and you’re like, “Well, this is cool, but what the hell IS it?”

Do you ever forget the words to your own songs?

Actually, no. I usually go over my own lyrics about a million times before I feel like I have the final version, so those suckers are burned into my brain FOREVER.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever
happened to you?

Once, in the middle of a show, I was playing “Letting Go”…I got to the part where everything drops out and it’s only piano, and I looked down at my keyboard, and I was like, “Wait a minute…so…there are no lights on. Oh no.” So I hit a chord, and NOTHING happened, at which point I thought to myself, “Fuck.” Then, without being able to stop myself, I just started laughing hysterically. You know how you’re supposed to play it cool when stage emergencies happen and just keep going like nothing is wrong? I have discovered that I am apparently REALLY terrible at that, and instead I just laugh uncontrollably like a giant idiot. But, oh well…I guess there’s always one more thing you can work on, isn’t there?

What would you be doing if you were not performing?

I would probably still be working in the music business, somewhere. I have always had such an irrational obsession with music, and I can’t imagine ever getting to a point in my life where I’m not involved with it in any way. I mean, even if things really go south, I’ll still probably end up as a janitor in a recording studio, lovingly dusting all the racks of expensive gear with those special electrostatic cloths.

Where can I get some of your merchandise?

You can order the CD from CDBaby, and download all of the songs in iTunes. It’s also available on Rhapsody and a bunch of other download services.

Do you have any thoughts on a nation wide tour this year?

I just started working with Brian Waymire at Dreamscapers International (www.seethemusic.net) for college booking. Hopefully I will get to do a lot more traveling in the Fall semester of 2009.

Tell me about the guys behind you?

Ryan, my guitar player, played on my record. I went to high school with Mike, the bass player, who got Jake, the drummer, on board. They’re really fun to travel with…we can spend hours in the van together without fighting, which is amazing.

Tell me about working with Dual Nature.

Dual Nature is my publishing company that I would love to turn into a multi-artist operation one day. But for now, I am entirely focused on my own career…trying to get my own music career off the ground is an endeavor that has taken more dedication, creativity, and business smarts than any other goal I have ever tried to accomplish. The prevailing stereotype of musicians as space cadets or irresponsible partiers is so funny to me, because if that’s who you are, the likelihood of finding success is probably very slim. In the short time I have been doing this, I have learned that you have to bring your “A” game strategy 100% of the time if you want to get some attention from the industry. You have to prove there’s a market out there for what you do.

What are your thoughts on MySpace?

I think MySpace is a good way to communicate with fans, but as far as social networking sites go, I think it’s on the way out. It seems like a lot more people use Facebook and Twitter.

Are you on Twitter?

I just signed up. Find me at www.twitter.com/katelinne.

How do you think social networking has helped your career so far?

I think it’s a great way to get in touch with fans, and give people the opportunity to see you as more than just a musician. It’s a cool way to put more of yourself out there, and get to know people without having to be in the same state or even the same country. I fully support it.

What is Moda Boutique?

MODA is a great boutique in the 12th South district of Nashville…Meredith, the owner, is a riot. She uses me as the model in her ads around town, and sells my record in her store. Check out her website at www.modanashville.com.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Wow, that’s a tough question to answer. If I’m lucky, I would get to wake up every day, grab a mocha, and spend the next 8 hours writing songs. I would also like to have produced a few records for other artists, and be in the beginning stages of expanding Dual Nature into a real publishing company that works with other pop songwriters. I’d love to sign the next Kara DioGuardi. Actually, I’d really like to just BE Kara DioGuardi. She’s had a cool career.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

I would like to be remembered as someone who writes pop music that ISN’T fluff…I would like to be the poster girl for entertaining music that is also meaningful. Pop doesn’t need to be a dirty word.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

I was going to try and think of something funny to say here, but I think I’m going to go with something serious instead. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how navigating the unpredictability of the music business has definitely been an exercise in optimism and perseverance…so, I would like to share a quote that might resonate with the rest of America, now that even those of us who took the safe road are currently facing a future that is equally uncertain:

“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.” – Kurt Vonnegut

It’s a good quote. Stick that on a post-it in your car. I guarantee you’ll have a better day.

Well it is official. I am smart. I decided to make a big leap of faith in to my future. I went out and bought a new car. But before I get on that topic let me tell you a little bit about what lead to making this monumental decision. (And yes, buying a new car, especially one that I want, was a big deal for me.)

I have been going through a lot of changes in the last six months. I had started a new job in October, which was my first full time job, and finished up a set of three college degrees. I received one from Marian College in management information systems and two from Purdue University in computer engineering. I actually just received my diplomas in the mail this past Friday. I recently moved into a much nicer, and basically brand new apartment a couple of months ago as well. I am spending a little bit more a month but it is so worth it. (My new apartment had new carpet, new door handles, a new stove, a new dishwasher, a new fridge, and new toilets. So yeah, it is basically a brand new apartment. And I have all freshly stained crown molding.)

But outside of all of that I feel that I have fallen into this “real world” mold that everyone talks about quite nice. No more are the days where I am staying up until 5:00 A.M. playing video games and drinking myself into oblivion. I am getting up every day, and most Saturday and Sundays, before ten in the morning and I am enjoying the day instead of sleeping through it. But it was time to make one more adult decision. I decided to buy a car.

And when this process began I had no idea where to start. I wanted a brand new sports car, of course, but knew that was a stupid decision. Then I went from one extreme to the other and started looking at hybrids. Those, as well, are out of the question. They are insanely priced and you would have to drive one for about seven years before it began to pay you back on the gas mileage. So then I started to look at what I wanted. And what I wanted landed me three options. Actually four, but a 2010 Corvette was out of the question purely based on price point. So I went to dealership number one to test drive a Honda Civic.

I went to Honda based on a few key factors. One, they are cheap. (Most every car I looked at was based on a price point I had in my mind.) I did not really want a Civic but they were offering, and still are, a 0% interest rate with $2,000 down on a brand new Civic. So I decided it was worth a shot because even if I did not get that for my truck I would be able to put a couple thousand down of my own money. And when I got to Honda I was not impressed with a multitude of things. First was their customer service. In places like that they have one thing on their minds; sell cars and keep the line moving. It is all commission based and I hate that. (Even today at Value City I was pressured by a sales man that was obviously selling on commission. And being pressured to buy a new car is not what I want to have on my mind.)

Honda was also very pushy. It was a joke to them, but it felt like they were trying to sell me the car only to make a quick buck. They refused to move on the price and were simply just trying to again, get me out the door. So I moved on to the Toyota dealership. I had sparked a conversation with a salesman a few months prior and he seemed to “get” me on the phone. He continued to call me every week or so (this was a longer process than I wanted) and was always just asking if he could assist me in any way and sharing details of specials they were running. Toyota, again based on commission, I felt this was a sort of pushed to make a decision.

But when I went to the dealer to test drive the car I was shocked at how I was treated. (I was looking at the Scion XB. Yes, this is the toaster on wheels. But I love the look, feel, and layout. I have driven them a few times and I loved everything about it. There are even cars coming out now, like the Nissan Cube and the Kia Soul, that match the look of it as well as the feel. It was what I like to call a designer car.) When I get there, having had a meeting scheduled with the individual that I was talking about on the phone all these weeks, he was no where to be found. They eventually find him on a test drive. So I wait. And while waiting, I see a coffee machine. I am excited as I was craving a cup of Joe. (Why do they call coffee Joe?) I come to find out that said coffee is $0.75. Are you kidding me? I am about to spend a lot of money and you are going to make me pay for coffee? So that puts a sour taste in my mouth. Then comes the introduction to the individual I was sharing the phone lines with.

He comes up and shakes my hand only to pass me off onto another sales guy. He tells me that he is about to “hook” this current client and that he must take care of him immediately but this new sales guy will take great care of me. Well, you know what, I don’t want this individual. He has no idea what we had discussed on the phone, etc. but whatever, let’s see what he has to say. Long story short (which is hard for me to do) he ends up starting the entire process over again and giving me the run around. They refuse to lower the price, not even coming close to the monthly payment that I was told I would have from the previous sales guy, and basically shoved out the door when they told me they could not reach my monthly requirement. So, two dealers down, one to go. And the dealer that was left was the one car I actually wanted more than anything on the road. Sure, the Corvette is nice, but this car is way more my style. Plus, I have already driven a Corvette before. They are nice, but this car is cute.)

The next dealer that I visited would end up being the dealer I would fall in love with. I started, when the sales guy walked up to me, with the following line. And I know that this is what I told him as I made certain I remembered this for this blog post. When he walked up I said, “I want you to know that this is the third dealer that I have been to tonight. I am not in the mood to be sold on a car. I want honest answers and please, do not try to sell me on something. I am not buying a car today, I am not buying a car this week. I want to look, learn, and not be talked to like I am a child.”

His humble response was, “Well, that’s good. We are not on commission here and I have nothing better to do than provide you any and all information that you desire. Would you like a bottle of water before we start?”

He had me at hello. Charlie, who would end up being the man that handed over the keys to this gorgeous new automobile, was a friend first, a sales man next. He talked to me like a human. He talked to me like I was educated and that if I did not buy the car it would be OK, just as long as I took the time to talk to him. I honestly feel that he cared more about filling me with information than he did about selling me a car.

So that night we drove the car (my first experience in a Smart) and I got to see how it handled and some smaller things about the car you might not get in a walk by. He showed me the stereo (which is very important to me) and the turn radius. He even showed me the windshield wipers. (They are really cool by the way.) But by the time I was done he had only shown me the key elements. He knew that I was not buying today and he new that I was still looking. He gave me an exact price quote, showed me some various interest rates, and gave me all the paperwork that I desired. By the time I left I was more humble than anything.

So I spent the
next week just researching the payments and what interest rates would be from various banks, etc. I had found one as low as 4.6% and felt that was going to be unbeatable. About a week to the day that I had been in for my initial visit Charlie called me to see how the search was going and to see what my thoughts were on the car and to answer any questions that I might have. Now, Toyota had called but they just wanted to know when I was going to come buy the damn car. I was not even thinking about Toyota at this point. They had pissed me off enough the day I visited the dealer to take themselves completely out the picture.

The next week, and after sharing a couple more phone calls with Charlie, I decided that it was time. I was going to go, that Saturday, and purchase my new Smart. And I had never been as excited in my life. I was going to, on Saturday, get a new car and a new iPhone. What a way to spend the day! If nothing else it was going to be the most money I had ever spent in one day. (And it will be until the day I decide to buy a condo.) But when I got to the dealer I was not as a excited as I was before I got there. The Internet was down at the dealership and would not be fixed until Monday. Plus, the ladies that fill out all the paper work were off until Monday as well. So no matter what I was not getting my car on Saturday. But I did get to have all the paperwork that he could fill out taken care of. I had my credit application put in place and I actually secured the car that I was going to be getting. So all in all it was not what I wanted but it was one step closed. He said the car would be ready by Thursday and would call when it was available. I did get my phone if nothing else.

So Monday morning rolls around and I get a call from Charlie. He stated the application went through just fine and that the car would actually be available on Tuesday, not Thursday! I was beyond excited. So I suffer through the rest of the day and most of Tuesday and decide enough is enough; I left work at 4:00 P.M. to get my car!

I get to the dealer and walk in to see my car sitting there shinning right in front of me. It was a pretty big deal as well. They had a card with my name on it on the dash (which I would later see as a thank you card) and the tired were so glossy I could see myself in it. Charlie was right there waiting on me and we started the process of signing my life away to a Mercedes bank. And when all that was over I walked over to meet my new ride. (This is when I noticed that when they shipped the car it has left some small white specs on all the black parts of the car. And since the car was mostly black it was quite noticeable.) We went through all the details and I was handed the keys. I was an official Smart Car owner! And I was never so excited to start an engine.

As I pulled away form the dealership all I could think was if this was the beginning of something new for me. Was this the start of my life? Or was this just a big decision that I feel I made a wise and educated choice on? Either way I am a Smart owner and I could not be happier.

I just want to take this public time to thank Charlie and Walter (the manger of the Smart center here in Indianapolis) for the entire experience. From the moment I drove onto the lot until the moment I drove a car home I was treated like a person rather than a sale. I was treated with care, attention, and someone that had an option in the car he or she chooses. Charlie was an amazing person to work with and actually took the time to call me to see how my first week with the car was. Walter has sent me numerous emails asking about the car, thanking me for the business, and even to say how impressed he was with my online reputation and Twitter presence. I am ever so grateful to everyone at Mercedes and Smart. Thank each and every one of you for putting me into exactly what I wanted.

As a lot of you may know I hate dogs. And before you get all huffy puffy, there are a few dogs I can stand. Sophie is one of them, as is the duo of Chihuahuas that my dad has. (One of them is named killer.) I like small dogs. I like small dogs because they are cute and cuddly. And with the purchase of my latest vehicle it is more obvious that I enjoy small things. (Please stop laughing and take one thing I say serious.)

So when I came across this dog, the world’s tallest dog according to the Guinness Book of World Records, I just had to learn more. And as they continue to call him a dog I have to argue that when you hit four feet tall and 180 pounds you leave the dog category and become a horse. This dog is freaking huge.

What makes me wonder is how safe would a dog this big be? You can see videos and pictures of this dog all over the place, and he has even been featured on Oprah, but does it ever get mad? And if so, what do you do to control it? Because I am sorry, a dog this big will not back down with a water bottle filled with cold water.

You always hear stories of animals that are safe, trusted, etc. that attack his or her owner. This dog would maul and probably kill anything that it comes across. And that brings me to my next point; the world’s smallest dog. Google an image of this horse next to the world’s smallest dog. It is hilarious. The world’s smallest dog resides in London (nice place to live as a dog I would imagine) and has been featured in multiple photo shoots with this beast.

One last thing; how much do you think this thing eats? How do his owners afford to feed this huge animal? The daily meals, the snacks, the water he must consume. I would not want to see that grocery bill.

Well, he is human. Tiger Woods has been beat. Tiger stepped up to the tee and went down in a three hole shoot out. But who took this 33 year old legend down? It was late nigh talk show host Jimmy Fallon, that’s who. But there were not any real clubs in this duo. It was all done on a Nintendo Wii in Times Square. The match took place yesterday, the same night that Tiger would later appear on Jimmy’s show as a featured guest, as part of a promotional event put on by EA Sports in an attempt to sell more copies of his latest installment of Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf. This marks the 12th edition of this game and it truly does get better each and every year. (I have had some issues with it in years past, whether it be the fact they change the putting every year or the quality of graphics, etc. but this year it is pretty awesome.)

So Tiger is basically put to shame by Jimmy Fallon on his own game. Is that a big deal? No, not at all. All this proves is that Fallon plays more video games while Tiger wins more tournaments. In Tiger’s book all he cares about is being the number one player in the world. Sure, there is the whole husband and father thing, but in the back of his mind his career on the PGA means more than anything. That record of 18 majors actually means more than anything. (What year do you think he will break it?)

The videos of these events are all over Hulu. (Hulu is so great isn’t it?) So you can go check them out there. I was going to post them but as Corken knows (you have met Josh, right?) the power of Google is pretty amazing. So go grab your golf clubs, or Nintendo remotes, and let’s play some golf.

I spent quite a bit of time serving tables. I did not start my career by serving, I started it at fourteen years old washing dishes, but eventually made my way to serving. I have served at places like the Blue Bonnet, Western Rib-Eye, Logan’s Roadhouse, T.G.I Friday’s, and Pikk’s Tavern. And I was, am if I had to do it again, a great server. And let me tell you why.

How many times do you go to any number of restaurants that have servers? You go in, sit down, and hear the same thing every time. “Hi, welcome to Red Lobster, my name is Amanda, can I get you guys started off with something to drink? Perhaps a nice iced cold beer or a freshly squeezed lemonade?” (Please, when speaking that sentence do so in a “I hate my life” overtone.

So you hear this time and time and time again. But why does he or she make direct recommendations to you when you know in the back of your mind before you even get to the place you are going to have a water? Lemon or no lemon, that is the question. But these servers do this to try and up their tip average. But how in the world does selling you a beer up that server’s tip average? Well, it is proven that increased ticket averages also lead to increased tips based solely on the fact that people tip more when they spend more. And that is not always the case. But every restaurant that I have ever worked as has told me that story and “demands” that you up sell your tables. I never up sold my tables and I will tell you why.

I did not base my tip average on sales. Sure, you run a risk of a higher tip average the higher the check goes. Anyone that knows how to tip (and a lot of you, and I mean a LOT of you, have no idea how to tip) will leave a minimum of 15%. But lately, the minimum has been going to 20%. Of course, the first comment any of you will have is, “But the economy is bad and I can not afford to tip.” Well then why the hell are you eating at a restaurant? If you have money to eat out you have money to tip. Period.

So I based my tip average on total number of guests. I would always try to close (and I usually got what I wanted because most people that serve hate their jobs) and I would always demand at least a four table section. There were times that I would run eight to ten tables all at once. Service is not a hard job. If you have two arms and half a brain you can handle it. Work smarter, not harder.

So I would run under the philosophy that on any given night if I waited on twice as many tables as everyone else due to speed of service and a check down check back attitude that I would in theory make twice as much money. And that always worked. Let me give you the perfect example.

I was waiting tables at Logan’s Roadhouse one night (and stop laughing, I made a ton of money in those four peanut covered walls) and I was in a closing section with Barb. Barb was an older lady and was a funny person to chat with. She, like everyone in the service industry, had her issues, but they led to more conversations behind her back than anything. (Being a server is ruthless, and if you have never served, do it. It is perfect for those wanting some extra spending cash and almost every restaurant will allow you to make your own schedule. But be prepared to work weekends. That is just how it is.)

So Barb and I are working together and I come in at 2 P.M. I was in a little early because any table that I could pick up was money in my pocket that was not there by sitting at home. Barb came in at 3 P.M. I had one table in that hour so please do not think that single set of 60 minutes is the reason why I made as much as I did. So she comes in at 3 and we work throughout the night, closing at 11:00 P.M. So at the end of the night (and this was a Saturday) I asked her how much money she made. She said just over $100. Well, I had made just under $300 that given night. (An average night for me at Logan’s was anywhere from $125 to $300. I had one night I made $395. And that was not on a double shift.) So then I proceed to ask her how many guests she waited on. And since we were forced to place the number of guests that we had served each time we rang in a ticket, she proceeded to tell me just over 70 people. That same night, in just an hour longer, I had served 135 people. And we did not handle parties that evening.

So that just goes to show that if you serve more guests then you are going to make more money. The check average means nothing. I have had tables that spend twenty bucks leave me fifty dollar tips and tables spend over a hundred dollars and leave me nothing. So yes, check average is part of it, but the number of guests that you serve is just as, if not more, important. And Logan’s Roadhouse is not a place you go to sit, have drinks, and hang out. Maybe in the bar, but not at the checkered covered tables.

But that leads me to the point of this discussion. A couple of nights ago Mr. Johnny Depp left a $4,000 tip for a server in Chicago. Depp, who has stated that money is not the reason for his happiness (which I find hard to believe) left the massive tip at a steakhouse after a release party for his new film. That film looks amazing, too. I can’t wait to see it. Him and Batman starring in an old timed gangster movie has to be good.

So that just proves my point that you can not base the tip off of the total of the bill. That bill might, even with some bottles of $500 wine and some high end steaks, cost just under $5,000. (Quit freaking out that that is a lot of money. Places like that see bills stack up next to ten, fifteen thousand for a dinner party. That is not a big deal. Especially for someone like him.)

So the next time that you are at a restaurant and you have a great experience, I want you to remember that you did not have to cook that meal. That you did not have to refill those drinks. That you did not have to get yourself extra rolls, or extra sour cream. And when it was all over you did not have to do those dishes and clean up your mess. The server did it. So leaving a mere 20% of your bill is the least you could do for those hard working individuals.

I used to play baseball. I was pretty good too. I was a pitcher, a second baseman, a short stop, an outfielder; I played anywhere I was needed. I started my baseball career when I was little, beginning with tee ball. I played all the way through grade school and when I hit high school I switched sports to play golf. I think it was a better decision.

Each year I begin the season as a Cubs fan. I have always liked the Cubs for their history, their ball park, and just the quality of players they have year after year. And last year, marking the 100th anniversary of them not winning a championship, they had the best team they have seen in years. Possibly the best team they have ever had. So I gave them a choice; win the World Series (which should not that hard with the team they had on that bench) or loose me as a fan. I am no longer a Cubs fan.

But I still watch baseball. I still like to check the stats and see who is leading each division. I even buy the video games and play through an entire season thinking I am the manager leading my team to the World Series. But I have to play the video games because that is the only way that the Cubs will ever see a chance at a ring.

But the video that is above makes me wonder a few things. One, this video was the number one news story on Yahoo News the other day. (That is not saying much because yesterday the number one news story was about a family of raccoons that were living in a soda machine.) As you will see in this video some low end ball player is tossing a bat in circle and catching it. It is being called the “Hands Free Swing” and is all the rage on YouTube. But why? What is he doing that impresses anyone?

Outside of the fact that he is not in the big leagues, and that he seems to not even care what is going on at this practice, all he is doing is spinning the bat and catching it a few seconds later. Have you never twirled a golf club or spun a bottle or caught a baseball. Those are similar in theory. His name is Josh Womack and he currently plays for the Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League. (Have you ever heard of the Golden Baseball League? Me either.)

He was selected a few years back in the draft by the Marlins and played a couple of seasons with them only to be thrown back in the minors. But he must have figured out how to hit a baseball because he is batting consistently over .300. But of course the league he is currently playing in is not the same as the show.

Can someone toss me a golf club. I want to spin it around and video tape it. Maybe I will be the next 15 minutes of fame on YouTube.

The man that I am sitting with today is a talent that deserves some attention. Making his way through the Indianapolis music scene allowed him to polish his talents and he has entered a whole new world of skill. Taking what I consider some of the best lyrics in the industry today, matched with a collective set of instruments he can play until the sun comes up and a voice you hear on MTV, he is nothing but a joy to listen to, see live, and sin g along to with the windows down. He has recently made a move to a singer songwriter persona and I feel this is the big break he was waiting for. Ladies and gents, it my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Davey Heritier.

How long have you been playing the guitar?

I have been playing for ten years. I started playing when I was seventeen.

What is your first memory of the guitar?

Wishing I could play it. (Laughs) I was born in 1981 and growing up with hair bands on MTV, like White Snake and Def Leopard just made me want to do that. It was more on the lines of entertaining people and being on stage and playing cock rock. (Laughs)

Do you write all your own lyrics?

Yes, I do. I have recently, with the new record deal for Universal (Blue Pumpkin) on this album Scott K. from Mardelay has been writing together. I normally write all my own lyrics.

Where do you get inspiration for a new song?

Paranoia, frustration, and joy. (Snickers)

If you could live anywhere but Indiana, where would you go?

I have never been outside of the country, but I have been to nearly every state in the United States. I would like to be in New York of L.A.

Describe your genre in one word.

In one word? Thoughtful.

What is your favorite venue to play?

I enjoyed the Whiskey A-Go-Go a great deal. But regularly that I play would be the verve in Terre Haute.

Do you have any thoughts of a nation wide tour this year?

Absolutely. Starting in July and into August. I am booking my own for July. Universal is putting together a tour for a handful of new bands that they just signed and I am going to be on that.

What is like working with Universal?

Frustrating. (Laughs) I am not in the top 1% of those musicians. I am just someone they are trying to develop. I am someone that likes to get things done and execute it on my time table. They work on their time table. It is frustrating when I want to do something this week but they want to do it in four weeks. But the opportunity will be incredible for sure.

What is the biggest crowd that you have ever played for?

Up close and personal 1,000. I have played, with Rich Hardesty, in 2003 at the F1 festival. The Indy Speedway was sold out.

The smallest?

(Snickers) We are looking at tonight if it keeps up. (Laughs)

What are your thoughts on MySpace?

Unfortunately it seems to be a dying market. I think it is better for bands than facebook. But then facebook is better for everyone. And I am inexperienced with Twitter.

What instruments do you play other than the guitar?

I play bass, piano, and on Pro Tools I play everything. (Snickers)

Who are some of your biggest influences?

John Lennon hands down, first and foremost. I grew up on the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones. And currently the Killers. And I really like the Wallflowers. I enjoy some Biggy and Tupac. They influenced me on the way there. They have an ability to “flow”. (Snickers) Also I enjoy the doors. And people with big hook melodies and reasons to remember.

What is on your iPod right now? (Or should I say iPhone?)

Let’s see what I have been playing. I have been listening to The Beatles, Beck, Ben Folds, the Crash Test Dummies, some Daft Punk on there, David Bowie and David Grey, the Decemberists, Howard Jones, Jamirouquai. I have some Jay Z in there. Throw in some Johnny Cash, and Kenny Loggins. The Killers are on that list, obvilsuly. Linoel Richie is on there, Mansun, Maroon Five, MGMT, Michael Jackson, Oasis, Paulo Nutini, Paul Simon, Jack White, Pink Flotd, and the list goes on.

What is your favorite cover song to play?

I would say that my favorite ever would be Comfortably Numb from Pink Floyd.

If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

John Lennon. I would take him out to a nice steak dinner.

Is there a song that makes every set list?

No Need to Cry, which is my song, gets thrown in every chance. It is a meaningful song and I enjoy playing it.

Do you have any pre-show rituals?

It used to be getting drunk. But I no longer drink. I have been sober for almost 100 days. I would say a quick stretch is something I do before every show. It gets the blood flowing.

Let’s say that you are offered a $250,000 record deal but it was a rap album and it was someone else’s lyrics.

Yeah, why not?

Where are you originally from?

I am from Columbia City, Indiana.

You have some tattoos there. How many do you have?

I have six. The first one was the hardest one to get. But I have got a verse of when I am 64 on each one of my rib cages. Not just because they are Beatles songs, but because they are meaningful to me. I have my lyrics on each shoulder. I have a picture I drew that is encased in a frame that my tattoo artist drew freehand on the inside of my arm.

Who is the biggest name that you have ever shared the stage with?

I have played in a band with Greg Wright and Dick Lewis. They were associated with Michael Jackson. But in terms of opening for another band it would be the Why Store at the Music Mill.

What are you drinking on stage?

Cranberry juice.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Henry French says older. But Davey chimes with (full bellied laughter) touring in support of an album with songs on the radio.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

Being friends with Henry French. (Again, full bellied laughter.) But Henry says, “Answer like a man.” Henry sees Davey when it is all said and done doing exactly what he decides to do in the next six months to a year is what he will be doing.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

I want to extend my appreciation to people like you, Ricky
Potts, and to those that are fighting the good fight and pursuing their dreams, doing what they love. I want to wish the best of luck to anyone that has the courage to out their heart on their sleeve and do what they love. To those that put their neck out. I will support anyone that will do that.

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to the band that I am sitting with today. Giving you a definition of the word Indie, they have blown up with a new album called the Grand, and have captured my headphones with what I will consider the best song they will ever write, Good Ole Fashioned Nightmare. With a sound that is hard to compare to anything in the industry today, they have been climbing the charts. With a recent featured video on www.digg.com, and some national exposure they are putting themselves in the perfect position. Sit with me today as I introduce to you Matt and Kim.

So are your real names Matt and Kim?

That is us, yeah. Actually we are Mathew and Kimberly. My brother is Fletcher. I thought that as a pretty cool name. But my parents we, “Ah, Matt, that works. “ They didn’t want to think of a name again.

What made you decide to keep that as your band name?

We ended up with by accident more or less. We were convinced to play a show before we were officially a band. They just listed is as a nameless. We felt that Matt and Kim really fit. We are people as Matt and Kim. It is about putting everyone on a first name basis. There are no walls in between.

How long have you known each other?

I am thinking this fall will be like seven years. We met in the fall of 2002.

You have such a unique sound. Describe your genre in one word.

Oh gosh. One word? Sweaty. (Laughs)

Where are you originally from?

I am from Vermont. Southern Vermont. And Kim is from East Providence Rhode Island.

How did you guys meet?

The short answer is that we met at college. We went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and Kim picked me up.

Do you prefer the East coast to the West coast?

I love the states in general. Being that we both grew up in the northeast, we don’t see leaving New York any time soon. We sometimes fly to LA in the middle of winter and we are wearing a t-shirt. That is kind of nice.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would you go?

We travel a lot of places. Not that you can really judge a place after being there for 14 hours, or however long we are usually there, but we love New York. Chicago is a close second. Kim has a special spot for Rhode Island.

What are your thoughts on MySpace?

As much as everyone wants to find a problem with it, it has been nothing but ever helpful with us. Even when we first started as a band and first made our demo in our practice space, we made a MySpace page, put the songs up, and did a tour. Our first time ever in San Diego, the furthest you could get from New York, there were people signing along to our songs. The only way they could have done that was to visit our MySpace pages. It was able to make a universal listening platform. Now if you want to hear a band you go to MySpace to hear them. Like just yesterday, seventy five thousand had listened to our music. That is in just one day. For bands there has been nothing that has compared.

Are you guys on Twitter?

Yeah, that is actually one of the first things that I have gotten into that we actually update. When you travel a lot you notice a lot of things and you can do all that from your phone.

Who does all your graphic design?

Mostly by Kim and I. We both went to art school and Kim has done our album covers. We have had other friends and we have had some friends do some stuff. One of our friends is a college teacher, a design class, and one of his assignments was to design a Matt and Kim shirt. And the winner got to have their shirt made into a Matt and Kim design.

Tell me a little bit about your new album.

It is the album that we wanted to make from square one. The first album we did in a week. We had no idea what it would take to make an album. And that was all we had budgeted. On this one we went for a totally difference experience. We tried to have all the time in the world to work on whatever we wanted. We started with twenty-five songs with the plans of a ten-song album. We wanted cohesion. We really wanted to make something that felt complete from the beginning to end. It was sort of in the movie sense, with some intro, highs, lows, and finale.

Is there any song that makes it into every set?

Yeah, a lot of our songs actually. Our song Yeah Yeah, out of the hundreds of hundreds of shows, since we wrote that song, we might have skipped it on one show. There was a song called Silver Tiles that has never technically been released, and we used to close all of our shows with that. We have been closing with Daylight recently. We have some songs that we play well and then some that we don’t. We will play 14 songs at a show, then people will yell for a song. But we literally have no other songs that we can play well.

What is the biggest crowd that you have ever played for?

I don’t know. I would say at some festival that we have done. We did a festival in Norway. We did Lollapalooza. Somewhere between ten and twenty thousand.

The smallest?

We have played just for the other bands there. We did one show, on our first tour; it used to be like only the bands showed there would be. We did a show where it was just us and no one else showed.

Do you guys have jobs outside of music?

We were lucky enough that we were able to just do the band. We had low overhead and we don’t eat much. We were just able to stop our other jobs early on. But now it has been the most financially stable job I have ever had.

You guys are playing a lot of festivals this year. Do you prefer those to smaller venues?

We really liked playing them. We like both, but if you compare a festival to a support act there is no contest. When you are supporting a larger band they are just there to see the headlining band. You are just time to seeing their favorite band. So you have to work very hard to winning over people. But at a festival people go open minded to see new music. We play a pretty accessible form of music and something you can catch on to on a first lesson. We have a lot of people coming to our shows that saw us at a festival.

Who does all the song writing?

It is a combined effort. We come up with a beat to begin with. All of our songs do that. Then I will put the melody over it. It is a bizarre collaborative effort and free word associating. She just writes down sentences and stuff that comes to mind. Then I will go through and start putting them together. Then, in the end, the song will write itself.

Tell me about the video for Lessons Learned.

It was a lot of convincing to get Kim to do the video. That was a big chunk of the preparat
ion. We got a permit to shoot in Time Square. You cannot get a permit to shoot a music video; we got it to shoot an online promo. We did not let all the details out. It was February and it was damn cold. Kim was the one that thought she should get hit by a buss at the end. It was nice to have that twist at the end. It is the period at the end of the sentence.

Where can I get some Matt and Kim merchandise?

We do have a friend who has helped us for years who lives in Houston, Texas. He owns I Heart You Productions and he sells it through our website. He makes it, prints it; it’s a small, cool operation.

If you could tour with anyone in the industry today who would you pick?

(Thinks) I don’t know that we have been lucky enough to tour with good people. We like to play fun shows that people want to go out and dance. Genre aside we did a tour with Against Me. I remember when I heard their first album I was twenty and it made me feel like I was 14. I wanted to show it to everybody. We did a tour with them. I really enjoy going to see Girl Talk shows. They are fun. People go; dance, and we have done a lot of shows with them. Kim would say T.I. That’s her favorite. Warped Tour has come up but I hear that it is difficult.

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

I think something we did smart early on was we never kind of made any assumptions of anything that would happen or of anything where we would be. I never would guess that we would bed able to do this as our job. But for three years this is all we have done. Sometimes if you set goals or expectations you are setting yourself up for possible disappointment. We have just enjoyed the ride. We have enjoyed playing shows and having people like our music. If we are still playing shows and writing songs I will be happy as a clam.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

I would like to be remembered for a band that was real on stage. I saw that because there are so many bands that I see, and we see infinite number of bands, which are totally fake on stage. Whether they are acting completely bored; they are just so boring. Even if we are having a bad day we let t show. People seem to respond to it. Or the bands that let out the pissed off underlying stuff in their bones. I think that I want to be remembered for being band that was real.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

What I have learned from boring bands is that people have to be real in life. People who you talk to, and you can tell being themselves, is more engaging and exciting. I think that everyone needs to be themselves.