First Encore (solo acoustic):
Second Encore:
Interview 1: JOHN HIATT: I want to get to -- I want to talk about traveling, how that has changed your music. From the time you make your first record to now, you're on your fourth one, a lot changes, doesn't it? Just in terms of your life, your daily life. BEN HARPER: For sure. Oh yeah. JOHN HIATT: You've been all over, right, as a result of these four records? BEN HARPER: We've been able to go a lot of places that I would never have had the chance to see otherwise. No doubt. JOHN HIATT: Didn't the first album -- it was very successful in Europe, Italy, France, the first one? BEN HARPER: Yeah. JOHN HIATT: And you went over there and you were like a star, right? BEN HARPER: Yeah, it went really strong in France and in Italy and places like that. Australia, New Zealand and things like that. JOHN HIATT: That ought to feel great. BEN HARPER: Oh yeah. Anytime that people are into what you're doing it's definitely better than being a drag and people not digging you. It's a challenge. Then that brings up the question and it's never ending do you make music for yourself or other people and I guess it's both, of course. I mean is the ultimate success in making the music or is the ultimate success in having it received well. I go back and forth with that all the time because they are totally separate. You have to, of course, please your musical interest but at the same time there is this whole other world that is a whole other challenge in and of itself to please. So, there is two different success gauges in that. JOHN HIATT: I know exactly what you mean. It's hard to balance. BEN HARPER: Yeah, it is. At times. But I took it off on a whole other thing being -- JOHN HIATT: No, that's alright. But you seem focused on the work. It's easy to get tangled up with the results. Thinking about the results. BEN HARPER: Yeah. True. JOHN HIATT: And I don't hear that in what you're doing. I hear the main focus being on the work itself. BEN HARPER: It is. It is cause I mean what is a result really? What does it mean? What does any of that mean? It's so tricky in that. But I kind of take the approach that the whole other area doesn't exist kind of. It exists and you have to have a relationship with your fans and the people who appreciate your music. And I mean what do I mean to have a relationship? I mean some people can do commercials with their music and put it on car ads and do -- JOHN HIATT: I don't hear you hooking up with Nissan anytime soon. BEN HARPER: And I don't personally do it but I can't judge those who do because that's not my place. It's just for me in my relationship with my fans I don't feel that would be a good move. That's how I sort of mean a relationship with my fans. It doesn't make my music better or worse. It just makes it my decision. Interview 2: JOHN HIATT: Let's talk about your influences. Where you -- cause I hear a lot of different things. Certainly the blues. BEN HARPER: Definitely. JOHN HIATT: You grew up in what was it Claremont? BEN HARPER: Yeah. JOHN HIATT: That's sort of out in the desert, isn't it? BEN HARPER: Yeah, it's up towards the desert. It's considered the Inland Empire cause it's east of L.A. About an hour all the way -- it runs from Claremont to Joshua Tree. JOHN HIATT: And a lot of those little towns and things you might as well be in Anywhere, U.S.A., right? It's not -- BEN HARPER: To a certain extent, yeah. There is a good amount of Anywhere, U.S.A. in the Inland Empire. JOHN HIATT: In terms of being connected to L.A. it's not really is it? BEN HARPER: No. No. It's not. It's light years away. But it's a very special place in that there is a very strong music scene. JOHN HIATT: Really? BEN HARPER: Yeah. There is a huge music scene in the Inland Empire and Claremont. And so when we speak of influence I definitely need to bring up those people whose names wouldn't be recognizable but are extraordinary players like Bruce Bishop, John Harrelson, Larry Jackson, Don Gasalicks. JOHN HIATT: Are these guys still playing? BEN HARPER: Yeah, they are still playing and they are amazing players and they are some of the first people I was able to see and say this is something very special. JOHN HIATT: Did some of these guys introduce you to some more traditional forms of music? BEN HARPER: The traditional forms of music I was first introduced to by my family because my mom plays guitar and sings beautifully and my dad was a percussionist. And so I grew up and they had a strong love for all things, soul music, folk, everything from Lefty Frizell and Hank Williams and Woodie Guthrie all the way through to Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix. JOHN HIATT: That's great. BEN HARPER: And that was everyday. I mean music was a member of our family. It was just everyday.
