I'm old-school when it comes to how you look and act onstage. The audience should want to be you ? or they should want to have sex with you.

Philip Seymour Hoffman thought he was God's gift to acting, even when he was 18. William H. Macy was so great and so nice. Those acting classes were a great experience. It's helped me become who I am as a performer.

I love to entertain, and it's hard to do that when you have to keep the rhythm up there. We're a three-piece (act) and somebody has to play the guitar. I used to do cabaret. I would jump into people's laps while performing.

That's my No. 1 biggest influence. If you're a rock musician and you say you don't like The Beatles, then you're a jerk. You're just trying to be cool, but you're really not. You can't deny The Beatles.

I love what the voice can do. I had a producer argue with me about turning up the background vocals. He said that it takes away from the edge, but I don't buy it.

I think the best songs written are the ones that make you laugh or make you cry. When I perform I like to appeal to your ears, eyes and crotch. I want to hit it all.