By MEREDITH YOUNG
Meredith@newsroom.byu.edu
He sat against a slanted rock on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. His legs were slightly parted, leaning casually on to his left knee, breathing in the crisp mountain air. Walking down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, he would blend in as another band member in middle-American attire. But here in Utah, the authentic 50's cowboy hat that he bought at a swap-meet fit into the rural valley culture. Even a security guard, patrolling the lake, asked him if he had a pass. Coolly, just like a rustic western film star, he pulled out his pass and continued walking toward the tour bus.
Emerson Hart, the lead singer-guitarist of Tonic, said, 'Too many people are obsessed with money. It's not about that. It's about people. Not to sound too 60's, but it's all about making yourself better.'
He is the epitome of what a rock-star should be on-stage and the epitome of what a human being should be in real life.
In addition to Hart, Tonic is made up of Jeff Russo, guitar and mandolin; and Dan Lavery, bass and rhodes. Fans were sitting in line an hour before the show and a young girl sat in the passenger seat of a Jeep Wrangler curling her eyelashes in anticipation for Tonic to play Monday at Saltair.
Meanwhile, the band sat in their royal blue and yellow bus listening to Willie Nelson, e-mailing back the 250 fans that write to them daily.
Hart said he was talking to a girl who said his songs really helped her with her life. 'That's what it's all about,' he said.
'We've got to be one of the hardest working bands around,' Hart said.
Tonic has released three albums including Sugar, Lemon Parade and Live & Enhanced.
The singer, who has been writing songs since he was 6 years old, said, 'I would rather take less record sales and notoriety and be a better person in the end.'
His philosophy parallels that of the person he would most like to tour with.
'I would tour with Abraham Lincoln during his electoral speeches from Springfield, Ill. to D.C. He was such a poet,' he said.
There have been cases where some fans have appreciated Hart for more than his musical poetry.
'A girl tried to kill me. She thought 'If You Could Only See' was written about her,' Hart said.
He said another girl followed him home and he had to explain to her why it wasn't cool to hang out on his front porch.
'The bottom line is that when you die you need to know that you left something. You won't be thinking about record labels.'