March 11, 2024 • 56 mins
Ever wondered how the thump of a bass drum echoes in the halls of real estate? Our latest episode brings together the unlikely duo of music and mortgages with Chicago's own Larry Steinway and Sam Sharp. With their roots deeply planted in the rhythms of music and the hustle of the housing market, these two friends strike a chord as they share how they've managed to orchestrate a symphony of success in two distinct worlds. Their stories resonate with the beats of legendary drummers and the buzz of a vibrant city, proving that when it comes to life's rich tapestry, harmony can be found in the most unexpected places.
From the setback of a broken hand that led to triumph in the mortgage industry to the transition from selling appliances to sealing property deals, our guests' tales are a testament to life's improvisation. In this episode, Larry and Sam riff on the highs and lows of their journeys, revealing how they've tuned their skills to perform solos in both the studio and at the closing table. Witness the birth of bands like Ruby Grass, the shift from touring gigs to family commitments, and the evolution of a musician's career against the backdrop of Chicago's dynamic landscape.
Wrapping up, we spotlight the unwavering loyalty and entrepreneurial spirit that drives our guests. Sam Sharpe unveils his latest endeavor — a podcast aimed at enriching life's composition beyond the nine-to-five. As the curtain falls on this session, we're left with a melody of adaptability, personal growth, and the undying pulse of creativity. So come on and join the bandwagon, as we trace the notes of Larry and Sam's remarkable careers in the cacophony of Chicago's music and real estate scenes.
Have someone you think should be a guest on this podcast? Let us know! Email your suggestions over to: karen.sandvoss@berealtygroup.com, andrew.wendt@berealtygroup.com
Connect with Karen and Andrew at Be Realty: Be Realty Group
Email the Show: karen.sandvoss@berealtygroup.com
Guest: Larry Steinway and Sam Sharp of Revolution Mortgage and Guaranteed Rate
Link: Billy Cobham
Link: Rubygrass
Link: Liquid Soul
Link: Dead Fest
Link: Northbrook
Link: Landmark Inn
Link: The J. Davis Trio
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Records in Real Estate, a podcast about
well records and real estates.
You'll be entertained andinformed as we explore the
intersection of these two worldsthrough interviews with
Chicago's most interesting andsuccessful people from both
industries.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
That was Andrew Wendt and I'm Karen Sanvoss.
We are Chicago Real EstateBrokers, Property Managers, Avid
Music Lovers and your hosts ofRecords in Real Estate.
Andrew yes, Karen, we had agreat conversation just now.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
We had a wonderful conversation with Larry Steinway
and Sam Sharpe.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Two musical powerhouses in Chicago with a
million bands, everything frombands that played Chick-Karri to
Foo Fighters and the GratefulDead.
Just crazy.
Liquid soul, Liquid soul.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
A lot of names in there, a lot of good Chicago
names, an opportunity for us andour listeners to sort of
research some of them, if youdidn't really know who the names
were.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, and here's two guys that are at the top of
their game, both musically andprofessionally, and they have
found that balance and they talkabout that.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
They do and they talk about their friendship and what
got them into the mortgageindustry and their musical
journey.
And yeah, it was just, it waslovely.
Yeah, let's do it.
Let's get into it.
We are here with Larry Steinwayand Sam Sharpe and you guys are
our guests today.
(01:33):
This is a rare occasion wherewe're doing two guests, but you
guys are good buddies, huh.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
We're very good friends, we are, yes, we might
hold hands actually we mighthold hands, cool idea.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
That's right.
We have a couple's massagescheduled after that.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Is that why we have a hard stop?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
That's why we have a hard stop.
That's why we have a hard stop.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
That's a hard stop for a song to begin with Did you
guys meet through music or realestate or know each other
before Mortgage?
Mortgage.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
We met, sam was at guaranteed rate and I was coming
back to guaranteed rate.
After leaving, I went toguaranteed rate, I left
guaranteed rate and I was comingback and Sam was a leader there
, nice.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
We were coming from Wind Trust at the time right.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Federal Savings Bank.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh wow, yeah, I guess I.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
So this wasn't all that long ago, then 2009?
, oh, 2009.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Nice 2009.
Yeah, because I remember I hadjust made the move back and
that's what it was.
You wanted to connect becauseit was like, did we make the
right move?
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, was this a good idea?
I wanted to meet some of thetop people and Sam was in the
building, yeah, and I said he'sup, you were upstairs.
You were on the upstairs floor.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
They just recently took away that desk after all
these years.
Wow, yeah, they redid the wholefloor, so now I can't sit there
.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Do they put you down in the basement?
Yeah, of course.
From the top to the bottom.
That's where I belong.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Janitor's closet.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
That's right, I don't need much room just to headset
my clear connect.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Times are tough, janitor's closet.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Now did you guys like how did you bond?
Did you bond over music rightaway?
I would think of.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
We did one day and Sam, I'll try not to during this
podcast Hogg with microphonebecause I am a talker.
You're okay, so you can kick meif I'm going on, but I do
remember the day when we bondedand I was sitting there talking
about my band, if you recall,and I was loud.
(03:30):
Okay, because my desk was inthe center of the floor and Sam
was in his corner, which theyonly put the royalty of
mortgages at Guarantee Rates satin the corner.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Basements and corners .
That's where we go.
Basements and corners, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
And they take the people right in the middle,
right that need the most help,need the most help, yeah exactly
.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
You can jump in at any point from all angles and
I'll save him.
He's drowning.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And it was back in the day when everybody went to
the office.
Yeah, like if you workingremotely, you would be.
Look, people would look at youwith a I don't.
I don't understand that.
You know we don't do that here,right?
So I was in the center of theoffice and, as my usual quiet,
tim itself was talking and Ihung up the phone and Sam kind
(04:22):
of like hey, heard, subjectmatter, you know, and he just
kind of went into the music alittle bit with me.
Oh nice, we started talking andI'm like, oh, do you know, you
ever heard of Billy Cobham, youever?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
heard of this guy and Sam's like, um, yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
And Sam's like I'm a drummer, I go well, I'm a bass
player and Sam bass players anddrummers.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, it's impotical.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
It's pretty much it's pretty much peanut butter and
jelly, yeah, and we, we don'tget the glory, you know, but you
can't have a band, reallythat's great what you're talking
about.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
They say a band's only as good as their drummer.
So it's true.
That's glory.
I don't know what it is, andwho is Billy Cobham for our oh?
Let's Sam take that BillyCobham is a drummer from a long
time ago who, uh, he's.
He's not, I guess, to say he'sa drummer, he's a thunderous
powerhouse of complicated music.
Okay, fusion, fusion, rock,jazz, fusion, that but very
(05:22):
accessible and very uh, just, uh, just hammer fisting, but with
Vanessa, I don't know how elseto put it.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
He's probably one of the greatest drummers ever
Gravitaris.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Are we?
Are we pronouncing him right?
It's Billy Cobham.
Cobham, do you know?
Yeah, oh yeah, personally.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
No, I'm a drummer as well.
So yeah, oh, really, so do youremember?
Return to Forever.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
No, I don't know his music.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
If that's the name of an album, that's I he played
with three incredible musiciansin a band called Return to
Forever, which I absolutelyreally influenced me because it
was music that I could neverplay.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
And it was Stanley Clark, chick Corea, aldi Miola
and Billy Billy, cobham, cobham,cobham.
Wow, not cobham, did he do?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
stuff with zappa ever .
I think he might have Do somezappa, I think yeah, he did
zappa.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
They had all kinds of and yeah, he, uh, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
He was very big into that scene.
It was like jazz fusion kind ofweird eclectic odd time
signatures, uh, you know johnmcgloffsland style maha beach
orchestra feel and he just hadthat really wild.
He's a wild man when it comesto the drums, like he's just a
unique sound to where once you,once you know who he is and you
hear him play, you immediatelyyou recognize it.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Yeah, you're never gonna go to a bar and hear
anyone covering that stuff.
I've done it.
We've done it.
I don't see him.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
I have played in groups covering that stuff
actually.
Yeah, absolutely did play on agroup that did a Billy Cobham
cover, not, not are you sayingyou're as good as Billy Cobham?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
I'm better.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
That's a modest the Beatles thing they're probably.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Better.
Better than jesus too.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
What's in the coffee.
But I will say that nobody ifhe plays that at a bar, all that
stuff.
That's how you clear a bar too.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Yeah, last call, yeah , this is great, let's go
another bar.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, you get the Billy Cobham sign from the, from
the manager, like, yeah, wrapthat up, have a little Bob Dylan
, please, please, you could dothat.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It was actually it was cool.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Look.
So remember, larry would bringhis bass into work and and stuff
.
So we'd see him and he's gotsome really great basses, good
relationships with the people atLakeland and and everything
they've done and he's broughtsome amazing basses.
And so We'd go and you know,he'd bring it in that city, pull
it out, we would talk about itand just talk through music and
everything, and then we wouldtalk about mortgages for like
five minutes, nice and uh, bassand music for that.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
You know there's, some of the greatest basses In
the world Are made About 12blocks from here.
Really, yes, yes, lakelandmusical instruments Okay, that's
a shout out.
I'd please like to getroyalties, but uh, yeah, it's
made right.
They're made right up here.
Amazing.
And my friend, dan lakin,started the company Way back one
(08:12):
, and I could name just a fewartists that play their basses
or have or do or have bands.
You bass players from bandslike the foo fighters.
You too, john Paul Jones fromled zapplin.
Wow, rage against the machine.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Just a cut.
You're covering all of the I'veheard Just a couple small bands
.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah these are Butler from black Sabbath and so this
is why we have this podcast toget to know new bands, right.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, these are new.
They're upcoming artists.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I'm gonna check them out New to me.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Very indie, very indie rock, very yeah, very,
very big they were.
They were featured in highfidelity.
Yeah, the records were played.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yeah, they're made right up there and because I
knew Dan lakin way back in theday when I had a band and yeah,
um, I got to know all the, the,the elves in the wood shop.
So we save the people that arecovered permanently and saw us.
I think we just have a futureguest alert?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I think so, I think so Is it all basses, or is it
any?
Speaker 4 (09:15):
No, they do also electric guitars, guitars yeah
that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
All right, no drums, no.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
There was a big man, bass, a drum manufacturer, bison
drums, luddwick, luddwick.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Some people yeah, I didn't heard of luddwick.
I'm pretty sure they were neverheard of luddwick.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Well, let's let's talk a little bit about how it's
lending mortgages, the realestate market in 2024.
Why do we have to?
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I was, we were, we were having.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
So much fun.
We'll get back to music.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
But uh, you know we do have to cover a little bit of
business.
Sure, let's get to the businessfor tax purposes.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
All right, it is almost tax season, isn't it?
It's coming, that's right.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, the latest thing is you try to consult the
tax accountant and they chargeyou for consultation.
Now, oh really, oh yeahabsolutely I tried, tried
talking to a couple people thatwere referred to me from
reputable sources and they werelike great book, here it's and
you go into their calendar tobook and it was like 300 dollars
for the half hour Wow okay.
I'm like that's fine, I'll getall my tax advice from instagram
(10:22):
.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I'll just youtube my stuff.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I'm just gonna go to social media.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Well, all right.
So so I have a kind of asoftball question.
Yeah, maybe it is, maybe itisn't.
Why did you guys get intoLending and what do you?
What do you guys do, what youdo, sam?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
money, I guess, was the driving factor.
You get into the business Idon't even know.
All right, so I'll make this asshort as possible.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
We have a hard stop at 3 pm.
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
I broke my hand.
I broke my hand and I wastouring.
It was a touring musician atthe time.
That's all they did and I, Iwas broke very quickly.
I had to cancel a couple tours,which is like seven months, and
I didn't know what I was goingto do to pay.
The bills Grew up very, verypoor, no one to turn to for
money.
I mean, I had sold everythingout of my drums.
At this point I was like Idon't know, I'm gonna do my
(11:10):
roommate and business partnerone of my best friends, still
till this day he had started amortgage company.
He would, he would telemarketat a mortgage company between
tours.
He was also a guitar player ina lot of these groups I played
with.
So we had uh, he got long storyshort.
He got me into the business.
I remember he came and he waslike, hey, you should, you
should try this, I think you'dbe really good at it.
I was like that's a horribleidea.
But uh, I was, I was broke, soI got into it.
(11:34):
And then, you know the idea,back Back.
This was 2000, end of 2001.
You could make your ownschedule right.
So I was like, oh, I could dothis, I could make money off of
a commission check and then goon tour.
So it seemed like this dreamjob.
It's like, oh, I'm gonna, I'mgonna be able to do this.
But you know what happened isyou?
You get into it, get a bigpaycheck and all of a sudden
(11:55):
like, oh, you know, money's adrug, it's addictive, right?
I mean I was like, oh, this isnice, I can make, I could buy
that new ride symbol it was.
You know, all rationalizationaround.
I'm like I can do this to makethis part of my life better.
But which, pretty soon.
I started coming into thecompany early.
They gave me keys to open up,to lock up, and then, after my
first year, they made me apartner with them in the
business because I just I'dtaken to it really well and it
(12:18):
was just uh, so it was reallyout of necessity.
I was broke, I needed money, Iapparently like to talk a lot
and that was a good combinationwith mortgages.
So I, just I, I fell into it,luckily, and uh, now it's been a
career, 22 years later.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Well, for 22 years, I mean, you must Also enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I'm better at mortgages than Billy Cobham.
That's a fact.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
That's the quarter of the day Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Larry.
So yeah, sort of it's.
It's interesting I was um.
I was working sellingappliances and TVs at apt.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Oh, okay, we use them yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
I.
I met Ricky apt during thecollege years and you know he
said, hey, come to the store andwork in the warehouse.
Okay, and we were friends.
So I went to the warehouse andwithin a week his dad had said
you're a talker, you're not inthe warehouse.
They have what's called theprivate sale.
(13:20):
You ever heard of their privatesales?
Yeah, okay, they have a privatesale, um, like twice a year and
it's like Police are guidingcars in and out.
I mean it's, it's uh, it'scraziness.
And I was in the warehouse andhe's like throw on a sweater,
because all the sales peoplewore sweaters.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I remember I put on a sweater.
My name is Larry and I wore asweater that said steve on it,
okay.
And so I went and he's likejust sell clack radios and
walkman.
Remember those.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
That's right, right, so that tells you.
I need context.
What did your hair look like?
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Like, it was.
I had a feathered back eachside.
I had the scott bio thing Okay.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Wow yeah, so I was.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
This is 1962.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
So you look remarkable.
I really really dailyinjections.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
And so I went, I sold clack radios.
The next thing, you know, hesaw me selling tons of stuff.
He goes go into therefrigerator.
Anyways, I sold appliances, andso one day my sister was a
processor at a company calledChicago financial service okay,
financial services who actuallywent out of business,
unfortunately, last year.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I was there recently, just recently, and he was a
great guy to get reallybrilliant was the owner, and I
think he was done.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Anyways, he's a bit older and, um, very good guy and
my sister was a processor andbasically I went to I he came
into buy appliances and I said,oh, this bill is going to be
6432 dollars or whatever.
And I said, oh, and there'ssales tax 8%, so it's gonna be 4
and a half.
And I totaled it up in my headand he went okay, you, your
(15:01):
sales guy, larry, but you'regood with math, aren't you?
I said, yeah, street math.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I said Not algebra, not calculus.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah, street math.
I love that I can do streetmath quick.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
I mean, mortgages is a street business, I don't want
to tell you how you learn streetmath, but I did learn it.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Okay, sure.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
How you learn.
It is a secret.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay, that's so anyways.
Records in real estate afterthat's right.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
It's on dark web how to learn street math.
So I learned my street math.
He said come in.
Your sister says so.
I I did.
I went in there and I learnedmortgages and then I formed a
band, okay in that period,called ruby grass, and we were
uh quickly Got on the radio inChicago.
(15:46):
We are an XRT in the mix.
We wrote an L in 1997.
Nice, we sold about I don'tknow 175,000 copies of that.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
L and we played everywhere.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
We played the house of blues y2k show, all this
stuff.
And then I met my wife, liz,okay, and we, we got engaged, we
got married.
I'm running around the countrywith this band but still doing
some mortgages, okay.
So, and I kind of remember theday, you know, and Liz is like,
(16:18):
hey, um, the mortgages do, andI'm like somewhere I don't know
where with the band, okay, andshe's like I'm like out of town
or something, had my uh flipphone, the Motorola Remember the
plastic one I had to wave itfor signal and she's like she's
like the mortgages do on ourlittle studio on uh st Paul, the
(16:38):
one one bedroom thingy, and I'mlike, fine, just, I'm busy just
transfer money from savings tochecking.
Well, so you know, I know Ineed not to work here all day.
That's the problem.
There's nothing insane.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
OK, we have blown through, sort of like 2024.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
But anyways, that's kind of like but she had a
mortgage is impressive.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
We did, we did.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
We had a little mortgage and because her dad,
when we got married, helped usout, a little mortgage named
Steve, little mortgage namedSteve Steve mortgage.
And any event, the story reallyis is that Liz was like she had
.
Then she got pregnant and she'skind of like hey, you know the
band thing.
And, truth be told, we went toNew York, we had a we're on the
(17:23):
radio, we got right in front ofSony Entertainment.
I was one office down from TonyMetola, who was married to
Mariah Carey at the time,begging for a record deal, got
in the office because I was themanager of the band, reuben
Kincaid, like, and I sat down inthe chair and they said thank
you so much, but we're going totake a pass and I'm like oh OK.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
So I was like did you pitch him on a refinance?
Speaker 4 (17:49):
I said See, that's why.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Sam.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Opportunity.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
That's why he ranks higher than me in the.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Scotsman he drinks a lot of lemonade.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
So I basically came back to Chicago, told our band,
said, guys, I love you, we'rehaving a baby, I need to focus
on mortgages Full time.
And we did our last show in2001 at the Park West Jam
Productions Sold out show.
It was fantastic, nice, and itwas a great.
We went out like on top of theright way Went out there.
(18:22):
And then in 2011, we did areunion show and shoot us and
sold it out in like 48 hours Getout of here.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
That's cool.
So that's how I that was there.
There.
It is so good for you.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yes, well, babies and babies and music apparently
don't go well, they don't gowell, yeah, money.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, yeah what was your was feeding babies, right,
yeah, right, I mean, I'm sopromised feeding them and
keeping a roof over there, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
So it costs more than one hundred and seventy five
thousand record sales to feedyour baby.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
When you, when you have to split it with all those
other members.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Is that street math yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah Well, sam, tell us about you, know your, your
bands that you've played insince, since Lyra, just oh boy,
all this with his.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Yeah, it's a pretty wide array.
I had.
I'd moved here back in 98 witha band it was called Isabelle
Hayes.
It was a kind of a fusionishband, very Frank Zappa, like on
time signatures but like funky,groovy, fancy stuff.
He loved us.
We were in Colorado, came fromColorado originally, so I got my
first half of my life there inmy last half in Chicago, and we
(19:34):
had we'd moved here to to makeit big.
We had been touring a lot andwe needed a city at the time.
Ironically, denver wasn'treally supporting its musicians
very well.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
There's an aquarium rescue unit, though from there.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, I mean, that's the thing.
There's like a few one-offshere and there, but, and we were
making, we were starting to getin good with, like the Fox
Theater because we were playingbigger theaters there and they
were going on tours throughoutthe West Coast and playing these
.
We went from opening for bandslike Liquid Soul actually,
remember we open for Liquid Soul, yes, got the cat cat house, I
think, or cat something in Cat'sEye and in Seattle.
(20:08):
And then the next tour we were,we were the headliners, so like
we were going through thesetheaters opening and then
headlining and started buildingus.
We're like, all right, we needa real city.
And we two of the guys werefrom Downer's Grove.
The guy actually who got me tothe mortgage business is Brian
Ford, great guy Still.
He still produces music, he'sin California now and he's doing
mortgages again, which is weird, but that's desperate.
(20:28):
Yeah, okay, so not exactly, butanyway.
So I moved here with that bandand you know, shortly after we
moved here, like within a year Ithink it was, the band broke up
because, well, in Colorado rentwas $200 a month and you know
it was easy to get around and doeverything.
And in Chicago, I mean thiscity really, you get hazed.
(20:51):
When you were Chicago, it'slike you know, I remember my car
had the boot on it.
We had all of our gear stolenfrom our trailer like all kinds
of stuff, did it, yeah, andthat's a big, a big move.
So the band broke up.
But when the band broke up I hadconnected with our neighbor.
There was this guy.
His name was Charles Levi.
Charles Levi is a Chicago iconbass player.
He's a place for a group calledmy Life with the Thrill Kill
(21:12):
Cult and I grew up listening tothem.
I grew up listening toeverything.
Even though I was playing inthis, this hippie band.
There was a point in time whereI used to listen to a lot of
well, still do listen to a lotof metal, a lot of thrash, the
death, like the heavier, thedirtier.
My son, who just turned seven,it's his favorite type of music.
He tries to put it on his firstfriend Like no, that's no like
(21:32):
sepultura and a much heavierSlayer was like when I was in
high school.
So I was like I learned to playthe drums by playing along with
Slayer records Like it reallywas my thing.
That's heavy, yeah, it was.
So the bass player moved innext door and I remember they
were going on tour and they Iwanted to play.
They were going to go on tourwith Thrill Kill Cult and there
was this girl named Meg Lee Chin.
(21:53):
She's going to come from the UK.
She has a song she just put out.
It's like this, this kind ofhip hoppy mixed with industrial
kind of sequences and stuff.
And Brian got to play guitar.
Brian's phenomenal guitarplayer, great musician all
around.
He plays drums, playseverything.
He's really talented.
But I remember they're like, ohwell, brian's going to play
guitar.
I'm like, well, I need to playdrums.
They're like, no, we have adrummer already.
(22:14):
And I was just like Briandidn't even listen to your music
.
I'm like this is ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
I grew up on this.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
So upset and Brian was like, oh, you know that
sucks or whatever.
But then they had this drummer.
There was a band, chicago band,called the beer nuts that's
what they were called, the beernuts and they had this Very
original yeah, but they had adrummer.
She was like six foot tall,blonde bombshell and her name
was Dickless, that's what theycalled her.
So, like I remember, he told mehe's like Dickless is playing
(22:41):
drums and I was like this isobviously an R rated podcast.
Yeah, yeah, it's well, you canbeat me if you want, but it's
the truth.
So it's funny because I reallywanted this gig.
So they Brian was learningtheir music and I took the CD
because this is how we did it,and CDs, and I took their CD and
behind the scenes I learned allthe songs, no for no.
(23:02):
And when they had their firstrehearsal I showed up at
rehearsal because they livednext door.
We lived in this loft on LakeStreet.
The Lake Street lofts wereinfamous.
We, there was a lot of historyin those buildings with music
and I remember I just sat thereand hung out, because we all
know musicians are unreliable.
And I hung out and they said,uh, she didn't show up and there
(23:23):
was like hey, and and Meg wasfrom London and she was there.
She'd flown in for this tour.
It's a big deal, right, she'slike this, we're going on this
tour.
This is my career.
Where the hell is this drummerand and Charles, who's he's the
musical director of the band, isfeeling the pressure.
He's like Sam, you want to.
You want to sit in on a song?
You think you can.
I'm like, yeah, I can fake myway through this.
Played, played one song,stopped the song and turned
around.
They're like you want to go ontour and like, there you go.
(23:46):
That was it.
I went out on tour with them andevery time, every time, I was
like, before the tour got back,if they weren't going out again,
I cooked up with someone else,because as soon as you could
play drums with sequences andsamples, invisible records was
the record label.
They just started basicallywhoring you out to all these
different labels, paying younothing, cause you're like, oh,
you can play this stuff, you'lldo it.
(24:06):
You don't care how much moneyyou're making, right, this is
the kid we're going to put ondrums, right?
So I did that and then I justwent through a wide array of
different Chicago industrialbands like sister machine gun,
like all these.
They were big, they did reallywell.
People from guys from the playto ministry, all these different
bands.
And it's so funny too, becausethen, like I'd get back from
tour and I booked, there's thisguy, Tony Dale, chicago icon
(24:29):
drummer.
He's an amazing guy.
He was out in Vegas now he usedto connect me with his
management company who did all.
He was in a band called the ShyLights, which is a Chicago also
, you know, very big thing.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Well known the Shy Lights are.
No, they were, they were huge.
And so, tony, he's drummer, wego along really well.
He was in a band with me andwith his management company, how
he fill in with him to play forthe tokens.
So they did.
The lion sleeps tonight.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
And then went in their best thoughts I thought,
oh, do the jungle, I'm not goingto do it for that.
But that led then.
That led to like thetemptations and like, because
they, as soon as you, again thesame thing.
As soon as you got out and youwere responsible, you showed up
on time, you did a good job.
Then they started booking infor those gigs.
And then I remembercoincidentally auditioning for
Liquid Soul.
Oh, yeah.
(25:15):
And then tomorrow's.
Just he just passed,unfortunately, which is really
sad, but I saw funny because Iremember they called me for the
audition.
I had such a chip on myshoulder.
I was a dick, like seriously Ireally was, I was, I had gone.
I thought you had to be thisway.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
So you're the opposite of the Diclist.
That was the opposite of theDiclist, I was.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I was like this guy needs to learn a lesson, like
seriously.
And I did, fortunately, I'mvery happy I did.
But I remember talking to Marsabout Liquid Soul you know
Chicago band and I'm like, well,how much are you going to pay
me?
That was it.
And I'm like, if I can't makeat least this amount of money I
remember it was like 30 grand orsomething a year yeah, was it
like, oh, I can live off this.
Oh my God, like, if I don'tmake this amount of money, I'm
(25:52):
not even stepping in the studio.
And he was like, well, youdon't have the gig yet.
And I said, yeah, I will,though, so I need to make sure
this is worth my time.
And I remember it.
And it was between me and aRoyal Prince Franklin, who
happens to play drums for LennyKravitz now.
And it's so funny because I didthe audition and then they
called us both back, the two ofus, and I played with them and I
was like, oh, this is great, itwent really well.
(26:13):
And it was kind of weirdbecause I didn't get along with
their drummer at the time whenwe opened for them, because he
was really weird about his drumset.
And so I was like oh great, I'mgoing to boot these guys out.
And I remember Royal PrinceFranklin walked in.
I mean, he's got like bigearrings, he's a cystic, like
lanky, six foot five.
God, I mean, he's just like.
(26:34):
Immediately he walked and shookmy head.
I was like oh no, you're notthe gig.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
He had the look, he had it all done.
He's phenomenal player.
He's just an idol player therewas nothing there.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, that was it.
So anyway, but yeah, and thenthere was a bunch of other bands
Jay Davis Trio, chicago,another staple, who,
coincidentally, his father wasone of the biggest, most iconic
producers in Chicago music scene, carl Davis, and he produced, I
think, the Shy Lights actually.
And it was funny because theJay Davis Trio was the same way.
I remember when they wereauditioning drummers, my friend
was auditioning for him and Iremember calling up Julio and
(27:05):
being like hey, I'd like toaudition for you, but one of my
friends is auditioning for youand if you're considering him, I
don't want to audition.
And again, same thing.
He was like you don't even havethe gig.
And I was like and again I waslike but I will, I'm like, so
I'm going to do this.
So they and it was funny becausethey had he said actually his
name's Ryan Murphy, he's adrummer for Poydog Pondering now
(27:27):
.
And he was like listen, we wantRyan, but Ryan's a lighting
director and we can't becausehe's on tour all the time.
And I said I have an idea.
I'm going to come in and playwith you guys, if you like it,
then I will do whatever gigsRyan can't when he's on tour.
And for like two years we wereboth just.
We just rotated the drummer, jDavis, and then Ryan had a bound
(27:48):
out and I stayed on.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
So some of them are much more loyal musicians.
Yeah, that is about.
Hey, that's 10 years, 77different artists that I've
played.
Not one of those bands eversold 100.
Did you ever play the doubledoor stand?
Did you ever play the doubledoor stand that?
Speaker 3 (28:01):
was our stomping ground, my favorite, literally
my favorite venue in the city.
We used to sell at the doubledoor at the J Davis trail.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
When you talk about equipment getting stolen.
We had a gig at the double door.
We played there a bunch oftimes I'll never forget.
We pulled up, we're loading in.
We had a big show, we sold abunch of tickets, we had a
headlining and everything'sgoing good.
And then we come out.
Somebody stole our drummersdrums while we were loading.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Yeah, oh my god.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yeah, I think that was.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Like dancing.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Okay, so let's have a week break.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
That sounds good.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Andrew.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Yes, Karen.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
You know what time it is.
It is time for our record ofthe week record of the week.
Last time I had a record andyou said you would have one, do
you?
Speaker 1 (28:54):
I do.
The record is a Tom Waitsrecord called Mule Variations
which came out in 1999.
And you know, tom Waits is, Iwould say his name is well known
, but he's also probably, youknow, not at the top of many
(29:18):
people's lists unless they'reinto that.
You know, folk music or sort ofin the vein of Bob Dylan or
John Prine, and I'm sure a lotof people love Tom Waits, but to
me he's not, wasn't well knownuntil I discovered randomly and
this was like 20 years ago hisalbum Mule Variations, and I've
(29:38):
been looking for it on vinyl andI happened to find it and so I
haven't picked it up yet butlistened to the album today and
just wanted to make sure it wassomething that I wanted to
invest in.
And it is definitely somethingthat I want to invest in.
It's a fantastic album.
It's not kind of on the youknow best Tom Waits album, it's
(30:00):
not on the top of people's lists, but it is really cool.
He's a singer-songwriter, again,kind of.
You know his early stuff ismore sort of folky and jazz, but
then he gets into it feels likeyou're listening to Charles
Bukowski or something like that,put to music.
(30:21):
It feels like more like poetryput to music like his.
His delivery, his song, hissinging and the lyrics that he
produces doesn't like everreally match up with the music
behind it, but it all sort ofends at the right time.
You know what I mean.
(30:41):
Okay, yeah, yeah.
So Mule Variations great, greatalbum.
I was doing a little researchand he actually has a tie to
Chicago, so he wrote the songthat the wire used for their
theme song down in a hole.
Yeah, he wrote it for an album.
I don't remember the name of it, but he wrote it for an album.
(31:03):
It was an album that they madea play out, of, that debuted and
maybe only you know wasperformed at Brier Street
Theater by the SteppenwolfCompany.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
No shit, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yeah, so Mule Variations by Tom White is my
record of the week.
Check it out.
Well, thank you guys, I want tojust kind of keep moving
forward.
Yep, this is an amazingconversation.
Yeah, we still play together,I'm loving life.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Yeah, I'm still playing a lot with my new band.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Yeah, and what's your new band's name?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
I was hoping you'd ask.
Keep it brief.
I will be conscious of otherpeople's time, and I love you,
sam, I do.
You know that.
I'm so happy.
I love you too.
We haven't seen each other in awhile, so this is really good.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Really good.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
We talk all the time, but, yeah, seeing each other,
it's you know, mortgages or whenwe didn't talk, we haven't
talked business yet, have we?
No?
Okay, I'll make this superquick.
No, I'm a little different.
I'm the man.
I take my business acumen and Ibecome the manager of the band.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
So I do my own right.
Sam knows that I played withhim.
I played in a couple differenttraditions A couple times.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Yeah, he's, sam's filled in in a pinch.
I remember had stomach flu theday of the gig and I'm like oh
my God and I call Ghostbustersright here.
And he took care of it, andwithout any.
I will have to say he didn'tlearn any.
He didn't know half the songs.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I wrote out some of it.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
He just showed up like listening to it on the ride
down and did it, you know, butactually it went really well.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
It went really well that gig was awesome.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
They said if ever we're in a pinch we'll call him.
So unfortunately you have itbecause it stinks when I'm when
the drummers on the day of thegig out.
But we have my bands.
It's called Deadfest Band.
Okay, okay, and Deadfest Bandhas been very fortunate.
Eight years ago a friend of I'mnot I'm a dead fan, but not
(33:01):
like I never played dead thatmuch.
Okay, and I'm a big LedZeppelin classic rock guy.
A friend of ours died of cancerin Northbrook.
Okay, eight years ago.
I get the phone call from hisreally close friends.
They're like Larry, we'rehaving the service at the church
and then we're all going to goto the landmark in Bar and we're
(33:22):
going to can you put together adead band that does kind of a
thing, a tribute, and I'm like,of course you know it's Chris,
this guy and great guy too, andhe loved the dead.
So the bar, hometown bar inNorthbrook, the landmark in, he
said he's going to clear out thebar or whatever.
(33:43):
We I got great musicians, davidAllen from Mr Blotto, who's a
great keyboardist, a coupleother fantastic musicians, and
we did this thing and we blewthe roof off the bar.
Nice, okay, and they were likeyou got to come back Like when
are you?
So I waited a whole year.
I called it dead fest was thename of it.
(34:04):
That was kind of a mistakebecause the name really is not
good.
We it was, I'll tell you, Ididn't exist very quick, but it
was dead fest, the first show.
I'm really trying to do thisquickly.
A year later I said we'll do itagain.
It went from like 50 people tolike 350 people, like like the
(34:25):
bar was like line, like youcan't.
I had no idea.
So then people were like youneed to do like more often.
So I slowly started building inmore shows, more shows, more
shows, and I will tell you lastyear was a great experience.
The last two years I've gotsome great players.
I got a guy named kid MikeySchroeder on drums.
(34:46):
Who's he played with MelvinSeals, who is Jerry Garcia's
keyboard like real, likepedigree players.
Okay, I'm the only guy really inthe band.
I'm mad.
Also he has a business but likeI'm really the only guy that's
not a full-time musician now.
The bottom line is we arecompletely booked in 2024.
I'm booked in 2025.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Nice, that's great.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
So, I don't.
Yeah, we're playing like Retroon Roscoe.
I mean we're, yeah, we're.
It's like people are calling meto be like Larry.
Can you play our bar in April?
Speaker 2 (35:16):
No, no, can't do it why.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I'm booked.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
I don't have any more time.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
That's why Good for you.
So people like the dead?
Apparently they do.
Who knew?
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Yeah, it's kind of an up and coming thing yeah like
the Foo Fighters.
I think they're going to makeit?
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Yeah, it sounds like it.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
That one guy didn't die that one guy didn't die.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
You won't ever know.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Sam, do you play?
Still Sorry, oh yeah, oh Sam.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Yeah, I still, I still play quite a bit.
I do a lot of fill-in, you know, the one thing I'll tell you is
you get as you, as you getolder, it's harder to find
people to play with.
So J Davis Trio plays once ayear or something like that,
because it's been over 25 years.
So I think people are done.
So then, as I start to branchout, we moved to the suburbs in
like 2019, which is like thedeath of the musician.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
I got a side project going where I was going to tell
you about that Black Jagger yeah, black Jagger yeah.
We talked about it.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
We talked on the way in and so yeah, so I've been
going around.
There's a guy, kevin Ford, he'sa keyboard player who was in
the group Isabelle Hayes that Imoved here with.
I do a lot of gigs with him.
We had a group called Elevator,but now he has a group that he
put together called the ImperialBoxman.
Kevin is from the is a ChicagoAfrobeat project, which is like
people like them, they do.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
So I played that a few different times.
It's all originals, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Oh yeah.
So the Imperial Boxman is great.
You have to get Jonathan Marks,who's the drummer, in that.
And it was great because when Ilearned the material for their
shows to fill in because I didlike, we did like a month where
we're playing once a week at theDorians in the behind the
record store in Wicker Park, andit was amazing because it was
the first.
It had been a long time since Ihad been challenged like that
because the drummer he's aphenomenal drummer, he's a
(36:56):
definitely an on-demand drummerin the area and the parts he had
written were just so Tasty likeit is really good and and
complex.
You know, a lot of the tunes arein seven and just different
things and and the way he's,he's very fluid player, so and
so still playing those guys.
Speaker 4 (37:10):
seven, seven, four timing, that's right.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Yes, so my newest, my newest project that I'm working
on I just decided this is toplay with myself, so Drums, yeah
.
Oh wait, where are we going?
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
I've decided that that in my that I never I
stumbled into music playing likeI played with, you know, by
myself, playing with records anddoing all this stuff, and then
I got into playing with otherpeople after that.
So I figured, since I'm havingsuch a hard time finding all the
people that I want to play withall the time, I'm going to just
start focusing on myself andthen I think that'll that'll
(37:55):
push me into Either doing what Ineed to to find other people or
you know, that's the weird, theworld works very strange.
You get what you put out.
So I'm putting, I'm putting itout there Sure.
So you know, hopefully comingup in the next year I'll have
some, some other projects thatwill work on.
I did my own trio.
I do my own trio as well, likeorgan trio, nice keys and bass,
and we we played during COVID.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
Yeah, we have fun.
It was great.
It was like so it was theheight of cove.
Yes okay, so we played in hisgarage, the detached garage.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
It was we just wanted to play.
Yeah, he had a couple friendsand we just went in there and it
was like, because we are so wewere at the stir crazy point in
the dead of the winter, yeah,and Sam's like why don't we just
open the garage door?
Like you know, my wife saw.
No, you can't go there there'swhy it's like not digging it.
(38:48):
Everybody's not digging it.
Carry was kind of she was coolbut my wife was not digging me
going there.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
Where you, where you going.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
What are you doing?
Speaker 4 (38:55):
I'm like he's gonna leave the garage door half open.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
It was bitter cold out there one time.
Speaker 4 (39:00):
Yeah, and we, we got together and just Jay, I, just I
was like starving for.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
Please.
So Larry only plays with mewhen he's starving first.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
Honestly, sam and I both know if we had a different
life, we would.
We would be doing, for sure, I,just I we got commitments, man,
it's worth.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
It's worth saying I do play that I realized.
I just realized I just had agig last week and I played this
group called dirty MF and thesmoking section and dirty MF is
DMC from liquid soul.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Oh cool, so I'm like I'm not gonna wait.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
I'm trying to think.
I'm like who am I playing withright now?
I'm like, wait, those are therecent gigs I've been doing.
Yeah, I think now we're gonna,we're gonna start playing a lot
more because liquid soul won't,won't, I guess, probably won't
so, and you look like you havesome other question, I do have
some other questions.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
Yeah, I want to make sure I get.
In some questions.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
I have one question, I think.
I think this will beinteresting to you guys, but
what qualities do your favoriterealtors possess?
Speaker 4 (39:52):
loyalty, loyalties number one loyalty to who
loyalty loyalty to someone, okay, okay, meaning this is podcast
gonna be aired, or is this justfor the four of us?
Speaker 1 (40:09):
I.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
Want to have a career after this your words, why?
No, listen, you know I Findloyalty is a word that's getting
diluted in today's economy.
You know, and I, I find thatyou know we, we do things I know
, sam does, I know that I do tohelp an agent Make a deal happen
(40:40):
, close the deal, earn acommission.
For some reason, the nextcustomer that comes across, they
seem to just feel this madnessto have to refer three lenders.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 4 (40:59):
Larry, you helped us so much you got it done.
You closed it in 12 daysbecause another lender couldn't
thank you so much, and for thatreturn my next client.
I am going to recommend severalother mortgage lenders for you
to compete with.
So you make the least amount ofmoney possible.
Yeah, and I find that to be apractice that is taught in the
(41:23):
real estate industry and it'snot.
It's not their fault.
I'm not blaming any particularagent, but I know that some
names please Blaming anyone?
No, it just seems to be that asa taught Thing yeah you know,
and, and I find that to befrustrating yeah, I really do,
(41:43):
and I think, when you hear meposition it, that way.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Yeah, it makes sense.
Speaker 4 (41:47):
Yeah, I would rather them say hey, I'm gonna refer
Larry because he's done a reallygood job for me.
Yeah, and if things don't, ifyou want someone else, if it,
because sometimes you get on thephone and they're like hey, I
want this or I want that, or Isaw this or that and I can't you
.
There wasn't a connection CuzI'm not very likable and so
sometimes you know there's justa not happening.
(42:07):
That's fine and they're okay,call me, I'll get you someone
else right.
But to throw those three namesout there, yeah, it's almost
like saying I have a referralfor a real estate agent and it's
in your area, but I think I'mjust going to refer three or
four other ages.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
How does that feel?
Yeah, okay, so you don't likethat.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
I don't like that.
Am I allowed to say this?
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (42:32):
So loyalty.
Speaker 4 (42:33):
Like a loyalty Sure.
That is the quality that to meis most important.
Love that answer.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
I like.
I think for me, creativity andhustle, that's it.
I like the.
I think that so you don't careabout loyalty.
I mean, loyalty is somethingthat's that you can I don't want
to say earn, but it's somethingwhere if you make yourself so
in demand, then you don't haveto worry about it as much, right
, and I don't think why mywife's not loyal to me.
(43:01):
I know that's exactly it for me.
No, I think I think that what Ilike it's been 22 years of doing
this right, a lot, of, a lot ofups and downs in this career,
and the one thing that'sbecoming apparent to me right
now is that and I think thishappens to a lot of people as
you get older is that we have alimited amount of time to do
things, and you know I've beenbusy enough to where I don't
have enough time to to getthrough everything Like.
(43:22):
That's just how it happens.
So for me, I've made a decisionto work with with people who
first so I said hustling likeyou have to want to work, right.
I don't like.
I don't like the people who you.
I don't want to be in aposition where you're you're
working and you're killingyourself to get something done
for someone and on the other end, the person's dropping the ball
.
I like partnerships wherepeople are like okay, I'm
working hard, you're workinghard, we're getting there.
(43:43):
But outside of that creativity,I think that things change in
22 years.
The one only thing that'sconstant in our industry is it's
constantly changing.
Speaker 4 (43:51):
I love that, by the way.
That's, that's great, that isgood.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
It's the truth.
So I find my partners that Ilook for are are the people who
are looking for ways to change.
You know, I like, I like, Ilike Instagram, I like TikTok.
People are like oh my God, Ihate this.
I love that.
When I talk to people, I waslike I just can't stand social
media.
I'm like why Like besides thefact that you're on it all the
time Like, why are you, why doyou not like it?
I'm like it's, it's a.
(44:15):
You realize that people paymillions and millions of dollars
for television ads and now youcan do this stuff for free, and
it's just an example of thismodern marketing world.
So when I, when I talk topeople and I partner with them,
we, I find the people that getexcited.
If I have a limited amount oftime to do things, I want to do
that with the people who, when Ipick up the phone, I want to
talk to them.
We're going to have some ideas,because the reality is that, at
(44:35):
this point in time, when itcomes to helping client layer,
you're the same way when itcomes to a client coming to me
to get a mortgage.
I've got that down.
That is.
That is like breathing it'sit's, it's atomic right.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
That's like tiner shoes, right, it's just like
it's just there.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
I know, I know the steps and as much as things
change, it's still the mortgagebusiness right.
Like 22 years ago when I gotinto this.
I learned it pretty well and itwas underwriting.
Not much has changed Right.
So you know I ask questions,you do those stuff.
So outside of that, I'm like,okay, well, I know that part can
be knocked out of the parkevery time.
I know if someone comes to methen then, if I can, very good
(45:11):
conversion rate.
So outside of that, I like tofind the people who I want to
get excited with.
Outside of that, like, how arewe going to get people through
the door?
What are we going to do?
What are you?
Are we embracing thesedifferent types of tactics?
And you know how can, how can Imake sure that when this person
calls me, I don't find myselfgoing like I've been going out
of my way lately.
When someone calls and I don'twant to answer, I stop pursuing
(45:32):
that business relationship.
I agree with that.
I'm just like I'm done.
I'm not going to do thatanymore.
Because why am I?
Why do I want to feel this way?
I'm going to frame things in apositive way and I need people
who are going to do that samething.
I love that.
Speaker 4 (45:43):
That's a better answer than mine.
What's not it is.
It is.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
Oh, and I want them to be loyal Above all else,
above all else, yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Yes, loyalty All right.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
Well, as we wrap up here today, what is next for you
guys, for Sam and Larrytogether?
Speaker 4 (46:03):
I want to save the best for last, so I'm going to
go first, okay.
By the way, this has beenreally great.
I just want to go on record.
Yeah, okay, thank you.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
No pun intended.
Speaker 4 (46:18):
No, I really enjoyed this.
I want to thank both of you Iwant to thank Sam too.
You know it's, it's a what'snext for us.
I mean, listen, it'sinteresting.
This last year a lot of loanofficers that are very close
have gone in differentdirections.
Right, we've scattered a littlebit, right, okay, for one reason
(46:39):
or another, okay, and I thinkthat the direction for for
people like Sam and I and I'mnot speaking for you is we're
pros, right?
Mm-hmm, the numbers show it.
Okay, I'm a semi pro, he's apro, okay, all right.
So we're pros, and I think thatthis year is going to be another
(47:03):
tough year.
Okay, I think this is going tobe another year of continuing to
reinvent yourself, change, getin front of people, hone your
skills.
I think we're still kind offiguring ourselves out a little
bit Okay, at least I feel I am,but I do think that we are
setting ourselves up for sometremendous years in front of us,
and I don't think the run'sover.
(47:25):
Okay, I think the way we'redoing business, though, has to
change.
The consumers behaviors havechanged, the referral partners
have changed, society's changed,and we have to change with it,
and so, every day, we're lookingat each other, we're having
deep conversations, sam and I,we get together every couple of
(47:46):
weeks.
We share ideas, we talk about.
What we're doing has nothing todo with the, the companies we
work for.
It's really about ourselves.
So, for me, that, where am Igoing?
I'm going to constantly work onevolving in today's ever
changing market and adapt to thesociety's changes of the real
(48:06):
estate industry.
Nice, whoo, what, how?
Speaker 3 (48:09):
am I supposed to follow that?
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Now.
Speaker 4 (48:12):
I can see why he did that.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
And now, ladies, and gentlemen, Sam Sharp.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Wow, he's like I got 11.
Speaker 4 (48:19):
It's 11.
I got a guy in the.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
I got a mic.
I'm going to mic drop you knowwhat?
Speaker 4 (48:22):
I'm one more than tech.
I'm going to do what he saidLarry's mic went to eat and
laugh it.
Speaker 3 (48:29):
I mean, I had ideas for this year, but now I have
new ones that you need toformulate.
Yeah, I'm going to surroundmyself with this I'm listening
the Colton ticket.
I love it.
I have a.
I was.
I was listening to a podcastand the, and they were talking
about the way that they set uptheir lives and they talk about.
(48:49):
I can't remember that It'd bethis.
The story would be so muchcooler if I could remember the
word for it.
There's a Japanese word for itand it basically means you do
one major life event every year.
Oh nice, right.
So you plan something major.
It's called sushi, yeah, it'scalled sushi, and so the idea is
that you're supposed to dosomething of significance to and
it could be different foreveryone, right, it could be a
major trip around the world.
(49:10):
For example, the guy who's thatwas talking, he his was.
He wrote his bike across thecountry.
Now, the funny part is youlisten to these podcasts from
these successful people and theydo these amazing things because
they're already just famouslyrich.
Speaker 4 (49:22):
Right, and they're like I have 300 million.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
So I can't.
I spent 19 hours a daymeditating.
They have money, they havemoney, they have money, they
have money, they have money,they have money.
Speaker 4 (49:34):
They're like saying to me, like I'm just like all
right, yeah, yeah, yeah, fuck usall, money Got it.
Speaker 2 (49:39):
But anyway, the concept is very good.
The concept is good.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Yeah we get the idea Keep going, so make a point.
Speaker 3 (49:43):
Sam, what are you going?
to come out, here we go.
So the idea is to figure outsomething big that you do every
year and something that you wantto do, and then you find other
micro events around that.
So, for me, this year, and whatI plan on doing is we talked a
little bit about this earlierI'm actually starting a podcast,
nice.
Yes, it's not necessarily realestate related, though.
It'll be coming out.
It's called a divided life andit's going to be very in line
(50:06):
with what we're talking about.
Larry will be a guest on therebecause he has a very
interesting story, right.
But the idea for me is I wantto start this because I'm
looking for ways that my numberone goal this year is to find a
way to make things more fun,more interesting and to be a
little bit more true to what Iwant to do, rather than just
focusing on the success of theindustry.
(50:27):
Nice, I love that.
I think if you focus on theright things, the business comes
into play.
From when I first started in thebusiness, my mantra and what I
always used to say, there wastwo sayings, and I believe both
of these.
The one I used to say is thatdon't focus on the money, focus
on doing a good job.
If you do a good job and thebusiness is right, then the
money will come.
That's how I practice mybusiness and it's what led me to
(50:50):
be one of the top originatorsin the country.
And then I also used to saythat the market does not dictate
how much business you do, justwhere you get that business from
.
So I'm looking to go back to myroots.
Focus on that, not look at thenumbers, and just have a good
time, do a good job, connectwith the right people.
Start this podcast because it'sgoing to be incredibly fun.
Might'll be video, thuseveryone's have to stare at us,
(51:12):
and I would love to.
Actually, I think we're goingto have to turn the tables for
my guests.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Of course.
So for this year it's knockingout one big item and then just
trying to figure out ways to bebetter at that and ways to be a
better father and a betterfamily man with my family and my
kids and my wife, and to be abetter husband.
So I've got small goals thisyear.
Speaker 2 (51:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:36):
Yeah, pull the moral card on me.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
I didn't go there with the family.
Speaker 3 (51:40):
If my wife listens to this, yeah.
Speaker 4 (51:43):
I was going to say now I can't share this with Liz.
Okay, I love being a doringwife that I care for so deeply
in my amazing children.
But anyways, you had to getthat in, yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Well, thank you guys so much for being here.
Thank you, yeah, that's beengreat.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
Come on back and you know, I feel like we've just
scratched the surface.
Speaker 4 (52:02):
That's right.
Why don't we?
We'll get together in thesummer and see what's happened
in a half a year there we go.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
You like that plan Sounds like a plan.
I like it.
I like that, all right.
Thanks guys.
Thank you Andrew.
Speaker 2 (52:12):
Yes, karen, I'm going to do some projects.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
Are you going to have me genuflect on some deep
subjects?
Speaker 2 (52:23):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (52:25):
Keeping that religious theme going.
Speaker 2 (52:28):
So we were talking about self-improvement and
moving forward and reinventing.
So why do that?
Why keep evolving?
Speaker 1 (52:39):
Yeah, you know it's funny.
I remember very distinctlybeing an adolescence, maybe an
older child, maybe I was 10 or11.
My mother would always be inschool, like taking these
advanced degrees, and you know,at the time I probably wasn't
(53:00):
thrilled with school and, youknow, not too many grade
schoolers or junior high kidsare, like, really in love with
that type of school, so I justdidn't get it.
Like why are you doing this?
You've been done with schoolLike you, don't?
You have a job, you know, and Idon't think we got into it too
much.
But and I don't know if Ilearned the lesson there in the
(53:22):
moment, but yeah, I mean,looking back on it, it's always
been very impressive to me thatshe, you know, spent so much of
her free time improving herself.
And you know I get it now.
I mean, it's really it's kindof when you're living a
well-lived life, it's kind ofthe forward moving action.
(53:43):
In some respects.
I'm just always interested inlearning.
I mean, just take this podcast,for example.
Every time we record an episodeI learn something more about
how to record a better podcast.
Yeah, you know, sam talks aboutthis like taking a sort of
Japanese word or concept whereyou take one big thing and add
(54:04):
it to your life, or maybe it'snot one big thing, but it's it's
a big thing to you.
And I love that because I thinkthat self-improvement, but also
the risk-taking aspect ofself-improvement, comes in there
when you take sort of big leaps.
But you can also, you know,just be open to learning
something new every day and youknow, I think that's really,
(54:28):
really important to sort ofconnect with life, connect with
the people that are in your lifeat the time you know, connect
with your business and your workand you know your family.
It's sort of being open to thatself-improvement aspect that is
really ingrained in the humanexperience.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
I like that, yeah, and it doesn't have to be that
big thing.
You know it can be somebody.
Just I don't know, listen toanother podcast and they were
talking about you know, take adifferent way home from work.
You know, go down that street.
You've never been down before,totally.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
What's there?
Yeah, I mean even likesometimes you know when you're
walking and you just simply liftyour head up.
I mean, a lot of times you'rewalking through the neighborhood
or walking and you're just likeI do this because I'm clumsy,
you know, just frame my ankle.
But you know you're lookingdown at your path ahead of you
and you know you don't see thewhatever you can see from just
(55:22):
simply lifting your head up.
Speaker 2 (55:23):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
Yeah.
So that's why I was a questionof why self-improvement?
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, that's why, Great thanks.
This has been an episode ofRecords in Real Estate.
Thanks for listening.
We hope you enjoyed it.
Today's episode was brought toyou by Be Realty.
Be where you want to be.
Be Realty.
Welcome to Records in Real Estate, a podcast about
well records and real estates.
You'll be entertained andinformed as we explore the
intersection of these two worldsthrough interviews with
Chicago's most interesting andsuccessful people from both
industries.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
That was Andrew Wendt and I'm Karen Sanvoss.
We are Chicago Real EstateBrokers, Property Managers, Avid
Music Lovers and your hosts ofRecords in Real Estate.
Andrew yes, Karen, we had agreat conversation just now.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
We had a wonderful conversation with Larry Steinway
and Sam Sharpe.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Two musical powerhouses in Chicago with a
million bands, everything frombands that played Chick-Karri to
Foo Fighters and the GratefulDead.
Just crazy.
Liquid soul, Liquid soul.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
A lot of names in there, a lot of good Chicago
names, an opportunity for us andour listeners to sort of
research some of them, if youdidn't really know who the names
were.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, and here's two guys that are at the top of
their game, both musically andprofessionally, and they have
found that balance and they talkabout that.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
They do and they talk about their friendship and what
got them into the mortgageindustry and their musical
journey.
And yeah, it was just, it waslovely.
Yeah, let's do it.
Let's get into it.
We are here with Larry Steinwayand Sam Sharpe and you guys are
our guests today.
(01:33):
This is a rare occasion wherewe're doing two guests, but you
guys are good buddies, huh.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
We're very good friends, we are, yes, we might
hold hands actually we mighthold hands, cool idea.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
That's right.
We have a couple's massagescheduled after that.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Is that why we have a hard stop?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
That's why we have a hard stop.
That's why we have a hard stop.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
That's a hard stop for a song to begin with Did you
guys meet through music or realestate or know each other
before Mortgage?
Mortgage.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
We met, sam was at guaranteed rate and I was coming
back to guaranteed rate.
After leaving, I went toguaranteed rate, I left
guaranteed rate and I was comingback and Sam was a leader there
, nice.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
We were coming from Wind Trust at the time right.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Federal Savings Bank.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Oh wow, yeah, I guess I.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
So this wasn't all that long ago, then 2009?
, oh, 2009.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Nice 2009.
Yeah, because I remember I hadjust made the move back and
that's what it was.
You wanted to connect becauseit was like, did we make the
right move?
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, was this a good idea?
I wanted to meet some of thetop people and Sam was in the
building, yeah, and I said he'sup, you were upstairs.
You were on the upstairs floor.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
They just recently took away that desk after all
these years.
Wow, yeah, they redid the wholefloor, so now I can't sit there
.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Do they put you down in the basement?
Yeah, of course.
From the top to the bottom.
That's where I belong.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Janitor's closet.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
That's right, I don't need much room just to headset
my clear connect.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Times are tough, janitor's closet.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Now did you guys like how did you bond?
Did you bond over music rightaway?
I would think of.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
We did one day and Sam, I'll try not to during this
podcast Hogg with microphonebecause I am a talker.
You're okay, so you can kick meif I'm going on, but I do
remember the day when we bondedand I was sitting there talking
about my band, if you recall,and I was loud.
(03:30):
Okay, because my desk was inthe center of the floor and Sam
was in his corner, which theyonly put the royalty of
mortgages at Guarantee Rates satin the corner.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Basements and corners .
That's where we go.
Basements and corners, yeah.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
And they take the people right in the middle,
right that need the most help,need the most help, yeah exactly
.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
You can jump in at any point from all angles and
I'll save him.
He's drowning.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
And it was back in the day when everybody went to
the office.
Yeah, like if you workingremotely, you would be.
Look, people would look at youwith a I don't.
I don't understand that.
You know we don't do that here,right?
So I was in the center of theoffice and, as my usual quiet,
tim itself was talking and Ihung up the phone and Sam kind
(04:22):
of like hey, heard, subjectmatter, you know, and he just
kind of went into the music alittle bit with me.
Oh nice, we started talking andI'm like, oh, do you know, you
ever heard of Billy Cobham, youever?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
heard of this guy and Sam's like, um, yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
And Sam's like I'm a drummer, I go well, I'm a bass
player and Sam bass players anddrummers.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Yeah, it's impotical.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
It's pretty much it's pretty much peanut butter and
jelly, yeah, and we, we don'tget the glory, you know, but you
can't have a band, reallythat's great what you're talking
about.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
They say a band's only as good as their drummer.
So it's true.
That's glory.
I don't know what it is, andwho is Billy Cobham for our oh?
Let's Sam take that BillyCobham is a drummer from a long
time ago who, uh, he's.
He's not, I guess, to say he'sa drummer, he's a thunderous
powerhouse of complicated music.
Okay, fusion, fusion, rock,jazz, fusion, that but very
(05:22):
accessible and very uh, just, uh, just hammer fisting, but with
Vanessa, I don't know how elseto put it.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
He's probably one of the greatest drummers ever
Gravitaris.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Are we?
Are we pronouncing him right?
It's Billy Cobham.
Cobham, do you know?
Yeah, oh yeah, personally.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
No, I'm a drummer as well.
So yeah, oh, really, so do youremember?
Return to Forever.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
No, I don't know his music.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
If that's the name of an album, that's I he played
with three incredible musiciansin a band called Return to
Forever, which I absolutelyreally influenced me because it
was music that I could neverplay.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
And it was Stanley Clark, chick Corea, aldi Miola
and Billy Billy, cobham, cobham,cobham.
Wow, not cobham, did he do?
Speaker 3 (06:05):
stuff with zappa ever .
I think he might have Do somezappa, I think yeah, he did
zappa.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
They had all kinds of and yeah, he, uh, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
He was very big into that scene.
It was like jazz fusion kind ofweird eclectic odd time
signatures, uh, you know johnmcgloffsland style maha beach
orchestra feel and he just hadthat really wild.
He's a wild man when it comesto the drums, like he's just a
unique sound to where once you,once you know who he is and you
hear him play, you immediatelyyou recognize it.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Yeah, you're never gonna go to a bar and hear
anyone covering that stuff.
I've done it.
We've done it.
I don't see him.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
I have played in groups covering that stuff
actually.
Yeah, absolutely did play on agroup that did a Billy Cobham
cover, not, not are you sayingyou're as good as Billy Cobham?
Speaker 1 (06:46):
I'm better.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
That's a modest the Beatles thing they're probably.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Better.
Better than jesus too.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
What's in the coffee.
But I will say that nobody ifhe plays that at a bar, all that
stuff.
That's how you clear a bar too.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Yeah, last call, yeah , this is great, let's go
another bar.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, you get the Billy Cobham sign from the, from
the manager, like, yeah, wrapthat up, have a little Bob Dylan
, please, please, you could dothat.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It was actually it was cool.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Look.
So remember, larry would bringhis bass into work and and stuff
.
So we'd see him and he's gotsome really great basses, good
relationships with the people atLakeland and and everything
they've done and he's broughtsome amazing basses.
And so We'd go and you know,he'd bring it in that city, pull
it out, we would talk about itand just talk through music and
everything, and then we wouldtalk about mortgages for like
five minutes, nice and uh, bassand music for that.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
You know there's, some of the greatest basses In
the world Are made About 12blocks from here.
Really, yes, yes, lakelandmusical instruments Okay, that's
a shout out.
I'd please like to getroyalties, but uh, yeah, it's
made right.
They're made right up here.
Amazing.
And my friend, dan lakin,started the company Way back one
(08:12):
, and I could name just a fewartists that play their basses
or have or do or have bands.
You bass players from bandslike the foo fighters.
You too, john Paul Jones fromled zapplin.
Wow, rage against the machine.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Just a cut.
You're covering all of the I'veheard Just a couple small bands
.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Yeah these are Butler from black Sabbath and so this
is why we have this podcast toget to know new bands, right.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah, these are new.
They're upcoming artists.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I'm gonna check them out New to me.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Very indie, very indie rock, very yeah, very,
very big they were.
They were featured in highfidelity.
Yeah, the records were played.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yeah, they're made right up there and because I
knew Dan lakin way back in theday when I had a band and yeah,
um, I got to know all the, the,the elves in the wood shop.
So we save the people that arecovered permanently and saw us.
I think we just have a futureguest alert?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I think so, I think so Is it all basses, or is it
any?
Speaker 4 (09:15):
No, they do also electric guitars, guitars yeah
that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
All right, no drums, no.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
There was a big man, bass, a drum manufacturer, bison
drums, luddwick, luddwick.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Some people yeah, I didn't heard of luddwick.
I'm pretty sure they were neverheard of luddwick.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Well, let's let's talk a little bit about how it's
lending mortgages, the realestate market in 2024.
Why do we have to?
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I was, we were, we were having.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
So much fun.
We'll get back to music.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
But uh, you know we do have to cover a little bit of
business.
Sure, let's get to the businessfor tax purposes.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
All right, it is almost tax season, isn't it?
It's coming, that's right.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Yeah, the latest thing is you try to consult the
tax accountant and they chargeyou for consultation.
Now, oh really, oh yeahabsolutely I tried, tried
talking to a couple people thatwere referred to me from
reputable sources and they werelike great book, here it's and
you go into their calendar tobook and it was like 300 dollars
for the half hour Wow okay.
I'm like that's fine, I'll getall my tax advice from instagram
(10:22):
.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
I'll just youtube my stuff.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I'm just gonna go to social media.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Well, all right.
So so I have a kind of asoftball question.
Yeah, maybe it is, maybe itisn't.
Why did you guys get intoLending and what do you?
What do you guys do, what youdo, sam?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
money, I guess, was the driving factor.
You get into the business Idon't even know.
All right, so I'll make this asshort as possible.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
We have a hard stop at 3 pm.
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
I broke my hand.
I broke my hand and I wastouring.
It was a touring musician atthe time.
That's all they did and I, Iwas broke very quickly.
I had to cancel a couple tours,which is like seven months, and
I didn't know what I was goingto do to pay.
The bills Grew up very, verypoor, no one to turn to for
money.
I mean, I had sold everythingout of my drums.
At this point I was like Idon't know, I'm gonna do my
(11:10):
roommate and business partnerone of my best friends, still
till this day he had started amortgage company.
He would, he would telemarketat a mortgage company between
tours.
He was also a guitar player ina lot of these groups I played
with.
So we had uh, he got long storyshort.
He got me into the business.
I remember he came and he waslike, hey, you should, you
should try this, I think you'dbe really good at it.
I was like that's a horribleidea.
But uh, I was, I was broke, soI got into it.
(11:34):
And then, you know the idea,back Back.
This was 2000, end of 2001.
You could make your ownschedule right.
So I was like, oh, I could dothis, I could make money off of
a commission check and then goon tour.
So it seemed like this dreamjob.
It's like, oh, I'm gonna, I'mgonna be able to do this.
But you know what happened isyou?
You get into it, get a bigpaycheck and all of a sudden
(11:55):
like, oh, you know, money's adrug, it's addictive, right?
I mean I was like, oh, this isnice, I can make, I could buy
that new ride symbol it was.
You know, all rationalizationaround.
I'm like I can do this to makethis part of my life better.
But which, pretty soon.
I started coming into thecompany early.
They gave me keys to open up,to lock up, and then, after my
first year, they made me apartner with them in the
business because I just I'dtaken to it really well and it
(12:18):
was just uh, so it was reallyout of necessity.
I was broke, I needed money, Iapparently like to talk a lot
and that was a good combinationwith mortgages.
So I, just I, I fell into it,luckily, and uh, now it's been a
career, 22 years later.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Well, for 22 years, I mean, you must Also enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I'm better at mortgages than Billy Cobham.
That's a fact.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
That's the quarter of the day Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Larry.
So yeah, sort of it's.
It's interesting I was um.
I was working sellingappliances and TVs at apt.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Oh, okay, we use them yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
I.
I met Ricky apt during thecollege years and you know he
said, hey, come to the store andwork in the warehouse.
Okay, and we were friends.
So I went to the warehouse andwithin a week his dad had said
you're a talker, you're not inthe warehouse.
They have what's called theprivate sale.
(13:20):
You ever heard of their privatesales?
Yeah, okay, they have a privatesale, um, like twice a year and
it's like Police are guidingcars in and out.
I mean it's, it's uh, it'scraziness.
And I was in the warehouse andhe's like throw on a sweater,
because all the sales peoplewore sweaters.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
And.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I remember I put on a sweater.
My name is Larry and I wore asweater that said steve on it,
okay.
And so I went and he's likejust sell clack radios and
walkman.
Remember those.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
That's right, right, so that tells you.
I need context.
What did your hair look like?
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Like, it was.
I had a feathered back eachside.
I had the scott bio thing Okay.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Wow yeah, so I was.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
This is 1962.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
So you look remarkable.
I really really dailyinjections.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
And so I went, I sold clack radios.
The next thing, you know, hesaw me selling tons of stuff.
He goes go into therefrigerator.
Anyways, I sold appliances, andso one day my sister was a
processor at a company calledChicago financial service okay,
financial services who actuallywent out of business,
unfortunately, last year.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
I was there recently, just recently, and he was a
great guy to get reallybrilliant was the owner, and I
think he was done.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Anyways, he's a bit older and, um, very good guy and
my sister was a processor andbasically I went to I he came
into buy appliances and I said,oh, this bill is going to be
6432 dollars or whatever.
And I said, oh, and there'ssales tax 8%, so it's gonna be 4
and a half.
And I totaled it up in my headand he went okay, you, your
(15:01):
sales guy, larry, but you'regood with math, aren't you?
I said, yeah, street math.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
I said Not algebra, not calculus.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Yeah, street math.
I love that I can do streetmath quick.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
I mean, mortgages is a street business, I don't want
to tell you how you learn streetmath, but I did learn it.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Okay, sure.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
How you learn.
It is a secret.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Okay, that's so anyways.
Records in real estate afterthat's right.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
It's on dark web how to learn street math.
So I learned my street math.
He said come in.
Your sister says so.
I I did.
I went in there and I learnedmortgages and then I formed a
band, okay in that period,called ruby grass, and we were
uh quickly Got on the radio inChicago.
(15:46):
We are an XRT in the mix.
We wrote an L in 1997.
Nice, we sold about I don'tknow 175,000 copies of that.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
L and we played everywhere.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
We played the house of blues y2k show, all this
stuff.
And then I met my wife, liz,okay, and we, we got engaged, we
got married.
I'm running around the countrywith this band but still doing
some mortgages, okay.
So, and I kind of remember theday, you know, and Liz is like,
(16:18):
hey, um, the mortgages do, andI'm like somewhere I don't know
where with the band, okay, andshe's like I'm like out of town
or something, had my uh flipphone, the Motorola Remember the
plastic one I had to wave itfor signal and she's like she's
like the mortgages do on ourlittle studio on uh st Paul, the
(16:38):
one one bedroom thingy, and I'mlike, fine, just, I'm busy just
transfer money from savings tochecking.
Well, so you know, I know Ineed not to work here all day.
That's the problem.
There's nothing insane.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
OK, we have blown through, sort of like 2024.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
But anyways, that's kind of like but she had a
mortgage is impressive.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
We did, we did.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
We had a little mortgage and because her dad,
when we got married, helped usout, a little mortgage named
Steve, little mortgage namedSteve Steve mortgage.
And any event, the story reallyis is that Liz was like she had
.
Then she got pregnant and she'skind of like hey, you know the
band thing.
And, truth be told, we went toNew York, we had a we're on the
(17:23):
radio, we got right in front ofSony Entertainment.
I was one office down from TonyMetola, who was married to
Mariah Carey at the time,begging for a record deal, got
in the office because I was themanager of the band, reuben
Kincaid, like, and I sat down inthe chair and they said thank
you so much, but we're going totake a pass and I'm like oh OK.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
So I was like did you pitch him on a refinance?
Speaker 4 (17:49):
I said See, that's why.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Sam.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Opportunity.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
That's why he ranks higher than me in the.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Scotsman he drinks a lot of lemonade.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
So I basically came back to Chicago, told our band,
said, guys, I love you, we'rehaving a baby, I need to focus
on mortgages Full time.
And we did our last show in2001 at the Park West Jam
Productions Sold out show.
It was fantastic, nice, and itwas a great.
We went out like on top of theright way Went out there.
(18:22):
And then in 2011, we did areunion show and shoot us and
sold it out in like 48 hours Getout of here.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
That's great.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
That's cool.
So that's how I that was there.
There.
It is so good for you.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yes, well, babies and babies and music apparently
don't go well, they don't gowell, yeah, money.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, yeah what was your was feeding babies, right,
yeah, right, I mean, I'm sopromised feeding them and
keeping a roof over there, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
So it costs more than one hundred and seventy five
thousand record sales to feedyour baby.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
When you, when you have to split it with all those
other members.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Is that street math yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah Well, sam, tell us about you, know your, your
bands that you've played insince, since Lyra, just oh boy,
all this with his.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Yeah, it's a pretty wide array.
I had.
I'd moved here back in 98 witha band it was called Isabelle
Hayes.
It was a kind of a fusionishband, very Frank Zappa, like on
time signatures but like funky,groovy, fancy stuff.
He loved us.
We were in Colorado, came fromColorado originally, so I got my
first half of my life there inmy last half in Chicago, and we
(19:34):
had we'd moved here to to makeit big.
We had been touring a lot andwe needed a city at the time.
Ironically, denver wasn'treally supporting its musicians
very well.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
There's an aquarium rescue unit, though from there.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, I mean, that's the thing.
There's like a few one-offshere and there, but, and we were
making, we were starting to getin good with, like the Fox
Theater because we were playingbigger theaters there and they
were going on tours throughoutthe West Coast and playing these
.
We went from opening for bandslike Liquid Soul actually,
remember we open for Liquid Soul, yes, got the cat cat house, I
think, or cat something in Cat'sEye and in Seattle.
(20:08):
And then the next tour we were,we were the headliners, so like
we were going through thesetheaters opening and then
headlining and started buildingus.
We're like, all right, we needa real city.
And we two of the guys werefrom Downer's Grove.
The guy actually who got me tothe mortgage business is Brian
Ford, great guy Still.
He still produces music, he'sin California now and he's doing
mortgages again, which is weird, but that's desperate.
(20:28):
Yeah, okay, so not exactly, butanyway.
So I moved here with that bandand you know, shortly after we
moved here, like within a year Ithink it was, the band broke up
because, well, in Colorado rentwas $200 a month and you know
it was easy to get around and doeverything.
And in Chicago, I mean thiscity really, you get hazed.
(20:51):
When you were Chicago, it'slike you know, I remember my car
had the boot on it.
We had all of our gear stolenfrom our trailer like all kinds
of stuff, did it, yeah, andthat's a big, a big move.
So the band broke up.
But when the band broke up I hadconnected with our neighbor.
There was this guy.
His name was Charles Levi.
Charles Levi is a Chicago iconbass player.
He's a place for a group calledmy Life with the Thrill Kill
(21:12):
Cult and I grew up listening tothem.
I grew up listening toeverything.
Even though I was playing inthis, this hippie band.
There was a point in time whereI used to listen to a lot of
well, still do listen to a lotof metal, a lot of thrash, the
death, like the heavier, thedirtier.
My son, who just turned seven,it's his favorite type of music.
He tries to put it on his firstfriend Like no, that's no like
(21:32):
sepultura and a much heavierSlayer was like when I was in
high school.
So I was like I learned to playthe drums by playing along with
Slayer records Like it reallywas my thing.
That's heavy, yeah, it was.
So the bass player moved innext door and I remember they
were going on tour and they Iwanted to play.
They were going to go on tourwith Thrill Kill Cult and there
was this girl named Meg Lee Chin.
(21:53):
She's going to come from the UK.
She has a song she just put out.
It's like this, this kind ofhip hoppy mixed with industrial
kind of sequences and stuff.
And Brian got to play guitar.
Brian's phenomenal guitarplayer, great musician all
around.
He plays drums, playseverything.
He's really talented.
But I remember they're like, ohwell, brian's going to play
guitar.
I'm like, well, I need to playdrums.
They're like, no, we have adrummer already.
(22:14):
And I was just like Briandidn't even listen to your music
.
I'm like this is ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
I grew up on this.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
So upset and Brian was like, oh, you know that
sucks or whatever.
But then they had this drummer.
There was a band, chicago band,called the beer nuts that's
what they were called, the beernuts and they had this Very
original yeah, but they had adrummer.
She was like six foot tall,blonde bombshell and her name
was Dickless, that's what theycalled her.
So, like I remember, he told mehe's like Dickless is playing
(22:41):
drums and I was like this isobviously an R rated podcast.
Yeah, yeah, it's well, you canbeat me if you want, but it's
the truth.
So it's funny because I reallywanted this gig.
So they Brian was learningtheir music and I took the CD
because this is how we did it,and CDs, and I took their CD and
behind the scenes I learned allthe songs, no for no.
(23:02):
And when they had their firstrehearsal I showed up at
rehearsal because they livednext door.
We lived in this loft on LakeStreet.
The Lake Street lofts wereinfamous.
We, there was a lot of historyin those buildings with music
and I remember I just sat thereand hung out, because we all
know musicians are unreliable.
And I hung out and they said,uh, she didn't show up and there
(23:23):
was like hey, and and Meg wasfrom London and she was there.
She'd flown in for this tour.
It's a big deal, right, she'slike this, we're going on this
tour.
This is my career.
Where the hell is this drummerand and Charles, who's he's the
musical director of the band, isfeeling the pressure.
He's like Sam, you want to.
You want to sit in on a song?
You think you can.
I'm like, yeah, I can fake myway through this.
Played, played one song,stopped the song and turned
around.
They're like you want to go ontour and like, there you go.
(23:46):
That was it.
I went out on tour with them andevery time, every time, I was
like, before the tour got back,if they weren't going out again,
I cooked up with someone else,because as soon as you could
play drums with sequences andsamples, invisible records was
the record label.
They just started basicallywhoring you out to all these
different labels, paying younothing, cause you're like, oh,
you can play this stuff, you'lldo it.
(24:06):
You don't care how much moneyyou're making, right, this is
the kid we're going to put ondrums, right?
So I did that and then I justwent through a wide array of
different Chicago industrialbands like sister machine gun,
like all these.
They were big, they did reallywell.
People from guys from the playto ministry, all these different
bands.
And it's so funny too, becausethen, like I'd get back from
tour and I booked, there's thisguy, Tony Dale, chicago icon
(24:29):
drummer.
He's an amazing guy.
He was out in Vegas now he usedto connect me with his
management company who did all.
He was in a band called the ShyLights, which is a Chicago also
, you know, very big thing.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Well known the Shy Lights are.
No, they were, they were huge.
And so, tony, he's drummer, wego along really well.
He was in a band with me andwith his management company, how
he fill in with him to play forthe tokens.
So they did.
The lion sleeps tonight.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
And then went in their best thoughts I thought,
oh, do the jungle, I'm not goingto do it for that.
But that led then.
That led to like thetemptations and like, because
they, as soon as you, again thesame thing.
As soon as you got out and youwere responsible, you showed up
on time, you did a good job.
Then they started booking infor those gigs.
And then I remembercoincidentally auditioning for
Liquid Soul.
Oh, yeah.
(25:15):
And then tomorrow's.
Just he just passed,unfortunately, which is really
sad, but I saw funny because Iremember they called me for the
audition.
I had such a chip on myshoulder.
I was a dick, like seriously Ireally was, I was, I had gone.
I thought you had to be thisway.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
So you're the opposite of the Diclist.
That was the opposite of theDiclist, I was.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I was like this guy needs to learn a lesson, like
seriously.
And I did, fortunately, I'mvery happy I did.
But I remember talking to Marsabout Liquid Soul you know
Chicago band and I'm like, well,how much are you going to pay
me?
That was it.
And I'm like, if I can't makeat least this amount of money I
remember it was like 30 grand orsomething a year yeah, was it
like, oh, I can live off this.
Oh my God, like, if I don'tmake this amount of money, I'm
(25:52):
not even stepping in the studio.
And he was like, well, youdon't have the gig yet.
And I said, yeah, I will,though, so I need to make sure
this is worth my time.
And I remember it.
And it was between me and aRoyal Prince Franklin, who
happens to play drums for LennyKravitz now.
And it's so funny because I didthe audition and then they
called us both back, the two ofus, and I played with them and I
was like, oh, this is great, itwent really well.
(26:13):
And it was kind of weirdbecause I didn't get along with
their drummer at the time whenwe opened for them, because he
was really weird about his drumset.
And so I was like oh great, I'mgoing to boot these guys out.
And I remember Royal PrinceFranklin walked in.
I mean, he's got like bigearrings, he's a cystic, like
lanky, six foot five.
God, I mean, he's just like.
(26:34):
Immediately he walked and shookmy head.
I was like oh no, you're notthe gig.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
He had the look, he had it all done.
He's phenomenal player.
He's just an idol player therewas nothing there.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
Yeah, that was it.
So anyway, but yeah, and thenthere was a bunch of other bands
Jay Davis Trio, chicago,another staple, who,
coincidentally, his father wasone of the biggest, most iconic
producers in Chicago music scene, carl Davis, and he produced, I
think, the Shy Lights actually.
And it was funny because theJay Davis Trio was the same way.
I remember when they wereauditioning drummers, my friend
was auditioning for him and Iremember calling up Julio and
(27:05):
being like hey, I'd like toaudition for you, but one of my
friends is auditioning for youand if you're considering him, I
don't want to audition.
And again, same thing.
He was like you don't even havethe gig.
And I was like and again I waslike but I will, I'm like, so
I'm going to do this.
So they and it was funny becausethey had he said actually his
name's Ryan Murphy, he's adrummer for Poydog Pondering now
(27:27):
.
And he was like listen, we wantRyan, but Ryan's a lighting
director and we can't becausehe's on tour all the time.
And I said I have an idea.
I'm going to come in and playwith you guys, if you like it,
then I will do whatever gigsRyan can't when he's on tour.
And for like two years we wereboth just.
We just rotated the drummer, jDavis, and then Ryan had a bound
(27:48):
out and I stayed on.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
So some of them are much more loyal musicians.
Yeah, that is about.
Hey, that's 10 years, 77different artists that I've
played.
Not one of those bands eversold 100.
Did you ever play the doubledoor stand?
Did you ever play the doubledoor stand that?
Speaker 3 (28:01):
was our stomping ground, my favorite, literally
my favorite venue in the city.
We used to sell at the doubledoor at the J Davis trail.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
When you talk about equipment getting stolen.
We had a gig at the double door.
We played there a bunch oftimes I'll never forget.
We pulled up, we're loading in.
We had a big show, we sold abunch of tickets, we had a
headlining and everything'sgoing good.
And then we come out.
Somebody stole our drummersdrums while we were loading.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Yeah, oh my god.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
Yeah, I think that was.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Like dancing.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Okay, so let's have a week break.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
That sounds good.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Andrew.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Yes, Karen.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
You know what time it is.
It is time for our record ofthe week record of the week.
Last time I had a record andyou said you would have one, do
you?
Speaker 1 (28:54):
I do.
The record is a Tom Waitsrecord called Mule Variations
which came out in 1999.
And you know, tom Waits is, Iwould say his name is well known
, but he's also probably, youknow, not at the top of many
(29:18):
people's lists unless they'reinto that.
You know, folk music or sort ofin the vein of Bob Dylan or
John Prine, and I'm sure a lotof people love Tom Waits, but to
me he's not, wasn't well knownuntil I discovered randomly and
this was like 20 years ago hisalbum Mule Variations, and I've
(29:38):
been looking for it on vinyl andI happened to find it and so I
haven't picked it up yet butlistened to the album today and
just wanted to make sure it wassomething that I wanted to
invest in.
And it is definitely somethingthat I want to invest in.
It's a fantastic album.
It's not kind of on the youknow best Tom Waits album, it's
(30:00):
not on the top of people's lists, but it is really cool.
He's a singer-songwriter, again,kind of.
You know his early stuff ismore sort of folky and jazz, but
then he gets into it feels likeyou're listening to Charles
Bukowski or something like that,put to music.
(30:21):
It feels like more like poetryput to music like his.
His delivery, his song, hissinging and the lyrics that he
produces doesn't like everreally match up with the music
behind it, but it all sort ofends at the right time.
You know what I mean.
(30:41):
Okay, yeah, yeah.
So Mule Variations great, greatalbum.
I was doing a little researchand he actually has a tie to
Chicago, so he wrote the songthat the wire used for their
theme song down in a hole.
Yeah, he wrote it for an album.
I don't remember the name of it, but he wrote it for an album.
(31:03):
It was an album that they madea play out, of, that debuted and
maybe only you know wasperformed at Brier Street
Theater by the SteppenwolfCompany.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
No shit, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yeah, so Mule Variations by Tom White is my
record of the week.
Check it out.
Well, thank you guys, I want tojust kind of keep moving
forward.
Yep, this is an amazingconversation.
Yeah, we still play together,I'm loving life.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Yeah, I'm still playing a lot with my new band.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
Yeah, and what's your new band's name?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
I was hoping you'd ask.
Keep it brief.
I will be conscious of otherpeople's time, and I love you,
sam, I do.
You know that.
I'm so happy.
I love you too.
We haven't seen each other in awhile, so this is really good.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Really good.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
We talk all the time, but, yeah, seeing each other,
it's you know, mortgages or whenwe didn't talk, we haven't
talked business yet, have we?
No?
Okay, I'll make this superquick.
No, I'm a little different.
I'm the man.
I take my business acumen and Ibecome the manager of the band.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
So I do my own right.
Sam knows that I played withhim.
I played in a couple differenttraditions A couple times.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Yeah, he's, sam's filled in in a pinch.
I remember had stomach flu theday of the gig and I'm like oh
my God and I call Ghostbustersright here.
And he took care of it, andwithout any.
I will have to say he didn'tlearn any.
He didn't know half the songs.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
I wrote out some of it.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
He just showed up like listening to it on the ride
down and did it, you know, butactually it went really well.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
It went really well that gig was awesome.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
They said if ever we're in a pinch we'll call him.
So unfortunately you have itbecause it stinks when I'm when
the drummers on the day of thegig out.
But we have my bands.
It's called Deadfest Band.
Okay, okay, and Deadfest Bandhas been very fortunate.
Eight years ago a friend of I'mnot I'm a dead fan, but not
(33:01):
like I never played dead thatmuch.
Okay, and I'm a big LedZeppelin classic rock guy.
A friend of ours died of cancerin Northbrook.
Okay, eight years ago.
I get the phone call from hisreally close friends.
They're like Larry, we'rehaving the service at the church
and then we're all going to goto the landmark in Bar and we're
(33:22):
going to can you put together adead band that does kind of a
thing, a tribute, and I'm like,of course you know it's Chris,
this guy and great guy too, andhe loved the dead.
So the bar, hometown bar inNorthbrook, the landmark in, he
said he's going to clear out thebar or whatever.
(33:43):
We I got great musicians, davidAllen from Mr Blotto, who's a
great keyboardist, a coupleother fantastic musicians, and
we did this thing and we blewthe roof off the bar.
Nice, okay, and they were likeyou got to come back Like when
are you?
So I waited a whole year.
I called it dead fest was thename of it.
(34:04):
That was kind of a mistakebecause the name really is not
good.
We it was, I'll tell you, Ididn't exist very quick, but it
was dead fest, the first show.
I'm really trying to do thisquickly.
A year later I said we'll do itagain.
It went from like 50 people tolike 350 people, like like the
(34:25):
bar was like line, like youcan't.
I had no idea.
So then people were like youneed to do like more often.
So I slowly started building inmore shows, more shows, more
shows, and I will tell you lastyear was a great experience.
The last two years I've gotsome great players.
I got a guy named kid MikeySchroeder on drums.
(34:46):
Who's he played with MelvinSeals, who is Jerry Garcia's
keyboard like real, likepedigree players.
Okay, I'm the only guy really inthe band.
I'm mad.
Also he has a business but likeI'm really the only guy that's
not a full-time musician now.
The bottom line is we arecompletely booked in 2024.
I'm booked in 2025.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Nice, that's great.
Speaker 4 (35:07):
So, I don't.
Yeah, we're playing like Retroon Roscoe.
I mean we're, yeah, we're.
It's like people are calling meto be like Larry.
Can you play our bar in April?
Speaker 2 (35:16):
No, no, can't do it why.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
I'm booked.
Speaker 4 (35:21):
I don't have any more time.
Speaker 3 (35:22):
That's why Good for you.
So people like the dead?
Apparently they do.
Who knew?
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Yeah, it's kind of an up and coming thing yeah like
the Foo Fighters.
I think they're going to makeit?
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Yeah, it sounds like it.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
That one guy didn't die that one guy didn't die.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
You won't ever know.
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Sam, do you play?
Still Sorry, oh yeah, oh Sam.
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Yeah, I still, I still play quite a bit.
I do a lot of fill-in, you know, the one thing I'll tell you is
you get as you, as you getolder, it's harder to find
people to play with.
So J Davis Trio plays once ayear or something like that,
because it's been over 25 years.
So I think people are done.
So then, as I start to branchout, we moved to the suburbs in
like 2019, which is like thedeath of the musician.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
I got a side project going where I was going to tell
you about that Black Jagger yeah, black Jagger yeah.
We talked about it.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
We talked on the way in and so yeah, so I've been
going around.
There's a guy, kevin Ford, he'sa keyboard player who was in
the group Isabelle Hayes that Imoved here with.
I do a lot of gigs with him.
We had a group called Elevator,but now he has a group that he
put together called the ImperialBoxman.
Kevin is from the is a ChicagoAfrobeat project, which is like
people like them, they do.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
So I played that a few different times.
It's all originals, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Oh yeah.
So the Imperial Boxman is great.
You have to get Jonathan Marks,who's the drummer, in that.
And it was great because when Ilearned the material for their
shows to fill in because I didlike, we did like a month where
we're playing once a week at theDorians in the behind the
record store in Wicker Park, andit was amazing because it was
the first.
It had been a long time since Ihad been challenged like that
because the drummer he's aphenomenal drummer, he's a
(36:56):
definitely an on-demand drummerin the area and the parts he had
written were just so Tasty likeit is really good and and
complex.
You know, a lot of the tunes arein seven and just different
things and and the way he's,he's very fluid player, so and
so still playing those guys.
Speaker 4 (37:10):
seven, seven, four timing, that's right.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Yes, so my newest, my newest project that I'm working
on I just decided this is toplay with myself, so Drums, yeah
.
Oh wait, where are we going?
Speaker 1 (37:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
I've decided that that in my that I never I
stumbled into music playing likeI played with, you know, by
myself, playing with records anddoing all this stuff, and then
I got into playing with otherpeople after that.
So I figured, since I'm havingsuch a hard time finding all the
people that I want to play withall the time, I'm going to just
start focusing on myself andthen I think that'll that'll
(37:55):
push me into Either doing what Ineed to to find other people or
you know, that's the weird, theworld works very strange.
You get what you put out.
So I'm putting, I'm putting itout there Sure.
So you know, hopefully comingup in the next year I'll have
some, some other projects thatwill work on.
I did my own trio.
I do my own trio as well, likeorgan trio, nice keys and bass,
and we we played during COVID.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
Yeah, we have fun.
It was great.
It was like so it was theheight of cove.
Yes okay, so we played in hisgarage, the detached garage.
Speaker 3 (38:25):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
It was we just wanted to play.
Yeah, he had a couple friendsand we just went in there and it
was like, because we are so wewere at the stir crazy point in
the dead of the winter, yeah,and Sam's like why don't we just
open the garage door?
Like you know, my wife saw.
No, you can't go there there'swhy it's like not digging it.
(38:48):
Everybody's not digging it.
Carry was kind of she was coolbut my wife was not digging me
going there.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
Where you, where you going.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
What are you doing?
Speaker 4 (38:55):
I'm like he's gonna leave the garage door half open.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
It was bitter cold out there one time.
Speaker 4 (39:00):
Yeah, and we, we got together and just Jay, I, just I
was like starving for.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
Please.
So Larry only plays with mewhen he's starving first.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
Honestly, sam and I both know if we had a different
life, we would.
We would be doing, for sure, I,just I we got commitments, man,
it's worth.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
It's worth saying I do play that I realized.
I just realized I just had agig last week and I played this
group called dirty MF and thesmoking section and dirty MF is
DMC from liquid soul.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Oh cool, so I'm like I'm not gonna wait.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
I'm trying to think.
I'm like who am I playing withright now?
I'm like, wait, those are therecent gigs I've been doing.
Yeah, I think now we're gonna,we're gonna start playing a lot
more because liquid soul won't,won't, I guess, probably won't
so, and you look like you havesome other question, I do have
some other questions.
Speaker 4 (39:41):
Yeah, I want to make sure I get.
In some questions.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
I have one question, I think.
I think this will beinteresting to you guys, but
what qualities do your favoriterealtors possess?
Speaker 4 (39:52):
loyalty, loyalties number one loyalty to who
loyalty loyalty to someone, okay, okay, meaning this is podcast
gonna be aired, or is this justfor the four of us?
Speaker 1 (40:09):
I.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
Want to have a career after this your words, why?
No, listen, you know I Findloyalty is a word that's getting
diluted in today's economy.
You know, and I, I find thatyou know we, we do things I know
, sam does, I know that I do tohelp an agent Make a deal happen
(40:40):
, close the deal, earn acommission.
For some reason, the nextcustomer that comes across, they
seem to just feel this madnessto have to refer three lenders.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 4 (40:59):
Larry, you helped us so much you got it done.
You closed it in 12 daysbecause another lender couldn't
thank you so much, and for thatreturn my next client.
I am going to recommend severalother mortgage lenders for you
to compete with.
So you make the least amount ofmoney possible.
Yeah, and I find that to be apractice that is taught in the
(41:23):
real estate industry and it'snot.
It's not their fault.
I'm not blaming any particularagent, but I know that some
names please Blaming anyone?
No, it just seems to be that asa taught Thing yeah you know,
and, and I find that to befrustrating yeah, I really do,
(41:43):
and I think, when you hear meposition it, that way.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
Yeah, it makes sense.
Speaker 4 (41:47):
Yeah, I would rather them say hey, I'm gonna refer
Larry because he's done a reallygood job for me.
Yeah, and if things don't, ifyou want someone else, if it,
because sometimes you get on thephone and they're like hey, I
want this or I want that, or Isaw this or that and I can't you
.
There wasn't a connection CuzI'm not very likable and so
sometimes you know there's justa not happening.
(42:07):
That's fine and they're okay,call me, I'll get you someone
else right.
But to throw those three namesout there, yeah, it's almost
like saying I have a referralfor a real estate agent and it's
in your area, but I think I'mjust going to refer three or
four other ages.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
How does that feel?
Yeah, okay, so you don't likethat.
Speaker 4 (42:27):
I don't like that.
Am I allowed to say this?
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (42:32):
So loyalty.
Speaker 4 (42:33):
Like a loyalty Sure.
That is the quality that to meis most important.
Love that answer.
Speaker 3 (42:40):
I like.
I think for me, creativity andhustle, that's it.
I like the.
I think that so you don't careabout loyalty.
I mean, loyalty is somethingthat's that you can I don't want
to say earn, but it's somethingwhere if you make yourself so
in demand, then you don't haveto worry about it as much, right
, and I don't think why mywife's not loyal to me.
(43:01):
I know that's exactly it for me.
No, I think I think that what Ilike it's been 22 years of doing
this right, a lot, of, a lot ofups and downs in this career,
and the one thing that'sbecoming apparent to me right
now is that and I think thishappens to a lot of people as
you get older is that we have alimited amount of time to do
things, and you know I've beenbusy enough to where I don't
have enough time to to getthrough everything Like.
(43:22):
That's just how it happens.
So for me, I've made a decisionto work with with people who
first so I said hustling likeyou have to want to work, right.
I don't like.
I don't like the people who you.
I don't want to be in aposition where you're you're
working and you're killingyourself to get something done
for someone and on the other end, the person's dropping the ball
.
I like partnerships wherepeople are like okay, I'm
working hard, you're workinghard, we're getting there.
(43:43):
But outside of that creativity,I think that things change in
22 years.
The one only thing that'sconstant in our industry is it's
constantly changing.
Speaker 4 (43:51):
I love that, by the way.
That's, that's great, that isgood.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
It's the truth.
So I find my partners that Ilook for are are the people who
are looking for ways to change.
You know, I like, I like, Ilike Instagram, I like TikTok.
People are like oh my God, Ihate this.
I love that.
When I talk to people, I waslike I just can't stand social
media.
I'm like why Like besides thefact that you're on it all the
time Like, why are you, why doyou not like it?
I'm like it's, it's a.
(44:15):
You realize that people paymillions and millions of dollars
for television ads and now youcan do this stuff for free, and
it's just an example of thismodern marketing world.
So when I, when I talk topeople and I partner with them,
we, I find the people that getexcited.
If I have a limited amount oftime to do things, I want to do
that with the people who, when Ipick up the phone, I want to
talk to them.
We're going to have some ideas,because the reality is that, at
(44:35):
this point in time, when itcomes to helping client layer,
you're the same way when itcomes to a client coming to me
to get a mortgage.
I've got that down.
That is.
That is like breathing it'sit's, it's atomic right.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
That's like tiner shoes, right, it's just like
it's just there.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
I know, I know the steps and as much as things
change, it's still the mortgagebusiness right.
Like 22 years ago when I gotinto this.
I learned it pretty well and itwas underwriting.
Not much has changed Right.
So you know I ask questions,you do those stuff.
So outside of that, I'm like,okay, well, I know that part can
be knocked out of the parkevery time.
I know if someone comes to methen then, if I can, very good
(45:11):
conversion rate.
So outside of that, I like tofind the people who I want to
get excited with.
Outside of that, like, how arewe going to get people through
the door?
What are we going to do?
What are you?
Are we embracing thesedifferent types of tactics?
And you know how can, how can Imake sure that when this person
calls me, I don't find myselfgoing like I've been going out
of my way lately.
When someone calls and I don'twant to answer, I stop pursuing
(45:32):
that business relationship.
I agree with that.
I'm just like I'm done.
I'm not going to do thatanymore.
Because why am I?
Why do I want to feel this way?
I'm going to frame things in apositive way and I need people
who are going to do that samething.
I love that.
Speaker 4 (45:43):
That's a better answer than mine.
What's not it is.
It is.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
Oh, and I want them to be loyal Above all else,
above all else, yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Yes, loyalty All right.
Speaker 1 (45:57):
Well, as we wrap up here today, what is next for you
guys, for Sam and Larrytogether?
Speaker 4 (46:03):
I want to save the best for last, so I'm going to
go first, okay.
By the way, this has beenreally great.
I just want to go on record.
Yeah, okay, thank you.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
No pun intended.
Speaker 4 (46:18):
No, I really enjoyed this.
I want to thank both of you Iwant to thank Sam too.
You know it's, it's a what'snext for us.
I mean, listen, it'sinteresting.
This last year a lot of loanofficers that are very close
have gone in differentdirections.
Right, we've scattered a littlebit, right, okay, for one reason
(46:39):
or another, okay, and I thinkthat the direction for for
people like Sam and I and I'mnot speaking for you is we're
pros, right?
Mm-hmm, the numbers show it.
Okay, I'm a semi pro, he's apro, okay, all right.
So we're pros, and I think thatthis year is going to be another
(47:03):
tough year.
Okay, I think this is going tobe another year of continuing to
reinvent yourself, change, getin front of people, hone your
skills.
I think we're still kind offiguring ourselves out a little
bit Okay, at least I feel I am,but I do think that we are
setting ourselves up for sometremendous years in front of us,
and I don't think the run'sover.
(47:25):
Okay, I think the way we'redoing business, though, has to
change.
The consumers behaviors havechanged, the referral partners
have changed, society's changed,and we have to change with it,
and so, every day, we're lookingat each other, we're having
deep conversations, sam and I,we get together every couple of
(47:46):
weeks.
We share ideas, we talk about.
What we're doing has nothing todo with the, the companies we
work for.
It's really about ourselves.
So, for me, that, where am Igoing?
I'm going to constantly work onevolving in today's ever
changing market and adapt to thesociety's changes of the real
(48:06):
estate industry.
Nice, whoo, what, how?
Speaker 3 (48:09):
am I supposed to follow that?
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Now.
Speaker 4 (48:12):
I can see why he did that.
Speaker 3 (48:13):
And now, ladies, and gentlemen, Sam Sharp.
Speaker 1 (48:16):
Wow, he's like I got 11.
Speaker 4 (48:19):
It's 11.
I got a guy in the.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
I got a mic.
I'm going to mic drop you knowwhat?
Speaker 4 (48:22):
I'm one more than tech.
I'm going to do what he saidLarry's mic went to eat and
laugh it.
Speaker 3 (48:29):
I mean, I had ideas for this year, but now I have
new ones that you need toformulate.
Yeah, I'm going to surroundmyself with this I'm listening
the Colton ticket.
I love it.
I have a.
I was.
I was listening to a podcastand the, and they were talking
about the way that they set uptheir lives and they talk about.
(48:49):
I can't remember that It'd bethis.
The story would be so muchcooler if I could remember the
word for it.
There's a Japanese word for itand it basically means you do
one major life event every year.
Oh nice, right.
So you plan something major.
It's called sushi, yeah, it'scalled sushi, and so the idea is
that you're supposed to dosomething of significance to and
it could be different foreveryone, right, it could be a
major trip around the world.
(49:10):
For example, the guy who's thatwas talking, he his was.
He wrote his bike across thecountry.
Now, the funny part is youlisten to these podcasts from
these successful people and theydo these amazing things because
they're already just famouslyrich.
Speaker 4 (49:22):
Right, and they're like I have 300 million.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
So I can't.
I spent 19 hours a daymeditating.
They have money, they havemoney, they have money, they
have money, they have money,they have money.
Speaker 4 (49:34):
They're like saying to me, like I'm just like all
right, yeah, yeah, yeah, fuck usall, money Got it.
Speaker 2 (49:39):
But anyway, the concept is very good.
The concept is good.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Yeah we get the idea Keep going, so make a point.
Speaker 3 (49:43):
Sam, what are you going?
to come out, here we go.
So the idea is to figure outsomething big that you do every
year and something that you wantto do, and then you find other
micro events around that.
So, for me, this year, and whatI plan on doing is we talked a
little bit about this earlierI'm actually starting a podcast,
nice.
Yes, it's not necessarily realestate related, though.
It'll be coming out.
It's called a divided life andit's going to be very in line
(50:06):
with what we're talking about.
Larry will be a guest on therebecause he has a very
interesting story, right.
But the idea for me is I wantto start this because I'm
looking for ways that my numberone goal this year is to find a
way to make things more fun,more interesting and to be a
little bit more true to what Iwant to do, rather than just
focusing on the success of theindustry.
(50:27):
Nice, I love that.
I think if you focus on theright things, the business comes
into play.
From when I first started in thebusiness, my mantra and what I
always used to say, there wastwo sayings, and I believe both
of these.
The one I used to say is thatdon't focus on the money, focus
on doing a good job.
If you do a good job and thebusiness is right, then the
money will come.
That's how I practice mybusiness and it's what led me to
(50:50):
be one of the top originatorsin the country.
And then I also used to saythat the market does not dictate
how much business you do, justwhere you get that business from
.
So I'm looking to go back to myroots.
Focus on that, not look at thenumbers, and just have a good
time, do a good job, connectwith the right people.
Start this podcast because it'sgoing to be incredibly fun.
Might'll be video, thuseveryone's have to stare at us,
(51:12):
and I would love to.
Actually, I think we're goingto have to turn the tables for
my guests.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
Of course.
So for this year it's knockingout one big item and then just
trying to figure out ways to bebetter at that and ways to be a
better father and a betterfamily man with my family and my
kids and my wife, and to be abetter husband.
So I've got small goals thisyear.
Speaker 2 (51:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:36):
Yeah, pull the moral card on me.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
I didn't go there with the family.
Speaker 3 (51:40):
If my wife listens to this, yeah.
Speaker 4 (51:43):
I was going to say now I can't share this with Liz.
Okay, I love being a doringwife that I care for so deeply
in my amazing children.
But anyways, you had to getthat in, yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Well, thank you guys so much for being here.
Thank you, yeah, that's beengreat.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (51:59):
Come on back and you know, I feel like we've just
scratched the surface.
Speaker 4 (52:02):
That's right.
Why don't we?
We'll get together in thesummer and see what's happened
in a half a year there we go.
Speaker 1 (52:06):
You like that plan Sounds like a plan.
I like it.
I like that, all right.
Thanks guys.
Thank you Andrew.
Speaker 2 (52:12):
Yes, karen, I'm going to do some projects.
Speaker 1 (52:18):
Are you going to have me genuflect on some deep
subjects?
Speaker 2 (52:23):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (52:25):
Keeping that religious theme going.
Speaker 2 (52:28):
So we were talking about self-improvement and
moving forward and reinventing.
So why do that?
Why keep evolving?
Speaker 1 (52:39):
Yeah, you know it's funny.
I remember very distinctlybeing an adolescence, maybe an
older child, maybe I was 10 or11.
My mother would always be inschool, like taking these
advanced degrees, and you know,at the time I probably wasn't
(53:00):
thrilled with school and, youknow, not too many grade
schoolers or junior high kidsare, like, really in love with
that type of school, so I justdidn't get it.
Like why are you doing this?
You've been done with schoolLike you, don't?
You have a job, you know, and Idon't think we got into it too
much.
But and I don't know if Ilearned the lesson there in the
(53:22):
moment, but yeah, I mean,looking back on it, it's always
been very impressive to me thatshe, you know, spent so much of
her free time improving herself.
And you know I get it now.
I mean, it's really it's kindof when you're living a
well-lived life, it's kind ofthe forward moving action.
(53:43):
In some respects.
I'm just always interested inlearning.
I mean, just take this podcast,for example.
Every time we record an episodeI learn something more about
how to record a better podcast.
Yeah, you know, sam talks aboutthis like taking a sort of
Japanese word or concept whereyou take one big thing and add
(54:04):
it to your life, or maybe it'snot one big thing, but it's it's
a big thing to you.
And I love that because I thinkthat self-improvement, but also
the risk-taking aspect ofself-improvement, comes in there
when you take sort of big leaps.
But you can also, you know,just be open to learning
something new every day and youknow, I think that's really,
(54:28):
really important to sort ofconnect with life, connect with
the people that are in your lifeat the time you know, connect
with your business and your workand you know your family.
It's sort of being open to thatself-improvement aspect that is
really ingrained in the humanexperience.
Speaker 2 (54:45):
I like that, yeah, and it doesn't have to be that
big thing.
You know it can be somebody.
Just I don't know, listen toanother podcast and they were
talking about you know, take adifferent way home from work.
You know, go down that street.
You've never been down before,totally.
Speaker 1 (55:00):
What's there?
Yeah, I mean even likesometimes you know when you're
walking and you just simply liftyour head up.
I mean, a lot of times you'rewalking through the neighborhood
or walking and you're just likeI do this because I'm clumsy,
you know, just frame my ankle.
But you know you're lookingdown at your path ahead of you
and you know you don't see thewhatever you can see from just
(55:22):
simply lifting your head up.
Speaker 2 (55:23):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 1 (55:25):
Yeah.
So that's why I was a questionof why self-improvement?
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, that's why, Great thanks.
This has been an episode ofRecords in Real Estate.
Thanks for listening.
We hope you enjoyed it.
Today's episode was brought toyou by Be Realty.
Be where you want to be.
Be Realty.
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