I prefer artist interviews to meet n greets.

I'll explain why.  When I interview an artist, I have to research them and dig deeper into the person and when I am done with the interview I feel like I have made a personal connection with the artist I am interviewing.

Meet n greets on the other hand are like cattle-calls with the artist in the middle.  People are ushered in get a photo and autograph and are sent on their way. There is no real personal connection.

I got to meet American Idol season 7 winner David Cook.  What I find with most of the American Idol winners I have met is they are as real as it gets.  The artists couldn't be nicer because afterall, they were part of a reality tv show and more often then not they are meeting the people who voted them the "American Idol."

In the few moments I got to spend with David Cook I found him to be humble and made sure to shake everyones hand, hug the women who asked and smile in front of everyone.  The one thing I do notice, some of the contestants are trying to shed the shell of being on a reality tv show and try to shy away from questions about the television sensation and their time on it.

My overall impression is David Cook was the kid in HS who played the guitar and brought it everywhere like basketball players always seem to be seen with a ball.  In college and even today, I can see him as the guy who would have Guitar Hero parties at his house and have band practice on the regular.