On a bus somewhere between Detroit and Milwaukee, singer/songwriter Ari Hest is watching the Knicks. Since the game was played two days ago, he already knows the outcome — they will lose by 15 points.

Despite this disappointment, Hest appreciates his chance to set aside a moment to relax. Stale basketball games are just another part of the scenery that goes along with living on the road.

“It was definitely simpler — there weren’t so many people involved, so much pressure to sell,” Hest says, remembering the days before he signed with a major label.

Hest says he has attracted an enthusiastic following for his music with his mellow, relaxed sound and thoughtful lyrics.

He says although the move to a major label has had some effects on his day-to-day schedule, it has not changed his motivation for making music.

“I consider signing important but not something I set out to do in the first place,” he says. “I like to have fun playing music, and I get to do that whether I am on a major label or not.”

Hest says his connection with his fans is one of the major reasons for his breakaway success. He says his fan club — dubbed the “A-Team” — has been invaluable in doing promotional legwork by spreading the word from early on in his career.

“In a way, we were running our own label,” Hest says. “We would send them stuff like CDs and posters and they would pass them out. In return, we would let them into the shows for free.”

Although his fans undoubtedly played a part in his ascension to a major label, his musicianship played an equally large role. Hest says his songwriting skills have matured with time and experience.

“When I started writing, I would just let it go and whatever I wrote we would go ahead and put in the show,” he says. “As I progressed, I decided that my first idea is usually a good idea, but the writing just sucks. What comes out seems a little sophomoric until the third or fourth revision.”

On stage, Hest says he believes he is equally demanding.

“I am a perfectionist on stage,” he says. “I want everything to go according to plan — a control freak is what I am.”

He says his preference for order has not stopped him from breaking with the plan when the situation calls for it. One such improvisation occurred on Hest’s first show in Denver.

“We were at a place called the Lion’s Den and they had double booked us with a comedy act. We weren’t even supposed to be on until midnight,” he says.

Rather than get discouraged, Hest says he and his band decided to make their own arrangements. Moving into an adjoining alley, Hest put on an all acoustic performance for his dedicated fans in attendance.

“We bought some beer at a convenience store and hid out from the public and the cops — we could have had a terrible night, but instead, we decided to get drunk and play music in an alley,” Hest says.

Hest says he is not expecting to have to make such creative arrangements in Ames.

“I have been to Ames three times,” he says. “Every time I go there, it’s a great crowd and a great reaction.”

Who: Ari Hest with Stephen Kellogg

Where: People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way

When: 9 p.m. Monday

Cost: $10 at door, 21+ only