Welcome again my friends to the latest edition of the fan spotlight! Without further ado, let me introduce you to Scott McCarroll!

For Scott, 311 came into his life thanks to his three kids. “We just really let the music speak to us and here we are 5 years later.” 

So far Scott has attended 19 shows. Most recent show was Bristow, Virginia. His favorite show so far was 311 Day 2014. “I had my family there with me and when they played Sunset in July and the lyrics, ‘Watching you dancing and having the time of your life, and it’s getting me high, time is flying by.’ it really was a special moment.” Favorite venue he said is the Tabernacle in Atlanta. “I won’t miss another show there.” 

The song “Beyond the Grey Sky” is one that really resonates Scott’s soul. “I was ready to throw in the towel a few years ago and the 311 community came to my rescue and this song played over and over.” Favorite lyrics for Scott were mentioned above and come from “Sunset in July.” 

Scott was born in California but moved around because he was an Navy brat. He graduated high school in Mississippi and spent 10 years in the Navy himself. When he got out he moved Ohio and then Hawaii. For work he’s a truck driver and has been for about 22 years now. When not driving a truck, he loves to do charity work for veterans and the children’s miracle network. “It is my dream and passion to create a foundation that benefits veterans suffering from depression and anxiety as I have suffered most of my adult life from both.”

Even though Scott will tell you he’s not a people person, he really is and likes to make people laugh as often as possible. “I’m the guy that will make sure everyone around me is happy and taken care of before I take care of myself.  My family and my friends are my world.” Scott also just officiated his first wedding in early August for his niece and her girlfriend. “I’m willing to get certified in any state if someone needs their wedding officiated.” 

Going back to the charity work Scott does, he has put on 4 golf outings and 3 comedy hows to the Toledo children’s hospital. A cool fact about him is that he has been to over 15 countries and 49 of the 50 U.S. states. He’s only missing Alaska. Guilty pleasure for Scott are the movies “Top Gun” and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” He also said his favorite hobby is spoiling his grandchildren. When not listening to 311, he can be found jamming some Dirty Heads, classic rock, or 80’s music. 

To 311, Scott would like to say, “Thank you for the music. It means so much to so many and please don’t stop.”

Fellow fans, your message from Scott is this:

“I’ve met and made so many friends because of the band and our community. I look forward to making more friends from those I’ve yet to have the pleasure of meeting.”

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That’s the story of Scott McCarroll my friends! By the way, he just turned 50 on August 24th so be sure to wish him a Happy Birthday if you haven’t already! Thank you all for the support and reading these stories. Go be amazing and spread that positivity! 

Much love – The Runt

Welcome back friends! It’s time for the latest edition of the 311 fan spotlight! This week we meet the other half of last week’s spotlight, Traci Pearson!

For Traci, it was also courtesy of Eddie Bratke that she became hooked on 311. She used to make fun of him for seeing the band multiple times until she went. Then it clicked with her why he did it. “And I’ve never looked back! The lyrics of the songs is what drew me in. And how much fun the band had on stage.”

Somewhere around the 40 count is where Traci is at for seeing them live. First show was in Salt Lake City in 2013. “I’ve been addicted ever since.” Favorite event so far is 311 Day 2014 in New Orleans. “I met the most amazing bunch of people!! People that are now my family. We are truly a family. We are there for one another for the good times and the bad.”

There are a few songs that mean a lot to her. The first is “Unity” because it represents the family she was with this year in San Diego. Then there’s “Two Drops in the Ocean” because it’s she and Preston’s song. Finally there is “Island Sun,” since it reminds her of the cruise. Lyrics she chose that stand out to her are “Stay positive and love your life,” because she tries to live by it every day. She also loves, “I’ve got a clique but it’s more like a family,” and “Here I was happy.” She said that’s how she feels at every show.

Traci was born and raised in Utah and she’s never lived anywhere else. Currently she is a General Manager at a McDonald’s restaurant and she’s been there for almost 17 years. “I’ve actually been at the same store, in the same job position, for almost 17 years.” Traci is the youngest of 7 children. She said she has a very strange but true fact, and that is that she and her husband Preston are actually 10^th cousins! “Our great-great-great Grandfather was a polygamist. And I come from the 1st wife, Preston comes from the 2nd wife!!!”

Something you may not know about Traci is that she has dyslexia but only with numbers. “It made life very hard growing up.” Traci entered Kindergarten when she was only 4 and they figured out that she could read at a 3^rd grade level. “As I got older, I learned how to speed read.”

Traci loves music and loves to turn it on and just dance around her kitchen. “The one song that always gets me going is All the Single Ladies.” Aside from 311 she can also be found dancing around to a lot of Reggae, and she loves Dirty Heads. She also digs RDGLDGRN plus she listens to Snoop Dog. “Man he has a sexy voice.” She can also be found jamming out to Aerosmith.

To 311, Traci would like to say, “Thank YOU!! For the great lyrics that impact my life every single day and for the wonderful family you have connected me to!”

To all the fans out there:

“My heart is always full of the love and closeness we all share with each other!”

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And now you know the story of Traci Pearson’s love for 311! Thanks to Traci for sharing and to all of you who support this blog. You all make me smile each week! Now go be awesome. See you next time!

Much Love – The Runt

Welcome back my friends out in 311 nation! We meet again for the latest edition of the 311 fan spotlight. This week we meet Preston Pearson! 

Brother and former fan spotlight Eddie Brake is how Preston was introduced to 311 because he was a huge fan. “Crazy thing is that he was just a kid.  I am 41 years old and loved all music in that genre but for some reason 311 didn’t resonate with me at that time.” Preston said he thinks he just wasn’t ready for 311 at the time because he was too busy trying to climb the corporate ladder. Flash forward about 15 years to when Eddie took him to his first show. “I was instantly hooked. I only knew the hits, but I loved the vibe of not only the band, but the fans at the show.” 

Show count is close to 40 and it was in 2012 at Wendover, N.V. that he saw that first with Eddie. While it’s hard to pick just one favorite of the shows he has been to, he said that he’d have to pick 311 Day in New Orleans in 2014. It was his first 311 Day. “I met so many awesome people that trip and all of them are still a part of my life.  It changed me on every imaginable level for the better.” 

Picking a song that means the most to Preston was another tough question. “I love the lyrics, particularly SA’s deep shit.” He chose a few that really stand out to him which include “Tune In,” “No Control,” “And A Ways to Go,” Starshines,” “Plain,” “Sever,” and “From Chaos.” Some of his favorite lyrics include: “Stay positive and love your life,” “Life’s a bowl of punch, go ahead and spike it,” “I am a music lover, somehow I get paid,” and “A river cuts its way through stone, not through sheer force but persistence.” 

Preston was born in Utah and said he attended a lot of schools, 13 in total. He has two wonderful sets of parents which he said was because of a divorce that turned into a win for everyone involved. “I am the oldest of a total of 8 kids between the two parents (it’s a Utah thing 😊) and have 5 kids of my own.  Recently one of my kids and a fellow fan Chyann Davis gave us a grand baby.  Izzie lights up my life and is always the center of attention.” Preston and his wife Traci have a fun story of how they met. She was dating the big boss at work and he ended up working his way into her heart. “I fell hard for her and asked her to marry me only a month after we started dating.  Got married a month after that and have been happily together for more than 21 years now.” Preston works for a McDonald’s franchisee as an area supervisor and has seven restaurants that he oversees. 

Some things Preston loves include being outdoors and gardening. Interesting fact about him is that he is fluent in Spanish and loves the Mexican culture including authentic food. He’s also a pretty good cook and loves to do it. He said he makes dinner almost every night of the week. Preston said he’s also obsessed with the meaning of life. “From deity’s, to afterlife, to aliens I am always researching something to give me the answer.  So far, all I know is that we as the human race don’t know shit! Haha.” He also said a guilty pleasure is that he knows every Barry Manilow lyric ever written. “Like seriously, all of them.  I still blame my mother for that one.” 

Other than 311 the two bands that Preston has seen the most are Dirty Heads and RDGLDGRN. During his teenage years he was heavily into Nine Inch Nails. He said he now has evolved to like a little of everything. 

To 311, Preston would like to say, “From the bottom of my heart, Thank you.  It still amazes me that a band and their fans could completely change who I am as a person.  I love who I have become because of them.  I see things differently and have a greater appreciation for the things that really matter in life.”

Preston’s message to all the fellow fans:

“I love each and every one of you!  Most of the people that I hold near and dear to my heart are 311 fans.  There are many more that I will meet in the future and I know that they will fit into the same mold.”

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That’s the story of Preston Pearson! Tune in next week when you get to meet his lovely wife Traci! Thanks for reading all. Go have a great week and spread the positivity! 

Much love – The Runt