Well hello again to all of the people in 311 nation! Another week is here so it’s time for the latest edition of the fan spotlight. This week, let’s meet AJ Morrow!

It was when the documentary “Hoax 2: Anarchy in America” came out that AJ first heard the music of 311. The documentary featured songs such as “All Mixed Up” and “Feels So Good.” He also watch MTV air the “Down” video back in 1996. “Skating and music has been a passion of mine for a longtime so that’s what got me into their music. Nick representing Senate Clothing and 976 solidified it as well.”

So far AJ’s show count is at 28. First show was in Columbus, Ohio, at the LC Pavilion on June 24, 2010. Pepper opened for them at that show. His favorite events are the cruises. “Because the sets are very unique and the atmosphere is such a great experience, plus it’s nice to see folks that you’ve met on the road along with new faces as well.”

Song that AJ loves is “Jackolantern’s Weather.” “What it means to me is that it shows you shouldn’t have a care in the world and just have fun with life and make the best of it.” A favorite lyric of his is, “I say what I feel and that is a promise, nothing in life is above being honest.”

Tipp City, Ohio, is where AJ grew up and he’s pretty much stayed close to the area. He attended Bethel School until 7th grade then enrolled in Tipp City schools from 8th grade until his sophomore year. He then went back to Bethel and graduated from there in 2002. AJ has a roommate currently and they have a dog named Kali plus two pigs named Zoey and Buddy. 

AJ enjoys helping people, even if they don’t ask for help. “In the end it’ll come back around when you least expect it.” Special talent for him? “I can sit on my feet and stand on one leg for a long period of time. That’s my talent lol.” 

Guilty pleasures? AJ has a few he mentioned. He loves watching Survivor and The Amazing Race. He also watches wrestling every Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday when they have Pay-Per-View broadcasts. Guilty pleasure movie is E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. “Yes I cry when he is found in the creek as well as when he leaves at the end of the movie.” Hobby of his is that he enjoys working on cars and going fast. “I attend a lot of car shows and events with friends and it’s been a passion of mine since I was born.” Aside from going to concerts, AJ also loves watching the Michigan Wolverines play in Ann Arbor, Michigan, plus he goes to some away games. “Go Blue!! ][V][“

Music aside from 311 that AJ can be found listening to includes Sublime, Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, Reel Big Fish, Rebelution, Ballyhoo!, Tropidelic, and many more. 

To 311, AJ’s message is: “Thank you for making me the person I am today, for all the positive messages and for the friends that I’ve made over the years, it truly is because of y’all and your music that brings us all together. Much Love!!”

To all his fellow 311 fans:

“Want to thank y’all for being who you are and continue on with whatever it is that you do, keep on livin’ and rockin and I’ll see y’all OTMFB 🛳”

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That’s AJ’s story folks! Thanks to AJ for sharing it and to all you awesome peeps for reading it! I hope you all have an amazing week and remember to be kind and spread the positivity to all. 

Much Love! The Runt

Welcome back all out there in 311 nation! Here we are again, ready to read about the next fan spotlight. This week let’s learn all about Aymee Zimmerman! 

How Aymee learned of 311 was through her then twenty-something nephew in law, Dan. It was back in 2000 and he was playing the song, “Rub a Dub.” “I immediately fell in love with the song! I checked them out and joined the Hive web-board to get connected.” She then mentioned the band in talking with her neighbor and who she calls her second kid, Jennie, during a time when they were organizing her CD collection. “She flipped out telling me how awesome they were and how much she loved them !  She then hooked me up with a few CDs (Blue, Transistor, Grassroots and Soundsystem) and I went even more crazy for 311 !  She told me about 311 Day, and I made it my mission to make it there “one day,” – especially when I found out it was in (or going to be in) NOLA !  I had two babies under two around that time, so there was no way it was going to have been happening then…  but I always only dreamed about it until that Magical year…. 2016.” 

Sadly Aymee has lost both Danny and Jennie from her life due to heroin overdoses. “The only reason I am mentioning this here is because it is all too rampant in our lives…  even our own 311 Community has lost so many to this terrible drug, or knows of loved ones suffering.  If you know someone who is struggling, do not give up on trying to help them see beyond and fight to stay alive.  It is just as tragic as suicide.”

First 311 show for Aymee was in Tinley Park, Illinois at the World Music Theatre in 2003. She was with her son Josh, who is now 28. “I remember we had pretty decent seats and we were on miT / SA side.  Josh and I didn’t know what to expect for the show, but all we talked about after, (and even to this day !) was SA’s slick dance moves !  (at that point, we had NO idea what the Alien Magic was that we witnessed that night…)  We were total newbies, but relished every moment of the night.  It was a blast.  I bought him the green cube T Shirt from the show, and he wore it till it got holes all through it.  I wish I could replace that shirt !!!  I would LOVE to have another.” 

Aymee has been to two handfuls of shows so far, including the 4th of July shows in Vegas in 2014 and 2015, New Orleans in 2016, and this years 311 Day. Her favorite of these shows she said is hands down 311 Day 2016. “NO WORDS can even begin to express the emotions that come up for me with this EPIC MEMORY and the weeks/months leading up to NOLA ’16. The Universe KNEW exactly what was up… All we have to say to each other is “NOLA” and we are transported back to the BLISS FOLLOWING that brought us all there…  So much Love and Joy in that Moment of Bliss that we Held.  #TACOS FOR LYFE !!!  What an incredibly MAGICAL experience NOLA was on every level. I also have to give a very special and THANKFUL Shout Out to Alex “Taiyed” Hutchins for introducing me to the Familia in 2014.  It’s been a wild ride, I wouldn’t change a minute !”

Favorite song for her she said is impossible to answer because it changes depending on the day, mood, or moment. “It is just amazing to me though, how no matter what, the right song/lyrics/groove pops up right when I need it. However, I would have to say that ‘Speak Easy’ is the most meaningful for many reasons.” Some lyrics she loves include, “Lift the roof off your soul,” “Lovely life I thank you,” “I see the music in you,” “Let my song sing itself,” and “FOLLOW YOUR BLISS (which is also a Joseph Campbell quote) on EVERY DAY.” She also said she loves “Yo P-Nut, beat that thing!” because she will always be a P-Nut girl at heart.

Aymee grew up and lives in the Chicago suburbs but she also spends a great amount of time at her folks ranch in rural Ava, Missouri. She is the youngest of three siblings, and is younger by at least 10 years. “so I joke that I was raised on the “good stuff” as far as music goes.” Aymee said that she’s always been a bit of a hippie at heart and has a very eclectic taste in music, art and life. She has 3 kids: Josh who is about to turn 28, Emily who is almost 18, and Joseph who is 16. “My kids (and my Family) are my LIFE.  I have an unusual philosophy about Life.  I tend to see the good in everyone and everything.  I am grateful for that ability, and do not mind seeing things through rose colored lenses.  My glass is always overflowing with goodness, and I tend to not let things get me too down. Life is too short to be lived miserably, and while it’s not always peachy, I try to find the silver lining…  There is always one to be found.  😉  I occasionally visit that infamous crossroads at Highways 61 and 49, in Clarksdale, MS. to fund my 311ing, but I generally find that you get what you need when you need it most.”

Fun fact about Aymee: When she was 17 she spent about 2 months in the Utah desert near Moab in a Wilderness Survival program. “It was absolutely incredible !  We hiked about 13 miles a day and had no matches or lighters to make fire… We had no TP – or bathrooms ! HAHA ! No tents, one set of fatigues to wear, and a sleeping bag, and got our meal rations through a food drop made by airplane once every several weeks, having to ration out our food until the next drop.  We cooked on a fire made on rocks and used tin cans to cook in and eat out of…I loved every moment of it and learned so much about myself.  It was incredible.  I came home so clean and clear and healthy, and I felt so strong in every way!” She also said her family is full of aviators. She did a solo flight in a Cessna 150 when she was a teenager. Now her younger son is carrying on the legacy and on his way to becoming a private pilot next year. “He soloed an Aeronca Champ (classic 1946 taildragger) on his 16th birthday in June!”

Something Aymee loves is to bake. “I am always bringing baked goodies with me wherever I go, especially while traveling (special made with Love only though, sorry !  HAHA)” She also likes to make tie dye, she loves to sing, and write. “I own a beautiful PEACE Ukulele that I still need to learn to play.” Guilty pleasures for her include music, movies, popcorn, and cheese. 

When not listening to the sounds of 311, Aymee can be found jamming out to The Grateful Dead, Rush, The Beatles (She mentioned this“ALSO — for fun, check out Rubberband, Beatmas Christmas… if you are a Beatles fan, it will blow your mind !”), Tom Petty, CSNY, Joe Walsh, Moody Blues, Porcupine Tree, B-52’s, The Guess Who, Mark Knopfler, Lemmy, Elton John, Billy Joel, Mavis Staples, Hendrix, ELO, Emmerson Lake & Palmer, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Traveling Willbury’s, Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Debbie Harry, ABBA, Jimmy Buffet, and Vangelis. (She said, “you MUST check out – and read about the making of – the album: ‘666 the Apocolypse of John,’ it’s just so cool !!!”) She said her daughter keeps her hip to all the new music out there. “We used to hit Warped Tour(RIP) every year since she was 12… Thanks to her, I also enjoy Ed Sheeran, 5SOS, twenty øne piløts, Maroon 5, Little Mix (shhh) and so much more…  Her Musical tastes are about as eclectic as mine ! Haha !  😀 (and she gets into some 311, too !)”

Aymee’s message to 311 is this: “I know it has been said before, but THANK YOU for the Music and the Uplift.  I am so Thankful for the Friendship bonds that have formed through this phenomenal CommUnity and grateful for the Positive Message that 311 sends out.  It has gotten me (and so many others) through Life in more ways than will ever be known.”

Now her message to the fan community:

“We all know the important words: Stay Positive and Love your Life !  I love and treasure all of the goodness that comes from of being a part of this UNITY Crew….  From the wonderful things that the Excitable Difference Makers do, to the Musical Gatherings that brings us all together again year after year…  Like the Sun, there is always something good and wonderful that comes thru.  I am so thankful to be a part of the Universal Sweetness that pulls us through.     SO – to put it blunt: Stick to the way you Rock it !  Only thing that matters if it’s Funky to YOU ! Thanks for letting me share a bit more about me, and thanks to all who are reading this crazy tirade !  ☺  *PEACE* SPaLYL !  PS – Did I mention how much I adore P-Nut ???  ☺”

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Thank you Aymee for sharing your 311 story with everyone! It was a pleasure to write and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it. Much gratitude to everyone in this community who loves this band and supports this project of mine. 

Much love to you all! – The Runt

Welcome again to all of my friends out in 311 nation. How about we kick off another week and meet the new fan spotlight? This week we meet the other half of last weeks edition…meet Benjamin Tarver! 

It was later on for Benjamin that 311 came into his life, he said it was somewhere in the mid 2000’s. “I’ve gone through several genre’s of music over the years – from metal, to techno, industrial then into alternative and reggae vibes.” What really drew him to 311 was the feel of the music and the transitions within songs, especially the early stuff. “I’ve thought this was unique about them since I started listening to 311.”

Show count stands at 14 for Benjamin. His first show was 311 Day 2014 and it’s still his favorite one so far. “The fans made us family immediately fall in love with what 311 is all about  = PLUR! We went from fans to diehard fans in that 3 days in New Orleans. It definitely changed us forever and I’m so glad it did.”

Favorite song for Benjamin? He said it may sound cheesy, but he loves “Sunset in July.” “It really just brings me back to loving spending time with my wife, watching how she gets wide eyed and excited about every show and trying to convert every person we meet into a 311 fan.” He also loves their remake of The Cure’s “Love Song.” “That’s been our song for 20 years, so having 311 do a cover of it was just amazing.” Some of his favorite lyrics come from the song “Something Out of Nothing” – “We are the wind and the sea,Sun reflected you to me. We are the moon and the stars, Darkness hiding mystical heart. We have just begun, The dreams, the nightmares of everyone. We are mysterious things, Eternal, perpetual, and ending. We are the yin and the yang, The ending, the middle, and the big bang. We are the zero and one
The desert, the voice, and the ocean.”

Benjamin is happily married to Mary Beth. He said she’s the talker in the family! They have 2 kids, Isaiah and Nikolas. Benjamin spends his non-311 event time managing construction projects in the south eastern U.S. He’s originally from Natchez, Mississippi, but grew up just outside of Jackson. “I’m thankful my dad moved us out of the country & to the “big city” lol. We have lived in Arkansas, Texas and Tennessee – where we currently live outside of Memphis.” 

Benjamin is a bit of an introvert and he said he follows his butterfly of a wife to shows. He used to write poetry in his younger days. “I finally wrote one for Mary Beth a few years ago. I probably should do that more often!” 

Benjamin took up BMX racing with his youngest son which he found out later wasn’t as much of a talent as he had thought. He said it was the most fun he had in years until it went horribly wrong. “But now I have one robot knee and another with a scrap yard of metal in it, so that’s something. 😊” When he was younger he used to play Dungeons & Dragons, so it’s lead him to play similar games now and it’s somewhat of a guilty pleasure. “Me & my oldest son played all the Dark Souls series games together and beat them all.” Aside from 311, Benjamin also loves artists such as The Cure, Pearl Jam, Dirty Heads, RDGLDGRN, and Iron Maiden. 

To 311, Benjamin’s message is this: “Keep on doing what you love – making music & touring! I have a lot of missed out years to make up for so don’t quit now boys!”

To all his fellow fans out there:

“I really love the way the 311 family rallies around it’s own. I see so many of you doing great things for others in & out of this community. It provides a great center to return to with everything else going on in the world today to know so many people who would do anything to help others. I’m glad to call myself part of this clique that’s more like a family! I’ll see a bunch (but not enough) of you on the Cruise in 2019. Come say hello – don’t forget, Im the closet introvert.”

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Thank you Benjamin for sharing your story! So happy to have you as part of this venture. Much gratitude to all that read all of these posts. Now go be the amazing people you are. Spread the positivity! 

Much Love – The Runt

Welcome back 311 fans! Time for us to read all about our next spotlight. This week, let’s meet Mary Beth Phillips Tarver! 

It was thanks to the song “Down” that Mary Beth knew of 311. She heard them on the radio and fell in love with the song. However she was living in Mississippi and didn’t have any friends that liked them so her 311 journey didn’t really take off until later on. 

First show for Mary Beth was 311 Day 2014, and it just so happens to be her favorite show so far. “I met some of my best friends ever there and my husband Benji and I had the best time ever together. And I met Tish who would become my best friend/soul sister.” Show count for Mary Beth is around 25. 

Song that means the most to Mary Beth is “Beyond the Grey Sky.” She loves all of the lyrics from this song. She also loves the lyrics from “Seems Uncertain.” “Your denomination, should be a private thing. How about a spirit, for all human beings. How could something well guided, turn out to be divisive.” 

Mary Beth was born in Texas, then lived in L.A. for a few years, and then landed in a small town in Mississippi which is where she grew up. In the 9th grade she transferred to the last public high school that had dorms. “I didn’t live in them, but I partied there a lot!” She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi.

In 1995, Mary Beth met her husband Benji on a blind date on New Year’s Eve. They’ve been together ever since! They have two boys, Isaiah who is 21 and Nikolas who is 14. They currently live in Arlington, Tennessee, which is just outside of Memphis. 

A hobby for Mary Beth is that she collects candles and magnets. When she was in high school she twirled flag and rifle and actually was awarded a scholarship because of it! Guilty pleasure she says is pretty much any show found on the Bravo! channel. 

Bands that Mary Beth loves include Dirty Heads, Rebelution, Muse, The Cure, and Smashing Pumpkins.

Mary Beth has these words for the members of 311: “Thank you for making this music that has gotten me through some difficult times while bringing me some of the best times I’ve ever had in my life. Also thanks for constantly touring which has enabled me to meet some of the best friends I’ll ever have in my life.”

Now her message to all her fellow fans:

“Thank you for accepting me into this crazy wonderful family that we have. And I’ll always be there to repay the kindness you’ve shown me. ✌️❤️&311”

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Thanks Mary Beth for sharing your story! As always, thank you to all the wonderful fans in this community who read each post. You are all a crew of beautiful souls! 

Much Love – The Runt