Hello again my friends out there in 311 nation! It’s been a few minutes, but have no fear, a new fan spotlight is here. It’s time we read the story of Tim Northup!

Tim admits that he was not initially drawn to 311 when he heard the song “Down.” “I was more into metal at that time in my life when I hated high school and struggled to fit in. That summer after graduation I heard Beautiful Disaster on the radio and I was hooked. I listened to nothing but the Transistor album and the Blue album that summer. The big big turning point was when my older brother gave me Grassroots before he left for his final year in college. I was drawn into their lyrics of positivity, acceptance, and unity. The music was like nothing I’d ever heard. It was different as I felt I was. I was in full steam after that.”

On October 5, 2021, Tim hit show number 75 in his new hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah. First show ever for him was December 1997 in Los Angeles. “I’ve seen three 311 Day shows, and have seen shows in six states. Next on the bucket list is the 311 cruise.”

Favorite event was 311 Day 2010 in Las Vegas. “First 311 Day for me. 5 hours of amazing music. Met some great people. Very memorable. There were two guys sitting in front of us who had partied way too hard and passed out about an hour in. We playfully toyed with them with the people sitting next to us. Turns out, one of the fans we met sitting next to us was Venus Williams who is a huge 311 fan. Had no idea who she was at the time. Also met Tim Mahoney the next day at a bar in the casino.”

The song “Beautiful Disaster” means a lot to Tim, even though it’s not his favorite song. “It’s the song that set me on the course of becoming an Excitable. That song turned me on to 311 and helped turn my life around.”

As for lyrics that Tim loves, they are as follows:

“The soul you have is electricity,” “I always say what I feel and that is a promise, nuthin in life is above being honest,” “I got a good feeling, about you,” “My bros are down for the Unity!” “I cannot handle all these negative vibe merchants,” “Missin’ the point musics about love, not pessimism,” and “Stay positive and love your life.”

Tim was born in Iowa (about an hour from Omaha) and then lived in Missouri until 12 years old. Then he spent almost 30 years in a city about 20 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles called Torrance. “I hated LA throughout middle school and high school.  Always an outcast, I never fit in.  I got really into the metal scene cause I related to a lot of the anger, aggression, and negative lyrics.  I had no idea where my life was going to go.  The summer after graduation I found 311 and things took a 180.  So thankful for that!”

Tim spent a year going to school at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, just outside of Waikiki. “I mostly lived in Torrance and the surrounding beach cities and lived in Orange County for 8 years also (Newport Beach and Costa Mesa).  In November of 2019, my wife and I bought a house in Murray, Utah, a city in Salt Lake County.” Funding his 311 habit comes from the Human Resources field and he really enjoys it. “Currently employed with an online university but looking for a job if anyone out there has any leads, hit me up! Other than listening to and jamming along with 311 (I’ve been playing guitar (poorly) for 25 years, I even bought a PRS guitar to get closer to that 311 sound) I love hockey, golf, reading, and craft beer.  My son just turned 1 and fatherhood has completely blown my mind.  It’s the most rewarding and joyful experience of my life but has also induced so much anxiety!”

Fun fact about Tim is that back in 2000 he auditioned for VH1’s Rock ‘n Roll Jeopardy. “Of 70, they selected 12 people to record 4 shows.  I was contestant 14.  Missed it by two spots!” Some things that make him unique are that he is a good listener. Plus his wife tells him he has an uncanny ability to quote movies and can hold conversations in nothing but movie quotes!

Some other musicians that Tim can be found jamming to include Bad Religion, Pennywise, Pearl Jam, Van Halen, Beastie Boys, Pepper, Lagwagon, The Vandals, Vampire Weekend, Rage against the Machine, System of a Down, Thrice, Guns N Roses, John Coltrane, John Lee Hooker, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Guilty pleasure also comes in the form of music…Tim loves 80’s butt rock a.k.a. Hair Metal. ” In some ways it’s really good, but in so many ways it’s really bad.  With older siblings, I grew up listening to it and just never let it go.  My first concert was almost Poison (we moved before I could go)!”

Tim was fortunate enough to meet Tim at 311 Day in 2010, and he also ran into him at a free Van Halen concert on Hollywood Boulevard several years later. His words to him were this: “That guy on stage (Eddie Van Halen) is why I picked up a guitar, but your music is why I’m still alive. It changed my life. Thank you!”

Now here is Tim’s message to all the other 311 fans out there:

“311 fans are hands down the best fans.  I love going to shows and meeting new people, singing along with complete strangers, picking up each other in the pit, and staying positive with you.  Keep being kind to others and seeing the positive in such a negative world. Can’t wait to see you at 311 day 2020 in Vegas!”

---

Thank you Tim for sharing your story! As always, much gratitude to all the people who read each spotlight. Until next time, keep being awesome!

Much Love – The Runt

Welcome friends out there in 311 nation! The new edition of the fan spotlight has arrived. Let’s meet Ryan McKinnon!

The year was 1995, in the spring season to be exact, when Ryan first found 311. His friend’s brother was driving them to baseball practice and he was playing the “Grassroots” album as they went. “I had to ask, “What is this!?” I was instantly intrigued by the raw sound and energy emitting from radio. The Down single dropped shortly after and the rest is
history. The mix match of styles, songs for any mood and the positive message being displayed got me hooked. The fact that they were stoners with an affinity for aliens was an added bonus. Lots of smoke rides in the boonies with 311 blaring through the car speakers during high school.”

For big events, Ryan has attended 311 Day in New Orleans in 2002, then Memphis in 2006, and Vegas in 2020. “Those were all special with Nola probably taking the cake.” Ryan says he also misses them playing the smaller venues, like when he saw them in Boston in 2001. “Needed a breather from the pit and went to get a soda. Then I was like damn how the heck am I supposed to go join my friends as the place was packed. So I asked a couple people to lift me up to crown surf my way back up front and ended up kicking my buddy Gabe in the head before crowd surfing all the way over the rail and into the pit up front. My friend was like “yo, was that you who just kicked me in the head?” hahaha. I will always remember that.” He also said that seeing 311 in Mansfield, Massachusetts, back in 2000 with Incubus opening was amazing. “311 played the Blue album in its entirety, playing 28 songs total that night.”

Picking a favorite song is a tricky question for Ryan, like many others. “There are so many with inspiring lyrics and others that you can just let loose to. Depends on the mood, time of year. Paradise, It’s Alright, Sever, Don’t Dwell, Simple True, Do You Right, The Great Divide, Hydroponic, 1,2,3 , Stealing Happy Hours, T&P Combo, to name a few.”

As for some favorite lyrics, Ryan has quite a few that stand out to him, including: “The jaded ones will wither while the optimistic grow,” “This is life man, all we do is jam.  Make you feel like a child, again and again,” “Park the car and walk under the stars, so god damn afraid to let down your guard,” “Funk slap bass mixed with the dancehall and hip hop beats and punk guitar and deadly on the mic is the one SA. The name is 311 and you know it ain’t easy,” “Be positive with love, just see the good in everybody,” “More than 2000 years of fuckin with our fears, the only thing true, we gotta love each other,” “They try to play my emotions but I’m like the ocean, to calm to get upset by somebody’s notion,” “You’ve got to trust your instinct and let go of regret,” and “Give thanks and praise for good things you found, humble people not ashamed nor proud.”

Providence, Rhode Island, is where Ryan was raised and he now lives about 10 minutes away from where he grew up. His parents split when he was less than 2 years old and then his father passed away when he was 22. “My mom is remarried and I have two amazing younger sisters.” Ryan said the music scene in Providence was amazing during the mid 90’s but it unfortunately isn’t what it used to be. “I was probably at 2-3 shows a week at one point.”

Ryan worked in the restaurant industry for close to 15 years until switching to insurance adjusting in 2010. “My stepfather started his own business and I was lucky to get an opportunity to learn the trade from one of the best. I loved the restaurant but the hours were brutal.  It’s nice to have weekends and holidays off and am fortunate to now have steady pay to support my concert needs.” Ryan has a beautiful wife Becca, who he said he just has to give a shout out to. “She’s the rock that keeps our family in sync and also puts up with me and my 311 habits. We have two daughters and a dog named Mary Jane. It’s amazing watching our kids grow up and developing their own styles.”

Fun fact about Ryan, he was in a band called Acclivity, which had influences of bands like 311, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Pearl Jam. “Won a battle of the bands, recorded an album called Vision, once played live in a local radio station studio with full band set up during their local program and even got the chance to open for Ill Nino at The Strand in Providence which was awesome knowing some of the all-time greats that have stepped foot on that stage even though we certainly did not fit that bill.  Also, the home of my first 311 show.”

Interesting tidbit of info about Ryan is that he’s a lefty but plays guitar, shoots a basketball, and throws a frisbee with his right. He’s also a pretty good whistler! Guilty pleasure for him is craft beer and home brewing. He also threw in expanding his record collection.

Other artists that Ryan can be found listening to range a lot because he isn’t committed to just one genre. The list includes: “G-Love, Bad Religion, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, RHCP, Grateful Dead, Ween, Deer Tick, Cake, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, A Tribe Called Quest, Deftones, Dinosaur Jr, Ellis Ashbrook, Helmet, Wu-Tang, Jack White, Jimi Hendrix, Outkast, Bob Marley, Long Beach Dub, Primus, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Pavement, QOTSA, The Roots, Pharcyde, Soul Coughing, STP, Talking Heads, Yellowman, Faith No More, Pixies, Frank Zappa, The Interrupters, Tool, NIN, De La Soul and many other classic rock and hip hop greats.”

Ryan would like to send these words over to 311: “It’s been a great experience watching the band evolve over the past two decades, you all have seriously perfected your craft and kept true to your fan base. Also, Pnut let’s grab a beer.”

Now here is his message to all the fellow 311 fans:

“The future holds endless potential.  See you in Vegas!”

---

Many thanks Ryan for sharing your story with the world! Gratitude also per the usual, to all the amazing supporters of this little blog. Have an amazing week, and as Ryan said, hope to see you all in Vegas!

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again my Excitable friends! The next installment of the 311 fan spotlight has arrived. It’s time for the story of Angela Delauri Crosby!

Flash back to the 4th grade for Angela, when she was at her friends house and her brother had just purchased the blue album. “We borrowed it to listen in her bedroom while we played with Pogs. I liked the music instantly because it was different than what I was used to hearing on the radio (southern Vermont doesn’t have many stations!).”

As for show count, Angela doesn’t know the exact number, but believes it to be somewhere above 50 at this point. “I’ve never really counted them or kept track. My first show was in 2009 at the Miami Waterfront – I was in the second row and Tim gave me his guitar pick after the show!”

Favorite show/event for Angela, she chose the second cruise. “The beach show was something else… Being in the crystal clear water with so many like minded people, making friends, having drinks delivered to us while floating on a floaty, and then the splash pit – I’m not sure if that could be created again. (even though I hope for it every cruise year!) That cruise was life changing for me. Noelle Dion and I went on that cruise together not knowing ANYONE and we have both made SO MANY friends since then. I was also soooo shocked when I was walking across the pool deck and saw someone from my hometown who has known me since I was born, that I never expected to see on that boat… Lisa Parker Swane!  That entire cruise experience is by far my favorite 311 memory.”

The song Angela says is her all time favorite is “Speak Easy.” “The lyrics are so powerful and meaningful.” As for favorite quote, one of her faves is, “You’ve got to bet on yourself now star, cause that’s your best bet.” “It reminds me that you have to have faith in yourself and be your own best friend. You have to love yourself and remind yourself that you’re worthy of everything and anything.”

Rutland, Vermont, is where Angela grew up. Her family still owns the house that she was born in. In 2005 she moved away from the state for the first time, traveling south to Florida. “Since then I’ve moved back to Vermont twice, once for 9 months, then returned to Florida and lived with my BFF Noelle Dion for a couple years and then again to Vermont for 4 years which is when I met my now husband, Toban who also grew up there. He is also a huge 311 fan! I couldn’t believe I met a real life 311 fan in Rutland, VT. I brought him into the Familia and his big heart and fun loving spirit truly fits in with everyone.”

For 9 months Angela’s job took her and Toban to Seattle, where they had the chance to become good friends with Christa Dohy and Aaron Kaloustian. Then it was back to Florida, Palm Beach Gardens to be precise. “We love living here! There’s so much to do, so many different cultures represented. We love that we can find a new restaurant to eat at every week if we want to! And we are really close to a few great venues like Terra Fermata and the Abacoa Amphitheater as well as West Palm Beach’s Sunfest which 311 frequents. I work in the insurance industry with workers’ compensation and auto liability claims and Toban is in food service. We love the flexibility of our jobs and that it allows us to do what we like!”

Fun fact about Angela is that back in 2005, she turned in two escaped convicts to the FBI and received a reward for doing so! “They really do give you a reward when the FBI says there is one offered!”

Guilty pleasure for Angela is that at one point she knew every single word to all the music from The Backstreet Boys. “Still do for a lot of their older music. I would still go see them perform any time!” She also loves to watch “trash” T.V. when Toban isn’t home. “The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Real Housewives, the Circle… any of those ridiculous reality TV shows LOL mindless television for the win! I’m also not very good at knitting (squares and rectangles and knit and pearl only LOL) but I love to do it every now and then, it’s very calming.”

When not listening to 311, Angela loves the sounds from other musicians like Passafire, The Movement, Ballyhoo!, Rebelution, The Skints, Dirty Heads, Dropkick Murphy’s, RDGLDGRN, Bumpin’ Uglies, Tropidelic, Pepper, Los Stellarians, and Eminem. She also LOVE’s The Weeknd. “He’s brilliant. My favorite band of all time is Sublime (the original only!) I cannot imagine how much amazing music would have been made if Bradley was still alive!”

To 311, Angela has these words: “Thank you for continuing to do this for us all after all these years – you continue to bring so much energy to your shows and positivity to your fans and it continues to bring us together; thank you for caring about us, you are loved!”

Now here are her words to all her fellow 311 fans:

“Let’s continue to have fun and be there for one another, that’s what keeps this awesome – the friendships we’ve made and the times we share together. We’ve done some really awesome stuff to support one another when it’s needed and that is what I love about our commUNITY. I’m really bad at recognizing people in person based on social media photos so PLEASE say hi to me if you see me – I love meeting my friends in real life! I know I’m not in all the groups and I’m not the 311est and you may not see me at all the major events, but I truly feel so grateful to be a part of this group of people and to be thought of as an excitable even remotely worthy of an article like this! I absolutely LOVE you all!”

---

Thanks Angela for sharing your story of your love for 311! Many, many thanks as always to all the readers each time. Have an amazing week friends!

Much Love – The Runt