Hey all of you beautiful people out there in excitable nation! Is everyone ready to meet another amazing fan? This week we feature Mr. Eric Girard!
The decade was the 90’s and Eric was in Chicago listening to the radio station Q101 when he first heard the sounds of 311. The station would play “Down” or “Homebrew” and he liked the style of the songs. Occasionally they would also play “Do You Right.” Then in 1997 a new kid named Mike came to his neighborhood and they became best friends. They were hanging around one day and Eric was going through Mike’s CD collection. Eric rattled off bands including 311 and asked Mike what they should listen to. Mike said out of all of them 311 is his favorite, so Eric threw on the blue album and after they listened to that all the way through, then they listened to Grassroots, and then Transistor. “I got hooked on it. I played that out, still do, 20 years later. In high school Mike and I started getting really into punk music, but 311 was still our favorite band. The music always kept us interested and you could listen to it non stop without it growing old. The eclectic mix of styles was also refreshing. We would go to punk shows and it would be a way different energy, style and message then what 311 said to us. Punk was “fuck the man, change the system” where 311 was “be positive and do what thou wilt”. I was always drawn to that. The open-mindedness, positivity, inclusivity and a fucking amazing time. The music doesn’t stop either. I have gotten sick of music, but I’ve never gotten sick of 311… as corny as that sounds.”
100 is the show count for Eric currently. Anaheim, California at the House of Blues was where he hit that magical 100. His first show ever was on March 21, 2000, at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois. “My friend and I had been listening to 311 nonstop for 3 years before we asked to go to a concert. To our amazement both of our parents said yes, and his mom even drove us to the concert, because we were only 15. I remember sitting in the car actually wondering if they would play “Down”, oh how naïve I was. We met the band, got all our stuff signed, the show was beyond anything I could have imagined. Hooked for life.”
For a long time Eric would have said that the 311 Day events he went to were his favorite shows, but then they played Transistor in full and it was like the cherry on top. But then he met his now fiancé Vanessa. “She brought me on Cruise IV. That blew my mind. Cruises, by far, for me are the best thing 311 does. Get over the sea sickness and constant cruise food and you have three of the best 311 shows you could ever hope for in a lifetime. The atmosphere with the fans is something you could not even make up. Everyone is happy, the energy on the boat is almost electric with the excitement leading up to each show. …and 311 brings it. They bring it harder on the Cruise than I have seen in any other format. 311 Days, small clubs, large amphitheaters, no where beats the Lido Deck… except, maybe, The Hive.”
There isn’t just one song for Eric that means the most to him. “I take the collective 311 and relate it to my life. Certain songs have brought out so much in me over the years, to single one out would be unfair to the other periods of my life.” Some songs he did say that are meaningful to him are “No Control,” “Evolution,” and “Time is Precious.” Then he said songs he thinks are awesome are “Let the Cards Fall,” “Random,” and “Visit.”
Favorite lyric for Eric is, “So many people don’t even attempt to understand, the limitless possibilities of man.” “This lyric transcends the song its in, but is quintessential of what 311 to me is about. The music is always encouraging you to do better things with your life. I firmly believe that you can change the world if you want to, you just have to go out and do it. Lyrics like this is in songs, for me, remind me of these things. When I was younger I looked for people, organizations, things, bands, anything really to help guide me in the right directions in life. I am happy I found a band that not only rocks, but supports a healthy individual in society that contributes to the overall wellbeing of everyone around them.” He also loves, “Fuck the naysayers.” He said it’s pretty much an anthem for him. “People constantly will tell you the things you cannot achieve. Show them you can.”
Eric grew up 60 miles south of Chicago, in a town called Bourbonnais. As a kid the Chicago Bears training camp was there, but he said other than that it was a very economically depressed area of the country. He attended college in Illinois and Indiana, then enlisted in the Navy. “I was trained in Pensacola, Florida and was stationed in Maryland at the NSA (National Security Agency). After the Navy I wanted to live in NYC, so the day I got out of the Navy I packed up a uHaul and drove it up 95. On the way I found an apartment on craigslist using my iPhone, got to the place, took a look around and signed the lease. I took a year off exploring around the city before getting a job working in Television.” Eric started working at NBC and helped them build new systems and broadcast events like the Superbowl, the Olympics and NHL playoffs. “I am humbled to have been awarded an Emmy by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences for being on the team that helped pioneer pay tv to the end user using an IP Infrastructure. In layman’s terms, I have been extremely fortunate to have a job I enjoy that has been motivated by my general curiosity of technology.”
Eric and his fiancé Vanessa just recently relocated to Santa Monica, California. He said they did it to push themselves to the best quality of life they could imagine. “In my life I try to remain positive, while being practical, knowing who I am and where I want to see myself in the future. All that while going to as many 311 shows as I can fit in, haha.”
Many of you may know this already, but it was Eric who started doing the #311CouchTour because he didn’t like the quality of YouTube videos that were online, plus the fact that 311 doesn’t sell their concerts online anymore. He only had them stored on his phone and memory cards until people started asking him to share them in Facebook groups or on YouTube. “Once FB: Live became a thing I streamed a portion of the 311 show in SLC, Utah. Then someone enjoyed that so much they asked me to stream the entire show in the Familia. That is how this whole thing started. People wanting to watch their favorite band, and some crazy dude that had a crude way to make it happen. I hope to continue doing this project, but turn it into a real product that 311 could use one day.”
Something you may now know about Eric, he wrote a poem in the 8th grade, titled “Unique,” that ended up published in a book alongside other poets. Something else that he thinks make him stand out is that he’s really good at troubleshooting problems and finding solutions. “I know that sounds super boring, but I’m pretty good at it.” Guilty pleasure? “I sit on social media a lot. Nasty habit.” Other than 311, Eric has always been drawn to punk, ska, and bluesy, funky rock. He loves artists like The Rolling Stones, Specials, and Talking Heads. His current Spotify list includes Beta Band, Kendrick Lamar, and Jamiroquai.
Eric’s message for 311 is this: “Invest and pioneer the way bands will work together in the future.”
Eric’s message to all the other fans out there comes from this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEiSa6_EPA
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Love that final message Eric! Thanks for being a part of the fan spotlight. I loved writing your story and I hope everyone enjoyed learning about Eric! And thanks Eric for the couch tour, I know I’ve enjoyed it when I can’t be at shows in person! Thanks to all who keep reading every week. This community of fans is just amazing! Until we meet again my friends.
Much Love – The Runt