Why hello there friends in 311 nation! It’s been a couple of weeks but we are back with the newest fan spotlight. Get ready to meet Trisha Swisshelm!
Trisha was always a casual fan of the band until she saw them in concert, that’s when everything changed. “My first show was in 2011, when Sublime with Rome opened. I got my husband and I tickets because he was a huge Sublime fan. That was the day I fell completely in love with 311 and started listening to all of their music I’d missed over the years.” Aside from the band themselves and the music, what really drew her in more was the fan community. They started meeting fellow fans and she said it just all came together. “I’ve been totally hooked ever since!”
Show count for her is unclear, somewhere in the 20-30 range. She hits every show they can in the Florida area and tries to fly back home for shows in Chicago. One of her favorite shows so far was a small, intimate show in Fort Wayne, Indiana, plus the small show in Tampa before the 2017 cruise which she said blew her away. “The most memorable though would probably have to be our very first sail away show on the 2015 Jamaica cruise! Such a magical moment!”
The song “Beyond the Gray Sky” hits home for her because of personal struggles as well as those of her loved ones. “It’s a beautiful song with a powerful message.” For lyrics, one of her favorites is “The jaded ones will wither while the optimistic grow.” She said, “I try to remember those words and apply them to my life.”
Highland, Indiana, a small town about 30 minutes from Chicago, is where Trisha grew up. “We weren’t stereotypical farms or cornfields, but ya didn’t have to go too terribly far to get to them, lol.” Her family spent summers in Clearwater Beach, Florida, and she always dreamed of living in Florida one day. So 4 years ago Trisha, her husband, and their song moved there and they love their decision! “It was hard to leave behind family and friends, but we were ready for a change! The Florida Familia, and especially the Tampa Bay crew make us feel even more at home and the music scene is fantastic.” They live between Tampa and St. Petersburg so they have access to a lot of great live shows. Plus she said with the weather and beautiful scenery, how can you not love Florida. “There’s so much to love. Florida life suits us!”
Recently though Trisha was diagnosed with a rare and rarely diagnosed brain condition called Chiari Malformation. “It’s made me pretty sick for a lot of the last year, and I’ve not been able to work. I’m pretty open about it because I believe there needs to be MUCH more awareness of it, especially among doctors so that patients can get the treatment they need without having to fight every step of the way.”
Something Trisha loves is to be creative and make things. She’s very crafty, from writing to making jewelry, or cutting up old or ill fitting t-shirts. She also draws, paints, tie-dye’s…you name it! “I’m always trying to learn new ways to be creative!” Guilty pleasure for Trisha? “I’m obsessed with all things Harry Potter!”
As far as other music that Trisha loves, she said she discovered most of her other favorites because of 311 and the fan community. “My newest favorite is The Movement, who I saw open up for 311 in Orlando last year before the cruise. I also love Stick Figure, Rebelution and of course RDGLDGRN who have become a cruise staple! The only fav band I didn’t discover through 311 would be Dirty Heads, but then they were brought on the 2015 cruise! Nothing better than having all your favorite bands together, especially out on the sea!!”
To the band, Trisha has this message: “Thank you for everything, from the music to the love for us fans and for creating such a badass community of excitables to share it all with!”
And to all the fellow 311 fans:
“Keep on spreading the peace, love, and unity and fuck the naysayers!”
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That is the story of Trisha Swisshelm! Many thanks to Trisha for sharing her story and to all those that come back each week to learn more about individuals in this fan community! Such a great family to be a part of. Go now and be the awesome individuals you are.
Much love – The Runt