It’s a new week 311 nation which means it’s time to meet the new fan spotlight. This week we learn all about Saralyn Revello!
Flash back to 1995. Saralyn heard “Down” on the radio and ran out to buy the blue album. At the time she was growing up Long Beach, New York, what she calls a California-like beach party suburb of New York City. “My girlfriends and I used to stumble down the boardwalk on summer nights belting out songs obnoxiously loud. Down and All Mixed Up were two of those songs although Im sure we butchered the lyrics. Those two will always remind me of that carefree time in my life.”
While Saralyn listened to the radio hits and saw the band every time they came to town, it didn’t really take a firm grasp on her until the year 2011. Saralyn’s daughter was born two months early and she almost died during childbirth. “It wrecked me emotionally. She was 3.5 lbs and ended up in the NICU for a month. During that brutal month Universal Pulse was leaked and it was a staple during our walks to and from the NICU. It was also the year that Beautiful Disaster was in the MLB video game soundtrack, and at the time that game was played nearly every night in my household. For a while after that the Universal Pulse songs gave me PTSD flashbacks to those NICU days and I had trouble listening to it, so since Spotify and Pandora were pretty popular by then I started catching up on the 311 that I missed over the years. Uplifter particularly helped me through that postpartum depression/PTSD few years. I was happy to find some positivity and I knew I wanted more of it.” Saralyn’s daughter Emily is now 7 years old and a little excitable of course! “She’s an amazing creature!”
Then when Stereolithic came out Saralyn really became hooked. “I was driving a lot for work and for months I couldn’t listen to anything besides that album. The music and lyrics, especially The Call and Boom Shanka, but really the whole album, spoke to me in a way that no music had since before my daughters birth.” She realized that 311’s music had really been by her side since the first time she heard “Down” and she now couldn’t get enough of the positivity and gratitude that 311 embodied. “Summer of 14 I saw a few shows and it grew from there and I joined the Familia very specifically in hopes I would find others like me – who saw the connection and wanted the same things out of life. Although I was on a work trip on the opposite coast I nearly jumped on the boat in 15. And then I vowed to be at 311 Day in 16. And it was kind of like taking a ride on a cosmic trip from there. I’ve done at least 10 shows a year and both 311 days and Cruise 5 since then, with no desire to slow it down any time soon. They’ve truly been my constant companion and I could never thank them enough for waking my mind up and not giving up. I literally out loud asked the universe for unity consciousness and it answered with 311 and the 311 commUNITY. I mean literally even a dude with a UNITY tattoo; it was so clear written down on his skin. I wasn’t missing the message this time.”
While Saralyn is unsure of her exact show count for 311 live, she believes it’s somewhere in the 40 range. She is pretty sure her first 311 show was at the Roseland in New York City back in 1997. While it’s hard to pick which show or event was her favorite so far, she said she’d probably have to go with 311 Day 2016 in New Orleans. “It was my first major 311 event and travel show and I connected so heavily to the 311 commUNITY in Nola and it really felt like I’m finally home (I see a lighthouse ☺ ) and finally found my soul tribe. There’s so many magical memories of that weekend that literally rearranged my life, especially dancing in the rain to Simplify and Sun Come Through on Bourbon Street at 3am with Jessica Pursley who I give much credit to for seeing the energy shining all around us and connecting a whole seemingly random bunch of excitables together. I’ve met some of my favorite people in the world thanks to her.”
Some of her favorite songs include “Sun Come Through,” “Face in the Wind,” “Omaha Stylee,” “Unity,” “Full Ride,” “Get Down,” “Still Dreaming,” and “It’s Getting Ok Now.” There are a ton of lyrics that stand out to Saralyn and she said they are the basis for a lot of her crafting. If forced t chose just one, she’d go with “Do as you will, do as you wish, follow your bliss.” “It’s simply the number one mantra I try to live my life around on a daily basis. If I ever get a tattoo that’ll be it.”
Saralyn, as mentioned earlier, was born in New York and she is still living there 37 years later. “But for most of my life I’ve felt like I was born on the wrong coast. I am grateful for the accessibility of New York; especially concerts and experiences and food. But Im over the pace and energy of New York and I crave the Cali vibes – my heart is in San Diego.” She’s worked in the flower industry for 14 years and has dealt with everything from designing to sourcing to new business development. “Because about 80% US commercially grown flowers come out of California, I am lucky enough to get to visit various parts of the state at least 2x a year and I travel globally a fair amount as well. I love traveling and I love bringing the sweetness of the flowers to the people to help remind them that were nothing but a walking sack of earth!! But seriously I am beyond grateful to have amassed a really specific niche resume in my field and I hope to continue contributing positive change for the industry at large. Even on the worst days I just remember that the whole reason my job exists is to make people smile; from birth to death and hopefully more in between, flowers and plants are always with us.”
Saralyn grew up Jewish but she really doesn’t really practice organized religion anymore. She went to a very religious Yeshiva from nursery until 8th grade. “I had to wear long skirts every single day and still cannot bear to wear skirts at all, especially long ones. Sundresses are cool though.” Talent for Saralyn is that she’s very creative and can pick up pretty much any craft with just basic instructions. Obviously she’s done flowers for events and weddings, but she’s also run a photography side business and has an Etsy store where she sells random crafts. “I’ve been making my closest excitable crew event specific shirts and such since Nola ’16. If 311 is ever looking for a merch girl .. I got a head full of ideas, let me tell ya, that you wouldn’t believe!” Guilty pleasure for her is food related – appetizers! “I love appetizers and would be perfectly happy never ordering a main course again for the rest of my life. Ill order 5 diff apps just to have a little taste of everything. Its gluttonous but I love it. Im dangerous at a cocktail hour. I’ve literally had dreams about being in situations where I can just have a little taste of everything. But I think it kind of speaks to my feelings on earthly human life… I kinda just want a little taste of everything!! Except 311. Im always feeling famished for a 311 sandwich and would take that as a main course any day ☺.”
To 311, Saralyn would like to say: “I could never thank you guys enough for being the guiding light walking this earth beside me assisting with my greater ascension (cause I was born to elevate), spreading the love and the good karma, creating, living and rocking the songs of my soul and bringing me home to my tribe… and you never turned your back on me; even if it took about 20 years for me to realize!! Can’t nobody do it like 311!”
Now to all the other fellow 311 fans:
“Well I’ve got a clique but its WAY more like a family; through this commUNITY I’ve met some of my favorite people on this human journey, I have truly found my soul family within this fan base and I am eternally grateful to have this connection and abundant flow of love, light and pure momentum. Thank you for accepting me – even though I arrived fashionably late. I never feel more myself than when I’m standing at the rail living and rockin with all of you spirits on the run. Let’s keep it all together, its only getting better!”
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Thank you Saralyn for sharing your story of how you discovered and came to love 311! Gratitude goes out to all the other fans who keep reading about their fellow Excitables too of course. You are all wonderful creatures who keep the light alive on this planet! Go be awesome as always!
Much love – The Runt