Welcome back my friends out in 311 nation! We meet again for the latest edition of the 311 fan spotlight. This week we meet Preston Pearson!
Brother and former fan spotlight Eddie Brake is how Preston was introduced to 311 because he was a huge fan. “Crazy thing is that he was just a kid. I am 41 years old and loved all music in that genre but for some reason 311 didn’t resonate with me at that time.” Preston said he thinks he just wasn’t ready for 311 at the time because he was too busy trying to climb the corporate ladder. Flash forward about 15 years to when Eddie took him to his first show. “I was instantly hooked. I only knew the hits, but I loved the vibe of not only the band, but the fans at the show.”
Show count is close to 40 and it was in 2012 at Wendover, N.V. that he saw that first with Eddie. While it’s hard to pick just one favorite of the shows he has been to, he said that he’d have to pick 311 Day in New Orleans in 2014. It was his first 311 Day. “I met so many awesome people that trip and all of them are still a part of my life. It changed me on every imaginable level for the better.”
Picking a song that means the most to Preston was another tough question. “I love the lyrics, particularly SA’s deep shit.” He chose a few that really stand out to him which include “Tune In,” “No Control,” “And A Ways to Go,” Starshines,” “Plain,” “Sever,” and “From Chaos.” Some of his favorite lyrics include: “Stay positive and love your life,” “Life’s a bowl of punch, go ahead and spike it,” “I am a music lover, somehow I get paid,” and “A river cuts its way through stone, not through sheer force but persistence.”
Preston was born in Utah and said he attended a lot of schools, 13 in total. He has two wonderful sets of parents which he said was because of a divorce that turned into a win for everyone involved. “I am the oldest of a total of 8 kids between the two parents (it’s a Utah thing 😊) and have 5 kids of my own. Recently one of my kids and a fellow fan Chyann Davis gave us a grand baby. Izzie lights up my life and is always the center of attention.” Preston and his wife Traci have a fun story of how they met. She was dating the big boss at work and he ended up working his way into her heart. “I fell hard for her and asked her to marry me only a month after we started dating. Got married a month after that and have been happily together for more than 21 years now.” Preston works for a McDonald’s franchisee as an area supervisor and has seven restaurants that he oversees.
Some things Preston loves include being outdoors and gardening. Interesting fact about him is that he is fluent in Spanish and loves the Mexican culture including authentic food. He’s also a pretty good cook and loves to do it. He said he makes dinner almost every night of the week. Preston said he’s also obsessed with the meaning of life. “From deity’s, to afterlife, to aliens I am always researching something to give me the answer. So far, all I know is that we as the human race don’t know shit! Haha.” He also said a guilty pleasure is that he knows every Barry Manilow lyric ever written. “Like seriously, all of them. I still blame my mother for that one.”
Other than 311 the two bands that Preston has seen the most are Dirty Heads and RDGLDGRN. During his teenage years he was heavily into Nine Inch Nails. He said he now has evolved to like a little of everything.
To 311, Preston would like to say, “From the bottom of my heart, Thank you. It still amazes me that a band and their fans could completely change who I am as a person. I love who I have become because of them. I see things differently and have a greater appreciation for the things that really matter in life.”
Preston’s message to all the fellow fans:
“I love each and every one of you! Most of the people that I hold near and dear to my heart are 311 fans. There are many more that I will meet in the future and I know that they will fit into the same mold.”
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That’s the story of Preston Pearson! Tune in next week when you get to meet his lovely wife Traci! Thanks for reading all. Go have a great week and spread the positivity!
Much love – The Runt