Hello again excitable nation! Time to kick the week off with the next edition of the fan spotlight. Let’s meet Jesse Sorley!
The age of 11-12 is when Jesse became a fan of 311. It was his cousin who introduced him to their sounds just shortly after the greatest hits album came out. “I’ve always been drawn to the badass funk guitar and sick bass lines but later in life I really started loving the slower jams. Also the positivity in 311’s music is contagious.”
For show count Jesse is at a total of 8. He first saw 311 at a festival a few years ago in Orlando. “Before seeing them I didn’t really go to concerts and I’ve since turned into a concert junkie.” He said picking a favorite is hard. It’s a toss up between the first set on the cruise in 2017 or in Austin 2018 when he was on the rail for the first time.
There are many songs that mean a lot to Jesse but if he had to choose just one, he’d pick “Beyond The Grey Sky.” “It has dug me out of quite a few seemingly endless holes in life.” For lyrics, he said pretty much the entire song “Seems Uncertain.” “No one’s excited, unless they are divided.”
Jesse was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. He grew up close to a lot of his family and was always hanging out with his cousins. Of course he went to Disney a ton. Then in 2007 his dad got a job in Houston and moved the family out there. It was during his 8th grade year and was a culture shock for him. After graduation he worked at the Houston airport for a bit and then decided he wanted to move out to California. “I literally dropped everything and drove all my belongings and myself 27 hours to Cali to live with a friend of mine for a while and then found myself back in Houston without that sick job so I moved back to Orlando to work as a fire sprinkler installer. It was here I saw 311 live for the first time in and fell even deeper in love with music.”
Last February Jesse’s dad passed away suddenly which caused him to move back to Texas to be there for his mom and sister. “After my dad passed last year one of his work associates stood up at his memorial and gave me a letter from Nick Hexum saying that there is life beyond the gray. I will never forget it and it’s very special to me.” It was in Texas though that he found the love of his life who also happens to be a concert junkie and he’s turned her into a huge 311 fan. “She just went on the cruise for the first time and lost her mind! Now I am living life with positivity as much as possible and spending every extra penny I have to see 311 as much as I possibly can.”
Other music that Jesse loves includes Avenged Sevenfold, Brockhampton, Kendrick Lamar, and Incubus. “After this latest cruise I’m super into RDGLDGRN.” Jesse is a travel junkie and said he literally spends every cent he can going places and experiencing new things. “If I had a million dollars I would go everywhere I could. If I had a billion I would go to the moon 😂” Guilty pleasure for him is that he said he probably listens to the Hamilton soundtrack a little too much. “Also I’m a sucker for binge watching whole series of tv shows on Netflix, even better if I can get my girlfriend to like the shows.”
To 311, Jesse has this message: “The positive vibe your music gives off is so important and I think we all could use a little more unity. Thank you so much for everything ! Also Tim is a beautiful soul and I could really use a hug “
To all the fellow 311 fans:
“To everyone I’ve met via the cruise or at shows thank you so much for being a part of the best environment a guy could ask for. I love each and every one of you and I can’t wait to come back home for another show with you all.”
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There you have the story of Jesse Sorley! Thank you for sharing Jesse. Thank you amazing peeps for reading! Now kick this weeks ass and go be awesome!
Much Love – The Runt