Hello all and welcome back for another 311 fan spotlight. This week let’s learn the story of Daryell “Scooby” Royer!
During middle school Daryell was really into the music scene. Every shirt he owned had a band logo or their artwork on it. “I grew my hair long, drew on my jeans, and I was always tethered to my Sony Disc-man with giant oversized can headphones and my zip up binder of CDs in tow that musta weighed 20 lbs. In that binder was literally labeled “311-Weezer” and contained a little bit of everything from Boyz 2 Men to the Jerky Boys, John Philip Sousa to John Popper, that last one truly responsible for bringing me all the way into the fold.”
Then the summer before he started high school he got tickets to The HORDE Tour, which was put on and headlined by Blues Traveler. “Blues Traveler was my jam back then because as an aspiring musician it gave me hope that a fat guy could make it in this world.” It was at this tour that he saw 311 live for the first time, on September 1, 1996, in West Palm, Florida. “As if I wasn’t already feeling it, having snuck from my lawn seat to the pit for their set, and puffed on a random new friends nazz cigarette during Nix Hex. But then the big man himself came out and blew his harmonica while some dudes from Omaha played Taiyed and that was that, I was hooked.”
Current show count is now at 125. Favorite event so far has been the 2017 cruise, which was Daryell’s first one. “Having schlepped every and all my friends from airport to harbor and back for the previous 4 cruises, I wasn’t gonna to stand on the shore anymore waiving goodbye to my familia as they set sail and committed myself to getting OTMFB. Adulting was hard, but I made it work and won’t ever miss another boat. The second 311 set of that cruise was my 100th show and it’s like I was reborn there, surrounded by love, totally unable to control my emotions. Singing through tears and speaking in tongues, hands in the air waving all around like I just didn’t care. I’ve never been one for church, so that’s as close to a religious experience as I’ve ever had. I stood next to Larry for his son’s solo, watched as he smiled that Larry smile, and then watched as the goosebumps totally enveloped my arms to signify what I had just witnessed. The magic wasn’t done yet though, because as they were closing the set, I suggested that we just be creatures for awhile, and we were.”
Daryell’s answer for favorite song – well he quoted his cousin, thee bearded brodel: “I love 311. They play all my favorite songs.” One of his favorite lyrics is, “The river cuts its way through stone. Not through sheer force, but persistence. At the end of the day the relentless always win.”
Daryell was born and raised in Florida and grew up in his family’s restaurant. “Starting out at the age of 5 as the cutest maitre d on the planet, I quickly moved into the kitchen as soon as I could see over the stove.” He then worked in kitchens over the next 15 years, with a few breaks here and there to work as a tattoo artist, bounty hunter, and a commercial truck driver. Then he discovered his gift of cannabis arts. “I currently work in the seed to sale production and manufacturing of the highest quality medical cannabis in Florida. If you’ve had a Scoob Cube, then you know. I also play my robotic saxophone for a couple different groups including The Unity Allstars and sell my art on Etsy ( https://etsy.me/2G6aifA ) to make a buck and help fund my 311-centric lifestyle.”
Want to know an interesting fact about Daryell? “I’m probably the luckiest unlucky guy around. When I was in elementary i spent over a week in an oxygen tent (boy in a bubble stylee) I’ve also been shot, stabbed, run over, and electrocuted too.” Something that makes him unique is he finds the funny in any situation. “I’m often the “too soon” guy because of my desire to want to make people laugh. The greatest range of emotion one can feel is laughter through the tears.”
Music attraction is all over the map for Daryell with the exception of country. “I love and find I inspiration from all sorts of music. If it’s good, I’ll listen. Subsequently, every band I’m really into now, Ive discovered on a 311 undercard. Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure, Fortunate Youth, Pepper, Rebelution, The Movement, SOJA… I found them all through opening for 311.”
Guilty pleasure for Daryell…well it’s “Amber.” “Over the years, I’ve had a love/hate, love to hate, hate to love relationship with this song. I’ll be perfectly honest, I’ve taken my fair share of pee breaks. But, I’ve also taken part in the most amazing arm in arm organically formed dance breaks, smoke circles, and sing alongs too. Me and my cousin Colenzo have Whoa’d like nobody’s ever Whoa’d to that song. Plus, me and some other Allstars who are all about that Unity ska’d up a version on this past cruise that rocked the atrium and allegedly melted 3 faces.”
Daryell’s message to 311 is: “You don’t just make the music that I listen to, you’ve scored the soundtrack to my life.”
His message to all the other fans:
“Fuck the naysayers. Always rock your 311 gear in public. When someone asks “are they still a thing?” you tell them YES!”
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Another great story from another awesome fan! Thanks Daryell for being a part of this community and per the usual, thanks to all of the readers out there for supporting your fellow excitables! Have a fantastic week you beautiful souls.
Much Love – The Runt