Welcome back friends to the newest edition of the 311 fan spotlight! Take a break and let’s read the story of Anthony DiDomenico!
Anthony said that becoming a 311 fan is a multi-layered story. The year was 1996 and he was just 10 years old when he started watching MTV and seeing the music video for “All Mixed Up.” “Up to that point I listened to what records my parents had. Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Michael Jackson, and Tower of Power. I gathered up my money from mowing neighbors lawns and bought three albums; 311-Blue Album, Sublime-40oz to Freedom, and No Doubt-Tragic Kingdom.” He listened to the blue album over and over. Even as his music library grew, he always would go back to the blue album. “I wore that CD out so much that I knew when the skips would come and sing it with the skips.”
A couple of years later Anthony’s best friend, Anthony Daratany, had an older sister Nicole who got them even more into 311 and the culture around it. He said it was like discovering them all over again. “Diving into the their first four albums, the lyrics, their message and figuring out what all that means to me. I started learning to play guitar and of course the first riff I learned was “All Mixed Up”! Then six years later, the most important thing to any concert addict happened. I got a car and could drive me and my friends to concerts!” Seeing 311 live added another layer of fandom for him. “What has always drawn me to 311 and their music is the people who listen to it with me. The friends I had in 5th grade that listened to 311 with me, to this day, still listen to 311 with me. That crowd has grown with every show, more and more every year. Especially within the past ten years and social media bringing us together. From the parking lot to the pit, the connection that we all have because of our love for 311, the music, and the unity…IS INTOXICATING. Every show is like a recharge of positivity flowing through my veins.”
Show count for Anthony is at 32, which includes Pow Wow, two 311 Day events in New Orleans, and 5 out of the 6 cruises. “Missed the last one because I’m a new daddy and homeowner.” He’s kept every ticket stub of every concert he’s attended and they go into a Star Wars lunch box. First show for him was July 25, 2004, at Jones Beach in New York. “I came back from a family vacation (a cruise, which are the worst when its not 311!) and an awesome Slinky bought me tickets to my first show!” Favorite show for him was the beach show on the second cruise. “The clouds were grey and we were worried we were gonna get a rain out/wind/ cancellation of the show, then literally 311 forced the sun out with the words “Sunshine! Are you Outside?”!!!! The splash pit was epic! And the experience of seeing a show in the water…the groovy island setlist made it the best 311 show and the best concert experience I have EVER had!”
Two songs of the 311 catalog mean a lot to Anthony and they are “Purpose” and “Livin’ & Rockin’.” “Purpose” was the first love song that he truly felt. “”They say love is a stream that will find its own course’ – those words still resonate with me to this day. It might have made its way to a couple of mix tapes.” Then there is the song “Livin’ & Rockin’.” “I wrote a script about 311 fans going to see a summer show and figuring out the problems of their lives. Taking years to complete (still trying to fund it!). When it came down to pick a title I thought about every single song in the 311 library. I needed a title that not only is catchy and exciting but explains what life is as a 311 fan, a title that personifies youthful exuberance, and provides an answer to life’s questions….the answer LIVIN AND ROCKIN!!!!!”
Lyrics that Anthony loves include ” You’ve got to trust your instinct and let go of regret. You’ve got to bet on yourself now star. ‘Cause thats your best bet.” “As recent as two months ago I needed these words in my life. I went through a dry spell with work, a business venture didn’t happen quickly enough for me and I was hemorrhaging funds. I contemplated quitting my career as a filmmaker and have a normal steady job. I was applying to anything and everything; carpenter jobs, marketing jobs, even working at an Amazon warehouse. The world LITERALLY told me no, you shouldn’t do this or that job. I hustled to make ends meet taking film jobs I shouldn’t be doing at this stage in my career, I doubled down, and bet on myself. Putting my ideas to pen and with the help of a friend, we are in discussions about developing a show with a new online network!” He also loves the line, “” What if it were true, that you weren’t so blue. And you felt like you could just do anything. But we’re facing the sunset and for a moment it looks like it’s rising. And we are on the other side of things.” “When I hear this song, the heavy chords, Nicks rap, analyzing society, educational system, and ones self…I get lost in thought, and I start contemplating on some topic. It’s like a mental spark to me.”
Born in College Point, Queens, Anthony moved out to Levittown, Long Island, New York, when he was 5 years old. After he graduated high school, he went upstate to Utica College where he played football. After graduating with a degree in Business Marketing, he decided that a cubicle in an office was not where he belonged. He cashed in a bond that his Cuban grandfather gave him when he was born and the attended New York Film Academy to learn filmmaking. “ I’ve been making movies and television since fall 2009. I’ve worked on close to 50 projects some not so note worthy but some ABSOLUTELY. AMAZING. I got to travel the country working on America’s Got Talent (the Howard Stern years), I got to work (very intimately) with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their “Go Robot” music video, the Daily Show, day played on Gotham over four years, and the MTV VMA’s. I’ve worked on over 30 movies with some really great actors; Chris Evans, Keanu Reeves, Ray Liotta, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Alice Eve, Rachel Brosnahan, Jesse Eisenberg, Olivia Wilde, Vincent Piazza, and THE MAN John Leguizamo. And of course, being one of the additional fan footage contributors on ENLARGED TO SHOW DETAIL 3! Thanks for using my footage B Love!!!! I produced my first concert film for Ballyhoo! called Ballyhoo! Live in NYC. If you didn’t buy it in their PledgeMusic Campaign, its all good! We’re in discussion to release it on Youtube for free! You’re welcome everybody.”
Before he bought his house, Anthony had the greatest apartment in Brooklyn with his “heterosexual life mate” Shawn Van Houten. “My brother and I hosted everyone in the familia that visited NYC, from Bobby Jones to J Randy! Cooking food, playing tunes, and feeling good! Thats what the familia apartment was all about!” For funding his 311 habit, Anthony has these words: “It’s all about allocating your money for what’s important to you so this is how I explain it. I got to personally meet 311 on the fourth cruise, the fan film crew got invited to their suite and we met them while grooving to The Green rocking the boat. When Nick and I greeted each other before I say anything, Raspler said “This guy never misses anything”. Nick laughingly thanked me for my hardcore fandom and I said…”The Cruise is the greatest experience of my life, I’ll never miss one…Conedison is gonna have to wait to get paid because the cruise payment comes first!” Everyone laughed because the whole room was listening to me. Great. Moment.”
Fun fact about Anthony: “If you don’t know…now you know…I’m the guy who is always dressed like BATMAN!” Talent that Anthony has is that he’s a really great piano player…except when he’s drunk though! Guilty pleasure for him is fishing and being a suburban dad living on Long Island! “Give me the ocean! Now I just need a boat!” Anthony also loves to cook, especially on the grill. Check out his families instagram where they share their creations with the world! @didomenicofamilydelicacies
As far as other music that he loves, he said he will fully immerse himself in a band for months at a time. “Right now, I’m all in on Tool, in anticipation of FEAR INNOCULEM. I’m listening to 10,000 Days, Lateralus, and Aenima on loop in my car when I drive to work, I’m reading Maynard’s autobiography, and watching every Youtube video on Tool guitar & bass tutorials. A couple of months ago I got heavily into The Clash. Spotify ran an AMAZING audio documentary on them; Stay Free : The Story of The Clash narrated by none other than CHUCK D! The documentary stroke a chord with me and I bought their Live at Shea album on vinyl and CD, and trying to start a cover band for the Godfathers of blending musical genres called POLICE & THIEVES! Who’s in?!?! I never miss a Rob Zombie concert and always buy his albums, groovy monster music you can dance too?!?!? I’m in! I have to mention here how special The Beatles are to me. The Beatles One album changed my life, I was thirteen, it is the line of demarcation for me from child to young adult. I constantly think, listen, talk, and read about the Beatles. I have Beatles paraphernalia everywhere! I have every album on vinyl, books, paintings, posters, I have even have the Monopoly Game, Beatles edition! I was super excited to see the film Yesterday which was a very cool and interesting film! Hope everyone sees it! And probably the coolest thing is The Beatles are sooooo cross generational. My parents loved it…I love it…even my daughter loves it! I bought belly buds (headphones for pregnant bellies) so I could play Beatles music while she was in the womb. When Nicole was in labor I wanted the Beatles to play while Isabella was being born. My phone went through all of Abbey Road and then to Sgt. Peppers, when Isabella greeted this world it was to the tune; Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds! We almost changed her name to LUCY!!! Later when the doctor came in and did the auditory test for Isabella, there was a one second moment that breaks my heart to this day. I imagined a world that Isabella would grow up never hearing The Beatles. Never knowing what their music means to the world. Never sharing their music with me….But as quickly as that thought entered it quickly was gone because the doctor said her hearing is perfect. And I’ve been playing her the Beatles everyday since! Her favorite song is Twist and Shout! One of her favorite shows to watch is Beat Bugs. For those without children, this is a kids program on Netflix where each episode is a Beatles song, and the story ties in/involves the song in some way. She loves the show AND the music…and when you see her dance to it. You wish that you enjoyed ANYTHING the way Izzy loves to dance to The Beatles.”
To 311, Anthony has these words: “Stay true to yourselves…and we’ll always be here.”
To his fellow 311 fans:
“To everyone out there saying P.L.U.R….don’t just say it…live it. Put down the phones, get off social media, be in the moment! How can you enjoy anything in life if your concentration is on a phone?! Take care of your bodies, minds, and souls….and I’ll see you at the next show, in the parking lot with a beer and a hug waiting for you. Thank you for giving me life long friendships, hilarious stories, and moments I’ll never forget. I love the Familia and everyone in it!”
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Thank you Anthony for sharing your awesome story! Much love to you and to everyone for reading this edition of the fan spotlight. Have the best week you can! Until next time!
Much love – The Runt