In this time of the world being in state of panic and chaos, I’m happy I can still bring something positive to universe each week with the 311 fan spotlight. I want to start this week by thanking you all for being a wonderful fan community and please remember that in times like these we need each other the most! Stay strong and know I’m here for all of you if you need me!
So let’s take a moment to focus on the positive and meet our next fan spotlight, Rose Baker!
The year was 1994 and Rose was stationed at The Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California learning Arabic. A fellow soldier named Stanford Storey introduced her to 311 by playing a CD. “By the time I got done with school and stationed in Germany in 96, the blue album was a daily staple of our hallway listening parties. I don’t know where that guy went but I believed he was from Omaha and that is how I he knew of them and the burned CD he gave me.”
As far as show count, Rose really doesn’t know. She’s been in and out of the show circuit depending on her situation but she said she was in triple digits when she stopped counting. While she can’t remember exactly what her first show was, she remembers the Hfstival in Washington, D.C., and the show at Nation Nightclub. “Being that I Iived in the DMV most of my life throughout my travels, I have seen most of the East Coast venues. My first time to Jones Beach was the Dirty Heads tour and was one of the final shows before my truck was totaled. The BohoRoamer was the name of the truck and the license plate was 311 JKPT.”
For favorite show/event, Rose chose this 311 Day three night event. She attended it with her bestie Shaden Zakour and many others that are like sisters and brothers to her and have supported her traveler life transition over the past decade. “So this year’s 311 day tops it all. 30 years of this music and I have been a fan from back in the days of my Army life. The music makes more sense to me now more than ever as I have grown back into loving my own skin and my original style. I had an emotional growth through this one. Two nights in the stands with various friends and musician friends and then the last night on the floor with some of my closest friends. I also was campaigning for Chad to sing, I was wearing a shirt and holding a sign up on day one. I guess he got the message.”
Song that means the most to Rose is “Use of Time.” “If I was going to make a 311 musical about my life. I would title it this and fill out the rest of the soundtrack with some other tracks that almost made the cut.” She also loves “Golden Sunlight” and says she plays it when she needs a pick me up. For lyrics, she said she usually wakes up each day with music in her head and quite often it’s “Sand Dollars.” She’s spent a lot of time actually collecting sand dollars during low tide in Venice Beach. Words from the song that she loves are as follows: “Chasing coins to fill the purse, is it really better off or worse, is it a blessing or a curse, to pass the buck. Is it a bounty or a bust, is it precious metal or just rust, well it seems it’s up to us, so wish us luck.”
As far as learning a little more about Rose, I’m going to let her tell you in her own words:
“You will have to stay tuned to my Instagram (@bohorosebaker) for a real answer to this question. I have a part one video that I have about just being. I am about to follow up that with a video discussing mental health. Specifically with my experience of bipolar, ptsd, and anxiety . I am a service connected disabled army veteran.
This is where it’s gonna get deep. I am aware that I am an Angel and I know with mental illness and health that some might look at that and be skeptics of what I am experiencing. I talk to angels, I did all week and during the shows. In fact last night my arch angel Urial was with us and I could feel his light on my shoulders. I went through a portal after the show ended on the last night at the circle bar. My friend Krissy was there and she handed me stones to ground me. I was reassured by my quick travel of my purpose, to continue in conversation for one more night in community healing and love.
Back to my mental health, I feel like these conditions
Just help me now understand that it’s perspective and balance to keep healthy. I choose to travel to keep me sane from the anxiety and I love music to understand the messages and I pick the beaches and oceans to cleanse my aura and reset my energy and the sea salt air can do that.
I want to really talk about how my mental health balance and how I am able to live such a free life is met with inspiration and love. So I am sharing a new video on Instagram this Week that will discuss this in more detail.
As an angel, a muse I aspire to inspire before I retire and I almost died multiple times in 2019. 2020 will not kill me. I am a Fenix fox, sly quick and aware
I am also a bohemian. Ask Cody Robinson or any of my close friends and they can describe my life for you through their eyes
I love style and color and fabric. I started coloring my hair at 12 and this past decade as a rose have kept to more rosier shades.”
Rose is a musician and is about to release her first single. “I worked with some great people to get it done, including my father in writing the music to my years of stories and poems to melody and beats.” Another fun fact is that her first name is actually Andrea but when she turned 40 she started to go by Rose and BohoRose as her entertainer name. “So I will respond to either. Also the Army/Government Intelligence background is also something I don’t hide, but it’s my rear view.”
Rose has no permanent set address and she lives in her car with her dog Doc Chill Martens. She has a Honda CRV and currently is in the area of Venice, California. “I do own a trailer in Northern California off the grid and have a few set crash pads in locations across America. I haven’t been to the Dakotas yet or Hawaii, but I aim to do that as soon as I can complete the list. I love the tropics so this is why I am a 6 time cruiser, it’s my time to feel better with no pain with people I love in a beautiful location.” Guilty pleasure for her? It’s sleep! “I am always on the road so if I have downtime, I am catching up!”
Other music Rose loves, well she has eclectic taste so the list includes Passafire, Hirie, Sheryl Crow, Fiona Apple, Red Hot Chili Peppers, kmfdm, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Incubus, The Doors, Cake, Miles Davis, and Prince. “I could go on and on and onnnnnn.”
To the band, Rose has these words: “Thank you gentlemen for writing such music and lyrics that are a bible for my self improvement.”
Now her message to all the other fans:
“Keep it tropical and if you got a couch and love dogs, let’s jam! I got my uke! Spread love people!”
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Thank you Rose for sharing your story with everyone! I hope this provided a little break from the negativity in the world for everyone. Sending so much love to everyone right now. Stay positive all!
Much Love – The Runt