Welcome back friends! It’s time we meet another awesome soul who loves 311! This week, let’s learn the story of Melissa Chernoff!
It was Melissa’s older cousin who was a huge influence on her musical choices growing up and she was listening to a lot of hip hop and R&B in the early to mid 90’s. In 6th grade she started listening to the local rock station and that is where she first heard 311 when they played “Down.” “Shortly after, I saw the music video was mesmerized and wanted more. I found out about Music and Grassroots and soon became obsessed, to say the least. I had those albums on repeat. I grew up in a family of musicians and was currently learning how to play piano and flute in the 6th grade. It’s safe to say that my curiosity and passion for music ran deep. 311’s sound was like no other; it was a sound I craved and didn’t even know it.”
Melissa said it’s hard to put into words what really drew her into 311’s music, but it was really their uniqueness. “Their raw sound, the jazz, rap, funk, rock, and reggae sounds were incomparable at that time. Looking back 30+ years, they had a sound that was so far beyond their time. Although I was only 12 years old when I got my hands on the Blue album, lyrically, I was blown away. And to this day, I still enjoy lyrical analysis because the meaning is always evolving.”
For show count, Melissa said she’s completely lost track of how many she’s attended. She believes she is somewhere in the mid 50’s. “My first show was at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1997. I will never forget that they opened with Hive and the lights were in sync with the intro; I still get goosebumps when I think about that memory.”
As for favorite event, she said it was the cruise in 2019. “I had been in graduate school and working during the previous cruises and well, just couldn’t afford it. I was able to go with my childhood best friend who also shared the same passion for 311. I had been in an emotionally abusive relationship and I was struggling with what to do after finding out about his 8 month affair. On the last day of the cruise, it started to sprinkle during the band’s Q&A session. I was standing on the pool deck with my best friend, 2800 excitables, and the most amazing band to grace the earth. I stood there, looked up into the sky, closed my eyes and realized that I deserved more, I had never experienced that kind of peace and comfort like I did in that moment. I made the decision to take care of myself and my mental health and end the relationship when I got home.”
As for her favorite song, Melissa said this has to be the hardest question for any fan. “I think that the answer depends on the day, month or year. It depends on my mood. It depends on my challenges or successes. I will say that for today, in writing this… Let the cards fall, Life’s not a race, Made in the shade, Cali Soca, Color, and Unity.”
There are also many lyrics that strike a chord with Melissa that she just couldn’t name them all. “There are so many words, feelings, symbols, prophecies, and meaning making lyrics, I will have to plead the 5th on this one. In my 10th grade English Literature class, we were studying poetry and song meaning. I chose to do my report on “Six” and I remember sharing this song with my classmates; most of whom knew me as “the 311 girl” and no one seemed to get it. I got an A and feel like I made the guys proud.”
Henderson, Nevada, is where Melissa was born and raised. In 2013 she moved to New York for graduate school but came home after the first semester because of how expensive it was. “That experience saved my life in more ways than one and I am forever grateful for that time in my life.”
Melissa is a proud auntie to two nieces whom she says own her heart. She is also a cat mom to Betty, who has been her ride or die for the last 14 years and her birthday is 3-11-2007. For work, Melissa is a Mental Health and Substance Use Therapist working in a private practice. “I love helping others, especially on their journey to heal. 311’s influence in my own healing has definitely helped me be a better therapist.”
In her downtime Melissa loves to paint, read, travel, walk, bake, and spend time with family & friends. She also enjoys anything macabre, antiquing, existentialism, plants, and live music, which she has been desperately missing for the last year. “I recently started playing piano again after many years and feel like part of my soul has reawakened. This is a weird time in my life, but weird in a change is good but change is hard kind of way. I hope to write a personal memoir while sprinkling in mental health encouragement and psychoeducation. I am thankful for this continuous life.”
Before starting her journey as a therapist, Melissa had hoped to be a record producer or engineer. “I studied it in my undergrad, but it was a very strange time in the music industry, so I chose to pursue psychology instead. My dream job will always be somewhere in the music industry as I even considered getting into A&R as a backup plan. That was a long time ago, and I still think about what life would have been like if I had the opportunity to pursue that career. I know I made the best choice for myself at that time, but a girl can dream.”
For guilty pleasure, Melissa loves the shows “Schitt’s Creek” and “American Horror Story.” Also “Fight Club” is her favorite movie of all time and she loves anything written by Chuck Palahniuk. However her guiltiest pleasure is cleaning and organizing!
For music aside from 311, Melissa loves the sounds of Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday, Jay-Z, and The Beatles. “I make the joke (but it’s not a joke) that I still listen to the same music I have been listening to since I was 13 years old.”
Melissa wants the guys in 311 to know this message: “You have imprinted my heart and soul and I am eternally grateful for your passion, commitment to each other and your craft, and especially for the last 30 years of blood, sweat, and tears.”
Now here is her message to all her fellow 311 fans out there:
“The community that we are a part of is a special group of souls. You are so loved and cherished, we are part of a cosmic connection that no other fan base shares. Be kind to each other and be kind to yourself. Hope to see you all sooner than later.”
Thank you Melissa for sharing your story with myself and the rest of the 311 community! A great story and I hope all of the spotlight supporters enjoyed it. Have an amazing week friends! Sending you all so many good vibes.
Much Love – The Runt