Welcome back 311 nation! Here we go, the new installment of the fan spotlight. Let’s meet Willie Bowers!
It was not long after Willie got his license that he discovered 311. He was driving some friends in his mom’s brown Lincoln and they were listening to a radio station out of Dallas, Texas called The Edge. “Right before we arrived at my friend’s house, “Down” started playing on the radio. I was like, “holy sh*t, what IS this???” I immediately cranked it up. I was blown away. I had never heard anything that sounded like it before, and I was immediately hooked. So, we arrived at my friend’s house, and we just all sat in the car and finished the song. I wanted to wait until the end of the song because I could not get enough of it, and I also wanted to see if the DJ on the radio would say who it was. Lucky enough, I remember him saying something about the track being new and then said it was by 311. I think the main things that drew me to their music was how unique it sounded, the energy of it all, and the way Nick and S.A would go back and forth with the vocals. They did not sound like anything else I listened to at the time.”
For show count, Willie isn’t sure of the exact number but he believes he lost count somewhere in the 20’s. He saw 311 FINALLY for the first time on September 8, 2001, at the San Diego Street Scene Festival in California. “The reason I say finally, is because it seemed like forever waiting from 1996 when I first heard them to 2001 when I finally got to see them live in concert for the first time. Joining the Army and traveling around the US and the world probably caused some of those missed opportunities, but it was worth the wait.”
As for favorite show or event, Willie chose 311 Day 2020. “First time in Vegas and first 3-day 311 experience I have had. Close 2nd would be when I went to 311-day 2004 in New Orleans, and 3rd would be the first time I saw 311 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta in 2014. Always wanted to see them there after seeing the footage in ETSD 2. Also, honorable mention would be finally seeing them at Red Rocks for the first time back on 4/19/19.”
Picking a song that means the most to him, well like most fans there are many of them. One Willie chose is “Beyond the Grey Sky.” “So many people I know have struggled with depression, and that song hit me so hard the first time I heard it. Great tune.”
As for a lyric that resonates with him, he chose a few including: “Music’s what I need to keep my sanity,” “Stay positive and love your life,” and pretty much all the lyrics to “Offbeat Bare Ass.” “Especially the part near the end right before they say, “Here’s to good people doing time y’all!”
Willie grew up in a small town just north of Dallas, Texas. Upon graduating high school he was ready to see something else so he joined the U.S. Army. He then lived in South Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, South Korea, and Georgia. He now resides in the lovely state of Colorado. “And it is one of my favorite places in the world. I love to go hiking, camping, and pretty much anything outdoors. I love art, music, and all creative things.”
While in the Army, Willie did satellite communications and has pretty much been doing that ever since he left the military. He said that anyone that knows him, knows he has been obsessed with 311 since 1996. “I’ve always strived to be a positive and happy go lucky guy, and I have always identified with 311’s music and lyrics so much over the years.”
Interesting fact about Willie is that he has green eyes, but he has two small brown dots in the green of his right eye! One of his unique attributes is that he’s a very creative person who loves abstract art. “I work mostly with pens, pencils, and various art markers and colored pencils. I also do acrylic paintings from time to time. My favorite canvases to work on are 16X20. I have dabbled in photography for years, and I finally was able to get a decent DSLR this year thanks to my amazing girlfriend. A lot of my friends have told me that I seem to have a natural knack for photography. So, I would say art and photography are my two main things. The other thing that I feel makes me unique is something I’m very proud of, but I usually don’t say anything about it because I feel I should stay humble when it comes to things like that. However, I must say that I’m very proud of the fact that I have been a single father raising two kids on my own since September 2012 when the kids’ Mom bounced. My kids are now 10 and 13 and I’m so proud of the people they have become.”
Other musicians that Willie can be found listening to include Incubus, Sublime, Stick Figure, Slightly Stoopid, Passafire, Iya Terra and Rebelution. “Sometimes I just put on my old school rock playlist and listen to the stuff I grew up on like 311, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Beck, Helmet, Portishead, and things like that from the 90s.”
For guilty pleasure, Willie said he doesn’t have anything he would really say he is “guilty” of, but he guesses he would pick Ska music. “Because I love all Ska music, and you got to admit that stuff can be pretty darn cheesy sometimes.”
Willie’s message to 311 is simple & perfect: “Thank you guys SO MUCH.”
Now here are his words to his fellow 311 fans:
“First, I would like to say that life is short. I lost my Father to cancer in January 2020. Ever since then, I have tried to slow down and cherish the moments I have with my loved ones. So, I will just say take the time to be present with the people you really care about. The second message is something I’ve been trying to work on myself as well. I would just encourage everyone in our community to practice a little more empathy and kindness throughout your daily life. This past year or so has been rough on so many people, I just hope we can all practice a little more kindness going forward. And, I believe this community of excitable ones is a great place to start. “Stay positive and love your life”.
Thank you so much Willie for sharing your story with us all! Much gratitude per the usual to all the fan spotlight supporters out there. Now go have the best week you can!
Much Love – The Runt