Well hello again my friends in 311 nation! It’s that time of the week where we meet the next fan spotlight. This week we get to learn the story of Mike Walls!
Around 1994 is when some kids, who were a couple of years old than Mike, were playing the Blue album on a boombox at camp. “I stopped dead in my tracks as I was walking by, I had to know who it was. I had never heard anything like them before and I was instantly a fan. Being a musician myself since the age of 9, the thing that has always grabbed about their sound is their ability to blend so many different types of musical styles together in such a seamless way.”
Exact number of shows Mike has attended is hazy, but he believes he is around 37-38. First show for him was in 1997 at the Jones Beach Amphitheatre in Long Island, New York. As for favorite show, he chose the Halloween show in 2017 at the Paramount in Huntington, New York. “As the Halloween shows usually are, that night was magic for many reasons. They played so much stuff off of Transistor, it was amazing. On top of that, SA’s costume that night would eventually inspire his character in the 311 comic books, so that was a cool addition to the whole experience.”
There are a few songs that really resonate with Mike, but he said the one that really hit him was “Beyond the Gray Sky.” “That song has seen me through some tough times, and now that I’m past all that it fills me with a sense of gratitude for being able to push through and keep going every time I hear it.”
As for lyrics, Mike said there are way too many for him to list. “I’m in the cover band ‘Brodels – a 311 Tribute’ (shout out to my fellow Brodels – Jacob Ruhmann, Mike Vicious, zach McConnell, and Michael A Vidal). I do Nicks parts in the band so there’s A LOT of lyrics in the mental library, makes picking tough. But, one of their more recent lines that I’ve really liked ever since I heard it the first time is from Rolling Through off Voyager. “You always know that you gotta grow, so, honestly it’s best that you know, who you are as you go rolling through” Life can make it easy to lose sight of what’s important, it’s important to remember what you stand for when things get tough and those lines speaks to that.”
Long Island, New York, is where Mike was born and raised. He lived upstate for a few years and also in Connecticut for bit. He’s been an auto technician for about 10 years at a GMC dealer. “Do you have any idea how may oil changes I had to do to pay for the cruise? It was A LOT haha. Before that I was a home theater installer for almost 10 years.”
Mike was in the 4th grade when he started singing and playing guitar. Then he picked up being a DJ in college, so music has always been a pretty big part of his life. “In fact, pretty much all of my activities since my 20’s have centered around music in some way. It’s an integral part of me. No matter whether it’s in a club or on a stage I love putting smiles on faces with music. Besides that I’m just a fun loving goofy dude that likes going to shows with my friends. If you see me out, say hi! I have a big heart that I tend to wear it on my sleeve a lot. I’ll move mountains for the people I care about. I’m trying to be the best version of myself that I can be and working on living a happy life. All we can do right? SPALYL to all the excitables out there.”
Fun fact about Mike is that he won a poetry contest when he was in high school. Something that makes him unique is that he can do some really good impressions. “My Stewie Griffin and Kermit the frog are spot on.” Guilty pleasure for him is the movie “My Cousin Vinny.” “It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, if I happen across it on TV, best believe I’m dropping e everything and sitting down. My mom and I have been watching it together since I was a kid.”
As for other bands that Mike can be found listening to, he said this list is pretty long. “My music taste varies a lot. Besides guitar and singing I’ve also been a DJ for over 20 years, so I’m into a lot of different electronic stuff too. Lately I’ve been jamming Surfer Girl, Little Stranger, The Elovators, Enter Shikari, Twenty one pilots, Sleep Token, Jinjer, and then all of the DJ stuff from Europe.”
Words that Mike would like to say to 311 are these: “Thank you for being who you are and doing what you do. You have given all of us unforgettable experiences and life long friends and idk what my life would look like without this band.”
Now here are Mike’s words to all his fellow 311 fans out there:
“We don’t get much time in this life, try not to let negativity take up too much of it. its a waste of energy. With the time you have, hug the ones you love, do the things that make you happy, and go see some live music because it’ll prob make you happy lol.”
Thank you Mike for sharing your story with us all! My eternal gratitude, as always, to the readers of this little blog. May your week be filled with good vibes my friends. Until next time.
Much Love – The Runt