Hello my friends out there in Excitable nation! Happy 311 Day!!! A new fan spotlight is here. Let’s meet Ed Caba!
Fall of 1996 is when Ed first heard 311 thanks to his roommate at Florida State. “I can’t say it was a pleasant experience to be honest. He played Music and Grassroots on a 24 hour a day repeat as loud as he possibly could, In all honesty, I probably didn’t give them a fair shot at the time. In hindsight I think I was more mad about the volume while I was trying to sleep/study. Now things started to change a little in the spring semester of 97. I had moved into a different dorm with different roommates. When I would go to the student union to eat in the cafeteria, they had some tv sets scattered around playing a variety of different music videos. It always seemed to play Down every time I was there to eat. I didn’t realize it was the very same band my previous roommate had annoyed me with. It was a catchy song. When I came home for the summer, I found out my sister had bought the Blue album. At first I was thinking to myself that I couldn’t escape that band (I was still thinking about that first roommate at Florida State). She swore by the album so I gave it a chance and fell in love with Random, All Mixed Up and Don’t Stay home. So I decided to revisit Music and Grassroots another chance and did a deep dive into those albums. With time and separation from that roommate, I viewed those albums in a whole new light. I immediately loved Hydroponic, Visit, Omaha Stylee and Six. I was hooked and I haven’t looked back. To think I almost missed out on a lot of great experiences and friends because of a roommate.in 1996 . When I gave those early albums another chance, I think it was just the sounds and the pacing of the albums that really brought me into the fold. When Transistor came out, that was it. I was a fan for life after that album and not long after came my first 311 show. It’s still my favorite album from the catalog.”
Show count for Ed is around 20. First show for him was in December 1997 in Columbia, South Carolina, during the Transistor tour. “Beautiful Disaster was my favorite song off the album at the time and I lost it when they played that live. I had floor tickets, Sugar Ray opened and it was a hell of a show. 4 of us went. To this day, I can’t remember who the 4th person was in that crew lol.”
As for a favorite show, Ed is always torn between three different ones when trying to decide. “One show was at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC. I went through a hell of contest at a bar to win those tickets and ride on a Jack Daniels party bus. Then there was 2018 in Charlotte at PNC with two of my old fraternity brothers. And finally 311 Day 2020. Not only was it my first 311 Day but it was the 3 day show for the 30th anniversary. I’d have to say 311 Day 2020 for the reasons I’ve already mentioned plus some of the people I met and became friends were instrumental in me keeping my head on right when I was going through some stuff in 2022.”
While Ed said he could spend days trying to figure out what his favorite song is, he went with “Freeze Time.” “Every time I listen to this song (and it’s a lot). I think about these little moments I’ve had over the years that I wished I could freeze in time if you will, the little moments that have meant a lot to me (not all are 311 related). Moments like the very first time that I held my daughter, the first time she said daddy, the first daddy/daughter dance we went to, my wedding and various family trips. Of course the 311 moment I cherish and hold onto is the very first I saw them play live, Hive. I could go on and on with this because there are so many little moments that I cherish from over the years.”
For some lyrics that really resonate with him, Ed picked some from the song “Tranquility.” “The first verse has always stood out to me, “Journey in peace now, you don’t have to be afraid, though mistakes have been made, journey in peace now.” My journey through life has had plenty of speed bumps, potholes and whatever other metaphors someone could come up with. That verse (and song as a whole) is a constant reminder that those regrets, the pain I’ve had shouldn’t define who I am and that I shouldn’t hold on to them. The lyrics help me realize that things happen and in order to make this journey through life in peace that I can’t dwell on those mistakes, that I have to keep moving forward and just try to learn from those mistakes and be a better person. When I was finally able to let go of some of those mistakes and make peace with them, my journey became a lot more peaceful.”
Columbia, SC, is where Ed was born in 1977. His dad was in the military so they didn’t stay there long. Shortly after his birth they moved to Germany and he actually ended up living there two times. “Of course, I was too young to remember anything about living there the first time. I think we lived there for 3 years or so before relocating again to Kentucky where my dad was stationed at Ft. Knox. I do remember some things from that time. Being a kid, playing with friends and disappearing until it was dinner time. Watching football with my dad and trying to tackle him only to get dropped on my chin lol. I remember getting exposed to Kentucky Wildcat basketball and loving it (still my college bball team to this day). My sister was born while we lived in Kentucky. After Kentucky, we moved back to Germany. I couldn’t tell you where my dad was stationed but we lived in military housing in the Bad Nauheim area and I went to the American elementary school of the same name. My parents had some friends whose oldest son went on to play football at Florida State. They would send us tapes of games that he played and that turned me into a Florida State fan. After Germany, we would move one final time. It was back to where it all began. Back to Columbia, SC. It was once we were back in Columbia that I really fell in love with sports and music. The music was heavily influenced by a girl I used to catch a ride with to high school. The music would ultimately define my taste in music going forward. I mentioned earlier about my experience at Florida State University. I also attend the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Currently I’m working as a Materials Manager at a plant in a small town in SC. It pays well enough to fund my 311 trips and all my bills.”
Fun fact about Ed is that he can function on very little sleep! “It’s not pretty every now and then but I can do it. lol I mean, I am almost 47.” Something else he thought people might not know is that he’s pretty introverted but he can also make friends in any given environment. “It’s easier if there are a few beers involved. lol. I apparently have a lot of people fooled. A lot of people that I’ve known for a long time would describe me as extroverted. An introverted social butterfly if there is such a thing.”
A talent that Ed used to have is drawing. “Throughout middle school and high school (with a little college thrown in), a couple friends and I had our own little comic going on. I did most of the drawing for it. We had a nice little following for a while. TIme went on and we all kind of went our own directions in life so that faded away. I still drew on and off again for a while until work really took hold. My daughter inherited that talent. She’s really good at it. I hope she maintains that or pursues it a lot better than I did.”
Guilty pleasure for Ed is the video game Destiny 2. “I guess I would call it a guilty pleasure because a lot of people that I know in my age bracket certainly don’t and kind of look down on it. But I don’t care. I made some good friends over the years doing it. I enjoy reading Star Wars books as well as another hobby, again, not sure I would call it a guilty pleasure. I’m trying to teach myself how to play guitar as I’ve been inspired in recent years seeing 311 to do it.”
Ed’s taste in music he said is heavily influenced thanks to the girl who gave him a ride to high school every day. “Pearl Jam, Nirvana became some of my favorites. From Pearl Jam and Nirvana, spawned my interest in Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots. I was certainly heavy into the grunge type music. Still to this day. I love some Foo FIghters as well. I’m seeing them for the first time this year. I can’t wait to see them. The Movement, Tropidelic, and Sublime are some of my others that I enjoy.”
To 311, Ed chose these words: “Thank you for the music you’ve made and the community you’ve built because all of it has helped me get through some dark times in my life. Your music has had such a positive influence on my life that I go out of my way to find a positive in any situation that I encounter and I try to bring a little positivity to all those I meet along this journey through life.”
Now here is his message to all those other awesome fans out there:
“Thank you for being such a fantastic community of music fans. I feel somewhat blessed by the opportunities at different shows to have met such fantastic people. I love the energy and the welcoming attitudes. It’s nice to go somewhere and feel like no one is a stranger, where there is an instant connection through a shared love for the same band. I look forward to seeing a lot of you again soon and to meet more of you for the first time.”
A huge thank you to Ed for sharing his story with us all! As always and forever, my love and gratitude to all the readers each week. I hope you all have an excellent 311 Day!
Much Love – The Runt