Hey hey hey 311 nation! It’s about time for a new fan spotlight. This week let’s get the story of Christine Marquet!
It was during high school for Christine that “From Chaos” dropped, and we all know that “Amber” was the big single from it. “I was a sophmore in high school and a friend who was a senior needed to school me and burnt me a Grassroots CD. I was hooked! To this day the From Chaos CD is always in my car, but my biggest favorite are the classics.”
First show for Christine was in 2001 in New York City. While it was indoors, she was still excited to light up when the band played “Amber.” “Somehow I ended up dropping my piece and that was the first piece I ever broke. I went to a lot of concerts with my friend backs then to bands they wanted to see but 311 was the band I wanted to see. I think All-American Rejects opened? Anyway I always saw them every summer when they came through, typically at PNC Arts center. Throughout college I had a friend or two that would join but in my post college life I was always going alone. Night know a few people there but didn’t have a crew I rolled with. Always solo. Since I made a new friend Jackyn in 2018 my yearly ahow attendance and travel for shows has grown exponentially. I can say I’ve seen at least thirty 311 shows.” While it was tough to pick a favorite show or event, Christine went with the 2019 cruise. “I just was in heaven, every breath I took that week.”
The songs “Omaha Stylee” and “Do You Right” Christine said just “hit her to her bones.” “What’s really special about this band and their live performances for me is I can’t attend or listen without grooving and while I do tend to dance whether there is music or not if the mood is right, 311 is just such a special and unique blend they really nailed it. 10/10.”
Christine is a Jersey girl who’s heart is in theater. “I love being on stage or having anything to do with a performing arts/storytelling medium production. I guess it comes from loving to play pretend growing up and the freedom that comes with putting yourself aside to share a story or a feeling with a captivated audience. I recently resurrected my lifelong passion which I had set aside for a decade and it has brought much joy and peace back into my life. For those readers who follow me on Instagram you’ve no doubt seen my backstage antics and sneak peaks of costumes and wigs during plays I’ve been in in recent years and the Chaos and stress of the theater just really grounds me in the real world.”
Before rediscovering her first love of theater, Christine had stumbled upon a side quest that brought her to the wonderful family of Excitables. “When a DIY Game of Thrones Halloween Costume I made got attention and landed me an invite to New York Comic Con,I had no idea how big of a community and underground culture that scene had worldwide. What really blew my mind that first comic con was when I took a bathroom break and found 2 other girls in similarly DIY versions of the same character I was dressed as, smudging eyeshadow on their faces as dirt and soot to resemble Khalessi in the Red Waste in Season 2 of GOT. I joined in on the touch-up session to learn there was a meet-up happening right then for photo shoot specifically for Game of Thrones cosplayers. That’s how I met Jaclyn “Casterly” Fox. She orchestrated the meet up and my girl crush was activated. I followed her on Facebook and after some light stalking found that she had 311 listed in her interests. What are the odds! No one else in the universe that I know actively is aware of much less interested in 311. AND she does GOT cosplay? I immediately DMed her to invite her to an event and tell her we should be friends in real life. About a year later we were embarking on the 311 cruise that changed both our lives.”
For work, Christine does sales for licensed merch, which means she sells Spiderman t-shirts. “It’s about as close as a part-time nerd can get to doing something I honestly enjoy without it not actually being a job.” Interesting fact that many may not know, she almost died as a toddler. “It was due to a rare infection that someone brought into my daycare that inflames the epiglottis and restricts breathing. Thank God my Mommy is a nurse and knew when to go to the hospital.”
Christine can honestly say that in a trivia game about “Game of Thrones,” that she and Jaclyn would school almost anyone on the boat. “I’d say LOTR but I’m positive there are some quiet Silmarillion readers among us that would put me to shame.” Guilty pleasure for Christine is sleep! “I sleep too much. I literally would rather do anything than get out of bed, unless it’s a 311 day.”
For other music Christine enjoys, she is a big Beyonce lover. She was also brought up on Jazz. Her current musical guilty pleasure is Doja Cat. “And I’ll never skip a showtune or Disney classic when it cues up on the old I-Pod shuffle. Thanks to the 2019 cruise I discovered Tropidelic and went down the rabbit hole of discovery becoming a big follower of them, Bumpin Uglies and the Groovetastic Little Stranger. It honestly seemed kismet that all my fav bands were on the last cruise, I don’t know how that lineup could be topped in my book.”
Christine wanted to share this fun story with everyone. “In preparation for the last cruise or 311 Day I attended I decided I needed to study the bands discography. Sure I had my BearShare downloads I copied from phone to phone over the years and my trusty I-Pod shuffle Playlist- but other than the few Albums I had I knew I didn’t know the B-sides or even which song was on which album, as well as I should. I mean some of y’all got them lyrics on lock. I’ll never get there but I had some studying to do. So, having a car with a CD player and lots of road trips ahead, I did the sensible thing and found a 13 CD lot listing in which someone was offloading their collection, got a visor CD sleeve attachment, and listened to the discography in all its glory. I’ll admit I mostly stick to the classics, I’m here for the bangers.”
As for words Christine would say to 311, she was actually lucky enough to do a toast on the 2019 cruise that pretty much sums up her feelings: “I was exhausted and hungover but I won the lottery to attend that event and when they opened up the floor for a toast and no stepped forward my ballsy ass did and I got to thank SA and P-nut with the only words I had which were thank you for bringing these misfits and ragers and hippies and stars together to form this family and thank you for continuing to give us the opportunities to come together and praise you and share eachother light and love.”
Now here is her toast to all the other 311 fans out in the universe:
“Thank y’all for welcoming myself and Jaclyn Nicole in all our goofy, crazy, extra awesomeness. Neither of us truly felt the freedom to be ourselves without worry of judgement or complaint before discovering this family and there no place like being with this Familia at a show or event. Not only acceptance but encouragement and delight at us being ourselves is something people don’t get to experience in their lifetimes. And we get to do it and be it and live it every time we see your big smiling glittery faces.
Keep shining. Xoxo Marquet”
Super big thank you to Christine for sharing her story with us all! And as always, my eternal gratitude to all the readers each post. I hope you all have an amazing week and that it’s full of light & positivity.
Much Love – The Runt