Welcome to this groove my excitable friends! New week means the new 311 fan spotlight! So lets get this party started – meet Jp Prater!
Jp was a young boy when he first heard 311, he was only about 6 or 7 when the blue album was starting to become popular. His dad was loaned a copy from one of his old Air Force buddies. “The way the music sounded was unlike anything I had heard at that point, especially Chad’s drums and SA’s voice. It just stuck with me for years and when I was about 12 or 13 I bought a copy of the blue album for myself and the obsession started.”
Jp has attended three summer Unity Tour shows in Cincinnati and then one fall show at the Louisville Palace in December of 2011. The fall show was his favorite by far. “30 songs and not to mention they played BOMB THE TOWN! Plus I met a lot of the Familia , most memorable having beers with Adam Salomon.”
All time favorite song of Jp’s is “Don’t Dwell.” “Song is just sick as hell and it was always my favorite from Evolver. That song alone is the reason I decided I wanted to play bass.” Narrowing down his favorite lyrics is more difficult. “Oh how about all of them. The entire Evolver album is basically about growth so I like it. I also like the chorus to Boom Shanka.”
Jp grew up in Lexington and Richmond, Kentucky, although he was born in Alamogordo, New Mexico. He’s also lived in Gypsum, Colorado, Guyton/Savannah, Georgia, and Bluffton, South Carolina. He’s played drums since 1995 and guitar since 2004. 2005 was the year he started playing bass and has been doing so ever since. He’s just starting up a new project of piecing together material from lo-fi cell phone recordings of himself jamming.
Jp credits his father for his musical diversity in both his listening taste and playing style. “He owned around 300 CD’s, and every time that I would ride with him it was a different genre every day. One day 311, next day Prince, and then Metallica and so on.” Jp also has a two year old daughter Jaine and he’s passing on his love for 311 to her. “She can sing along to most of Stereolithic and even My Shadow Pages (Nick Hexum Quintet).”
The diverse music choices mean that Jp loves many different artists. Some of them are The Beastie Boys, Weezer, Beck, Prince, Dead Kennedys, Offspring, Green Day, Hopsin, Del tha Funkee, Homosapien, Greydon Square, The Clash, Isotopes, Screeching Weasel, Descendents, Eminem and Sublime.
Jp was once in a heavy metal band and he says he totally didn’t fit in. “It was like putting Pnut in Metallica. Just not going to work.” He also plays multiple instruments but says he is best at the drums and bass. “I’ll more than likely be the only contributing musician on my EP when I finish it.”
Remember the song “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls? That song is Jp’s guilty pleasure. “I don’t give too much of a **** what anyone thinks about this, but when I hear ‘Wannabe’ by the Spice Girls, I just get really happy. I don’t know if it’s because of nostalgia or what, but I would totally bust that song at karaoke.”
To the band Jp would like to say, “Thanks for all the years of good music. Not many bands can stick around for so long, especially keeping the same five guys around for us to grow with.”
To all the fans his message is a simple one:
“Stay positive and love sex, 311 and food.”
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There you have the story of Jp! Hope you all enjoyed it! Oh and by the way, Jp is the guy who has all sort of rarities from 311 on YouTube – check out his page! 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuLVrPIlqf6ORZrB0zz_1-g
Thanks as usual for reading and remember to keep spreading the message of love, positivity and unity.
Much love! – The Runt