Hi again my friends in 311 nation! Good day to you all. Are you ready to read about another fellow fan? Well, then it’s time to meet Stephanie Davis!
Stephanie says it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how she became a huge fan of 311. Over 20 years ago was when she first heard them, and she believes one of the reasons she loved them so much is that they are from Nebraska. “I have been raised as a diehard Nebraska Cornhusker fan, my family lives between Omaha and Lincoln, so I think one of the reasons that I was drawn to 311 was basically they were from Nebraska and I feel I have a close home tie to them. I mean, what good music comes from Nebraska?” Another reason she was drawn to them was a good friend of hers living in Oklahoma City who was obsessed with them. “When we would be at his house we either would be listening to Music, Grassroots, or the Blue album on his stereo, with the lights off and the black lights on. Or we popped in ETSD 1 and watched that VCR TAPE over and over again until we wore it out.” What really drew Stephanie in was their music and the feel of it, with the positivity and party element to it. “I really love how they paved the way for the rock/rap genre that you still see to this day. Even though those bands are terrible and are not original, 311 has continued to remain strong and haven’t been afraid to try something new.”
Her love affair with seeing the band live started in Lawrence, Kansas in 1995 at the Jayhawk Music Festival. She had just turned 15 and snuck out to see them! Unfortunately she got caught and ended up grounded, but it was worth it. “Damn, thinking about that concert makes me laugh. I so wish I had that ticket stub.” Since then she has seen them at least 30 times, if not a little more. While there are many great memories from all the shows, she has a few that stand out against the rest. One was when she took her baby brother to see them for the first time. It allowed them to form an even stronger bond and they never miss seeing a show together now. Then there was 311 Day 2006 when she, her brother & mom took a road trip from Kansas City to Memphis. “Thinking back to that trip makes me laugh. We did the normal “touristy” things in Memphis and while we were at the Civil Rights Museum my mother asked Scott and myself if we were having a good time. We both replied “Yay! Civil Rights is so uplifting!” Finally there were the shows in 2001 and 2014 where she met the band. You can’t NOT love those shows!
Two songs that mean a great deal to Stephanie are “It’s Alright” and “Showdown.” She said that the first one literally helped save her life and get through some rocky times. As for “Showdown,” she said that the Stereolithic CD hasn’t left her car since 311 Day 2014! “I just love the song (and all the songs) and the lyrics and the feeling of both Nick and SA’s voice.” As for some favorite quotes from any of the songs in the catalog, she loves “Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions” and “Now I’m ready to turn the page on yesterdays and forgive them, now I’m ready to disengage to seize the day and move on.” Then theres the one she says she often uses at work – “Fuck the bullshit it’s time to throw down!”
Stephanie was born and raised in Kansas and she still lives there currently in Overland Park. She’s a single mom to a wonderful 8 year old boy (see above photo). Although she is completely a Kansas girl she has lived a few other places over her life. The most challenging she says was Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “I accepted a job as a Department of Defense contractor (I worked as a Project Manager in the construction industry but now moved to the engineering industry) and relocated to Gitmo 2011. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am glad I had the experience to live someplace where most Americans will never get a chance to see. I saw some amazing things, worked in the prisons, replaced air conditioning units in the Military Tribunal before one of the terrorists was to be tried, and for shits and giggles I cleaned up brush around the “jail” where one of the 9/11 conspirators is housed. After six months I had to leave because I missed my family terribly, driving under 25 miles an hour and as silly as it sounds, highways! Plus it is hot all year round, the bugs are horrible and not having any friends. And as much as I bitch and complain about Kansas winters, I actually missed seasons changing.”
Matthew is the name of her son and she says he is her miracle baby. He was born early at just 32 weeks and was only the size of a 29 week baby. “I was living in Huntsville, Alabama and my mom came down for my baby shower and to come with me to a 3D ultrasound appointment. When we went to get the ultrasound done, the technician saw that my placenta had ruptured and Matthew was basically starving to death. So after an emergency C-Section, I gave birth to a 2 LB baby who almost passed away a few times. But today you would never know he was a preemie. I’m not religious by any means but God was definitely looking out for us, so I named him Matthew – a gift from God.”
Stephanie says she’s an open book but something people may not know is that she’s never cooked a full meal from scratch! “I hate cooking, I really do.” Stephanie has a secret talent though – busting out rap lyrics like no one else! “I drove to New Orleans by myself and I had Tupac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love” memorized front to back. I listened to that song two hours straight to make sure I got every verse.” She also is super smart when it comes to trivia and she takes pride in it. “I dare someone to challenge me!” Something else about her she loves is that her friends, coworkers and acquaintances all associate her with 311. If she takes vacation people automatically assume it’s 311 related. Then when she surprised her friend by coming back from Cuba for her wedding, her friend changed her cake cutting song to “Feels So Good” in honor of her!
Musical tastes outside of 311 are all over the map she says, from Michael Jackson to Classic Rock to even one of her guilty pleasures, The Backstreet Boys! “Come on now, they are so catchy!” She loves the boy bands from the nineties and 2000s. Another guilty pleasure that she said FINE to confessing is that she saw Nickelback in concert and does like a few of their songs. “Cue the angry flash mobs and burning me at the stake!”
To the band that has had such a big affect her life she would like to relay this message: “Thank you. You have been the soundtrack to my life and no matter where my life takes me, you are always a play away and will never know how much you saved me.”
To all the people in this awesome fandom:
“It’s amazing how the Internet has provided us with a platform to follow 311, create a “family” on Facebook, watch the concerts that someone has recorded on YouTube, bitch and complain about damn posters and just meeting new friends at concerts. Back in the day, I would hear that 311 was playing from word of mouth or in an advertisement in the back of the Pitch Weekly. So to all the old school and new school fans – “Hi, I’m Stephanie. It’s nice to meet all of you and let’s continue to love and enjoy the sounds of the greatest fucking band out there! Who’s gonna buy me a beer now?”
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The story of Stephanie Davis my slinkies & brodels! Hope you all had a blast reading about her and thank you as always for doing so! Keep on being the positive and loving humans that you are. Until we meet again!
Much love – The Runt