Welcome back Excitable peeps! Happy Christmas week to all. Shall we meet another amazing fan? We shall! Here’s the story of Crystal Tarone!
Watching MTV before school was a routine for Crystal. That’s how she saw the video for “Down” and discovered the band. “I had one of those Yak recorders that I would with me to school and play the 5 or 6 second clip from the chorus.” (See the photo below if you don’t remember the Yak recorders!) Crystal then got more into Sublime and Green Day, but was reintroduced to 311 through her first serious girlfriend Jen. “Her sister Jess LOVED 311.” Then in 2006 she really fell in love with the beats and lyrics. She was working a job that required a lot of traveling and she had just bought all of their albums that had been released to date. “I worked along the east coast and spent lots of time in western North Carolina. Driving around mountains, getting lifted, and grooving in the drivers seat to 311 kinda changed my life. It slowed me down and helped me appreciate each moment in my life.”
Around 30 is the number of shows Crystal has attended. Her first was in Raleigh, North Carolina back in 2008 (setlist included below). Going to this show was a very last minute, spontaneous decision for her. “I was alone, haven’t herd of the 311 Familia yet, and had no herb on me. As soon as Snoop Dog started, I met so many positive, sharing, and happy folks. The entire thing was pure bliss.” While it’s hard to narrow down a favorite, since each one is so unique and holds a special place in her heart, she chose Pow Wow to take the top spot!
Asked what song means the most to her, Crystal answered, “For each album? Lol. Very hard question.” Her list of songs includes Offbeat Bare Ass, Feels So Good, Loco, Outside, The Continuous Life, Wake Your Mind Up, Seems Uncertain, Evolution, First Straw, Don’t Tread On Me (really the whole album), I Like the Way, Time Bomb, and she said all of Stereolithic. One of her favorite lyrics comes from “It’s Getting OK Now” – “What if there is no ending, turn from where we’ve been, to a place where all we can see is light pouring in.”
Hazleton, Pennsylvania is where Crystal Charlotte Tarone was born and raised. She and her brother Charles grew up with her grandparents. During elementary school her friends band played “Feels So Good” at a talent show. “They fawking rocked it!”
Crystal’s uncle LA was her father figure growing up and introduced her to a wide variety of music. He worked at a radio station and had an oldies show in the evening. “Sometimes I would go with him and hang out in the little studio. He showed me the basics of the sound board, and dubbing from reel to reel. I made strange mix tapes of some of my favorites songs.” Her variable taste in music is evident in her list of other artists she like, which include A Tribe Called Quest, Full Service, Paul Van Dyk, The Sisters of Mercy, Angels and Airwaves, LL Cool J, Aaliyah, Lords of Acid, Blink 182, Enya, Marc Anthony, Nine Inch Nails, Dead Kennedys, Type O Negative, NOFX, Garbage, Deftones, Orgy, Ani DiFranco, RDGLDGRN and Green Day.
After Crystal moved out on her own, she had this pull to travel and visit the world. “I would just pick up and leave. 311 has brought me to Raleigh NC in ’08, Live Oak FL in ’11, Miami FL and Half Moon Cay in ’12, Denver CO (Red Rocks) in ’13, 311 Day in New Orleans ’14, along with the motherland Omaha NE and Council Bluffs IA in ’14 for the Grassroots Festival, Myrtle Beach SC in ’14, and Las Vegas ’15. I’ve been to Vegas twice this year, once for an Excitable wedding, and then Red, White, and Boom in Mandalay Bay.”
A fact many people may not know is that Crystal is a vegetarian, which she believes is pretty interesting! She also has the unique talent of the ability to fix things. “I can be handy sometimes. I enjoy doing my own oil changes too.” Guilty pleasure comes in musical artist form between the Spice Girls and Ricky Martin!
Crystal’s message to the band is, “I never knew the world had so many wonderful and positive folks in it before 311!”
To all those wonderful and positive folks:
“Challenge your Positivity daily !!! And I’ll see y’all in NOLA!”
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And now you have met Crystal! Another great story, thanks for sharing it Crystal. Thank you all for reading as always. May your holidays be bright, warm, and full of positivity and love.
Much love! – The Runt