Welcome again my friends in 311 nation! I hope you all are doing well & staying safe. Let’s get to it and meet the latest fan spotlight, Crystal Decoteau!

Crystal remembers being on the bus in elementary school and hearing 311 on the radio. She has two siblings that are 5 and 7 years older than her, and she would hear them playing the songs as well, but it was just the mainstream songs at first. “Fast forward to high school, my older boyfriend at the time played them for me and I remember being like “oh hey, I loved that song when I was a kid.” So he burned me a few cd’s but I only listened to them sporadically. It wasn’t until my first 311 show at 16 that I got hooked. I was in a dark place at the time dealing with severe depression and suicide. My friend had an extra ticket to the Download Festival at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA and made me go. I hadn’t really listened to them too much, but I went to the show because I wanted to see The Wailers and Dropkick Murphy’s and it was going to be my first music festival. I remember the intense energy of the crowd along with 311 when they stepped on the stage. It was something I had never felt before. There was a huge thunder and lightening storm that temporarily stopped the show and when the show continued the energy was even more crazy. After that night I started listening to them constantly, wanting to feel what I had felt during that show. I started really listening to their lyrics and felt like it hit home. The first time I listened to “Beyond the Gray Sky” I cried and realized I wanted to fight my depression and not let it consume me anymore. I became obsessed with 311 and relied on their music and their positive message to get me through everything. I tell people 311 saved my life because their music literally uplifted me and helped me change my point of view on everything. I was so hooked that I had bought every single album and listened to them nonstop. I went to every single show possible after 2006. But it wasn’t until 2015 that I talked to someone at a show and they asked if I was part of the “Familia”. I had no idea what he was talking about (I was never much of a social media person) so after the show I went home and checked it out. I had no idea there was such a huge group of like minded, loving and caring people. I have terrible social anxiety so I never really talked with anyone at shows besides the random sharing of blunts. Suddenly I learned about 311 Day and the Cruises and saw all these strangers coming together for the same love of 311. I fell in love with 311 all over again! It has become more than just music to lift my spirits when I’m feeling depressed, it has become a way of life for me. “

Crystal never really kept track of the number of shows she attended because when she started, she didn’t realize how much of a relationship she was going to develop with 311. “I see people hit milestones on show counts and wish I had kept track. I didn’t start keeping ticket stubs right away either. I tried going through them the other day and realized how many I’m missing. I’ve seen them at least once every year since I was 16, so theoretically I’m around 30 shows including the 2019 Cruise and 311 Day 2020. My first show was the Download Festival in 2006 in Mansfield, MA.”

As for favorite, Crystal said that each show has it’s own special moment for her. If she was forced to choose just one though it would be the cruise. ” I had tried to go on a 311 Cruise for years and was never able to get OTMFB. I finally got a spot with my sister and fellow slinky Krista. We celebrated my 30th Birthday, so the first show as we set sail was out of this world. It was a dream come true to finally be in that moment. And to share it with my sister (who doesn’t understand my obsession and love for 311) was amazing.”

Just like Crystal said that every show has a special meaning to her, so do the songs. However “Beyond the Gray Sky” she says is a song that helped save her life. It was the lyrics, “Don’t give up the fight to stay alive, and even if you have to find the reason of another’s pain if they lose you, if not for yourself, then those around who care like I do” that really hit her. “Although I have a hard time listening to it now. I don’t want to dwell on the past, I want to continue to stay positive, love life and more forward.”

Some other lyrics that Crystal loves include: “I’m the perfect example of not giving a fuck about the catty rude people that just suck;” “To be alive is lovin’:” “You can’t be let down if you don’t expect the world;” “Fuck the naysayers cuz they don’t mean a thing;” “Lovely life I thank you for the reason to see the pain through;” “I’d like to stay here just like this, it’s just a momentary bliss, that’s all we can hope for, that’s the reason to cope for, this life, this life and no more;” “Life could slip away in absent minded numbness;” and “You wanna get free cause you dwell under the spell of negativity, and when the world is crashing down crumbling at your feet, just lean into it.”

Crystal was born and raised in Southern New Hampshire, which she said has pretty small towns with not a lot to do. She’s only moved four times in her life and it was always 1-2 towns from where she was. “Living in small towns there was never really anything to do so pretty much everything revolved around music. Whether it was sitting in my room painting, doing chores, roller blading, going to open mic nights, everything I did involved jamming out to music. I never went anywhere without my walkman/cd player and headphones. Every family vacation as a kid I would just sit there listening to music. When I was 13 I taught myself how to play guitar, but found it hard to find the time to play with school and work once I turned 16. Once in High School, driving around with friends listening to music is basically all we did (while smoking weed of course). My parents were pretty strict so that on top of living in a place with nothing to do made it pretty boring. But occasionally me and my friends would sneak out to the local underground spots where small bands would play.”

Crystal said she spent most of her childhood isolating herself because of her depression, so once she graduated high school and started loving life more, she realized how important her family was to her. “I wanted to make up for the time I lost pushing them away. So even though I’ve always wanted to pack up and move to a new place in the world, I don’t want to be far away from my family. So now I just try my hardest to save money to travel the world. I went backpacking in Europe with my sister and visited her in Morocco (she’s lived on 4 different continents).”

At the age of 16 is when Crystal got her first job, and she said she’s just been working hard ever since to fund her concert life and to make money to travel the world. “I go to about a dozen shows a year, it’s really all I do for fun. Concerts/music is my form of therapy. I’ve worked in customer service my whole life. Started in retail and ended up in the restaurant industry. Which is kind of ironic cause I was always super shy growing up and still have intense social anxiety.”

Crystal loves to spend time with her family, she loves animals, and she loves to go on adventures and try new things. “Ever since I found a new love for live, I’m pretty much open to anything.” Fun fact about Crystal is that for the last 4 years she has managed a craft cocktail bar. “It’s won a few awards for their cocktails. People tell me all the time that I’m an amazing “mixologist” (I don’t see it, but again self reflection/confidence is something I’m still working on). I do love bartending in a craft cocktail setting. It’s way different then regular bartending. Being able to play with different ingredients like pickling spices, ginger, lavender, etc. and come up with a cocktail that tastes good and blows peoples mind is fun. It’s like chemistry, but with a sense of creativity.”

Guilty pleasure for Crystal? She loves getting stoned and coloring. “I love to just relax and let my mind float away. I’ll put some music on and just color for hours. That and blasting music and dancing. If you ever see me at a show, I’m usually wearing sunglasses just dancing my heart out as if I’m the only one in the room.”

For other artists that Crystal loves, they are as follows: Tropidelic, Fortunate Youth,  Rebelution, Tribal Seeds, The Elovaters, Stick Figure, Slightly Stoopid, The Movement, Iration, Atmosphere, Incubus, Jurassic 5, Deftones, Tool, Glass Animals, CHVRCHES, Citizen Cope, Snakehips, Chet Faker, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Halsey, Alessia Cara, and Lorde. “But seriously, I listen to everything. I have a favorite band/artist for every genre.”

To 311, Crystal has this message: “Thank you for saving my life! Your music has helped me in so many ways I can’t even begin to put it into words. It has become more than just music for me, it has become a way of life. Keep spreading the love and positivity!”

Her message to all the other fans out there is this:

“Thank you for being so great! I don’t really know anyone and have yet to get over my social anxiety, but I know I can call each and every one of you a friend. I can’t wait till we can all be at a show together again!”

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Thank you Crystal for sharing your story and love of 311! It was a pleasure to write it and I send so much gratitude to all those supporters out there! I hope you all have an amazing week, keep being awesome!

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again 311 nation! Welcome back for another installment of the 311 fan spotlight. Get ready to learn all about Billy Gravel!

The year was 1996 and Billy was digging through his sisters CD collection when he just happened to find one in this blue case. Upon opening it he saw a photo with these guys that had their faces painted like aliens and he thought it looked interesting. Then he popped in the CD to give it a listen. “I was hooked.  The hard rock, rap, jazzy sound was something I hadn’t heard before and it blew me away! And the content of their lyrics was just the icing on the cake.”

For show count, Billy is at 12 and said he went through a time in his life where he allowed his anxiety to hold him back which is why his number isn’t higher. “A problem I have since squashed.” For favorite show he’s attended, it was the one at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island that was billed as “An Evening with 311.” ” I believe it was 1999.Such a small intimate venue with just 311 and their fans. You could feel the energy in the air! It was amazing!”

Choosing a favorite song is always hard, especially when the band has so many great ones. For Billy, he said he has a few that really stand out to him. ” I remember “Sever” and “Eons” helping me through some really rough times in my life. They’re so powerful and still give me chills when I hear them.  My absolute favorite songs come in 3. “Visit”, “Homebrew” and (I know it’s a radio song but it doesn’t matter to me) “Beautiful Disaster”. I just think they’re so badass and really get me pumped.” For favorite lyric, Billy has one from “Do You Right” that he loves: “I’m free as I stare at the sea and I’m not coming down. The world is yours once you have found,  the good is to share, which is elsewhere.”

Born and raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Billy is the youngest of three and has two older sisters. Music has always been a big part of Billy’s life and he was introduced to it at a young age. “My father was always blasting music around the house. The Beatles, Dylan, Neil Young, The Kinks, Tom Petty. I eventually became obsessed with singing and recording music. When I was 15, I joined my first punk rock band and 25 years later,  I’m still rocking out!” Billy now lives in North Smithfield, R.I., with his amazing wife Sarah and their three kitties, Lily, Daysie, and Charlie. For work, he followed his childhood dream and became a firefighter/EMT for the city of Woonsocket and has been doing that for 14 years.

Fun fact about Billy, when he was around the age of 12-13 he was in a boy band called Impursuit. “We pretty much covered the R&B of the time. Lol! I can’t believe I admitted that! Very less known fact about me!” Billy moved on later to be in a 311 tribute band. “From 2012-2015 I was the cofounder, lead singer and rhythm guitarist (Nick) for “Applied Science” Rhode Island’s exclusive 311 tribute band. We had so much fun with this band. We played a ton of shows, won a bunch of contests and had the opportunity to play with a lot of great tribute bands. Not to mention, we got to rock out to 311! What’s better than that!” Other things Billy really enjoys is being out in nature and also surfing.

For guilty pleasure, Billy said it’s music for sure. “Whether listening to it, playing, recording or producing it, music is always on my mind. I have a small production company called “Island Rhodes Productions” and a decent little recording studio. I’m currently the Co-lead singer and bass player for a 3 peice punk rock band, “Surviving Seasons” and I’m in the process of recording and producing our first album due out early 2021. I also have a solo reggae project called “B.Grateful” and I’m currently working on new music with that as well.” Other artists that Billy loves include Ballyhoo!, Rebelution, Stick Figure, SOJA, Goldfinger, No use for a Name, Passafire, Less than Jake, and Slightly Stoopid.

Billy would like to send this message to 311: “Thank you guys for creating the soundtrack to my life. For making dark days bright and bright days even brighter.”

Now here are his words to all the other fans out there:

“Especially in this day and age, we need to stick together and unite. We should all live by the words 311 has been spreading for 30 years. PLUR.”

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Thank you Billy for sharing your story with us all! Another great tale about love for 311. I hope you all have an amazing week, thank you for reading, now go spread some positive vibes to others!

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again my beautiful friends in 311 nation! Happy Thanksgiving week to all in the U.S. Let’s kick it off properly with a new fan spotlight. Meet Mike Creager!

While Mike vaguely remembers seeing 311 videos as his older sister and brother were watching MTV, it wasn’t until he was a freshman in high school that he really got into their music. One of his classmates tragically died in a car crash and Mike read in his obituary that he loved 311. “Growing up hearing all the 311 means KKK rumors I never really gave them a chance prior to that point. They had just come out with their Greatest Hits CD so I went and bought that, my brother soon after burned me a copy of the Blue Album, and I slowly acquired the rest.”

For show count, Mike said this is his first attempt at really figuring out his number. He believes he is at 24 shows, which includes 311 Day 2010 and 2014, plus the cruises in 2015 and 2019. His first show was the Download Festival in 2006 at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Mike said this show is still probably his top show. “Right before 311 came on thunder and lightning came crashing in. The lights go off, and the band starts with Welcome (my first time hearing that song) I think it was that whole experience that got me hooked.”

The song “Golden Sunlight” holds a special place in Mike’s heart as it’s the first song he listened to with his daughter when she was born. For lyrics that he loves, he chose these: “It’s like you and me on Plymouth Rock, embarking on a journey that I never thought would happen to me so effortlessly, sparks flying, your laughter is a symphony.”

Mike grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, just a few minutes away from Plymouth Rock, which is why that lyric always connected with him. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else because it’s like being in a small town and a city at the same time, having characteristics of both.  Other than a few short stints in neighboring towns I’ve lived here my whole life and officially became a townie when I bought a house here a few years back with my wife and 3 kids.” Mike makes his living as a member of The Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 17. “I install big pieces of metal that heat and air conditioning flow through mostly in the city of Boston.”

Crazy interesting fact about Mike is that when he was about 5-6 years old, he had his fingers run over by a roller coaster! “Waiting on my siblings to get off of the Galaxy at Canobie Lake Park. The coaster ran right next to the fence, I guess I held onto the track and one of the cars ran over the tips of my fingers. Luckily other than a few popped blood vessels there was no real harm done.”

Fun fact about Mike is that he can recite the alphabet backwards. “It has gotten me a few drinks over the years.” Guilty pleasure for him is the T.V. show “This Is Us.” “That show hooks me every time.”

Other bands and musicians that Mike loves include The Elovaters, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, O.A.R, RDGLDGRN, Dispatch, Stick Figure, Twiddle, Slightly Stoopid, Pearl Jam, Band Of Horses, Counting Crows, Michael Franti, and SOJA.

To 311, Mike has these words: “You guys have been with me through the best of times and the worst of times, I don’t know what life would be like without your music, Thank You!”

Finally Mike would like to relay this message to all the other fans out there:

“To all the fans I have met, You’re some of the nicest, most welcoming people I’ve met in my life. To those who I have yet to meet, I look forward to sharing a groove with you at a show somewhere down the line.”

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Thank you so much to Mike Creager for sharing his story! This is Thanksgiving week, so I’m thankful to all who participate as a fan spotlight and to all of the supporters who come back to read them every week. The 311 fan community is unique and I’m so thankful to be a part of it. Have a fantastic week my friends, see you next time.

Much Love – The Runt

Welcome again my friends from 311 nation! It’s about time for the next fan spotlight. This week let’s learn all about Angela Myers!

It was Angela’s high school boyfriend that introduced her to 311 by making her a mixtape that had the song “Down” on it. “I loved it.  I asked him to put more 311 on the next one.  They were a combo of all styles of music I really liked.” There was a bit of time in her 20’s that she went without listening to 311 but when she rediscovered them, she realized how much she had been missing. “I feel like I’m still paying my dues as a fan to get caught up, but I’m definitely devoted.  (Enough to have gotten a 311 tattoo!) My best friend, Bryan Cori gets all the credit for getting me back into them when I moved to Florida in 2007.   We’d listen to 311 on road trips, singing at the top of our lungs and go to shows together.  We’ve been on 3 cruises together as that has become our vacation time together every other year since I moved back to Maine.   In 2016, I had Bryan come up for a New England leg of the tour and it was a blast to share that experience with him.  It will be amazing when this pandemic is over and we can all gather again!”

For show count, Angela is at 28, which includes shows in New England, Florida, and 3 of the cruises. Her first show was in 1997 in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, where Rustic Overtones opened for them. “My goal is to make it to 311 Day someday and I would totally go to a Pow Wow or destination festival if that opportunity ever arose!”

As for favorite show or event, she said the Soundsystem cruise was her favorite. “I was in such a dark place personally, and I fully believe being on that ship with all those Excitables brought me back to life.  From the energy on the lido deck to turtle birthin’ on the beach in Jamaica, it woke my spirit up and I realized I had found my tribe and I was ready to learn how to live in the now.”

For favorite song, Angela said there are so many songs and lyrics that she has gathered strength from that a few years ago she created a document she calls, “The Tao of 311: An Excitable Philosophy On Life.” “I organized quotes by subjects like Strong All Along (Confidence) or Sometimes Jacks Rule the Realm (Dealing with Assholes) and What Was I Thinking? (Regret and Apologies).  I printed it out for Bryan as a present but I often reference it when I need a boost.  I actually need to update it for Voyager.  It’s so hard to choose a favorite 311 song.  Kinda like picking your favorite student as a teacher!  Everyone brings something different!  Use of Time, Speak Easy, Five of Everything, Let the Cards Fall, and of course, Beyond the Gray Sky would be my top 5 that mean the most to me but I could put the entire catalog on shuffle and not skip a single one.” One of her favorite lyrics though is from “Simplify” – “This moment is a gift, it’s why it’s called the present.” “It keeps me grounded in gratitude and in the moment.”

Here is the link to Angela’s Tao of 311 document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JMDSOXxFYGhTfh5UxARcJVRKXc8kxvpzGbPZlDv0FRA/edit

Angela grew up in a small paper mill town in Northern Maine. She played soccer, ran cross country, and was a cheerleader, but she said her passion was always music. ” I sang, played piano, saxophone, and trumpet.  I attended the University of Maine and double concentrated in vocal music and alto saxophone.  My goal was to get my degree in Music Education then try my hand at singing and composing in grad school at Berklee College of Music in Boston where I received a scholarship.  I was given an amazing teaching opportunity straight out of under grad and jumped into my teaching career and haven’t looked back.  I am so incredibly lucky that it is my job to inspire kids to create and utilize music as a therapy, especially in times like these!  My philosophy is to teach a hands-on approach so that my students are always creating not just listening.  I make sure they are actively making music as much as possible.”

Angela moved to Florida for 8 years with her ex-husband but ended up coming home to Maine because she missed the seasons and wanted to raise her two kids there. “I ended up getting divorced last year.  Honestly, the music of 311 was my go-to during the tough days of that. The boys always bring me clarity, calm, and consistent positivity.  I’d go as far to say that 311 has influenced my spiritual journey as well.  I suffer from depression and anxiety.  My therapist would always tell me that depression is living in the past and anxiety is living in the future.  I would say the music of 311 as well as the energy I’ve felt around other Excitables has taught me to live in the here and now.”

Interesting fact about Angela? “I was drum major of my college marching band…this one time…at band camp….lol.” She also got to perform at Carnegie hall with her college choir when she was 19. “Hands down, biggest performance of my life!”

Guilty pleasure for Angela is that she plays Pokemon Go pretty much daily. When not listening to 311, she can be found jamming out to artists like Ballyhoo!, Hirie, Twiddle, Phish, and Turkuaz.

To 311, Angela has these words: “I know this pandemic took tour (and live music) away, but honestly, thinking about the fact that the boys got to spend the summer with their families makes me smile.”

Now her message to all the other fans out there:

“We’ll all be together again…until then stay safe, grateful, and present in the moment!”

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Thank you Angela for sharing your story with us! Much gratitude always to the supporters out there as well. Be strong, stay safe, and always be kind!

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again my friends in 311 nation! I know it’s been a crazy week since last Monday – so take a break and read all about our next fan spotlight, Kala Knapp!

It was in middle school when Kala first heard the song “Down” and loved the sounds of 311. However it wasn’t until a friend asked her to attend Pow Wow with her back in 2011 that she really became a huge fan.

So naturally, Pow Wow is the show that means the most to her as it was the show that introduced her to the 311 Familia and the musical message that 311 really sends out to the world. “Although it was the hottest show, it will always rank highest for me.” Kala is at 32 shows total and her very first show was at Sunfest in Florida back in 2009.

While all of the 311 songs have some sort of meaning to Kala, she said that the song she always freaks out to is “Down South.” Lyric that she loves is – “Whether you think you can, whether you think you can’t, either way you’re right.”

Kala grew up in South Florida and lived there for 33 years of her life. She just recently moved up to New England back in 2019, to be with the love of her life Joe, whom she met through 311.

For work, she slaves away in corporate America as an Environment Data Analyst and Cartographer. “I make data understood visually and spatially on maps.”

Kala loves anything and everything nature related. “I love New England so much, we just bought a home in the middle of the woods!” She is really good at identifying birds and plants. “Not so good at tracking, but I’m hoping living in New Hampshire will help me expand!”

Speaking of loving Nature, Kala worked for 3 years on the huge BP oil spill, saving wildlife and beaches. “I had the chance to experience many different ecosystems and made lifelong friendships.” Guilty pleasure for Kala she says is brewery hopping around New England! “It’s kind of a hobby and brings us on great adventures.”

For other music that Kala loves, she loves anything with a deep beat. Some of the musicians she loves include RDGLDGRN, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Fortunate Youth, Passafire, and Ballyhoo!.

To 311, Kala has these words: “Just a simple thank you and if EVERYONE could please take your shirts off. Thanks.”

Now her message to all the other 311 fans:

“Party on and be excellent to one another.”

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Many thanks to Kala for sharing her story! As always, a huge thank you to the supporters of the fan spotlight each week. Now as Kala said, be excellent to each other.

Much Love – The Runt

Well hello again 311 nation! Another week is upon us, hopefully you are all staying safe & healthy. Let’s get to it and meet the new fan spotlight, Candy Ant! 

The age of 12 is when Candy first heard the magical sounds of 311. She was on a family trip and had gone to the hotel pool with a friend. They met a boy there who was listening to his walkman and she asked what he was playing, so he shared his headphones with her. “That moment started a life long obsession. I had never heard anything like this sound in my life before. The bass line, the plucky guitar.. “it kind of sounds like hip hop, but it’s definitely not?” It was a very Jack Skellington “What’s this?!” moment. It was All Mixed Up.. and I needed more. To this day, I couldn’t tell you what that boy’s name was. All I knew was I needed that CD. Once my family returned home from our trip, I used every dollar I had stashed away and went to the store and bought every 311 cd I could find – 311, Music and a censored copy of Grassroots… I spent every single day the rest of that summer in my room listening to those cds, reading the lyrics over and over – pretty heavy and thought provoking stuff for a 12 year old kid – and I was hooked.”

For show count, Candy said she lost track of the number. She has seen them every year at least 2-3 times, with the exception of 2018 because she had just given birth, and then this current year because of the pandemic. Her first show was in Asbury Park, she was in high school, so she skipped school that day so she could sit outside the venue to try and meet the guys. For favorite show or event, Candy had this answer: “Am I lame if I said “I love them all?” Because I do. 311 shows are like holidays to me – an opportunity to celebrate, be happy and be with the ones I love the most, my friends. 311 has brought so many amazing people into my life and we usually only get to see each other at shows and events, so each one is kind of special to me. If I had to pick one, I’d say the double night Tabernacle shows in 2014. The energy and the crowds were simply amazing those two nights; plus we had Stereolithic in the set list. I’m still waiting for those jams to come back into play.”

Song that means the most to her, she said they really all have meaning to her in one way or another. “Like a lot of others out there, their music has really pulled me through some rough spots in my life and each album has soundtracked a different chapter as I’ve aged. My go to jam though is Flowing. I’ve always found solace in the relatability of that one. But the majority of their songs, the real existential ones, the ones that hit on equality and love, those are the ones that mean the most to me because they’ve helped guide and navigate me.”

There is a lyric that Candy used as her high school year book quote and she said she will use it to help raise her daughter: “The fish who keeps on swimming, is the first to chill upstream.” “I always took this as “getting through life is hard. It feels like a never ending battle, like the struggle to swim upstream and against the current, but you have to. You have to to survive and you have to to find peace. Keep swimming. Get there. It’s going to be ok.”

Candy said she’s been a little bit of everywhere. While she grew up in central New Jersey, when she was 19 she decided that she wanted to “visit the world” and started her nomad lifestyle. “I moved out to the desert in California, spent a little over a year there and then headed back east to coastal NC. Spent 5ish years there and headed back to the desert. I lived less than 2 miles from the entrance gate to Joshua Tree National Park… it was by far the most beautiful place I had ever seen in my life and I needed to go back. I felt the most free in the open desert – some of my fondest memories are driving as fast as I possibly could through the open desert, blasting Evolver as loud as my car speakers would allow and just enjoying the freedom, being in the moment. But then after another year of blistering heat, I moved back east to Massachusetts. I have a deep-seated loathing for the New England Patriots, so staying up there was no longer an option for me. (I’m kidding… mostly.) I moved to Pennsylvania in 2008 and have been here ever since. While I left my heart somewhere on the left coast, I prefer the 95-corridor simply because it makes traveling to see 311 that much easier. I can hit 5 shows in 3-4 states over as many days.” 

Interesting fact about Candy? “I’m Batman, and I can breathe in outer space.” Something unique about Candy is that she has a radio show. “I’m on hiatus right now because of COVID, but for the last 7 years I’ve had a radio show where I primarily feature 311 songs. The show is usually anywhere from 2-4 hours live and I’ll play 311 2-4 times per hour. Everything in between is what I like to call an “eclectic grab bag” and I’ll play anything and everything, including live requests. I use a “stage name” for on air, so most people don’t even know I’m the same person, so it’s always funny to me when I get a random message from someone telling me 311 is on the radio right now and I’m like “yes, I know. I’m the one playing it” lol.”

Want to know what Candy’s guilty pleasure is? “ I listen to Ricky Martin and drink wine with a straw. I also play way more xbox than one should admit to.” When not listening to 311 or Ricky Martin, she can be found listening to pretty much anything due to her eclectic taste in music. However she draws a hard NO line at country music or Gregorian chant. “But honestly, I really do love all varieties of music. Aside from 311, my “all time favorite band of all time” would have to be the Beatles. I pretended John Lennon was my junior prom date and wore a yellow dress and used a Yellow Submarine lunch box with a rose tied to it as my purse. I was a weird kid. But my day to day playlist can include anything from Madonna, to Bowie & Prince, RTJ, the Misfits, the Unseen, Buddy Holly, Lady Gaga, Bill Withers, Dolly Parton, junior MAFIA… really, anything. If I were to throw my shit on shuffle right now, there’s a good possibility we could get GHOST or the Slap Chop auto tune remix by DJ Steve Porter… it’s really a toss up.”

To 311, Candy has this simple message: “Thank you!”

Candy has these words for all the other fans out there:

“It’s getting OK now!” I can’t wait until things are back to normal and I can hug and see you all again. All the love and all the missing.”

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There you have the story of Candy Ant! Thank you so much to her for sharing her adventure and to all of you for your continued support of the fan spotlights. Have a safe, healthy, and happy week! 

Much Love – The Runt