Welcome back my friends out in 311 nation! We meet again for the latest edition of the 311 fan spotlight. This week we meet Preston Pearson! 

Brother and former fan spotlight Eddie Brake is how Preston was introduced to 311 because he was a huge fan. “Crazy thing is that he was just a kid.  I am 41 years old and loved all music in that genre but for some reason 311 didn’t resonate with me at that time.” Preston said he thinks he just wasn’t ready for 311 at the time because he was too busy trying to climb the corporate ladder. Flash forward about 15 years to when Eddie took him to his first show. “I was instantly hooked. I only knew the hits, but I loved the vibe of not only the band, but the fans at the show.” 

Show count is close to 40 and it was in 2012 at Wendover, N.V. that he saw that first with Eddie. While it’s hard to pick just one favorite of the shows he has been to, he said that he’d have to pick 311 Day in New Orleans in 2014. It was his first 311 Day. “I met so many awesome people that trip and all of them are still a part of my life.  It changed me on every imaginable level for the better.” 

Picking a song that means the most to Preston was another tough question. “I love the lyrics, particularly SA’s deep shit.” He chose a few that really stand out to him which include “Tune In,” “No Control,” “And A Ways to Go,” Starshines,” “Plain,” “Sever,” and “From Chaos.” Some of his favorite lyrics include: “Stay positive and love your life,” “Life’s a bowl of punch, go ahead and spike it,” “I am a music lover, somehow I get paid,” and “A river cuts its way through stone, not through sheer force but persistence.” 

Preston was born in Utah and said he attended a lot of schools, 13 in total. He has two wonderful sets of parents which he said was because of a divorce that turned into a win for everyone involved. “I am the oldest of a total of 8 kids between the two parents (it’s a Utah thing 😊) and have 5 kids of my own.  Recently one of my kids and a fellow fan Chyann Davis gave us a grand baby.  Izzie lights up my life and is always the center of attention.” Preston and his wife Traci have a fun story of how they met. She was dating the big boss at work and he ended up working his way into her heart. “I fell hard for her and asked her to marry me only a month after we started dating.  Got married a month after that and have been happily together for more than 21 years now.” Preston works for a McDonald’s franchisee as an area supervisor and has seven restaurants that he oversees. 

Some things Preston loves include being outdoors and gardening. Interesting fact about him is that he is fluent in Spanish and loves the Mexican culture including authentic food. He’s also a pretty good cook and loves to do it. He said he makes dinner almost every night of the week. Preston said he’s also obsessed with the meaning of life. “From deity’s, to afterlife, to aliens I am always researching something to give me the answer.  So far, all I know is that we as the human race don’t know shit! Haha.” He also said a guilty pleasure is that he knows every Barry Manilow lyric ever written. “Like seriously, all of them.  I still blame my mother for that one.” 

Other than 311 the two bands that Preston has seen the most are Dirty Heads and RDGLDGRN. During his teenage years he was heavily into Nine Inch Nails. He said he now has evolved to like a little of everything. 

To 311, Preston would like to say, “From the bottom of my heart, Thank you.  It still amazes me that a band and their fans could completely change who I am as a person.  I love who I have become because of them.  I see things differently and have a greater appreciation for the things that really matter in life.”

Preston’s message to all the fellow fans:

“I love each and every one of you!  Most of the people that I hold near and dear to my heart are 311 fans.  There are many more that I will meet in the future and I know that they will fit into the same mold.”

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That’s the story of Preston Pearson! Tune in next week when you get to meet his lovely wife Traci! Thanks for reading all. Go have a great week and spread the positivity! 

Much love – The Runt

Welcome back friends to the latest 311 fan spotlight! This week we have the story of Todd Granger! 

While Todd was a fan of 311’s radio hits in the mid 90’s, it was the album Transistor that really hooked him. “That album has a distinct sound that drew me in and made me want more.” 

Show count as of right now stands at 65. His first show was July 23, 2004 in Mansfield, Massachusetts. “That setlist had a lot of Evolver songs.” Favorite event so far though was 311 Day 2016 in New Orleans. “It was a life changing experience for me.”

One song that means a ton to Todd is the song “Visit.” It’s always been his favorite. “The lyrics. The sound. Every instrument. It’s perfection. And pure bliss live. I absolutely go off when they play it. Rap, Rock, Reggae. It’s the perfect example of the 311 stylee. From their FIRST album.” A lyric that stands out to Todd and connects with him is, “If someone digs your art that’s a reason to live. And if ya got a gift then ya know that ya gotta give.” He said being an artist himself this lyric is really important to him. He also loves the lyric, “Do as you will, do as you wish, follow your bliss.”

Todd will tell you he’s from Boston but he actually lives in a suburb just north of Boston called Lynn, Massachusetts. “I’ve been here all my life. I’ve lived in a few different coastal towns such as Salem, Beverly and Quincy.” Todd plays hockey and loves attending Boston Bruins games. “They are my favorite and I am a huge hockey fan.” After high school Todd became involved in photography and worked at Lifetouch for 8 years. “Photographing school picture days and all other school related events such as sports, proms & graduations.  Then left and tried studio photography.  I was with The Picture  People for almost 5 years at the Burlington Mall and N.Shore Mall.  Also photographed a few of my own weddings on the side.  Decided to leave the photo fields and re-pursue my talent in drawing and painting.  It started out as therapy and became my favorite  hobby again.” Todd tries to sell his artwork to fund his 311 habit. “I might also splurge when I’m not supposed to. But, I gotta live my life. My family never traveled much when I was younger and I couldn’t really go to concerts till I was an adult and on my own.” 

Todd is developing his own style of artwork which combines his talents and skills in sketching, drawing, and inking, plus also painting and spray painting. Another talent Todd had was that he used to play piano. “I quit when I was younger but I have been thinking about going back.” 

Something most people know about Todd, if you know him personally, is that he is obsessed with Spiderman. However his guilty pleasure he said is Star Wars. “Been a fan all my life.”

When not listening to the sounds of 311, Todd also enjoys Slightly Stoopid and Stick Figure, two of his other favorite bands. He also likes the classic alternative like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Primus, and Stone Temple Pilots. “I was a 90’s teen.” 

To 311, Todd would like to say: “Thank you 311 for all you’ve done and what you continue to do. And please DONT STOP.”

Now his message to all the 311 fans:

“Be patient. No matter what.

Promote what you love , don’t bash what you hate.

Love always wins.

Believe in Unity thru music.

Stay positive Love your life

May the force be with you

Eat tacos.”

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Well said Todd! Thanks for sharing your story with the 311 fan community. Now everyone go be awesome and keep spreading that positive light throughout your week! 

Much Love – The Runt

It’s a new week 311 nation which means it’s time to meet the new fan spotlight. This week we learn all about Saralyn Revello! 

Flash back to 1995. Saralyn heard “Down” on the radio and ran out to buy the blue album. At the time she was growing up Long Beach, New York, what she calls a California-like beach party suburb of New York City. “My girlfriends and I used to stumble down the boardwalk on summer nights belting out songs obnoxiously loud. Down and All Mixed Up were two of those songs although Im sure we butchered the lyrics. Those two will always remind me of that carefree time in my life.” 

While Saralyn listened to the radio hits and saw the band every time they came to town, it didn’t really take a firm grasp on her until the year 2011. Saralyn’s daughter was born two months early and she almost died during childbirth. “It wrecked me emotionally. She was 3.5 lbs and ended up in the NICU for a month. During that brutal month Universal Pulse was leaked and it was a staple during our walks to and from the NICU. It was also the year that Beautiful Disaster was in the MLB video game soundtrack, and at the time that game was played nearly every night in my household. For a while after that the Universal Pulse songs gave me PTSD flashbacks to those NICU days and I had trouble listening to it, so since Spotify and Pandora were pretty popular by then I started catching up on the 311 that I missed over the years. Uplifter particularly helped me through that postpartum depression/PTSD few years. I was happy to find some positivity and I knew I wanted more of it.” Saralyn’s daughter Emily is now 7 years old and a little excitable of course! “She’s an amazing creature!”

Then when Stereolithic came out Saralyn really became hooked. “I was driving a lot for work and for months I couldn’t listen to anything besides that album. The music and lyrics, especially The Call and Boom Shanka, but really the whole album, spoke to me in a way that no music had since before my daughters birth.” She realized that 311’s music had really been by her side since the first time she heard “Down” and she now couldn’t get enough of the positivity and gratitude that 311 embodied. “Summer of 14 I saw a few shows and it grew from there and I joined the Familia very specifically in hopes I would find others like me – who saw the connection and wanted the same things out of life. Although I was on a work trip on the opposite coast I nearly jumped on the boat in 15. And then I vowed to be at 311 Day in 16. And it was kind of like taking a ride on a cosmic trip from there. I’ve done at least 10 shows a year and both 311 days and Cruise 5 since then, with no desire to slow it down any time soon. They’ve truly been my constant companion and I could never thank them enough for waking my mind up and not giving up. I literally out loud asked the universe for unity consciousness and it answered with 311 and the 311 commUNITY.  I mean literally even a dude with a UNITY tattoo; it was so clear written down on his skin. I wasn’t missing the message this time.”

While Saralyn is unsure of her exact show count for 311 live, she believes it’s somewhere in the 40 range. She is pretty sure her first 311 show was at the Roseland in New York City back in 1997. While it’s hard to pick which show or event was her favorite so far, she said she’d probably have to go with 311 Day 2016 in New Orleans. “It was my first major 311 event and travel show and I connected so heavily to the 311 commUNITY in Nola and it really felt like I’m finally home (I see a lighthouse ☺ ) and finally found my soul tribe. There’s so many magical memories of that weekend that literally rearranged my life, especially dancing in the rain to Simplify and Sun Come Through on Bourbon Street at 3am with Jessica Pursley who I give much credit to for seeing the energy shining all around us and connecting a whole seemingly random bunch of excitables together. I’ve met some of my favorite people in the world thanks to her.” 

Some of her favorite songs include “Sun Come Through,” “Face in the Wind,” “Omaha Stylee,” “Unity,” “Full Ride,” “Get Down,” “Still Dreaming,” and “It’s Getting Ok Now.” There are a ton of lyrics that stand out to Saralyn and she said they are the basis for a lot of her crafting. If forced t chose just one, she’d go with “Do as you will, do as you wish, follow your bliss.” “It’s simply the number one mantra I try to live my life around on a daily basis. If I ever get a tattoo that’ll be it.”

Saralyn, as mentioned earlier, was born in New York and she is still living there 37 years later. “But for most of my life I’ve felt like I was born on the wrong coast. I am grateful for the accessibility of New York; especially concerts and experiences and food. But Im over the pace and energy of New York and I crave the Cali vibes – my heart is in San Diego.” She’s worked in the flower industry for 14 years and has dealt with everything from designing to sourcing to new business development. “Because about 80% US commercially grown flowers come out of California, I am lucky enough to get to visit various parts of the state at least 2x a year and I travel globally a fair amount as well. I love traveling and I love bringing the sweetness of the flowers to the people to help remind them that were nothing but a walking sack of earth!! But seriously I am beyond grateful to have amassed a really specific niche resume in my field and I hope to continue contributing positive change for the industry at large. Even on the worst days I just remember that the whole reason my job exists is to make people smile; from birth to death and hopefully more in between, flowers and plants are always with us.”

Saralyn grew up Jewish but she really doesn’t really practice organized religion anymore. She went to a very religious Yeshiva from nursery until 8th grade. “I had to wear long skirts every single day and still cannot bear to wear skirts at all, especially long ones. Sundresses are cool though.” Talent for Saralyn is that she’s very creative and can pick up pretty much any craft with just basic instructions. Obviously she’s done flowers for events and weddings, but she’s also run a photography side business and has an Etsy store where she sells random crafts. “I’ve been making my closest excitable crew event specific shirts and such since Nola ’16. If 311 is ever looking for a merch girl .. I got a head full of ideas, let me tell ya, that you wouldn’t believe!” Guilty pleasure for her is food related – appetizers! “I love appetizers and would be perfectly happy never ordering a main course again for the rest of my life. Ill order 5 diff apps just to have a little taste of everything. Its gluttonous but I love it. Im dangerous at a cocktail hour. I’ve literally had dreams about being in situations where I can just have a little taste of everything. But I think it kind of speaks to my feelings on earthly human life… I kinda just want a little taste of everything!! Except 311. Im always feeling famished for a 311 sandwich and would take that as a main course any day ☺.”

To 311, Saralyn would like to say: “I could never thank you guys enough for being the guiding light walking this earth beside me assisting with my greater ascension (cause I was born to elevate), spreading the love and the good karma, creating, living and rocking the songs of my soul and bringing me home to my tribe… and you never turned your back on me; even if it took about 20 years for me to realize!! Can’t nobody do it like 311!”

Now to all the other fellow 311 fans:

“Well I’ve got a clique but its WAY more like a family; through this commUNITY I’ve met some of my favorite people on this human journey, I have truly found my soul family within this fan base and I am eternally grateful to have this connection and abundant flow of love, light and pure momentum. Thank you for accepting me – even though I arrived fashionably late. I never feel more myself than when I’m standing at the rail living and rockin with all of you spirits on the run. Let’s keep it all together, its only getting better!”

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Thank you Saralyn for sharing your story of how you discovered and came to love 311! Gratitude goes out to all the other fans who keep reading about their fellow Excitables too of course. You are all wonderful creatures who keep the light alive on this planet! Go be awesome as always! 

Much love – The Runt

Happy 4th of July week excitable nation! While we kick off the holiday week, et’s read all about another fellow member of the 311 community.  Meet Dewane Dean! 

MTV is where Dewane first discovered 311 when the video for “Down” was being shown in heavy rotation. “All I could remember was, is this real? P-nut high stepping with the bas s guitar, and the pause in the song with Chad on the drums. It felt like 3D. I was hooked. I was drawn to the fact that they were fun and the music was positive. Also the fact that their song was being played on the very same station that the band was dissing. Down- “ And the Channel whatever that wack show Real World is on”. I thought it was bold and ingenious at the time.  Then came ALL MIXED UP, mind blown lol.”

First show for Dewane was at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta back in 1997 when 311 played with Fishbone. “I was working there as an usher for a event staffing agency and when I heard 311 was playing I had to be at that show. One of my best memories and I was hooked on their live shows every since.” Show count for him is at 65 and he’s seen them play all over the country. Favorite event so far was the cruise to Jamaica in 2015. “It was my first cruise and Soundsystem is my favorite 311 album, so it was perfect.” He also mentioned the 10th anniversary show where they played Grassroots in its entirety and then all of Music. “Epic moment!”

The song “Electricity” means a lot to Dewane. “The words in that song changed my life! It’s rarely played but it’s super special.” Aside from the lyric, “Stay positive and love your life,” one of Dewane’s favorites comes from “Purpose” – “I believe in your Purpose baby, coming up to the surface and maybe I’ll never see you again, then again who knows.” He even has a tattoo on his arm with this lyric. 

Originally from Detroit, Dewane moved to Atlanta in with his mom in 1993  at the age of 17.  “The South has to grow on me because of where I’m from I wasn’t used to people being so damn nice. You know, Southern Hospitality and all. After my first year in Atlanta I decided this was the place for me. I’ve always been a positive person with ambition to get out of a tough environment. I found that peace of mind in Georgia.” In 2013 his job moved him back up to the Midwest and he was in Chicago for 18 months. “It was the best experience of my life besides the weather of course.” From Chicago Dewane then moved to Houston for a short time but then made his way back to Atlanta because he was homesick. “Atlanta is a special place for 311 fans. Every 311 fan new and old should experience the 2 night concert event at the Tabernacle. Definitely one of the best venues to see the boys. To fund my 311 habit I work for an airline, free flights.”

Some talents Dewane has is that he is a great singer, and he is also very calm and patient in most situations. Guilty pleasures for him include the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” and the T.V.  show “Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

Interesting fact about Dewane is that he likes country music as well as rock and roll. He also said he is a gentle giant who just loves people! When not listening to 311 he can be found grooving to Incubus, Deftones, OutKast, Jay-Z, Nas, RDGLDGRN, Pearl Jam, Iration, The Green, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Kendrick Lamar, Jack Johnson, Traffic, LED Zeppelin, Otis Redding, Donnie Hathaway, The Roots, Rebelution, Queens of the Stoneage, Band of Horses, Eminem, J Cole, and The White Stripes.

To 311 Dewane would like to say: “Thank You with everything I have for raising us as fans with your music. I am around the same age and I feel like I’ve grown up with you guys. When Soundsystem came out, I was in a dark place in life, I listen that album today like it is the first time. Also, Mosaic and Stereolitic are some of your best work and we are truly blessed to have you guys together after 28 years.”

Now his message to the 311 fan community:

“I look forward to meeting everyone on the Cruise, 311 Day or the many cities I visit during the tours! Say Hi when you see me. I’m so kool 🙂 We are so fortunate to be apart of a community like this, so enjoy this ride cause Life’s Not A Race 😁”

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There you have the story of Dewane Dean! Much gratitude to Dewane for being a part of the spotlight and to all of you who keep reading. Go celebrate life and love, be awesome and spread the positivity! 

Much love – The Runt

Well hello again to all the awesome peeps in 311 nation! We meet again for the next edition of the fan spotlight. This week let’s read all about Jeremy Swisshelm!

Radio is where Jeremy first heard the magical sounds of 311, when stations were playing “All Mixed Up” and “Down” in heavy rotation. He loved it instantly and then his friend let him borrow Grassroots. He never gave it back. “Sorry not sorry. I repaid him years later with a ton of 311 music he wasn’t familiar with. Became a super fan after seeing them live for the first time.”

Show count he believes is somewhere in the 20’s and he’s been on two cruises. Jeremy’s first show was July 2011 at Northerly Island in Chicago. “My wife got us tickets for my birthday. Show was unbelievable and became a super fan after that!” Favorite event was his first cruise, which was the 4th cruise overall. “Sail away show was amazing. I can’t even put into words how amazing it was.”

Favorite song is a tough question to answer but Jeremy said he would probably pick “Misdirected Hostility.” “It reminds me that sometimes when people are mean or mad, you should try giving them the benefit of the doubt. I mean I don’t know what that person is going through right now.  And I also find myself with misdirected hostility and it helps me to reign that in.” One of his favorite lyrics comes from the recent Mosaic album and the song “Forever Now” – “For an infinite minute, let’s stop the clock and be in it!”

Jeremy grew up in Northwest Indiana, in the suburbs of Chicago. He played soccer throughout his entire childhood-travel teams, Olympic development, all of it. Then in high school he tore ligaments in his knee and was never the same after it. Then he started hanging out with two local bands during his high school years and he gained his love of live music from those days. “Living outside Chicago i went to a ton of shows in the 90’s.  But never saw 311 back then for some weird reason.”

Jeremy moved to Colorado in 2003 with his brother and his brothers girlfriend. “We lived in a tent for 2 months while we found work and a place to live.   Stayed there for 5 years. Snowboarded ALOT.” He moved to Colorado with no money, no car, and not knowing anyone there. “One of the best times of my life.”

Unfortunately then Jeremy’s mom passed away and he moved back home to be closer to his dad. “They had been married for 35 years.” It was a few years later that he met his now wife and last weeks fan spotlight Trisha. “Fell in love. Got married. Had a kiddo. Nolan is 10 and awesome. He loves a lot of the same music we do. We moved to Florida about 4 years ago.  I am a glazier (glass installer). Showers, windows,  table tops, mirrors, stuff like that.”

A talent for Jeremy is that he is very handy. “I can fix and build lots of things.” Guilty pleasure for him? “I love the movie Dirty Dancing.” Jeremy’s love for music has him liking a wide variety of musicians including Dirty Heads, Rebelution, Stick Figure, The Movement, Sublime, Blind Melon, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Clutch, Simon and Garfunkel, Fugazi, Buddy Holly, Oak Ridge Boys, and The Grateful Dead.

Jeremy would like to tell the members of 311 this message: “Thank you for the endless entertainment and knowledge you’ve given me.”

To all the other fans out there:

“Before you judge someone, try to put yourself in their shoes.”

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Powerful words and great ones at that Jeremy! Thanks for being part of this 311 fan community and sharing your story. As usual, much gratitude to all that read each week! Until we meet again, do the usual. Be awesome and spread the positivity and love!

Much love – The Runt

Why hello there friends in 311 nation! It’s been a couple of weeks but we are back with the newest fan spotlight. Get ready to meet Trisha Swisshelm!

Trisha was always a casual fan of the band until she saw them in concert, that’s when everything changed. “My first show was in 2011, when Sublime with Rome opened. I got my husband and I tickets because he was a huge Sublime fan.  That was the day I fell completely in love with 311 and started listening to all of their music I’d missed over the years.” Aside from the band themselves and the music, what really drew her in more was the fan community. They started meeting fellow fans and she said it just all came together. “I’ve been totally hooked ever since!”

Show count for her is unclear, somewhere in the 20-30 range. She hits every show they can in the Florida area and tries to fly back home for shows in Chicago. One of her favorite shows so far was a small, intimate show in Fort Wayne, Indiana, plus the small show in Tampa before the 2017 cruise which she said blew her away. “The most memorable though would probably have to be our very first sail away show on the 2015 Jamaica cruise! Such a magical moment!”

The song “Beyond the Gray Sky” hits home for her because of personal struggles as well as those of her loved ones. “It’s a beautiful song with a powerful message.” For lyrics, one of her favorites is “The jaded ones will wither while the optimistic grow.” She said, “I try to remember those words and apply them to my life.”

Highland, Indiana, a small town about 30 minutes from Chicago, is where Trisha grew up. “We weren’t stereotypical farms or cornfields, but ya didn’t have to go too terribly far to get to them, lol.” Her family spent summers in Clearwater Beach, Florida, and she always dreamed of living in Florida one day. So 4 years ago Trisha, her husband, and their song moved there and they love their decision! “It was hard to leave behind family and friends, but we were ready for a change! The Florida Familia, and especially the Tampa Bay crew make us feel even more at home and the music scene is fantastic.” They live between Tampa and St. Petersburg so they have access to a lot of great live shows. Plus she said with the weather and beautiful scenery, how can you not love Florida. “There’s so much to love. Florida life suits us!”

Recently though Trisha was diagnosed with a rare and rarely diagnosed brain condition called Chiari Malformation. “It’s made me pretty sick for a lot of the last year, and I’ve not been able to work.  I’m pretty open about it because I believe there needs to be MUCH more awareness of it, especially among doctors so that patients can get the treatment they need without having to fight every step of the way.”

Something Trisha loves is to be creative and make things. She’s very crafty, from writing to making jewelry, or cutting up old or ill fitting t-shirts. She also draws, paints, tie-dye’s…you name it! “I’m always trying to learn new ways to be creative!” Guilty pleasure for Trisha? “I’m obsessed with all things Harry Potter!”

As far as other music that Trisha loves, she said she discovered most of her other favorites because of 311 and the fan community. “My newest favorite is The Movement, who I saw open up for 311 in Orlando last year before the cruise.  I also love Stick Figure, Rebelution and of course RDGLDGRN who have become a cruise staple!  The only fav band I didn’t discover through 311 would be Dirty Heads, but then they were brought on the 2015 cruise! Nothing better than having all your favorite bands together, especially out on the sea!!”

To the band, Trisha has this message: “Thank you for everything, from the music to the love for us fans and for creating such a badass community of excitables to share it all with!”

And to all the fellow 311 fans:

“Keep on spreading the peace, love, and unity and fuck the naysayers!”

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That is the story of Trisha Swisshelm! Many thanks to Trisha for sharing her story and to all those that come back each week to learn more about individuals in this fan community! Such a great family to be a part of. Go now and be the awesome individuals you are.

Much love – The Runt

Happy Memorial Day friends out in 311 nation! Before you head out to celebrate, take a moment to meet our latest fan spotlight – Sandra Dee Guillen!

It was Sandra’s fiancé who introduced her to the sounds of 311. It was the island vibes to rock vibes and everything in between that really sucked her in. “Was feeling the grooves and nodding my head to the beats. While getting groovy…I even found myself doing a little ballroom dance & break dancing.”

Sandra lost count at 21 of how many shows she has been to. “It’s not the number that should matter but what we do with the time … every second…every year…. we must make every moment count.” Some of her favorites that she attended include both the Jamaica and Cozumel cruises, Asbury park shows, the New York City Halloween show, and Atlantic City. Her first show ever was in Philadelphia at Festival Pier.

First favorite song for Sandra was “Sunset in July” because she loves dancing and having the time of her life with friends. A few of her other favorites are: Tranquility (because it helped her through a tough time of losing 3 parents and 2 fur boxer kids in a short period of time), “Beyond the Grey Sky,” “Face in the Wind” (because it makes her think of just putting yourself out there and facing your fears), “Inside Our Home,” and “Island Sun.” One of her favorite quotes comes from her first favorite – “Rockers by my side, time is flying by. Watching you dancing and having the time of your lives and it gets me high.”

Born and raised in the Rio Grand Valley, Sandra is from the southern tip of Texas. She has a degree in Graphic Design but stuck with her passion, which is dancing. Dance and teaching took her to Las Vegas for 4 years where she competed in a variety of ballroom and latin style dances. She then moved to Pennsylvania and has lived there for almost 12 years. “It was then when I was introduced to that scratched CD…. that got played so much it looks like it has burn circles from the songs I played over & over.” She is a professional ballroom instructor and her dream was to share her love of dance with others, which she does at Pivotballroom. She opened this studio with her partner almost a year ago. “A place where when we were renovating the walls heard Mosaic on repeat through many hours/days of tears, sweat, injuries & even helped us get past the days we were most tired & overwhelmed.  Yes… 311 stuff can be seen/found in and around the studio.”

Sandra has had a love of classic music from an early age. On Saturday mornings she would be woken up by the sounds of old school music being played on the record player. “Dad would play all kinds of vinyl and we had a dance party in the living room. Gosh I miss those days.” Her musical choices are pretty diverse, including everything from blues to ska, from country to old school hip hop. Other artists she enjoys besides 311 include Dirty Heads, Rdgldgrn, Full Service, Soja, Prince, Beastie Boys, Frank Sinatra and Metallica.

Fun facts about Sandra include that she is a paranormal investigator and her nickname is Cha Cha. As mentioned, she loves dancing and has a talent for it. She can even break dance! Guilty pleasure? “Mermaiding.”

Sandra was lucky enough to meet Nick one day and this was her interaction:

Sandra Dee to Nick: “May I have a hug?”

Nick: Yess…sure.

“He sort of looked a little thrown back.. my guess is cuz I asked for permission  instead of just going in for one :: shrug shoulders :: & I was frozen.. wanting to respect his space/energy…with a huge smile on my face. Did I mention he is so much taller than I expected too..his energy was great!!!”

Finally, here is Sandra’s message to all the other fans:

“Fin ups!! Get out there and whatever makes your soul happy do that!! Be what we see and hear so often from 311… be yourself. .. Remember you attract what you put out there. So let’s all be creatures for awhile… spirits on the run…. living and let live with love & kindness. 

And if you see me don’t hesitate to give me a high five but….

*** Warning** I’M A HUGGER!”

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That was the story of Sandra Dee Guillen! It was a pleasure to write and share her story. Much gratitude as always for those who read each week. Now go celebrate the day and keep on spreading that positivity!

Much Love – The Runt

Welcome again friends out there in 311 nation! It’s that time again, we need to meet our next fan spotlight! Say hello to Heidi Weber!

Heidi’s best friend in high school had the Grassroots album and they would drive around listening to it. Then Heidi went and found the Music album and was hooked from there on. “When I was a kid I loved how different they sounded from everyone else. The lyrics were so uplifting to me and made me think about things in a different way and changed my perspective. Young and impressionable for sure.”

As far as show count, she’s pretty sure it’s somewhere around 25. Her first show was in Cleveland at the Agora Theater back in 1999. “I had just gotten my license and overestimated how cool my parents were when I bought the tickets. They definitely were not cool enough to let me drive an hour to Cleveland to see a band. But I already had the tickets so what was I going to do? I was going to lie and go anyway. Me and my friends ended up stealing one of their dads cars and driving up there and lying about where we were. It totally worked. It was the time of my life at 16. They started the encore with who’s got the herb and the whole place lit up. I had never seen anything like that in my 16 year old life, but I totally lit up with them.”

Favorite event for Heidi was her first 311 Day in 2016. “I had been wanting to go since they started doing it back in the day, but there was no way I had money to travel to see 311. The drummer in my band, David Elrod (some of you may know) shared an interest in 311 that we apparently had never talked about. It came up one day and we decided to go for it in 2016. We had such a blast meeting new people and seeing how much love for 311 was still out there. We hopped on the cruise the next year and Vegas this year. Safe to say we’re hooked.”

When it comes to favorite song, Heidi said that historically “Eons” has been her favorite if asked but with that being said, “Freak Out” hits her really hard. Then picking lyrics that mean a lot to here is difficult, but there is a funny story that comes with one set of lyrics in particular. “In high school someone was giving me a hard time about something. Just being an all around not cool person and instead of slapping back at them I just spouted these lyrics. They were definitely speechless after that.” The lyrics come from the song “Uncalm” – “Don’t even try it, you don’t want to disrespect me. If dealing with punks was school I’d have a Harvard degree. You can’t make hate you no matter how punk you act, whatever you do I don’t react. I’m the perfect example of not giving a fuck about catty rude people that just suck. What do you know, all of a sudden, uh, I usurp you. Look it up in the dictionary to find out what I do. I go back to the style I came from, it’s not something you can fake son. You’re a con man who’s run is done, you lead a world wide web of deception.”

A “super small town” in Ohio is where Heidi was raised. She said there wasn’t much to do in the summer and even less in winter. “Our main hangouts were driving around in someones car and listening to music. 311 was always in heavy rotation.” She lived in Ohio for 23 years and then moved to California. There she produces concerts and live events. She also hosts a radio show on Radio Valencia in San Francisco. As if that wasn’t enough, she DJ’s at her local dive bar. “I got super lucky and was able to turn my love of music into a career.”

Interesting fact about Heidi is that she played in a German brass band for most of the time she was in Ohio. She’s also super into karaoke. “On the cruise last year I went to the karaoke event right when it started and signed up for 4 songs at least. I was recognized as the karaoke girl after that.” Guilty pleasure? She’s been known to get down to some Taylor Swift! Other musical interests include Brian Jonestown Massacre, Sleater Kinney, Rilo Kiley, Alvvays, Belle & Sebastian, and King Gizzard and the Lizzard Wizard. She said she also really loves the 60’s pop that’s out there.

Her message to 311 is a simple yet beautiful one: “Thanks for all the memories.”

To all the fellow fans:

“It’s always a fun time hanging out with you guys. Can’t wait to catch you at the shows!”

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Thank you to Heidi Weber for sharing your story! Gratitude goes out to all who participate and who read every week. You are all amazing and I’m very proud to be a part of this community. Until we meet again!

Much love – The Runt

Oh hey there excitable nation! Welcome again to the fan spotlight. This week we meet the lovely Alexandra Collins!

During high school Alexandra listened to “Love Song” and “Amber” but didn’t fully become a 311 fan until 2016 when she started dating someone who was a huge fan. “The positivity of their lyrics originally drew me to the band, but once I saw them live it became about so much more than that. It felt like family.”

Show count for Alexandra is at 11. She went on the cruise in 2017 and attended this years 311 Day. First show for her was in San Francisco in 2016. Her favorite event so far was the cruise which she said was life changing. “Spending four days on a boat with a bunch of people who preach positivity and love the same band I do was one of the most enlightening experiences of my life. You really can’t understand it until you experience it for yourself.”

There are a few songs that mean a lot to Alexandra, but “It’s Alright” is probably the one that means the most to her. “I found the Uplifter album during a difficult time for myself and my family and the lyrics in that song in particular helped me through it.” Some of her favorite lyrics though come from the song “Tranquility” – “No you can’t go around it, you have to walk right through it, my father told me that so long ago. Every time that you ignore it, it gets a little more, you just have to walk toward the fear to go.” She said these lyrics speak to her because of trials that her family has been through. “It reminds me that I need to face my problems head on and not let fear stop me from achieving the things I want in life. No matter where I am when I hear this song, I always take a minute to center myself and really listen to the words.”

The San Francisco Bay Area is where Alexandra grew up but she also spent a lot of time in Upstate New York, where her family is from. She went to Syracuse University for a year, but then transferred to Arizona State University where she earned her bachelors degree in Journalism. Besides the above mentioned states, she has also lived in Connecticut and Oregon where she worked for a couple of small baseball teams. She currently works for the San Francisco Chronicle as a full-time content producer. She also works part-time for MLB.com as a stats stringer and as if that wasn’t enough, she is the media relations assistant for the Oakland Raiders.

When not tied up with work, Alexandra likes to rock climb, hike and be outdoors in general. She also writes concert reviews and dabbles in live music photography. Something interesting about Alexandra, she has a matching tattoo with both her best friend and her mom! “My mom and I both have baseballs with wings and my best friend and I both have lyrics to an A Day to Remember song.”

Singing has been something Alexandra has been doing sing she was a child and she used to perform at state fairs and various events in California. She even sang the national anthem at some games. Now I get my fix doing karaoke at dingy dive bars. I get down to some “Lady Marmalade.” Guilty pleasure for her is bad reality T.V. shows. “I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

Her musical tastes are all over the map and she doesn’t just simply love one genre. She said her favorite artists often change. Lately she has been listening to Rebelution, The Beatles, Stick Figure, Halsey, Tom Petty, Dirty Heads, Nahko and Medicine for the People.

To 311, Alexandra’s message is: “Thank you for always leaving your heart and soul on the stage and for treating your fans more like family.”

To all the fellow fans in 311 nation:

“Remember, you don’t know what people are going through in their personal lives. Be kind, stay positive and love your life.”

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Many thanks to Alexandra for sharing her story of her love for 311. Much gratitude goes out to each of you that are in this family and read the spotlights. May your week be full of light and positivity!

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again 311 fans! Time for the latest edition of the spotlight. This week, let’s meet Robert Solivan!

Robert was the age of 19, in the year 1997, when he first discovered 311. He knew the songs “Down” and “All Mixed Up,” but didn’t really pay too much attention to them at first. He then joined a CD club where he bought 10 CD’s for a penny. “The ones I remember are Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits, Grateful Dead Skeletons in the Closet, Music and Grassroots. I didn’t know that 311 had two other albums so I thought I’d give them a shot. When I put in Music I liked it right away, everything about it, I don’t have to preach to the choir here. And it continued with Grassroots. After these two albums became part of my rotation it was Tim’s Santana sounding guitar style part in Nutsymptom that impressed me the most. Another thing I liked was Nicks certainty about being here today, tomorrow, next week and, next year. He was right. I then borrowed forever The Blue Album from my friend. It rocked.”

Since 1997, Robert has been seeing 311 live consistently in the San Francisco Bay Area. It started on Halloween at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. He’s lost count of exactly how many times he has seen them. In 2008 he was at 22 shows and he said he remembers this because he briefly thought he had seen them enough. “Then I realized some things. First off, Uplifter had just come out and I loved it, It was their ninth album. There were no bands I liked at the time or even now that made that many albums that I liked so much. Specifically the Beatles who were life changing for me. And there are more 311 songs that I like than The Beatles. At that point I realized 311 was my favorite band and I wanted to see them every time they came around.”

Favorite show so far for Robert has been 311 Day 2014. “For that marathon show I heard more of my favorite songs than any other concert than I have been to.” First show he traveled across the country for was Pow Wow. “I took the bus because I had a bunch of stuff the plane wouldn’t let me have. It was an experience that I wouldn’t recommend. I fly now.” He also made it on the Jamaica cruise and plans on going on the 2019 cruise.

When asked if he has a favorite song, he said a less complex question would be favorite album. “I’ve bought every album during initial release since Transistor and listened to them religiously until the next one comes out and repeat. I Love every album and have twenty three years of positive stories for every one of them.” Currently Mosaic is his favorite. He said a start to some 311 magic was when Transistor was released and he bought it the week it came out. “There was a Tower Records commercial for it. Bought it after work, took it home, put it in the cd player pressed rewind to see if there was a secret track and there was. I always rewound or waited for a secret track after the last track because of various other albums at the time that did it. Mind Blown they had one. Mind blown again a couple months later when I see them live for the first time and they start the show with it dressed in their Halloween costumes. I have a story for every single album released since. Going to shows and swapping them are the best.”

Concord, California, is where Robert grew up. It’s about 30 miles east of San Francisco. His mother was born in Mexico and he was raised as pop-cultured as anyone else was in the 80’s. He and his family listened to R&B, Soul, Funk, Rap, & Salsa music as he grew. Then at 15 he was introduced to  AC/DC Live and his musical interests broadened. “From there Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power lyrics were memorized and Rock & Roll albums whether classic or modern started to rule my life.  Jimi, Marley, Zeppelin,The Beatles, RHCP, RATM, Sublime, 311 around here somewhere, System of a Down, Slipknot, Fear Factory, Machine Head, Mudvayne.”

Currently Robert has five favorite active bands that he has been listening to solidly for a few years. Obviously number one is 311. Second is Passafire. “Ten years of listening to these guys and seeing them live and they just keep getting better. They are catching up to 311 with six stellar albums.” Third band is Faith No More. He got into them in 1999 after they broke up but then in 2010 they reunited. He said if they had kept making music and hadn’t broken up they would probably be his favorite band right now. Number four for him is T.V. on the Radio. “They’ve been solid to me for a decade and I just saw them three nights in a row in Berkeley to be far from disappointed. I cancelled Back to the Beach for it and don’t regret it.” Then number five is The Cave Singers. “They’re like if Creedence Clearwater and Fleetwood Mac had a baby band with Joe Cocker singing, that would be them. Saw them open for a band called Calexico in 2007 and I never stopped listening. They ended up having a song in Sons of Anarchy season three which was random.”

For Robert’s interesting fact about himself that people may not know, I’m going to let him tell it to you in his own words. “One interesting thing about me that people don’t know is that I partied a little too hard being a creature for a little more than a while and became homeless for a couple days. Drugs messed my life up like sleeping behind a building for a couple nights with nowhere to go all bridges burned homeless. This was the From Chaos/Evolver era. The first day of homelessness I traded my electric guitar for an acoustic. Was going to spend half of my money on a 311 sticker at a smoke shop to put on my  guitar case but the guy gave it to me for free. I still have the guitar case. Stumbled upon some meeting ending while urinating in an alley one night and someone noticed my sticker on my guitar and we talked music. They ended up having a room for rent and I found two jobs the next day. I liked Rock & Roll and speed. The speed stopped in 2005. I like that Cannabis is legal now. Never stopped me from smoking it. It’s always felt legal here. It’s been medicinal 20 years now in California but now it’s recreational. Nice to have one less thing to be paranoid about after a sesh. I’m open about it now with my kids. They know the medicinal values of it and that it’s the delivery person at the door who has the herb. And we can grow it once we have more space. Totally legal.”

Right now Robert is just “a working class Brodel.” He is employed as a security guard for live events, mainly concerts in the San Francisco area. “I’ve meet a bunch of famous people worked epic shows and get to stand front of stage or work backstage for every genre of music and be that cool security guard that wants you to have a good time.” He and his love Hannah have 3 sons. “Nick is 11, Tim is 9, and Chad is 1 ½. Just kidding, that’s not their names.” They took the kids to their first show at Cali Roots in 2014. “They enjoyed the whole show and behaved so I bring them now. They are true fans and know the music so I have to bring them or I would miss them. It’s a whole new level of enjoyment watching them mesmerized just trying to imagine their point of view of what’s going on. I love it. My older son will be 13 next 311 Day and the two of us are going to go. So 311 Day 2018 was a send off to an era for me of 311 journeys being a sort of get away from my family. I missed my kids during the show because they were playing our favorite songs. And seeing Nick in Dad mode for his kids doing that Coco song really assured me that I am at the right place for my 311 fandom right now. Being myself and being a Dad . I have to say though that my kids favorite band is 21 pilots.”

Guilty pleasure for Robert right now he said is the song “Til the City’s on Fire.” He said its a classic scenario where he isn’t used to the sound of a song and isn’t sure if he likes it then it grows on him. “311 has made music through the the years that I wouldn’t normally listen to if I it wasn’t 311 along the lines of TTCOF. There’s angry and hard music I love but 311 was always there with positivity to keep me straight.”

To 311, Robert would like to say: “Thanks for helping me become a better person and I miss the Bay Area shows at the Warfield, Fillmore and Greek Theater.”

To all the other fans out there:

“It seems we have the unity down. There’s always room for tolerance.”

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Thanks Robert for sharing your story! I hope everyone enjoyed reading it. Now go start your week being the amazing, positive crew you are!

Much Love – The Runt