Hello again my Excitable friends! It’s time for the latest edition of the 311 Fan Spotlight! Let’s meet Courtney Guck!
It was shortly after the album “Grassroots” was released that Courtney found 311. A good friend of his played the song “Homebrew” for him in September of 1994 and he’s been hooked ever since. “I remember being intrigued by how divergent the sound was from the Alternative/Grunge scene. After introduction to Grassroots, I hunted down Music and the rest is history.”
As for show count and first show, Courtney said his response to this question usually gets some funny reactions. “My first 311 show was Halloween at the Stanley Hotel in 2021. My sister still lives in Northern Colorado and our attendance at the show was completely by chance. Amy and I wanted to visit my sister and I love Estes Park. I saw 311 was playing at the Stanley and thought, “that would be fun, I haven’t listened to 311 in years” so we purchased resale tickets and went. My wife, Amy, was very green to 311 at that point and after the show, Nick and P-Nut walked out of the venue and past us. I thanked them for a great show and Amy turns to me and says, “that was the drummer, right?”. I loved the early albums but by the time we got to Don’t Tread on Me in 311’s discography, my preference in music had gotten heavier (see Alexisonfire) and I was craving more of the older sound from Music, so I explored other genres of music for a number years. In my 20’s I was focused on trying to make it as a professional road cyclist, then came grad school, then came adulting – concert attendance during that time in my life wasn’t on my radar. At this moment, I’m sitting in a hotel editing this edition of Runt Rant one final time and then heading over to the venue. This will be (I believe) my 42nd show since the Halloween show in Estes. In 2024 I attended 16 shows and it’s my goal to beat that by at least one for 2025.”
As for a favorite, Courtney said each event is unique and he has great memories from them all. However he did say his two most favorite are Estes Park and Warsaw, Poland. “Hearing “Six” in Estes Park will always be right at the top of my list. The Warsaw, Poland show was at a small club called “Proxima”. The club’s manager shared with me that they sold 150-ish tickets, so it was a very small and intimate show.”
While there isn’t just one song that means the most to him, Courtney said he definitely has a list of favorites. “Let’s see if some of my favorites are some of your favorites: Do You Right, Existential Hero, Lucky, Borders, Count Me In, Six, Tribute, Weightless, Let the Cards Fall. That is, by no means, a comprehensive list but those are a few that come to mind.”
For a lyric that resonates with him, Courtney said it’s the line “Like a drive through Estes Park” from the song “Six.” “Having lived in close proximity to Estes for so many years and spending a considerable amount of time up there riding, the lyric and that town hold a lot of meaning for me.”
Courtney has been fortunate to have had some really cool experiences that have allowed him to travel and see many different places. “I lived in central Minnesota until 1994, at which point my family uprooted and moved to Fort Collins, CO. After a 21-year stint in Fort Collins and surrounding areas, I found myself back in central Minnesota where I grew up. My youth was characterized by a strong desire to be an elite athlete, first as a national level junior cross-country skier and later as an elite road cyclist. I’ve been an educator now for 14 years and spent the first five years of my teaching career at Colorado State University teaching undergraduate German courses in the Dept. of Foreign Languages and teaching undergrad and graduate level courses to students studying to be educators in the School of Education. Since moving back to Minnesota, I’ve dived into business ownership in addition to my time in K-12 education and generally enjoy spreading myself just thin enough that I don’t quite have time to take care of everything I need to do.”
Fun fact about Courtney, is that while he wears many hats, one of them is being a farmer. “I live on a farm with my 20 Scottish Highland cattle, tractors, farm machinery and I can build a barbed wire and electric fence better than your grandpa.”
Jumping off the last question, Courtney said that something that makes him unique is the fact that he wears many hats on any given day. “In addition to having a small farming operation, my wife Amy and I own a bar/restaurant in Central MN. We owned two until last December, at which point we sold one. Amy and I are also in the beginning phases of establishing a small food company that will feature some very well-known food products in our area. I do these other things on top of being a full-time educator and admin’ing the 311 Nation page, which can be a part-time job on its own some days.”
For a guilty pleasure, Courtney said there are a few. “Sunday morning coffee with a few Hershey’s Kisses and CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley. Showing up to 311 shows early and hanging out for the day with everyone. Sometimes I run into the band, most times I get to see or hang out with driver Steve and Cruise, Anthony, have a quick chat with Dolin.”
For other artists Courtney can be found listening to, the list includes
Alexisonfire, City and Colour, Fiona Apple, Iration, and Koe Wetzel. “
“The oldest albums from Fall Out Boy and the entire discography from Panic! At the Disco (except for Pretty. Odd. – sorry, but that was a horrible album) are guilty pleasures of mine.”
As for what Courtney would ask the band, he has this question: “Specifically, what type of smoked fish are we talking about?”
Now here are his words to his fellow 311 fans:
“Thank you all for being like a family. Some of you I speak with considerably more than I do my own family. I love 311’s music and the guys are all very nice but what makes 311 so special for me is the community. I have met and continue to meet so many incredible people. You all make my life more vibrant and exciting, and I appreciate you all for that! Thanks to everyone who shows love to the 311 Nation Facebook group. That project has been a labor of love and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. If you see me at a show, please come and say hi!”
Thank you Courtney for sharing your story with everyone! As always, my gratitude to all who read these each time. Hope you are all well and that you have an amazing week!
Much Love, The Runt