Hello again Excitable universe! A new week has arrived and so has a new 311 fan spotlight! Let’s get the story of Jayce Barnhart!
It was during a 1996 road trip to New York City that Jayce first heard 311. “I was in the Army back then, stationed up in Fort Drum, New York. It’s about seventy miles north of Syracuse. Very cold. But it was about six hours from New York City, so a buddy and I decided to spend a weekend in the Big Apple. He had all kinds of strange, new, and exotic music to share for the drive, but there was one Groove that stuck out.
“Who are these guys?” I asked, incredulous and pleased.
“Three Eleven,” he answered.
“Can I borrow this?” I asked him.
It was total rock and roll, thrashing guitar like everything I loved about Led Zeppelin or Van Halen. But there was some serious rap going on as well…and not the bubble gum stuff like Will Smith or Sugar Hill Gang. These lyrics were really more like poetry, ripped through the music. The vibe was also definitely a reggae vibe, which enveloped it all into everything I would ever need from music ever again. I was hooked on 311. Hydroponic was the tune that totally set me off wanting more.”
Show count for Jayce is at 30 – 25 of them being in the last five years. First show for him was in his hometown of Eugene, Oregon. “When 311 finally arrived at a familiar and nearby venue. Though they’d been my favorite for years, I hadn’t begun chasing them down from city to city by then. This year, I have plans to see them EIGHT times!”
While Jayce always tries to make every 311 event as memorable as he can, he did pick 2 that were ultimate fan experiences. “My two previous experiences at sea with 311 on the Cruise, this past year had to have been the ultimate 311 fan experience. Concerts on the deck, with the dancing, and the live premieres of so many cuts from their newest album…It was an experience that I’ll never forget.”
There are a couple of songs that Jayce said mean a lot to him. “There are a few songs that move beyond being catchy and full of talent in order to hold a deeper meaning to me. I hate being trite or cliche, but Tranquility is a beautiful song that reminds me of my mother, and one of their newest, Persimmon, always makes me think of my son. My very favorite song is “Neverending Summer.” Best tune, best vibe, best solo, BEST BEST BEST!”
Lyrics that mean a lot to Jayce also come from “Neverending Summer” – “These are the good ol’ days.” “My toddler and I would sing this song together, blasting through the car stereo while he was strapped into the carseat behind me. And those WERE the good ol’ days. But the beauty of the song is that you can listen to it TODAY and know that TODAY will be the “good ol’ days” someday. Why not make every day a special one that you can look back on fondly?”
Springfield, Oregon is where Jayce was raised, the home of “The Simpsons.” (He said to look it up!) At 19, he joined the military and served tours in Panama, Bosnia, and Korea, before being honorably discharged. “I moved back home to Oregon and started a family before moving to Salt Lake City. I lived there a few years and really enjoyed it until the Big Divorce in 2020 when I began attending 311 shows as often as I possibly could. Right now, I’m a civil engineer stationed in Colorado Springs (AUGUST 2025!!!), which is nice and central, in case there is ever an opportunity to travel north, south, east, or west to see a 311 concert.”
Interesting fact about Jayce? He’s a total pen pal! “A real, live, penpal. I write regularly to scores of people from across the country. Ever since high school summer camps, I’ve always enjoyed meeting people and getting to know them through periodic correspondence. While in the Army, either through Basic Training or overseas in Bosnia, I was always responding to “Dear Serviceman” letters and making new friends. I’ve especially enjoyed meeting fellow 311 fans over the past few years and getting to know them all so much better. In a world with passing social media messages and quick texts, I very much enjoy an opportunity to communicate with someone more personally. Otherwise, we’re all just random NPCs.”
Something that makes Jayce unique is that he’s obsessed with the number 56! “Don’t ask me why, but it’s been my lucky number my whole life. I began noticing while I grew up on 56th street, the number popping up all over my life. Driver’s licenses and important phone numbers all seemed to include the number 56. So one day, I decided to add up the numbers in my social security number. And you guessed it: 56. So I started stealing everything in life I could find that had the number 56 on it. Highway milepost markers, table tents, jerseys, or anything else I could find that had the number 56 on it. Please don’t laugh at me.”
Guilty pleasure for him is Fortnite. “Have you ever played that goofy game? It’s like playing “guns” at Disneyland. My son turned me on to it, and I haven’t stopped playing. I consider this to be a “guilty” pleasure because it’s something I can’t find myself normally bragging about. But since we’re all friends, look me up if you’re ever online: I’m VitaminJay.”
Other music that Jayce can be found listening to? “Don’t laugh, but I’m crazy about Sir Mix-a-Lot. He’s from the northwest just like me. (Look it up) I’ve always liked Beck and the Beastie Boys as well. However, I can listen to the entire discography of Led Zeppelin or the Beatles and never get sick of the music. 311’s catalogue hits me the very same way. Except Love Song. Sorry, but that one’s gotta go.”
To 311, Jayce would like to send this message: “Look, I can’t bore these guys with my gushings. I bawled after meeting them the first time. (You did too!) There’s no real way I’d be able to form a coherent sentence that they’d consider. But I am in awe of each and every one of them. Their talent has split the atom and created a phenomenon through which we can all live, laugh, love, and play. Each one of those Five Men has played a part in constructing this Beautiful Thing. 311 has shown me what it means to be a fan, and what it means to love the music. 311 is electricity, magnetism, and gravity through music. BEST BAND EVER!”
Now here is his message to all the other fans out there:
“Whatup superfans? 311 is actually only PART of the magic. The other part is YOU. I can’t wait to see you this summer, at 311 Day, and on the boat in 2027! Look me up if you wanna write letters or play some Fortnite. We can even write letters ABOUT playing Fortnite.”
Thank you Jayce for sharing your story with everyone! As always, my love to all the readers each post. Have an amazing week my friends!
Much Love – The Runt