Hello my friends! It’s been a minute but we are back with a brand new 311 fan spotlight! Let’s get the story from Samantha Westbrook-Gomez!
Samantha was the type of person that never really paid attention to who sang the songs she listened to, she just knew she liked it or she didn’t. So she was a fan of the blue album when she was young, but didn’t really know who 311 was. “The love I have now for 311 and their music comes from my Husband Justin. He is my own personal DJ.”
Show count for Samantha is around 13-14. First show for her was in Reno, Nevada, about 8 years ago, with her husband. Favorite of the shows she’s been to? ” I have had the amazing opportunity to enjoy 2 cruises (2023 and 2025). The 2023 cruise on 311 Day has to be my favorite.”
A song that means the most to Samantha, she says changes. “Right now Inside Our Home has been on repeat. Mountain Top off the new album is another. Down was my first love however. Followed by Champagne and then Strong All Along.” Favorite lyrics for Samantha? She said those are “Stay positive & love your life,” and “Fuck the bullshit.”
Samantha grew up in a small town in California, that only had about 10,000 people. “My parents separated when I was very young, so I’ve had 4 parents for as long as I can remember. I’m also blessed with a lot of siblings, 11, not counting ones that aren’t blood but still family.” In her 20’s, she realized that college wasn’t working for her, so she went to work as a server full-time, also training to become a bartender. “Along that journey I moved to Maine for 6 months to work in Acadia National Park at the only restaurant in the park called the Jordan Pond House. I got to learn a lot of old English traditions and serve tea and popovers and a tone of great fresh Lobster.”
After Maine, Samantha moved to Arizona for a bit, then back to Maine for a second summer season, and then decided she was headed to Alaska for a summer. “Flew all my stuff over for the summer, fell in love with the area & had an amazing summer, then decided to go back and be a little closer to home. So “close to home” for me meant a 5 hour drive. I found myself working for then Squaw Valley resort, at a top of the mountain restaurant. Before the season started I agreed to pick up extra hours at another spot in the mountain just for money, and the 2nd day I was volunteering for that they told me 3 guys from the banquet department are coming in and I was to show them how things are done. One of the 3 men is my now husband Justin. We spent the winter together, I was very apparent about my plans for the summer. Told him I have a truck and camper and I was going to be driving it to Alaska for my 2nd summer and I would love for him to join me, well he actually did! We spent the summer there, came back to Tahoe and Covid hit so we have decided to try and make a home and family here where we found one another. What’s great is we were from rival high school in the same small town areas, great up living maybe an hour or so apart and never met until our 20’s up in Tahoe!”
Interesting fact about Samantha, she started playing the clarinet when she was in middle school, all because her grandfather loved to play. “I eventually learned to play 4 different types of clarinet.” Something that makes her unique is her creative problem solving skills. “I feel like I tend to find solutions sometimes where there seems none at first. I’m also the person to call to put together IKEA furniture I love challenges! 🤣” Guilty pleasure for Samantha? “Harry Potter, and fantasy book reading. Literally could disappear for days.”
Other music Samantha likes she said is crazy and all over the map. The list includes Metallica, Turnstile, Fever 333, Blink-182, HIRIE, Little Stranger, Ballyhoo!, Living Legends and Shania Twain.
Samantha’s message to 311 is this: “I would thank the whole of the band, the message of positivity and love they spread is so empowering and strong.”
Now here are her words to all the other 311 fans out there:
“To all the other Excitables out there, you are a huge part of why this band is so great and we love going to live shows. It’s the community and friends we see time and time again at shows and on cruises that makes the love for the band that much deeper. Stay Positive and Love your Lives!”
Thank you so much Samantha for sharing your story with everyone! As always, my love to all that read each week. Hope you are all having an excellent day/week/month!
Much Love – The Runt