Dropped into the scene with no geographical demarcations, my first thoughts would have been, “LA on a Friday night? New York on a Saturday?” There was nothing about the electricity of this crowd to suggest Hartford on a Monday. Mastering this ceremony is 311, the show just one of 200 performed yearly by the Omaha born, LA-based funk-rock-reggae band. This number would seem to provide legitimate temptation to take it slow one night. But after give-it-all shows in major markets around the country, 311 showed no signs of fatigue in this small New England venue; just a burning determination to rock their audience. Hard. It’s this perpetual cycle of energy between the band and their fans on which 311 thrives.
There was once a time when a band’s online presence was not expected by fans. This was exactly when 311 established a home in cyberspace – a place to keep the energy flowing even when off-stage. “It was such new technology that the record label didn’t give us any support,” recalls lead singer, Nick Hexum. “It was all completely done on our own money.” Ten years ago, the only chance a fan had to connect with an artist she admired was jumping on stage during a performance or through a handwritten letter (and the dream of getting a response). But technology has changed the fan/artist dynamic forever and 311 is reveling in the advances. P-Nut, bassist, proudly recalls the band’s foresight, “We just knew that something that anybody in the world can access with a phone line has got to be a good marketing and communication tool.” Nick backs P-Nut, “Basically we understood that a lot of the things that are happening with the web are ideas that you start not because they’re going to be profitable now but because you’re establishing a promotional thing.”
Throughout their ten-year career, 311 has ensured that they are as technologically advanced as they are musically. Numerous upgrades to 311music.com have resulted in a website that succeeds in shrinking the gap between artist and audience. The recent implementation of “Ultimate Bulletin Boards,” inspired by beastieboys.com, flings open the doors of communication. As the self-appointed community representative, P-Nut uses the boards to keep the rest of the band in touch with what fans are thinking. “Even though lots of other bands had websites,” says P-Nut, “we still consider ourselves to be one of the first to use it to communicate with our fans.” P-Nut actually spends time talking to fans on-line! He explains, “the website allows us to be ourselves. I can answer emails at my own leisure. If someone yelled a question at my face after a show, that’s not really being me. I have to protect myself. But when I can sit down with a computer and answer questions, I can really be objective and not skew words.”
Nurturing a fan base composed of the most technologically evolved generation in history has 311 collaborating with web developers determined to keep them one step ahead of the next best thing. Peter Raspler, half of 311’s brother management team – Adam is part two -- asserts that “311 likes to stay on the edge by having an advanced website with cutting edge features. It helps the band keep up momentum.” Collaborators are not chosen arbitrarily on Planet 311 -- the requirements are tricky. Says P-Nut, “we like having people that are as excited about what they’re doing as we are excited about the music that we’re creating . . .when we meet designers or video directors . . .we just need to see that spark in their eye to know that an artist will create something true to themselves and that will be the best thing [for us].”
The newest addition to the high-tech world of 311 and the love child of both the boys in the band and their fans is 311 Radio. Created by New York-based web firm MusicVision, this specialized web radio streams songs from every era of 311’s career plus artists hand selected by each band member. 311 Radio is one of the only “artist radios” available online, offered by the band as a gift to their fans – a place to access non-stop, commercial-free 311 tunes while indulging in a sneak peek into the minds behind the music. The band even obtained a license from their label permitting them to override the rigid guidelines of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, allowing listeners access the entire catalogue of 311 Music. Sprinkled throughout the mix are songs by some of the very artists that have inspired the band throughout their lives. Showcasing the unique musical tastes of the five personalities that make up 311, recent band picks include: Chad Sexton, drums – Portishead, Bob Marley; Tim Mahoney, guitar – NOFX, Jerry Garcia, SA Martinez, vocals/scratching – The Jacksons, Common, Nick Hexum, vocals – The Clash, Lauryn Hill, P-Nut, bass – Outkast, Tom Waits.
“Being able to give the artists that have turned us on and made us want to be musicians respect on a 24 hour basis is pretty cool,” notes P-Nut. “Regular radio is just not specialized enough . . .everyone has to listen to the same shit . . .we want to expose our fans to things that they might not get a chance to hear,” adds Hexum. From his managerial vantage point, Raspler observes that the Radio “sends messages that diversity is good, respecting different genres is good, keeping an open mind is good.”
311 has found that the energy they give to their fans through their site comes right back to them. Fans who request songs on the Radio assist in the development of current work. “We’re playing some of our new songs live while we record the new album,” notes Hexum, “and the radio requests and message boards tell us what people are reacting to, what direction we should go in for the second half of the album.” And from a clear business perspective, Raspler admits that the information shared through the website “helps ticket sales by keeping the kids informed and excited.”
Cyber success, however, has not clouded 311’s understanding of the Internet as a tool - one that will only take you as far as you work it. “Even if your music is online, people aren’t going to listen to it for no reason. You have to create a demand by playing shows and handing out flyers to get people to your site,” reminds Nick. Following their own advice, 311 recently handed out thousands of postcards promoting a special Thanksgiving Radio broadcast of their 10-year Anniversary Concert. The week’s broadcast registered thousands of new visits to their website. P-Nut acknowledges the efficiency of the Net; “bands can stay in their home town and shop their tape around through email. We had to move to LA to be found. We sent out discs to every radio station and every record label that we could think of and it worked for us. But use the Internet to do it. We spent a lot on postage.”
Korn, No Doubt and Incubus are just a few of the acts that have opened for 311 before achieving mainstream success. A keen eye for spotting original talent, endless touring and the willingness to experiment with new sounds and technologies have garnered 311 lasting respect from the music industry. With a new album due out mid-2001, the band is continuing to make music on their terms. “Today there’s a weird dichotomy in [mainstream] music,” points out Hexum. “You either have agro metal or brainless pop. The amount of people in the middle making good old melodic rock music is pretty few. There are a lot of trends, but the only thing that’ll last will be true musicianship and melodies.” P-Nut appeals to upstart musicians, “test your limits. Do something new. You need to hit them in a spot that they’ve never been hit in before . . . that’s when a real imprint gets made and imprints like that last forever.”
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