Skys Clear for a Dynamic 311 show at USANA

The sun came out near the end of Ziggy Marley's set. Before that, a chilly rain drizzled onto the nearly sold-out audience at the USANA Amphitheatre.

It began slowly during the path-clearing string of songs played by the Expendables. The band, hailing from Santa Cruz, Calif., set the tone for the evening with its own blend of reggae rock that got the audience primed and pumped for the one-two punch of Marley and headliner 311.

The audience members gave a lot of love to the Expendables, who played "Wide Awake," "Sacrifice," "Bowl for Two" and a new tune "Positive Mind."

Marley's set had the audience rocking to reggae in the rain.

Uplifting and celebratory jams such as "Tomorrow People," "True to Myself" and a cover of "Jammin,'" which was his father Bob Marley's signature song, were played with glee.

The sun showed up during "Look Who's Dancin'" and stayed out through "Black Cat," "Love Is My Religion" and a quick-step arrangement of his dad's "Is This Love."

The two openers set the bar, but 311 pushed it off the chart.

The band — vocalist Nick Hexum, vocalist/emcee S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton — get better with age.

For nearly 20 years, 311 has been cranking out its blend of rock, funk and reggae for its fans. And Salt Lake has always been a hot spot.

Kicking off the dynamic set was a new tune "Never Ending Summer," culled from the band's new album "Uplifter." The piece was followed by "Beautiful Disaster."

Hexum handled the lead vocals like a fine-tuned vocal juggler, while Martinez added flair and immediacy with his complementing raps.

More new songs from the new CD "Uplifter" included "Mix It Up," "Daisy Cutter" and "Something out of Nothing."

Still, 311 also knew fans were there to hear some older rockers such as the chatty "Come Original," "Freeze Time" and the moody "Amber."

As in years in the past, one of the adrenaline rushes of the evening came with Sexton's drum solo during "Applied Science."

The rousing rhythms were highlighted by the other band members, who helped the groove by pounding their own set of floor toms and cymbals.

The guys tossed drumsticks to each other across the stage and ended the number by throwing sticks into the crowd.

Not a drop of rain fell during 311's set. In fact, the clouds moved east and left the sky above the USANA Amphitheatre clear enough for the stars to shine. And the crowd members warmed up by dancing the night away.