311 goes on tour

311 was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska by five self-described “friends for life” (singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and the bassist known only as P-Nut).

311 signed with Capricorn Records in 1991. They released several albums, including 1992’s Music, 1993’s Grassroots, and 1995’s 311 (aka the “Blue” album), the latter reaching number 12 on the album chart, selling three million copies worldwide, and sporting the tracks “All Mixed Up” and “Down.”

In 2004, 311 decided to release a Greatest Hits compilation to celebrate being together for 15 years.

311 Day is a semiannual tradition that brings tons of fans to Las Vegas for this amazing concert. The concert took place this year at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on March 11th, 2010. Currently, the band is on an East Coast Tour for the month of October starting in Birmingham, Alabama and ending in Raleigh North Carolina.

In my opinion, I think that people should listen to this band, because they create a happy medium between several different genres such as hip hop, alternative rock and punk. This band plays concerts world wide, attracting many different types of fans.

311 is a band that has gone virtually unnoticed for 10 years, but has still been very successful in their time.

311 at the Fillmore Tonight (Vibes - Music Blog)

311 A number of local acts make it their business to cover this band’s hits, but none is as good as the original. 311 continues to rock out on tour following its mid-’90s success with songs like “All Mixed Up” and “Down.” They’ll take the stage in the Q.C. to perform music that has enough guitar riffs to make you head-bang and beats funky enough for even the most dedicated hip-hop fiend. $67, The Fillmore Charlotte

Hexum and Co. still rock out pavilion (Cavilier)

“It’s good to be here! Let’s have some fun — what do you say?” shouted Nick Hexum — front man of 311 — after the band took the stage at the Charlottesville Pavilion last Sunday. Hexum never stopped thanking the audience during the show, which consistently delivered a performance that was both fun and musically satisfying.

Opening for 311 was BALLYHOO!, a band from Maryland whose musical genre was uncannily similar to that of 311: a mix of funk, rock, hip-hop and reggae. After a 40-minute set, BALLYHOO! left the stage, throwing CD cases and band paraphernalia as they went.

As 311’s crew set up during the long intermission, it was easy to reflect on how far the band has come since its humble beginnings in Omaha, Neb. There were more drums, switches and amps than could be counted, and the pavilion’s three areas — a lawn section, some tables and chairs and a front floor — were almost entirely filled with a wide variety of fans. Although the audience was made up of mostly college students and 20- to 30-somethings, there were a significant number of older attendees as well, in addition to some pre-teens and even the odd family.

When 311 finally took the stage a little after 8 p.m., the band walked on stage to spinning blue and white lights and a cheering crowd, then jumped straight into an energetic 90-minute set. Although the band’s summer tour and current fall tour highlight the group’s most recent album, Uplifter, they still played a wide variety from their catalog. Newer songs such as “Jackpot” and “Mix It Up” were interspersed with hits such as “Amber,” “From Chaos” and “Creatures (For a While).” Most of the songs showed the high-energy, rap-rock side of the band, but a few were slower and more experimental.

The show certainly showed passion and creativity, but there was still one thing missing: improvisation. There is certainly nothing wrong with a scripted live act — Lady Gaga comes to mind — but the band’s songs came so rapid-fire and were so lacking in grandeur and spontaneity that it almost seemed like the show was just a loud re-recording of their studio albums. Even the two-song encore felt scripted — the band only left the stage for two or three minutes and cranked out the final two songs in the same manner as the rest of the set.

That is not to say, however, that the show did not have its share of impressive moments. In the middle of “Applied Science,” for instance, all of the band members left the stage except for drummer Chad Sexton, who played an impressive six-minute drum solo. The other four musicians then rejoined him on stage with their own miniature drum sets for another four minutes of percussion-only music.
In similar fashion, bassist P-Nut remained on stage alone after “Beautiful Disaster” and played an extended bass solo. Later on, DJ/vocalist S. A. Martinez displayed his beat-boxing skills during “Purpose.” The remainder of the show followed the scripted, choreographed nature of the band’s studio albums, but the crowd remained thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

Omaha's Finest: 311 comes to Knoxville (Tennessee Journal)

By Peter Slutzker

published: October 27 2010 11:05 PM

Knoxville's Tennessee Theater hosted famous alternative rock group 311 for an incredible night filled with many great renditions of the songs that formed their unique musical style and loyal fan base. 

Compared to other setlists from previous tour dates, 311 played a great set which included many songs from different times in the group's existence including a couple of tracks off their lesser known first album, Music.

They also played many of the songs that gathered people across the nation's attention such as Down, All Mixed Up, Come Original, and Creatures.

With their Southern California vibes with heavy bass, reggae backbone and progressive riffs, 311's unique sound, while usually distorted to perfection, was extremely melodic and catchy.

The combination of the band’s energy, their great song choices, and the excellent acoustics of the Tennessee Theater, made for a great night for the gathered fans. One should definitely see this group live if the opportunity is presented because everybody in the audience was dancing and grooving and the band played their hearts out.

Every year on March 11, 311 plays a 3/11 day show that consists of a live performance of practically the group’s entire discography, usually playing for up to five hours. This event was captured on the DVD 311 Day: Live in New Orleans.
Though, the show here in Knoxville wasn’t a full discography’s worth of music, it was highly energetic, great fun and an amazing performance by a great band.

311 and Ballyhoo wrap up from Pier Six (Baltimore Examiner)

Nobody knows what to expect out of show crowds these days. Presales are going down across the nation, and Baltimore/D.C. is no different. So it was eery that just before Ballyhoo opened things up Pier Six remained sparsely filled. Ah, that didn't mean anything the minute Howi Spangler hit the stage with his guitar and beer, and led Ballyhoo into 50 minutes of energetic and finely tuned rock/reggae. The place immediately filled up, not quite to capacity, but encouraging nonetheless.

They were greeted warmly by the local throngs, nearly all of whom displayed enthusiastic support when urged by Spangler, "Make some noise out there if you know who we are." The response indicated Ballyhoo is rightly appreciated in their home town.

So with a strong turnout of 3500 properly warmed up, 311 took to the stage, spurring the crowd into stirring around, moving almost en masse as if collectively a liquid form, through the seats, up the aisles, and back out around the side again. And repeat. Fans wanting to get close to Nick Hexum got close time and again, only to be repelled by the all-business Pier Six security. (Note: why don't they just put in a barricade here? It would make things a lot easier for security and photographers alike.)

311's set was an hour and forty minutes long, and included their tried and true best material from earlier albums mixed with newer stuff from Uplifter (2009). All in all, they brought a solid set that pleased the crowd, but the heavier songs and sections sounded off, just so slightly. Melodic tunes like "Amber" were nearly pitch-perfect while songs like "Down" flattened out at the upper ranges, or so it seemed. The output didn't unsettle the fans, however, who remained right through to the final note.

All in all the show was a success for both bands. The nod goes to Ballyhoo, though, for the quality of their sound. Word has it they recently brought a new sound guy on board. If so, he has his act down.
311 continues on tour, visiting Knoxville, TN, tomorrow, then on to South Carolina, North Carolina and finishing up with their special Halloween show in Atlanta.

New Day Rising (Diamondback, Maryland)

When police mobilize on an indecent exposure call in Omaha, Neb., the police code for the situation is a "311." The very nature of being cited for this so-called crime — being caught, for instance, naked in a local pool — is in many ways the definition of the freewheeling undertones in a band like 311.
Since forming in 1988 and exploding onto the national scene in 1995, 311 has often been considered a quintessential band of the 1990s, with classic tracks such as "Down" and "All Mixed Up" still receiving radio play 15 years after their debuts.
Now out on yet another tour, 311 will come to Baltimore's Pier Six Pavilion tomorrow, ready to rock and roll.
If it wasn't obvious already, 311, which originated in Omaha, took on its name after some members of the band committed the act described above. Certainly not a group to be ashamed of themselves, the band took its three-digit title and the intense energy of its live show to the national stage and never looked back.
"We don't play huge venues all the time," bassist Aaron Wills, known as P-Nut, said. "When we do, it certainly is [nice]. It's nice to know that people still care about us. They wanna hear the new music, and they wanna hear the old music, and they wanna watch us play our instruments in the particular way we do. It's crazy; it's going all according to plan, and it's exceeded all expectations a thousand times over."
P-Nut — whose name is derived from a similarly strange story about the shape of his head — has been a member of 311 since the band's inception.
In the years he's spent with the group, P-Nut has been able to build a life for himself, even among the commotion of insistent touring.
The stereotypical life of a rocker — drugs, sex, parties, long days and longer nights — would seem to be detrimental to a man trying to build a family.
However, the repetitive and draining cycle of live shows experienced by P-Nut and the rest of 311 only seem to make his personal ties stronger.
"It's only proven how important it is," P-Nut said of relationships. "You really gotta choose your partner and your circle of friends real wisely because there's temptations and pitfalls and a lot of money going around and jealousy. It's a thick soup of intellectual pratfalls. You gotta have the right person with you. I've known my wife since 1993; we've lived together since 1995, so she's seen it all."
Now the father of a 7-week-old boy, P-Nut is excited about both his life and career.
As for the music of 311, the band, which is recording a new album for release sometime next year, still considers itself to be a perfect example of hybrid rock. Since the '90s, 311 has been playing everything from reggae to hard rock, even covering bands such as The Cure with 2004's "Love Song" for the 50 First Dates soundtrack.
Even with all the diversity of its sound, it seems fair to assume that 311's image would be fading after so many years on the music scene.
The music world is constantly reinventing itself, simmering down or demolishing the popularity of many artists. If nothing else, 311's biggest battle these days is figuring out how to stay relevant.
P-Nut, on the other hand, said the band's live energy and constantly expanding catalogue keep new fans coming and old fans coming back.
"At least in the first eight or 10 or 12 rows are a perpetually college-aged crowd, or maybe even younger — older high school kids just going to their first shows, getting a little taste of freedom and some money in their pockets," P-Nut said. "I think that's one of the things that's kept us along is that we do have a certain amount of excitement and energy level that makes it easy for college kids to have a great time at our shows. We are kinda perpetually stuck in that ourselves. We wanna rock out."
To 311, the live show is as much of a mental task as it is a physical task. The band has often written songs about more worldly subjects than most groups' normal fare.
As P-Nut describes it, a person with a big voice, such as 311 and its microphones, should use it to talk about issues that might otherwise get only one-sided activism.
For P-Nut and 311, the decriminalization of marijuana has become an important issue, which is understandable considering the band's position with youth and counterculture.
"I don't think anyone can really defend that it is better to arrest stoners than not," P-Nut said. "It's tying up our legal system; it's costing penitentiaries space for actual criminals. It's an important thing to talk about; the tides are starting to turn. We got 14 states doing medical marijuana, and when I get back home to California, I'm gonna vote to decriminalize marijuana across the board. ... It's such a stupid law. People need to be educated more than they need to be incarcerated."
Regardless of political positions, it is 311's music that keeps the band thriving.
With one beautiful disaster after another, 311 hopes to keep bringing its raucous live show year after year, venue after venue, for as long as anyone cares to see them.

Sucess adds up for 311 (Stroudsburg Weekender)

You could call the history of 311 a story in numbers. Six albums that made it into Billboard’s Top 10. More than 14,000 fans coming out to shows in major markets like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C. Sixty-three songs during a 5-hour performance in 2008 at the annual 3-11 Day.
Another important 311 numeral is 20, as in the number of years the hybrid alternative rock/reggae/hip-hop band has been recording and touring.
“It’s weird, because after 20 years, we’re kind of on our second wind,” says 311 lead guitarist Tim Mahoney, taking a break from the band’s sessions for a new album at its North Hollywood studio, The Hive. “Holy shit, we’ve been doing this so long. I think for me, personally, I always want to write better and play better and execute better. So it’s a challenge. I think everybody (in the band) has kind of had that approach.”
311 formed in Omaha, Nebraska, before exploding into the mainstream with its third album, the 1995 self-titled release that featured the hits “Down” and “All Mixed Up.” Despite the fading of alt rock’s glory days, 311 has managed to stay popular, turning a 2004 cover of The Cure’s “Love Song” into a radio mainstay and launching its well-attended Summer Unity tours in 2006.
On Wednesday, October 20, 311 — vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum, vocalist/DJ S.A. Martinez, bassist P-Nut, drummer Chad Sexton and Mahoney — will perform at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, the smallest venue on the band’s fall tour. After speaking with Mahoney, it seems like both diehard fans and more peripheral listeners only familiar with 311’s hits should be pleased with what they hear in Stroudsburg.
“Now, we soundcheck a couple songs, maybe songs that weren’t played in a while,” Mahoney says. “We try to incorporate variety. Some want to hear B tracks, some only know radio songs. A song like ‘Down,’ which is like a ‘thank you’ song anyway, we probably play that every night.”
311 is again working with Bob Rock, whose production resume includes Metallica’s self-titled “black” album and Motley Crue’s “Dr. Feelgood.” The band first worked with Rock on “Uplifter,” its most recent album which was released in 2009. With introductions out of the way and Rock and the band now accustomed to working with each other, both parties were able to get straight to business this time around. At the time of the interview, Mahoney said 311 and Rock were in the preproduction stage.
“He’s great,” says Mahoney. “I can’t say enough nice things about him, his work ethic. We just learned so much about him and had a great experience with him on ‘Uplifter.’”
The band has yet to set a release date for the new album.
The fact that 311 made its big early commercial mark while MTV was still playing music videos and record labels were thriving is not lost on Mahoney, who is grateful for the timing of the whole thing.
“Oh man, definitely,” he says, laughing. “The reason why I laugh is because we got in at the very tail end of it, when a band like us could sell three million records. The blue record (‘311’), had we not sold a bunch of records, I wouldn’t have been able to put a down payment on my house.”
311 considers a 1990 opening slot for Fugazi at Omaha’s Sokol Auditorium to be its first-ever show. Mahoney, who went to high school with Hexum and Sexton, wasn’t yet a member of the band, but he was at the show — to see Fugazi — and didn’t see 311’s set. After some lineup shifts, Mahoney, and later Martinez, who had been collaborating with the band, joined 311.
Pinning down the 311 sound is a difficult proposition. But the diverse influences Mahoney cites in his guitar playing might shed some light: Jimmy Page, Dr. Know from Bad Brains, John Scofield, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin — “probably the best player on the planet,” Mahoney says — Dimebag Darrell, Jamaican reggae artist Ernest Ranglin, the band Nashville Pussy and Phish’s Trey Anastasio, whom Mahoney says he listens to every day.
Despite the continued chart success, 311 makes most of its money from touring, and the band spices up its schedule with special events, like 3-11 Day in New Orleans. About a week after the Sherman Theater show, 311 will play its “Music” album, a fan favorite from 1993, in its entirety during a show at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. It’s a way for 311 to further a relationship with its audience, a relationship that is as strong as it’s ever been.
“I think we’re fortunate that our fans will follow us as far as what we do and we write and come out and see us play,” says Mahoney. “That’s how we make our living.”

311 Brings the Heat to HOB: The veteran alt-rock outfit steamrolls into A.C. with a new attitude (Press of Atlantic City)

Like so many veteran bands, 311 finds itself at a bit of a career crossroads. The alternative rock group's last recording, "Uplifter," reached No. 3 on the Billboard Album Chart - 311's highest position in its 20-year history - but also marked the end of its long-term deal with Jive's Volcano Records.
The band, which is appearing with Philly-based alt-reggae troupe The Movement Thursday, Oct. 21, at the House of Blues at Showboat Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City, is in the studio working with "Uplifter" producer Bob Rock on the band's 10th release.
Ahead of the show, co-founder and lead singer Nick Hexum spoke to At The Shore about the band's creative process and his renewed focus on the music.
Question: Will you be playing any new tracks in Atlantic City?
Answer: In this day and age, if you play something live, everyone is going to hear it that day. Sometimes we like to make sure they hear the studio version first. Sometimes we keep the new stuff under wraps.
You never know, maybe we'll try to bust something out.
Q: You decided to team up again with Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi) for the new record. What do you look for in a producer?
A: I think the best music comes from an unscripted place, where you set the business aside, and you just tap into that kid who was excited about music and you're following your heart.
If you try to write a hit or what people want to hear, it doesn't work. People give us input, and we definitely listen. But it would be impossible to write a record from a focus group.
Q: You took nearly four years off before "Uplifter." Was that necessary to clear your heads?
A: We felt it was time to renew things and to just live and be normal for a little bit. Now we feel like we're in the zone. New ideas are popping up all the time, and we feel focused.
It feels comfortable making music right now. I think we'll keep following it up faster than we did before.
Q: What does it mean to be "normal?"
A: The road is a kind of a fantasy land where you're constantly busy and catered to. Mentally, it can be challenging, and everybody's on top of each other all the time.
Just being domestic, it's a big part of life. Now I've got a wonderful baby girl (who's 1) that I take care of a lot. That's the challenge - being able to have both worlds.
Q: Was part of finding that balance deciding to give up running your own label and your clothing company?
A: I found it was better for me to simplify my life and just focus on a couple of things - that's songwriting and family and touring. 311 is plenty of a brand - if you've got a big brand and a small brand, maybe it's better to focus on the one.
311 is more than a band - it's a movement. Fans call it the 311 Nation. They come together, it's about a scene. We're watching them as much as they're watching us. Our fans support our more positive ideals and points of view.
Q: Does the movement extend to your getting political from the stage this fall? You were a big supporter of John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.
A: Honestly, I've backed off that stuff. Opinions vary so widely, and our buzzword has always been the name of our tour - unity. It's very easy to wedge people apart by taking strong stances on various things.
I have strong views, but we keep it out of the music. We want all comers, the more the merrier.
We want to make it a big gathering.
Introducing ... The Movement
Opening for 311 is the Philadelphia-based alternative reggae-rock quartet The Movement.
The band consists of Jordan Miller on guitar and lead vocals, Gary Jackson on drums, Jay Schmidt on bass and newcomer John Bowling on keyboards. (Co-founder Josh Swain, who was a childhood friend of Miller's in their native South Carolina, left the band earlier this year.)
Philadelphonic Studios producer Chris DiBenedetto largely brought together the current roster after original member Jon "DJ Riggles" Ruff, who was featured on the The Movement's debut, "On Your Feet," departed in 2006.
Two years later, DiBenedetto introduced the remaining members to Jackson, who brought in his buddy, Schmidt.
The group is still touring behind its 2008 release, "Set Sail" (One Bald Egg Productions), which featured contributions from Garrett "G. Love" Dutton and Slightly Stoopid's Oguer Ocon.
Miller has described The Movement's sound as being reflective of its members' "personal non-reggae interests," which include The Pixies and below-the-radar alternative music.

Backstage with Nick Hexum (Cavilier Daily, Univ. of Virginia)

311 has drawn a loyal following through its singular blend of hip-hop, rock and reggae sounds. But it also provides its listeners with something more: a full slate of concerts each year, allowing fans to consistently connect with the group, known as one of the best performing acts around.
tableau had the opportunity to chat with Nick Hexum, the band’s frontman, in anticipation of its Sunday concert at the Charlottesville Pavilion. Hexum and I discussed musical influences, the band’s upcoming music and the dynamics of its live shows.
311, pronounced “three-eleven,” played its first show in 1990 in Omaha, Neb., but has since moved to Los Angeles. Six of its albums have reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and eight singles, including “Amber” and “Love Song,” have reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Alternative Rock chart. Much of 311’s fame, however, derives from its reputation as a touring band. 311 has finished its summer tour and is in the studio recording an unnamed album set for release in 2011.

tableau: Obviously your brand of music is something that is certainly unique. What influenced you and how did that impact the music you are making now?
Hexum: It’s just such a different world today, where you can get access to any music, any time. In Omaha, we had one cool downtown record store where we would go and hang out and listen to punk rock, reggae, ska, funk and early hip-hop, but you really had to dig to find it. To me, it was all about combining different styles, and there were only a few bands in the late ‘80s that were making hybrid music, which is really what got me excited.
tableau: Did growing up in Omaha affect your development as a band?
Hexum: It had to have. I think that because we weren’t a part of any established scene there was a kind of innocence and a kind of “no-rules” [atmosphere] since we were so much on our own. It was definitely an uphill climb, and we had to work our butts off. There was no feeling of entitlement. Incidentally, though moving to L.A. brought us together as a band and allowed us to practice a lot, we were actually signed off a demo we made in Omaha. It shows that you can make it from anywhere.
tableau: 311’s 2009 album Uplifter and your upcoming album were both produced by Bob Rock, who has worked with bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Bon Jovi. What role has he played in the development of your band?
Hexum: Our level of involvement remains the same with every producer, but I have never learned more about music from anyone than I have Bob Rock. We are now halfway through working on our second album with him, and we’re just having a ball working with Bob.
tableau: What’s the new album like?
Hexum: There’s some high-energy songs that are going to be great for live, and then there’s some experimental stuff, some trippy stuff. We just follow our hearts so its kinda hard to give an exact description.
tableau: Oftentimes with 311, fans focus on your live music and on the experience of going to a show. Where does your personal focus lie?
Hexum: Fortunately we have focused a little more on live, and some people say that albums don’t capture what the live show has. And that’s cool with us. It’s good in this day and age because there’s so much piracy that the industry is collapsing on itself. We’re going to tour every summer whether we have a hit single or not, and it keeps us in touch with our fans. Some of these new artists get on stage and, well, they suck. We’ve been on the road so much, and that’s the kind of experience that you can’t fake.
tableau: Which do you prefer, touring or recording?
Hexum: Recording’s great, too, but if we had to pick one, I would say touring. That exchange of energy between the crowd and the band, where we’re getting off on them as much as they are us, that’s just an amazing thing and sometimes it becomes a very spiritual thing. It almost goes back to prehistoric times when people would just get together and get down and that’s just something that doesn’t exist as much in the studio setting. I know we’re definitely looking forward to coming to Charlottesville and having a great time with the fans.

311 Carribean Cruise Line-Up (The Pier)

311 always likes to go big on 311 day each year & on 3-3-11, 311 will set sail on the Carnival Destiny & embark on a cruise bringing with them artists, in both musicians & comedians, to set the stage for a memorable event that will span 4 days. The cruise, going from Miami to Turks & Caicos, is labeled as Sold Out, but just incase some idiots want to back out, theres a waiting list to sign up for and you can do so by clicking on the poster!

It’s one thing to have 311 play, its another to be accompanied by such an amazing line-up!

The Line-up:
311
Pepper
Pato Banton
The Movement
The Expendables
Full Service
Trailer Park Ninjas
DJ Soulman
Doug Benson(Comedian)
Graham Elwood(Comedian)

311 and Ballyhoo to play Pier Six this Saturday (Examiner.com)

Fresh off their Summer Unity Tour with OffSpring and Pepper, 311 are getting right back on the road this October, playing cities throughout the Eastern Seaboard. Visiting locales they didn't get to on their June/July tour, 311 will bring their funky fusion of rock, reggae and hip hop to Charm City this Saturday at Pier Six Pavilion. Joining 311 to open the evening will be Aberdeen, Maryland's very own Ballyhoo.

This show venue is a welcome departure from the large venues that hold 10,000 or more, which 311 typically packs out for their summer Unity Tours. WIth a capacity of just over 4000 people, the show won't quite have an intimate feel, but the ambience and acoustics of Pier Six make this a must-see event.

It is refreshing that a band like 311, one of the most influential and popular live acts of the past several years, realizes that their formula still works wonders. That formula is hard work, producing great music and caring about their fans. Having toured all Spring and Summer, they could have easily hunkered down in the studio for the next several months to work on their tenth studio album, but they decided to tour in the midst of recording with legendary producer Bob Rock.

It's been a long, ground-breaking road for 311 from their grassroots beginnings in Omaha, NE to now. From undergroud heroes to mainstream mainstays, they have enjoyed the fruits of their work and talent in the form of 8 singles and 6 albums placing in the Top 10 on the Billboard charts. And they have endured the hard miles and heartbreak of the road - a fire destroyed all of their equipment, personal items and the RV they toured in years ago - yet they continue to be relevant and hugely popular with a diverse cross section of fans more than twenty years after they formed.

And there is no better fit to open the show than Ballyhoo, a band that has gotten their start in a similar fashion to 311. Their rootsy and catchy rock/reggae approach has earned them a core following throughout the country. They are one of very few bands from the Baltimore/DC corridor that have the drive, motivation, talent and knowledge to establish themselves in markets outside of their home turf, as evidenced by several successful runs through the West Coast and other parts of the country. Ballyhoo will soon be on to bigger and better than the Baltimore beehive, so be sure to get their in time to see them open things up.

Musicians Wow Crowd at De Luna 2010 (Vanguard)

I entered De Luna Fest 2010 with a positive attitude hoping for an event that was worthy enough to become a tradition. The atmosphere was small but positive with the giant beach ball water tower acting as a trademark of sorts for the event.
Toward the entrance was a small stage designed for smaller acts, and then on the beach were two major stages side by side. This design allowed for one major act’s equipment to be set up and sound checked while another was playing.
Here at the main stage my De Luna experience began as Michael Franti played joyously to an enthusiastic crowd Saturday afternoon. This excellent show was soon followed by the bland rumblings of 30 Seconds to Mars who repeatedly insisted in the De Luna Fest guide that the group is not “emo.”
I felt unconvinced by actor Jared Leto’s constant stream of obscenities spewed in between songs that I deemed an effort to make the band appear more “adult.” On the small stage, Better Than Ezra played an excellent set to a small-but-devoted crowd.
“Any of you who may have troubles with fainting or seizures need to move to the sides of the crowd as what my hands are about to perform on the fret board may just blow your mind!” singer and guitarist Kevin Griffin warned.
311 became the event of the night as the beach area became packed.
Even far behind the sea of people, the music was still loud and clear with a concert screen planted in the beach area for easy viewing. 311 ran through an impressive set of hits, including many fan favs off their album Grassroots.
311 claims to have never played on a beach before, which accentuated the song “Amber” as it reverberated through the night sky with the waves in the background.
After 311 concluded, a mass exodus of people began to stream out of the venue. I had expected many to stay for headliners Stone Temple Pilots, but Scott Weiland, lead singer of STP, has faced lip synching rumors fueled by a YouTube video in which Weiland takes a stage dive and the vocals keep rolling. Eric Kretz, the band’s drummer, claims to the De Luna guide that Weiland made a heroic attempt to keep singing even once he fell off the stage, thus causing the confusion.
STP’s performance at De Luna became an important test of the band’s validity. The Deleo brothers improvised their guitar and bass solos on every song. Weiland appeared sober and sounded great. Whatever public perception, STP’s performance was an undeniably live rock and roll show.
The influx of concerts in the Gulf area is fostering a burgeoning music scene. Festivals like De Luna and the Hangout are no exception, and this growth also brings tourism dollars to the damaged economy of the Gulf Coast.
I hope to see De Luna return next year bringing positive vibes back to the beautiful beaches of the Gulf.

Industry vets 311 on the secret to musical success (The Hook)

To all aspiring musicians or hopeful up-and-comers in the music biz, Omaha natives and industry veterans 311 have some advice for you: keep working hard, and your glory day will come. Or will it?
311 came of age in the early 1990s, when the band members drove themselves to out-of-town gigs, financed their own tours, and played their hometown every night. Nearly two years of hard work paid off in a record deal, and the band recorded such classics as “Down” and “Amber” (”whoa, Amber is the color of your energy”). They worked with producers as prestigious as Bob Rock (whose clients include Metallica and Bon Jovi) with a mixture of rock, reggae, ska, and punk to diverse audiences as amphitheater headliners.
But they hit a rock recently when their 18-year relationship with label Volcano Entertainment came to an end, bringing the band, now based in L.A., to a “new phase,” according to guitarist Tim Mahoney. Where does a band go when cut loose into an industry landscape that operates so differently then when it first began?
The Hook: Well, you’ve been around for 20 years now. Are you finally feeling fulfilled and ready to call it a day?
Tim Mahoney: I’m ready to keep it going. We’re out of our record contract, and it’s exciting to see what happens here. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel fulfilled, there’s a lot of things we’ve gotten to do, and I don’t want that to end.
The Hook: 311 started as a real grassroots creation, so how did you stay true to your music and your goals?
TM: In Omaha, we played every Monday night for a long time until we developed a following. It’s always about playing live— it’s easy to get music out there and have people hear it, but as far as earning money, that’s harder.
The Hook: With the number of musicians ever increasing thanks to platforms like MySpace, how do you continue to challenge yourself and remain relevant?
TM: There are a lot of people living here in L.A., and it’s very humbling to see all these great guitar players, and it reminds you that you’ve got to work and continue to grow to get better. All five of us are still inspired to keep the band sounding better. Finding inspiration is the key.
The Hook: If it’s easier to get yourself out there today, what’s the secret to success?
TM: I could go on the internet and quickly hear something new as we’re on the phone. Spreading the word about your band is getting easier, but you still have to go out and play and enjoy playing a lot.

311 still 'firing on all cylinders' after 20 years (Tennessan)

Next year will be a big one for rock/reggae/rap group 311. The band — which plays Nashville on Thursday, Oct. 14 — already has a concert cruise planned to celebrate “3/11” (March 2011). But 2010 brought reason to celebrate too, as it marks 311’s 20-year anniversary.

“It’s one of those things that you don’t even realize it’s been that long until you think about it,” says vocalist and DJ SA Martinez. “I can’t say it seems as if it were yesterday that we were starting to rehearse. … Going back to the mid-’90s, it doesn’t seem like that long ago, but it’s getting some age on it.”

The mid-’90s was 311’s commercial heyday, yielding massive rap-rock hits including “Down” and “All Mixed Up.” These days, they keep a devoted audience with a reggae-influenced sound that’s smoother than the riffs-and-rhymes approach that earned them heavy rotation on MTV.

“I think we’ve mellowed some over the years,” Martinez says with a laugh. “I think you have to — you have no choice. But at the same time, you get on stage and you kind of feel 19 again when you get into that moment, that environment, and everything is firing on all cylinders.”
Martinez and his band play War Memorial Auditorium (301 Sixth Ave. N.) at 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $40 through the TPAC Box Office or by phone at 615–782-4040.

311 Cruise

311 Cruise, If you’re a fan of one of the most popular rock bands of the ’90s? S and today, than you probably will like the fact that 311 is a Caribbean cruise accommodation from the Port of Miami to the Turks and Caicos. The dates of cruise is from 3 to March 7, 2011. The third month of the year ’11 conveniently. All passengers in the 4-day cruise will see two live concerts, one that will be on board and one that will be outdoors. In addition to the live events that passengers can attend, will also be able to take pictures with members of the band to enter the ship on the first day and participate in a question and answer session with the band.


The itinerary is as follows:
3 / 3 Thurs Depart Miami at 16:00. 311 morning show on the Lido deck.
3 / 4 Fri Day at sea. 311 displayed in the main theater interior at night.
3 / 5 dock in Grand Turk Sat 7am – 6pm. Day at the beach. Many of the activities available (see options below).
311 displayed in the main theater interior at night.
3 / 6 Sun Day at sea. 311 Q & A on Lido Deck.
3 / 7 Mon 8:00 a.m. Arrive at Miami.

The ship has a capacity of 2700 people, and tickets go on sale immediately. Prices are:

Inside the cabin:
And 799 per person if two people
And 665 per person for 3 people
And 599 per person if 4 people

OCEAN CABIN:
And 999 per person if two people
And 799 per person for 3 people
And 699 per person if 4 people

Balcony cabin:
And 1199 per person for 2 people
And 932 per person for 3 people
And 799 per person if 4 people

SUITE:
And 2399 per person for 2 people
And 1732 per person for 3 people
And 1399 per person if 4 people

311 Cruise - Caribbean Cruise From The Port Of Miami to The Turks and Caicos Islands (Ezine)

Rock band 311 and Sixthman has recently announced the first cruise in the Caribbean next year. The group will be responsible for all Carnival cruises Destination 3-7 March 2011, from Miami to Turks and Caicos Islands and back again.

All cruise passengers in four days of concerts that will see two concerts on board and be outdoors. In addition to live events that passengers can participate, will also be able to take pictures with the band members to enter the ship on the first day and participate in a question and answer session with the group.

Get More Info On 311 Cruise Tickets And Prices

To show their appreciation for their fans, 311 plan to take pictures with each client they board the ship to host a session of questions, answer on the Lido deck, and take requests for songs from their three shows afloat.


311 wants to know what songs fan want to play on the cruise. Everyone who buys a ticket for the cruise you have to request a song in advance. We count the votes and the group added the songs with the most votes in their lists of set! Stay tuned for more information on how to submit their applications that we approach the sea!

In addition to the program 311 and all other artists, show above-board activities, including swimming pools, recreation deck, casino, table tennis, mini golf, shuffleboard, karaoke, lounges, bars, nightclubs, DJs and more! Now imagine all that with a boatful of 311 fans! The game is launched! Moreover, many activities will be announced soon!

Rock Band 311 Announces Caribbean Cruise (Sherman Travel)

To answer your question, yes, the rock band, 311 is still around. In fact, the Omaha-based group − which became popular in the 90s − celebrates March 11 (or 3/11) every other year by rewarding their faithful followers with a lengthy concert of upwards of 60 songs (dubbed 311 Day) that showcases their work over the past 20 years. (The most recent – which was hosted in Las Vegas – sold out in a single day and lasted more than five hours.) Next year, the band is switching things up and ringing in March 2011 on a four-night cruise from Miami to Turks & Caicos aboard the Carnival Destiny. The cruise will feature three performances from the band, a Q & A session, a photo op, and music from DJ Soulman, Pepper, and other artists that have yet to be announced.

Song requests are being taken as the set list takes shape, but you can bet some of their classics like “All Mixed Up,” “Who’s Got the Herb,” and “Come Original,” will find a way on there. Although the cruise doesn’t embark until March 3, the pre-sale frenzy begins August 18. Cruise fares start at $599/person for four people in an interior cabin.

Interestingly enough, despite all the commotion, the name of the band has nothing to do with March 11. The name “311” was coined because the original guitarist was arrested for indecent exposure, and the officer wrote the corresponding police code on the ticket. To book your own 311 ticket, visit www.311.com.



Read more: http://www.shermanstravel.com/blogs/cruise_news/3715/rock-band-311-announces-caribbean-cruise/#ixzz1MZCrCnAX
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Rock Band 311 to Host Cruise to Turks and Caicos in 2011 (Travel Agent Central)

Rock band 311 and Sixthman recently announced 311's first ever cruise through the Caribbean next year. The band will take over the entire Carnival Destiny cruise ship from March 3-7, 2011, sailing from Miami to Turks and Caicos and back.

Every other year, 311 hosts a special "311 Day" concert on March 11 and fans travel from all over the world to attend. Now that March 2011 is coming up, the band looks to celebrate the month and year, 3/11, by hosting a four-night cruise.

To show their appreciation for their fans, 311 plan to take photos with each guest as they board the ship, host a question-and-answer session on the Lido Deck and take song requests for their three on-ship performances.

Other performers joining 311 on the cruise include Pepper, DJ Soulman from Phunk Junkeez and more to be announced soon.

On August 17, a dedicated 311 Caribbean Cruise website will be launched at www.311cruise.com. And on August 18, the Pre-Sale Sign Up for cabins will ensue at 3 p.m. at that dedicated website.

Visit www.sixthman.net.

Rock band 311 to headline Carnival cruise in the Caribbean (USA Today)

Are you one of rock band 311's rabid fans? Pack your bags for an ocean cruise.

The chart-topping alternative rock outfit from Omaha is joining the growing list of well-known groups hosting a themed music fest at sea.

Announced this week by Atlanta-based organizer Sixthman, 311's first ever fan cruise will take place next March in the Caribbean on the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny. The four-night trip will kick off March 3 in Miami and includes a call in the Turks & Caicos.

The band says the cruise will take the place of the "311 Day" concert that it holds every other year on March 11, which draws fans from around the world.

In addition to three on-ship performances, 311 plans to host a Q&A session with fans on the trip. In an unusual twist for fan cruises, the band also says it'll pose for a picture with every fan who wants one during the boarding process.

Other performers joining 311 on the cruise include Pepper and DJ Soulman from Phunk Junkeez.

Pre-sale details of the trip are online at 311.com/cruise, and a dedicated website is coming soon. A pre-sale sign up for cabins will begin on Aug. 18 at 3:00 pm ET.

311 Joins the Cruise Craze (Broward Palm Beach)

For the most eclectic of music fans with a penchant for shuffleboard and swans made out of towels, 2011 already promises the Jam Cruise on January 4-11, the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise on January 24-28, the indie-rock Bruise Cruise on February 25-28, and the just-announced New Kids on the Block cruise on May 12-16.

Not to be left out (or conflict with an already busy schedule on the high seas), stoner funk-rap group 311 hijacks a Carnival Destiny cruise ship on March 3-7, 2011, sailing from Miami to Turks and Caicos. Pepper and DJ Soulman from Phunk Junkeez will also perform in the March 2011, AKA 3/11(!), celebration. As part of the festivities, which start at $818 per person, 311 plans to take pictures with all guests (capacity 2,700) as they board the ship and will entertain song requests ("Down" is a given, right?) for each of their three concerts during the cruise. On August 18, presales begin here.

311 Hosting a Carribean Cruise (Lovetripper.com Travel)

Get ready to rock on the waves as the Carnival Destiny cruise ship cranks up the volume on a four-night cruise vacation with one of the alternative music scene’s most iconic bands, 311.

To show their appreciation to their fans, every other year the band hosts a special “311 Day” concert on March 11. In celebration of their March 2011 gig (3/11) the group, in conjunction with Sixthman, will chart a course for a memorable musical event with their first ever Caribbean cruise.

Here’s the 411 on the 311 cruise:

■ Well wishers will say “Bon voyage!” in Miami to the passengers boarding the Carnival Destiny on March 3, 2011. The four-night nautical trip to Turks & Caicos returns on March 7, 2011.
■ Each guest’s beaming smile as they board the vessel will be captured for posterity in a photo taken alongside the members of 311.
■ No sea shanties will be sung aboard this cruise ship! Revelers will rock out to “Down,” “Love Song,” Don’t Tread on Me” and more of 311’s chart-toppers when the band takes the stage for three on-ship sets. Other music meisters scheduled to put the motion in the ocean are Pepper and DJ Soulman from Phunk Junkeez.
■ Find out about the inner workings of a rock band and give requests for concert song selections during a Q&A session with 311 on the Lido Deck.
For more pre-sale ticket details:

■ visit www.311.com/cruise
■ Beginning August 17, 2010 visit the dedicated 311 Caribbean Cruise website http://311cruise.com.

Cruise with 311 (Salt Lake City Tribune)

311 and Sixthman (a renowned cruise company) have announced 311's first-ever cruise through the Caribbean next year.

311 will take over the entire Carnival Destiny cruise ship to host an amazing fan experience from March 3-7, 2011, sailing from Miami to Turks & Caicos and back.

Every other year, 311 hosts a special "311 Day" concert on March 11 and fans travel from all over the world to attend. Now that March 2011 is coming up, the band looks to celebrate the month and year 3/11 by having a 4-night cruise of fun, sun & music.

311 plan to take photos with each guest as they board the ship, host a Q&A session on the Lido Deck and take song requests for their three on-ship performances. Other performers joining 311 on the cruise include Pepper, DJ Soulman from Phunk Junkeez and more.

Read pre-sale details at 311.com/cruise. On August 17, a dedicated 311 Caribbean Cruise website will be launched at 311cruise.com . And on August 18, the Pre-Sale Sign Up for cabins will ensue at 1 p.m. MT at that dedicated website.

311 returns stateside for fall trek (Consquence of Sound)

Soon after pairing up with The Offspring for their 2010 Summer Unity tour, 311 are already heading back on the road. The band, whose latest album Uplifter was released last summer, will be hitting a number of venues in October.

Their first stop is on October 16th in Florida, with the tour wrapping up in Georgia on Halloween. Just two weeks? Yes, that’s a pretty short tour, which means that you’ll have to be in the right place in the right time if you plan on seeing them. Nearly every venue is located on the Eastern seaboard; Ohio and Alabama are as west as they’re planning to go.

If you can make it to their October 31st show, you won’t have to say “trick or treat”—311 is planning on providing the nicer of the alternatives. The special Halloween show will have them playing their first major record, Music, in its entirety. Just a bit of an incentive to make your way there, hm?

Tickets are going on sale now, so you’d better get them when you can, as most of the shows are taking place in smaller theaters. You can find out where to snag them at 311’s official website.

311 taps into arena rock while the Offspring revives old hits at Unity Tour stop in Irvine (Orange County Register)

Long before arriving at Irvine’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Saturday evening for 311‘s summer Unity Tour 2010, I’d framed up a summary of my impending review: the members of 311, though always compelling performers, proved once again that they’d reached a plateau long ago, producing a performance that has become painstakingly static over the past decade.

The notion came from my experiences catching the Omaha, Neb.-bred band on all but one (2006) summer Unity Tour since the inception of the annual event. The gigs always upheld good vibes, but went from increasingly repetitive to robotic as the band pulled more material from more recently released, generally humdrum albums (2003′s Evolver and the 2005 followup Don’t Tread on Me), all the while incorporating the same predictable stage antics during every set.

High expectations for Saturday night’s show were further stayed by a brief listening session with 311′s latest studio effort, Uplifter, which is hokey to the point of absurdity. That said, 311 delivered a show Saturday evening in Irvine that proved not only the potential of their new material in a live, large-scale setting, but also that 20 years into its career, 311 is finally within reach of arena-rock status.

While 311 has always emphasized the element of spectacle at its shows (one can surely expect a full-band, drumline-style percussion break during “Applied Science” and a slap-bass frenzy from P-Nut at the onset of “What Was I Thinking?”), Saturday’s concert included a few new features that favored impressive production over music.

Abundant smoke clouds and a grand display of lights continually shrouded guitarist Tim Mahoney, bassist P-Nut, ever-flamboyant MC S.A. Martinez and drummer Chad Sexton, while vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum took on the role of frontman, addressing his audience from a front-and-center raised platform (much like Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor) for most of the show.

The loudest cheers went up for ’90s hits such as “Come Original” and the heavy-hitter “Beautiful Disaster,” but a resounding chorus of fans’ voices during new rap-rock-focused tracks — particularly “India Ink” and “Jackpot” — suggested that 311 has successfully tailored its sound for large venues packed with loyal fans.

Speaking of loyalty, a remarkably immense crowd turned out early in the evening for a hometown show from longtime punk outfit the Offspring.

The band treated its amped-up audience to more recent radio fare such as “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” and the aptly named “New Song” — which sounds eerily similar to the Foo Fighter’s “Times Like These” — but it was older tunes like “Bad Habit” and the set-closer “Self Esteem” that, even 16 years after their release, managed to captivate and invigorate, making for a boisterous opening set that might have served as an equally formidable headliner for O.C. fans.

Second opener Pepper — almost always involved in Unity Tours — failed to impress once again, emphasizing goofy lifeguard costumes and adolescent humor rather than genuine showmanship.

Live review: The Offspring, 311 @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Hey Reverb)

Seeing the Offspring and 311 after a long, crappy day at work is the musical equivalent of being given permission to throw rocks at every car that cuts you off on the way home, shotgun about ten beers and then top it off by blowing up a big, empty building. Sure, it’s all a bit juvenile and irresponsible, but ultimately, freakin’ A, man.

Tuesday night’s sold-out Unity Tour show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which featured Pepper as the opener and the Offspring and 311 as “co-headliners” (although, who sold this bill of goods?; at the end of their 24 songs, it was clear 311 was considered to be the main event) transcended the miserable weather and wound up being an alt-rock mash-up that kept the crowd manic and moving.

No one was happy that the rain rolled in, but it finally cleared about halfway through the Offspring, and they even decided to make up for it by throwing in a bonus: “Spare Me the Details,” which they haven’t done live in ages. “I hope we don’t fuck it up,” guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman said, but they needn’t have worried. True, it was the only offering that came out a little rough around the edges –- but no one throwing the lyrics back at the grinning band seemed to mind a bit.

They didn’t have to do it, though -– up to that point, they had already laid out a crisp, solid set that interspersed the rest of their old favorites with a few of the lesser-known tunes. My only complaint: An hour just wasn’t long enough, and as a longtime fan who knew more than just the “You’re under 18, you won’t be doing any time” lyrics from a tightly executed “Come Out and Play (Keep ’Em Separated”), I wanted more.

The Offspring may have become popular in the early ’90s as a punk-metal band with trashy, F-word-laden anthems that seemed to speak to everyone’s inner 15-year-old boy, but since then they’ve evolved into a more well-rounded, if slightly more pop-oriented, group. As with most bands, the problem is getting audiences to appreciate anything that isn’t from the radio rotation, and so the second the piano rolled out for unique vocalist Dexter Holland’s beautiful solo tune, “Gone Away,” which proves his voice has actually gotten better (less yelling, more singing) over time, people pulled out their cells and started texting or turned around and started chatting.

Granted, for this amped-up crowd, a ballad may not have been the best choice. They wanted “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” and “Why Don’t You Get a Job” (both off 1998’s “Americana”), and the Offspring delivered with aplomb, but also sent out “Genocide,” with its continual drum cascade from Pete Parada, and a recent tune, the aptly named “Hammerhead” from “Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace,” which featured the strongest guitar playing of the entire night, with its constant, edgy riffing that was soft-pedaled metal overlaid with the thoughtful, sing-songy lyrics.

They finished up with crowd-pleasers “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” from “American,” and “Self-Esteem” from their 1994 second album, “Smash” — “I’m just a sucker with no self-esteem,” they sang. An ironic choice? Perhaps, as they made it clear they fully supported walking off as 311 brought it home.

I admit it — I was there much less to see 311 than the Offspring. I think “three-eleven” — which started in the early ’90s with so much promise as a great mish-mash of punk and reggae and hip-hop and ska and metal — got stuck on the same thin harmonies, limp beats and hookless lyrics somewhere between their 1995 offering “311” and 2001’s “From Chaos,” and never really progressed from there. Fortunately their overall sound is infectious enough that you can dance to it like crazy for a very long time. Which is how long they seemed to go on that night.

Where they did it right: the pumping, addictive “Mix It Up” from “Uplifter,” one of their few later efforts that truly sports a hook, pushing it into two earlier tunes — “All Mixed Up” from “311” and then Tim Mahoney’s unrelenting, edgy guitar riffs of “Offbeat Bare Ass,” from “Grassroots.” From there, it was just folks hanging on for dear life, pumping until they could no more, resting, trying to catch a wave of something from the monotony to reinvigorate, and then getting more beer for revival. Post-bass solo — always a welcome change-up from the drums — “Wake Your Mind Up” was a rough choice out of the box; it was just too numbing, but “Who’s Got the Herb,” from their “Live” album, was sure to be a rousing crowd pleaser this night, especially followed by two faves, “Plain” and then “Amber,” the hit off “From Chaos.”

Throughout most of their show, S.A. Martinez raced back and forth across the stage like Energizer bunny singer, and singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, in kind of an apropos zip-up jogging jacket, jumped up and down in a rock aerobics routine. It was alternately exhausting to watch and egged the crowd on to dance more.

Most apropos, though: their encore of “Feels So Good.”

Was it that we made it through the day, the rain or a marathon concert? Hard to say.

311 go back in time at the Comcast Center (Boston Music Spotlight)

311 may longer be the most relevant of bands but there is no denying the band’s ability to still thrive on stage. It’s hard to believe the boys from Omaha, Nebraska have been at it for 20 years now, but their fanbase remains fiercely loyal and their kinship is real. It was all on full display at the band’s show at the Comcast Center in Mansfield on Sunday as part of their summer “Unity” tour with fellow 90′s favorites The Offspring.

Making their way to the stage amidst roaring approval, 311 quickly got their 7-11 day set on with their staple hit “Down” off their 1995 self-titled album. The band would remain in the 90′s for most of the night. In fact, they would only play six songs released in the new millennium and only two from last year’s Uplifter Album (the awful “Jackpot” and the more bearable “India Ink”). And during this time, the band was all business – and a quick “No power outages or nothing” quip front co lead vocalist Nick Hexum, referring to the band’s issues in town last summer. He would later sincerely thank the crowd, stating, “20 years as a band and Boston has been with us every step of the way.

It was alright by the crowd, who happily joined in for sing-alongs of “All Mixed Up” and “Come Original” or jumped in unison to tunes like “Freeze Time”. Remarkably, for a band with 20-years experience, their fanbase has not aged all that much with a nice mix of teens joining the twenty/thirty-somethings (though they almost all agree that basketball jerseys are fine to wear outside of the Garden). And that energy, seemed to fuel the band on stage. S.A. Martinez, Hexum’s partner in crime, led the way as he ran and rapped all over the stage. The only time he remained still was while working the turntables and by the time the band hit “Grassroots”, his shirt was literally drenched completely in sweat after only seven songs.

As a perennial summertime band, many fans know what to expect to see with a 311 show. The overwhelming highlight of the show remains the band’s drum off in “Applied Science”. Following a very solid three-minute drum solo from Chad Sexton, the rest of the band joined him by playing floor toms and cymbals of their own. Together, they combined for a thrilling percussion assault that was half drumline, half tribal.

Later in the night, bassist P-Nut would shine with a lengthy solo of his own, which gave way to “What Was I Thinking?”. The more mellow vibes of “Amber” followed before they picked things back up with “Feels So Good” and main-set closer “Creatures (For a While)”, which sent the pit in front of the stage into a frenzy. 311 soon returned for a encore that actually began with the into from their 1997 album Transistor before moving on to “Beautiful Disaster”. Bringing the night to a close, the band reached all the way back to one of their first songs in “Fuck the Bullshit”.

Prior to 311′s headlining set, the trip back to the 90′s alt-rock radio hit parade was hosted by The Offspring. They did not disappoint in the role, warming up the crowd with hits including “Bad Habbit”, “Gotta Get Away”, “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) and the “Kids Are Alright”. Frontman Dextor Holland took to the piano to deliver a unique rendition of “Gone Away” and later in the set the band covered The Clash’s “The Guns of Brixton”. The hour-long set ultimately came to a close with a rocking run through “Self Esteem”.

311 Heats Up Northerly Island (Buzz Magazine)

The night is cool and the crowd at Northerly Island is ready to heat up. The crowd’s anticipation starts quickly and the press gets ready. Devoted fans and enthusiasts start yelling as 311 appears and opens the show with “Down.” The crowd is pumped. For everyone who became a fan of the band when they released their self-titled album, they’re brought back to 1995 as 311 performs.

The crowd follows the rush that is set by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum. They jump and wave their hands in the air as if they just don’t care—moving like a sea of humans that even a BP oil spill couldn’t calm.

311 allows each member to shine as they make the crowd feel as though they’re the most important fans on the planet. They show appreciation and loyalty by talking with the audience and playing songs from their whole repertoire. Covering basics from their first album to their latest releases, 311 isn’t afraid to play anything because they know their fans will support them with every song they play. 311 performed well at Northerly Island on June 29th and will always play a great concert that leaves you with a smile on your face.

Detroit always a good time for members of 311 (MLive)

The reggae-rock collective 311 is one of the few bands that can pull fans into amphitheaters long after an album has been released. Bassist P-Nut (born Aaron Wills) chalks that up to the act’s devoted fan base.

“A new album, where that used to mean so much, doesn’t mean a ton for bands that have been established for so long,” he said via telephone with The Flint Journal. “I think Pearl Jam is the perfect model for that. ... They’re going to have a special poster every night. They’re going to release the live shows on their website. It’s pretty amazing. It’s definitely something for us to shoot for, as far as how their relationship is with fans and how they give them everything they want. That’s why they can do anything they want to do.”

311, whose last album was the summer of 2009’s Bob Rock-produced “Uplifter,” will bring its “Unity Tour” to DTE Energy Music Theatre on Wednesday with Offspring and Pepper in tow.

“It should be good,” P-Nut said. “It’s another one of the handful of times we’ve done tours with people (Offspring) that can tour on their own with absolutely no problem bringing in thousands and thousands of people. It’s another band that people may come to see more than they come to see us. There are going to be Offspring fans that are going to want to see the show outside of our own. It should be pretty cool.”

P-Nut is especially thrilled about playing the Detroit area. 311’s last experience in the community, June of 2009 at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights, was an “amazing” one.

“The night before, we were in Chicago,” P-Nut recalled. “We usually play 90 to 100 to 110 minutes on a good night. As we were walking to the stage in Chicago, our manager told us we only had an hour to play because of some noise restriction. We were playing in the city. We were working on the weekend rules but it was a weekday so we had to shut down by whatever o’clock. So we had to cram an hour and a half into an hour. That was really fun. It ended up being a good show.

“By the time we got to Detroit, the next night, we really had another half of a show to play in us and proceeded to just go completely off. The crowd did the same. When there’s real reciprocation like that, it makes it a very, very memorable experience for all who attend. I walked off stage going, ‘I wish we would have filmed that. That would have been something to watch over and over again.’ It was so much fun.”

This time around on tour 311 is going to be writing new material for a forthcoming album. The particulars of the album are up in the air, however, because 311 — which also includes DJ/singer SA Martinez, drummer Chad Sexton, vocalist/guitarist Neck Hexum and guitarist Tim Mahoney — parted ways with its longtime label, Jive Records. It has a few songs under its belt already that it wrote prior to 311 Day, a concert it holds in New Orleans on March 11.

“We’ve got seven or so new songs that we’re playing around with,” P-Nut said. “We haven’t touched them in awhile. I think we’re taking a step back and writing more stuff, kind of all of us on our own. Hopefully we’ll learn a couple more songs before the tour begins. I know I have one or two that are pretty much ready. I’m really excited about. That’ll be nice to add to it. Then we can rehearse those at soundcheck and get ready to play a ton of different songs this summer.”

P-Nut said he doesn’t think any of those new songs will surface at shows this summer.

“I’m sure we won’t play any of the new stuff this summer,” he said. “Anyone who’s hanging around outside the show will hear something as we soundcheck. I think it would be fun to do some day. We don’t really do that too much; play stuff that no one’s ever heard of. It gets kind of a lukewarm response even if it’s the best song in the world. The relatability is a little low.”

311 delivered a thunderous performance to a hot and sweaty crowd at Riverbend (Noble Visions)

Saturday June 26th was a hot and sweltering day in the Cincinnati region. As the sun started to set, the temperature dropped and the humidity went up. By the time 311 took the stage around 8:50pm, the crowd was dripping with sweat. The temperature of the crowd reached the boiling point once 311 took the stage and delivered their scorching set. As the crowd bounced and danced to the first notes of the evening, you could tell this was going to be one hot show. 311 opened the show up with Jackpot and then into Sick Tight. The band played with an immense amount of energy until 10:45. The night was full of 311 classics as well as new material. We offer a look into the setlist and images from the show.

311 – 6/26/10 – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, Ohio

Jackpot, Sick Tight, All Mixed Up, Mix It Up, From Chaos, Taiyed > Welcome, India Ink, Come Original, Applied Science, Life’s Not A Race, Freeze Time, Freak Out, Eons, Plain, Down, Bass Solo, Nutsymtom, Amber, No Control, Beautiful Disaster, Creatures (For a While)

Encore: Omaha Stylee, Feels So Good

Diversity, dedication 311 trademarks (Chicago Tribune)

They started in Omaha, Neb., 20 years ago, a quintet of teenagers who decided they wanted to start a band. Not just an ordinary rock 'n' roll group, but one that would feature an MC/DJ and incorporate rap and reggae into the mix.

Now, the members of 311, performing Tuesday at Northerly Island, are in their mid-30s, still viable, and thriving.

"A lot of hard work and dedication went into convincing people we are as good as we think we are," laughs P-Nut, the group's bass player. "That's what we've always relied on, so when the media or a record label or anything steps in to help us out, that's just that much better. But nothing can really take us down at this point; we're a good 100,000 obsessive fans deep, they support us endlessly, and we look to satisfy their interest in the band and grow from there."

311 first came into prominence in the early '90s, when the video for the single "Down" was in heavy rotation on MTV. Immediately, fans sensed something different about the group, notably in the way Nick Hexum's vocals were the perfect counterpoint to the hip-hop stylings of SA Martinez. With P-Nut and drummer Chad Sexton versed in everything from funk to rap to rock, and guitarist Tim Mahoney also possessing a diverse repertoire, they seemed to be a rare entity: a band that had a unique approach to popular music.

But not so fast. P-Nut is quick to admit 311 had a varying approach, but it was not something they cooked up in a vacuum.

"We're proud of what we do and we do know we opened some doors for some of the bands," he says. "But there's the generation before us of Fishbone, Urban Dance Squad, 24/7 Spyz and, certainly, the Red Hot Chili Peppers that really did define hybrid music before the term had even been coined. … All of modern music is a mashup of many different things; it's not just one discipline. Country and western was a mish-mash back in the day, and rhythm and blues to the same degree, and rock 'n' roll was a mishmash of those four."

But as more and more contemporary bands experimented with cross-hybrid sounds, the music became diluted. Instead of being artful, a lot of the music started sounding like chemistry experiments gone awry. 311 avoided that fate by paying heed to what worked and what didn't.

"If we were just happy pleasing ourselves, we'd still be playing in the garage," P-Nut says, noting that 311 owes success to its fans.

That's not just a self-serving statement. Every other year on March 11 (3-11), the band holds a special concert in New Orleans that attracts fans from across the country and around the world. On Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter, drinks named after 311 songs are poured at clubs and bars. Fans even band together for the 311 Fans Care project to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

"That's hard to not get emotional about, because it's so important to so many people," P-Nut says. "This is just a dream we started in a basement together. … It's just great. We're having the time of our lives."

311 keeps on ticking with Cleveland gig (Canton Rep)

When he officially joined up with 311 back in 1992, vocalist S.A. Martinez never imagined he still would be at it 18 years later. At the time, the band was touring around in an old RV borrowed from one of the guy’s dads.

“We had no idea how far this would take us. I don’t think anyone saw further ahead than six months,” Martinez said via telephone from Pittsburgh on Tuesday. “We have a lot of history. We’ve had a lot of good fortune along the way.”

Things definitely picked up after 311 moved from its native Omaha to Los Angeles and got signed to Capricorn Records. In 1995, the hits started coming: “Down,” “All Mixed Up,” “Amber,” “Come Original,” “Creatures (For Awhile),” “Don’t Tread On Me” and a version of The Cure’s “Love Song.”

Happily for fans and band members alike, 311, whose sound blends rock, rap. punk, ska, metal and reggae, never stopped recording or touring. “Uplifter,” the band’s ninth studio album, was released last June and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, 311’s highest chart position to date. The band just launched its Unity tour, which will arrive Wednesday at Cleveland’s Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre.



Q. You guys just keep coming around, always playing large venues. You must have a loyal fan base.

A. We’re extremely lucky and fortunate. We’ve basically been doing shed (outdoor venue) tours every summer for the past 13 years. We keep going out and they keep coming. We’re blessed in that regard. We have a great live show and our band really connects with the crowd. A lot of our fans have grown up with us.

Q. Is the crazy touring tougher to pull off as you get older?

A. For our age, we rock it out! But yes, the number of shows we do back to back without a day off has dwindled. Back in the day, we could do six or seven in a row, no problem. Now three is the max. More days are peppered in there. More naps. (Laughs)

Q. Have you played everywhere by now?

A. We just played Alaska, the last state of the union we hadn’t played before. And we played this past spring in Guam and Jakarta. We went back to Japan. It’s been a dream come true, and it continues to unfold.

Q. What’s it like doing the summer shows?

A. Nothing beats playing outdoors in the summertime. It’s the best time of the year and we get the best reception. People have been cooped up all winter. Definitely a party atmosphere.

Q. What kind of people are coming to 311 shows these days?

A. We have generations now! We have the older crowd that’s been with us, and a lot of young kids that are just getting turned on to us. It’s really interesting and unique to see that happening. We don’t know the trends. We are sort of an anomaly in the business. We’re not crazy mainstream, we’ve got a somewhat underground mystique about us.

Q. I just read about your annual 311 Day (March 11) shows. Tell me about this year’s.

A. This year we had it in Las Vegas. We did close to five hours total of a show, three sets with this mini reggae-dub set in the middle. We had people there from all 50 states and 12 countries around the world. Our fans take over, and the show is really the icing on the cake.

Interview: 311 (Metromix Indianapolis)

Nick Hexum, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for 311, is 40 years old. He’s been a rock star for half his life. He wants to be a rock star for the rest of it.

He’s packing his bags for what seems like the band’s millionth tour — clothes, iPad, portable recording equipment for the bus in case he wants to bust out a few demos, cinnamon-flavored Crest. The band is flying to Alaska for two dates, in Fairbanks and Anchorage, before hitting the road within days of their 20th anniversary.

“We’ve never been up there before,” he says. “But this will complete the 50 states. We will have been to all 50.”

Fifty states in 20 years — it’s hard not to get nostalgic.

On June 10, 1990, the band took the stage for the first time. Their name, The Fish Hippos, was a problem. Hexum had just barely convinced the dudes he’d been jamming with, in their hometown of Omaha, that using that name while opening for legendary post-punk act Fugazi would be bad for business.

In hindsight, that seems like a wise decision — it’s hard to imagine a band called The Fish Hippos celebrating anything, much less 20 years as one of rock’s most innovative acts. Just six years later, under their new name, they were cool enough to be invited to the same party as The Clash’s Joe Strummer, who showed up carrying a boom box with a 311 sticker on it (“That pretty much validated my entire life right there,” Hexum says).

Still, they were so young back then and — Hexum laughs — still so ignorant of the way things worked that they were offering forties to Ian MacKaye backstage.

Things have changed. Hexum now knows that Ian MacKaye is the king of straight edge. He knows how things work and he knows that they’re broken. Like other rock veterans, he’s just trying to keep his head down, pack his bags, and ride out of the revolution.

“It’s a really tough time in the music business right now, there’s so much confusion now about how to make it work in the era of piracy,” he says. “There are a lot of people that are scared and it’s pretty hard to get a record deal. Even now, this summer, a lot of tours are tanking. The music business is …on its last leg right now.”

Hexum says he first noticed the limp in 1999, after the release of 311’s fifth studio album, “Sound System.”

“It was right around that time and (“Sound System”) was available online as a pirated download,” Hexum says. “I remember our manager trying in vain to shut it down and posting on message boards, ‘Don’t do that.’ But they just banished him from the file-trading site. It was a sense of, ‘Wow, there’s nothing you can do about that.’”

Except, of course, try to adapt.

“The industry will take a new form but I’ll look different, whether that’s through subscription service or direct relations between bands with fans,” he says. “People are trying to find out what’s next. I’m just grateful we’ve got a great touring business.”

311 is still loving what they do (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW)

They started in Omaha 20 years ago, a quintet of teenagers who decided they wanted to start a band. Not just an ordinary rock 'n' roll group, but one that would feature an MC/DJ and incorporate rap and reggae into the mix.

Now, the members of 311, performing Tuesday at the Trib Total Media Amphitheatre, Station Square, are in their mid-30s, still viable, and thriving.

"A lot of hard work and dedication went into convincing people we are as good as we think we are," laughs P-Nut, the group's bass player. "That's what we've always relied on, so when the media or a record label or anything steps in to help us out, that's just that much better. But nothing can really take us down at this point; we're a good 100,000 obsessive fans deep, they support us endlessly, and we look to satisfy their interest in the band and grow from there."

311 first came into prominence in the early '90s, when the video for the single "Down" was in heavy rotation on MTV. Immediately, fans sensed something different about the group, notably in the way Nick Hexum's vocals were the perfect counterpoint to the hip-hop stylings of SA Martinez. With P-Nut and drummer Chad Sexton versed in everything from funk to rap to rock, and guitarist Tim Mahoney also possessing a diverse repertoire, they seemed to be a rare entity: a band that had a unique approach to popular music.

But not so fast. P-Nut is quick to admit 311 had a varying approach, but it was not something they cooked up in a vacuum.

"We're proud of what we do and we do know we opened some doors for some of the bands," he says. "But there's the generation before us of Fishbone, Urban Dance Squad, 24/7 Spyz and, certainly, the Red Hot Chili Peppers that really did define hybrid music before the term had even been coined. ... All of modern music is a mashup of many different things; it's not just one discipline. Country and western was a mish-mash back in the day, and rhythm and blues to the same degree, and rock 'n' roll was a mish-mash of those four."

But as more and more contemporary bands experimented with cross-hybrid sounds, the music became diluted. Instead of being artful, a lot of the music started sounding like chemistry experiments gone awry.

311 avoided that fate by paying heed to what worked and what didn't.

"If we were just happy pleasing ourselves, we'd still be playing in the garage," P-Nut says, noting that 311 owes everything to its fans.

That's not just a self-serving statement. Every other year on March 11 (3-11), the band holds a special concert in New Orleans that attracts fans from across the country and around the world. On Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter, drinks named after 311 songs are poured at clubs and bars. Fans even band together for the 311 Fans Care project to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

"That's hard to not get emotional about, because it's so important to so many people," P-Nut says. "This is just a dream we started in a basement together ... It's just great. We're having the time of our lives."

Reconsidering 311 - Why Their Unity Tour Matters (Setimentalist Mag)

Although it seems like just yesterday that “Down” and “All Mixed Up” were blowing up modern-rock radio, 311 (improbably) celebrated their 20th birthday on June 10th of this year. Back in 1990, 311 played their first show under that moniker, opening for Fugazi at the Ranch Bowl in their hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. 10 albums and three DVDs later, 311 is preparing to kick off their ninth summer tour, dubbed the “Unity Tour,” on June 29th in Chicago with the Offspring (another band who achieved mainstream success on alt-rock radio in the ‘90s) and Hawaii’s Pepper in tow.

I first saw 311 in June 1996 when they were part of the H.O.A.R.D.E. tour, and sharing the bill with artists like Lenny Kravitz and Blues Traveler. In ’96 there wasn’t anything like 311 on the radio, which led to an unfair typecasting of the quintet in the now-dreaded rap-rock genre, grouped in with overly agro-leaning bands such as Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, and Linkin Park. To diehard fans (and they are legion) this has long been an unfair comparison. Let Linkin Park and their brethren have their flying bullets and bulging neck veins; the magic of 311 successfully combines a lofty of hybrid rap, rock, punk, dance hall, reggae, funk and ska with lyrics based in celebrating positivity, honoring unity across all barriers, and promoting good times. Seems to me like this is the perfect recipe for pop-rock radio in a down-tempo economy.

As a longtime 311 fan, I’m disappointed in the state of the industry today. The radio airwaves are clogged, as always, with the same six songs played in heavy rotation. No disrespect to Drake, Paramore, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, but as a former touring musician, I know that the playlists are ruled by the latest acts the record labels want to push and that it’s all about business (see iTunes). And while I have no desire to start a referendum on popular artists and various tastes and tastemakers alike, 311’s own hybrid theory still matters, even if alt-rock radio has long since moved on, and on the eve of a major tour, the lack of decent exposure in the necessary markets can be deadly to ticket sales.

The Unity Tour is a little over two weeks away from its kick off here in Chicago. What’s interesting about that is that in the last 24 hours the local alternative radio station, Q101, played one 311 song, “Down,” and one song by the Offspring, “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated),” while playing a handful of cuts from other popular, difficult-to-label ‘90s bands: five from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, six by Rage Against the Machine, five by the Smashing Pumpkins (well, this isn’t surprising, it is Chicago) and four by Tool. That tally of plays doesn’t count the fact that “Here We Are Juggernaut,” the new single from Coheed and Cambria, was spun six times in the last 24 hours as well. The latter is a little more acceptable because it is the latest single of theirs, Columbia Records is pushing [it] and Year of the Black Rainbow pretty hard, and they are a tremendously successful touring act. But given how close 311 and the Offspring are to the kick off of a huge summer tour, I figured we would hear more than one track from the headliners. Again, given the business of selling tickets you’d think playing more of the acts coming to town would be good (quid pro quo) business but, hey, c’est la vie.

The fact of the matter is that most 311 fans don’t care, and other than those of us who still pay attention to terrestrial radio, the fans aren’t cynical about airplay beyond a passing curiosity. We love the music, the message and the vibe and we really don’t care if they get play or not. 311 have had three blockbuster #1 singles over the years: “Down,” “Love Song” and “Don’t Tread on Me.” They have sold over eight million units over their 20-year career and even had six albums break the top 10 on Billboard’s Top 200 sales charts. But again, I don’t think 311 fans really care about hard numbers either. #1 singles and platinum albums aren’t important to 311 fans, going to the shows, watching the DVDs and maybe getting the chance to go to a 311 day festival are what’s important to us. Well, that, and seeing our favorite Nebraskan quintet get the respect and exposure they rightfully deserve. I’m sure fans of the Zac Brown Band might agree with me there. Hello, Bonnaroo!

To wit, on March 11th (3/11), the 311 day show was held in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay. The boys played five sets, some 60 songs, for over 12,000 fans. The annual event is usually held in New Orleans where March 11th is officially recognized by the State ofLouisiana as “311 Day.” Their fan page on MySpace has over 340,000 fans while their Facebook page has over 365,000. The official 311 page (311.com) even features over 500 pictures of fans tattoos! There is a kindred spirit among devout 311 fans, and by devout, I mean those that know there were two albums before “Down” came out, that know what “the hive” is and who can tell you what singer Nick Hexum says at the end of every show. (But to get factual, 1993’s Music and 1994’s Grassroots preceded the self-titled 311 (1995) that had their first #1 single, “Down.” The Hive is the name of their fan club as well as their studio, and Hexum closes every show with “Be positive and love your life.”)

Long story short, 311 fans are a special breed. We are more like roving Deadheads than your normal rock fans, even if normal, by current trends, equates to rainbow-painted MGMT fans and screaming Vampire Weekend bandwagoneers. We value and observe the experience as a community (much like U2 fans do). Fans will brag about how many shows they’ve been to, what rarely played songs they’ve gotten to hear live like “Visit” or “8:16am,” they’ll show off their 311 tats and exchange stories of which band members they’ve met and how cool they were to chat with. The crowds are purposefully very mellow and if a pit breaks out, fans help each other up and look out for each other’s safety. (Right Mastodon and EyeHateGod fans?) We won’t complain about a lack of radio play because chances are the radio won’t play anything good anyway; just another spin of “All Mixed Up,” and not the superior “Beautiful Disaster” or their latest single “Hey You.” We don’t care if the show ends early because of noise curfews, like the last show in Chicago in 2009, when seven songs were cut from the set list so as to comply with the local noise laws, no thanks to the Kottonmouth Kings.

This summer, the boys aren’t going to let us down. Set against the backdrop of one of the greatest city skylines in the world, the Unity Tour 2010 will take flight in Chicago. I’ll be in the front row (hopefully) proudly wearing my 311-themed Cubs jersey, screaming every word to every song, staying positive and loving my life.

Seems like the perfect atmosphere to get lost in, doesn’t it? So, where are you, radio radio?

311 discusses Surfing America Summer Surf Jam (Surfer Mag)

Summer means different things to different people. Long flat spells for East Coasters, prospective south swells for Californians, and plenty of free time for school kids. It also means a lot of great live music acts hop on buses and tour the nation, and every so often the surf and music worlds collide. The Surfing America Summer Surf Jam at Irvine’s Verizon Wirelesss Amphitheatre happens to be one of those events. With much of the proceeds benefiting the PacSun Surfing America USA Surf Team, we caught up with the Nick Hexum, lead singer of the Tour’s headlining act, 311, to get the inside scoop.

So how’d you guys get involved in Surfing America Summer Surf Jam?

We’ve just always been tied into a lot of modern sports and alliances with skating and other action sports. I particularly have been connected with the ocean for a long time so it seemed like a perfect fit.

How does it benefit Surfing America and Team USA?

We’re raising funds to promote youth surfing and the USA Surf Team. That’s such an important thing. Surfing is a type of thing that is such a positive and constructive use of energy that kids can have fun and be in the cool crowd without being into destructive things. I personally have a baby on the way, and I would encourage my kids to get into surfing. But it’s a spiritual thing, too. The water makes me feel like part of something bigger than myself…honestly more people should learn to love surfing.

So 311 grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, right? I’d imagine there’s not much surfing going on there.

No there isn’t, but I was fortunate enough to take summer trips every year to Hawaii and California and the Caribbean ,so I grew up visiting the ocean a couple times a year and learning that way. Also, we’ve been in L.A. for about 20 years so we’ve had a chance to be around surf culture and get in the water fairly often, but not as much as I’d like.

So where would you say you learned to surf?

The place I learned was the jetty off of Venice with some skater friends of mine.

So did you guys grow up skating in Omaha?

Part of the punk rock experience was skating, and it was a perfect fit with our kind of music – doing things your own way. We’ve always been into doing things our own way.

I saw that one of your videos was directed by the Malloys at Crystal Cove. Do you spend much time with them?

Well, we haven’t done any shows with Jack Johnson for a while, but I think they did a kick ass job on that Amber video. We wanted to capture that California Surf vibe in it, and I have a lot of respect for them and the things they’ve done.

How’d you choose the acts for the Unity Tour with Ziggy Marley and The Expendables?

Our band is all about unity and people who have a more positive outlook in their music. The Unity Tour is about bringing all kinds of different people together. We pick bands that go along with that. We’ve had some great hip-hop like The Roots and Snoop Dog. Snoop talked about that a lot when he was on with us and Matisyahu and Ziggy… reggae tends to promote these positive vibes, and that we’re going for…

How has the Unity Tour gone thus far?

It’s been good. It’s flown by, and we have three shows left and has been an amazing way to spend the summer. I just feel lucky to do this every year; we started this with a band called OAR in 2003.

What’s your favorite song to play live?

I think what sets 311 apart is that we have high energy to our shows so the rocking songs like “Down” and “Beautiful Disaster” are really fun, but then there’s also “Amber” and others. I just love getting up there and letting off some steam.

If you have to choose one venue and two bands to play with for your final show, where do you play and with whom?

Our 311 Day show in New Orleans is an incredible thing to be a part of. People come from all over the world to enjoy our music. Honestly we don’t have openers and all the hardcore fans from all over the world are there, so I’d say that’s my favorite show.

Are there any more philanthropic events benefiting surfers on 311′s agenda?

I don’t know if we have anything planned right now, but I think the spirituality of surfing really fits with us, and we’ve had a long relationship with that community so there will be more stuff in the future.

Quickie Q&A: 311 (Metromix, Denver)

311 abides. While many of their ‘90s alt-rock peers have broken up or struggled to maintain their fan bases (witness Limp Bizkit’s recently cancelled reunion tour), the quintet from Omaha continues pack in the fans on their summer Unity Tours and annual marathon 311 Day performances, happily ignoring rock trends and following their own funky muse.

The latest Unity Tour finds 311 back on the road with Hawaiian reggae-rockers Pepper and punk-pop veterans the Offspring in select markets. They’re still touring in support of last year’s “Uplifter,” which entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 3—but singer/guitarist Nick Hexum says the band has “pledged to our fans to not take so long between albums as we did last time.” (“Uplifter,” produced by Bob Rock of Metallica and Mötley Crüe fame, was their first studio effort in nearly four years.) “There are lots of demos being circulated among the band,” Hexum told Metromix. “I personally have made over 30.”

“Uplifter” lives up to its name—nearly every track is super-positive. Does anything ever bum you guys out?
Absolutely. Intolerance, fear tactics in politics, closed minds, and oil spills. These are just a few of my least-favorite things!

Did working with a new producer in Bob Rock inspire the band to try some new things in the studio?
For sure. We learned so much from Bob. We had been resistant to digital recording and he showed us it can sound as good or better than tape. He helped us more with arranging than any producer ever had. He rules.

You held 311 Day in Las Vegas this year. Did anyone win big at the slots or blackjack while you were there?
Not me. We had a fun VIP package where we got to play blackjack with the fans, but the pit boss had us jumping around from table to table and [leaving] our chips, so I can't tell you how I did.

Your 311 Day sets can last up to five hours. Does everyone get a bathroom break?
Yeah, we had clothes change/water chugging/pee breaks. The show was a blast.

What’s on the stereo on the 311 tour bus?
For me, Avett Brothers, MuteMath, King Tubby, and Steve Aoki lately. Pretty random, huh?

There’s a whole MySpace group devoted to fans’ 311 tattoos. What’s the most unusual or creative one you’ve seen lately?
There's so many. Some are so original that we should take the idea and turn them into T-shirts. My favorite tat pics are the ones where three or more are posing together showing their 311 work. 311 is about unity and bonding.

If you could go back in time to, say, 1994—what advice would you give to your younger selves?
Practice your instrument. Follow your dream. Be weird. Take pictures.

Quickie Q&A: 311 (Metromix)

311 abides. While many of their ‘90s alt-rock peers have broken up or struggled to maintain their fan bases (witness Limp Bizkit’s recently cancelled reunion tour), the quintet from Omaha continues pack in the fans on their summer Unity Tours and annual marathon 311 Day performances, happily ignoring rock trends and following their own funky muse.

The latest Unity Tour finds 311 back on the road with Hawaiian reggae-rockers Pepper and punk-pop veterans the Offspring in select markets. They’re still touring in support of last year’s “Uplifter,” which entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 3—but singer/guitarist Nick Hexum says the band has “pledged to our fans to not take so long between albums as we did last time.” (“Uplifter,” produced by Bob Rock of Metallica and Mötley Crüe fame, was their first studio effort in nearly four years.) “There are lots of demos being circulated among the band,” Hexum told Metromix. “I personally have made over 30.”

“Uplifter” lives up to its name—nearly every track is super-positive. Does anything ever bum you guys out?
Absolutely. Intolerance, fear tactics in politics, closed minds, and oil spills. These are just a few of my least-favorite things!

Did working with a new producer in Bob Rock inspire the band to try some new things in the studio?
For sure. We learned so much from Bob. We had been resistant to digital recording and he showed us it can sound as good or better than tape. He helped us more with arranging than any producer ever had. He rules.

You held 311 Day in Las Vegas this year. Did anyone win big at the slots or blackjack while you were there?
Not me. We had a fun VIP package where we got to play blackjack with the fans, but the pit boss had us jumping around from table to table and [leaving] our chips, so I can't tell you how I did.

Your 311 Day sets can last up to five hours. Does everyone get a bathroom break?
Yeah, we had clothes change/water chugging/pee breaks. The show was a blast.

What’s on the stereo on the 311 tour bus?
For me, Avett Brothers, MuteMath, King Tubby, and Steve Aoki lately. Pretty random, huh?

There’s a whole MySpace group devoted to fans’ 311 tattoos. What’s the most unusual or creative one you’ve seen lately?
There's so many. Some are so original that we should take the idea and turn them into T-shirts. My favorite tat pics are the ones where three or more are posing together showing their 311 work. 311 is about unity and bonding.

If you could go back in time to, say, 1994—what advice would you give to your younger selves?
Practice your instrument. Follow your dream. Be weird. Take pictures.

311 with Pepper plays Riverbend Music Center on June 26 (Cincy Groove Magazine)

311 brings the second round of their Uplifter Tour to Cincinnati's Riverbend Music Center on June 26. Uplifter continues a hot streak for the Omaha, Nebraska quintet, providing some of their best material to date on songs, "Hey You," "It's Alright," "Mix It Up," "Golden Sunlight," and "Daisy Cutter." Consisting of Nick Hexum on vocals, Doug Martinez as DJ on turntables and vocals, Tim Mahoney on lead guitar, Aaron Wills on bass, and Chad Sexton on drums, 311 has had a slew of successful recordings since their self titled debut in 1995. Their summer tours have included high profile guests including reggae musicians' Ziggy Marley and Matisyahu. At their Riverbend stop on June 26, 311 will be joined by the Kailua- Kona, Hawaii reggae, dub and rock band, Pepper. With Bret Bollinger on vocals and bass, Kaleo Wassman on vocals and guitar, and Yesod Williams on drums, Pepper made their debut with 2000's Give'n It disc, and have subsequently released the chart toppers, Kona Town in 2002 and Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations in 2008.

Blue Loon solstice concert features 311, Presidents of the United StatesRead more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Blue Loon solstice concert features 311 Presidents of the United States (Fairbanks Daily News)

FAIRBANKS - Twenty years ago, when the band 311 released its first album, lead singer Nick Hexum rapped that even though they were from Nebraska, they had never visited the similar-sounding state of Alaska.

That lyric won’t hold true anymore when 311 and the Presidents of the United States of America play an all-ages summer solstice concert tonight at The Blue Loon. Doors open at 6 p.m.

The pair of bands differ stylistically — 311 boasts a hip rock groove occasionally overlaid with freestyle rapping and touches of reggae and punk, while the Presidents present more of an alternative, pop-rock aesthetic with hints of Seattle grunge. Yet, both bands have received a variety of accolades.

Both acts have landed top-10 singles and have had songs featured in multiple films (311 covered The Cure’s “Love Song” in “50 First Dates”) and television (The Presidents’ “Cleveland Rocks” was “The Drew Carey Show” theme song.) The Presidents have even received two Grammy nominations.

Despite the years of tour both bands have put in, including numerous festival dates, the two bands have never shared a stage together. The Presidents, however, have been to Alaska multiple times, including past performances at The Blue Loon.

For Hexum and band, visiting Alaska now means 311 has toured in all 50 states. Tonight’s performance is the kick-off for their Unity Tour 2010, its annual summer tour.

“We’re on a mission to spread music,” Hexum said.

The Presidents have a more relaxed approach to touring. Instead of officially hitting the road, about every six weeks they play a few gigs in different parts of the country. This time it’s Fairbanks; next time it’s Washington state and then Illinois after that.

Lead singer and player of the basitar (a six-string guitar with two of the strings replaced with bass strings) Chris Ballew said it’s just a way for everyone to chill.

“We’re cooling our heels, taking walks on the beach,” Ballew said. “Enjoying the fruits of our labor.”

The Presidents, who formed in Seattle in 1993, are known for their highenergy, alt-grunge rock sound. But Ballew said that underneath it are just simple songs inspired by traditional folk elements.

“But with a frosting of irony on top,” Ballew clarified.

When asked to give a more specific description of The Presidents’ stage style, all Ballew could say was this: “It’s a sugar-coated pillow fight.”

311 is trickier to define.

Hexum said you could label 311 as modern rock, but it’s really more complex than that.

“The major ingredient is rock,” he said. “But there’s reggae, hip-hop, punk. We have an everything-goes attitude.”

The band came together in 1990 in Omaha, Neb., at a time when the music scene there was quiet. Hexum said it allowed the band to make music that was its own “weird hybrid” sound.

“It was a good place to come from,” he said. “There was no preconceived scene.

People accepted us as legit.” Should these bands ever share the stage again, they will now have at least one thing in common: an Alaska concert — and on the solstice at that.