311 once blew the roof off the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City.
It was 1996, and the rap-rock outfit, buoyed by the success of its multi-platinum-selling self-titled third album, rocked "Late Show with David Letterman" with a rip-roaring performance of "Down."
Fifteen years later, the quintet from Omaha, Neb. -- comprised of vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum, vocalist/DJ Doug "SA" Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton -- hasn't come close to duplicating the commercial success of "311."
And while its record sales have dipped, enthusiasm for the band's live performances has not: 311 still plays to tens of thousands of fans every year.
"At one point, things got to be huge and a little out of control," Wills said of the band's mid-'90s success. "The radio attention comes and goes, but the live show is always No. 1."
Fresh off the heels of the release of its 10th studio album, "Universal Pulse" (ATO Records), 311 takes the stage at Mohegan Sun on Saturday, Dec. 3.
In a recent interview, Wills, who has been with 311 since its formation in 1988, discussed the band's shortest album yet, its penchant for positivity and the enduring popularity of its live shows.
Q: With 10 records worth of material under your belt, how do you guys decide what songs to include in your setlists? Are they pre-determined or totally off the cuff?
A: There are times when we feel like we should play what people know, so we can remind them of who we are. But they're at a 311 show cause they know who we are! I feel bad for people who've been to 50 shows and have heard "Beautiful Disaster" 50 times. Now, we see how far we can take it. Anyone coming to these shows can expect some rare stuff. This is a band that really stretches its legs out. We try to play as many songs as we can and we mix in some really interesting stuff in the process.
Q: That's right. I heard you guys once played 60 songs at a 311 Day show in New Orleans. It's interesting because your new album, at just eight songs, is really paired down and concise.
A: Well, what happened is that we had a batch of songs we threw away. They weren't going anywhere. We could have put out an album that had 16 tracks, but we weren't feeling them. We stopped them in their tracks. The eight songs on "Universal Pulse" are songs we could live with.
Q: Listening to the new album, what amazes me is the positivity that still flows through your music. How do you guys maintain that attitude, even with all the tragedy in the world?
A: It's just who we are, who we've always been. We came out when grunge was all the rage. At the time, it was cool to be pissed. We were kind of a counterbalance between the prosperity of the '90s and the junkies running the music scene. We've always been a glass half full kind of band. We can't get away from that. It's an instinct.
Q: Is there a sense that you guys are taking a more populist, rather than selfish, approach to writing music? Are you making music to keep your fans happy and dancing?
A: It's probably 50-50. We're making music that we love and we're helping people through their problems at the same time. People are always thanking us for putting that message out there ... hopefully, we'll be around for another decade or more, pushing the same ideas, helping people through their problems, enhancing individuality and spirit.
Q: I think you guys can make that happen. After 20 years, you're still bringing thousands of fans to your live shows. What is it about a 311 performance that makes it so enduring?
A: When Capricorn, our first record label, signed us 20 years ago, they said, "You're going to go out on the road and keep doing your live show." That's why they signed us -- because we kick ass live. Any success beyond that, the label said, "will be because of your live show." We might not be selling millions of records anymore, but if you're on stage, sweating it out, making the audience move to what you're doing than you have that success.
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/311-brings-electrifying-live-performance-to-2306917.php#ixzz1fA21GUKc
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