After a year of touring smaller nightclub venues, 311 has returned to the larger theater gigs.
"The smaller shows were so much fun," said 311 guitarist Tim Mahoney during a phone call from Kalamazoo, Mich. "The only problem we had was people not getting into the shows. The good thing was the energy everyone felt in those tight quarters."The Los Angeles-based 311 -- Mahoney, vocalist/guitarist; Nick Hexum, vocalist; SA Martinez, DJ; drummer Chad Sexton; and bassist P-Nut -- will return to the Salt Lake area and play at Saltair on Saturday, April 1. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. with special guest Jimmie's Chicken Shack.
The last time 311 stopped in Salt Lake City was October, when the band cranked out a gig at Club DV8. "That was a fun show," Mahoney remembered. "And now we're coming back to play for more of our fans."
For almost 10 years, 311 has been giving young music listeners a taste of upbeat, optimistic tunes. And the band has always felt it needn't worry about sticking with one particular musical style.
"We always had the attitude that we could play anything as long as it sounded good," Mahoney said. "We're all fans of hip-hop, reggae and rock. We never thought much about the style. We just wanted to play music that we loved to play."
Mahoney -- who cited Kiss, Grateful Dead, Motley Crue, Santana and Van Halen as some of his major influences -- said that when the band recorded its new album, "Soundsystem," band members made it a point of learning how to use the equipment themselves.
"We moved all of our equipment into our recording studio (the band's own studio, known as The Hive)," said Mahoney. "We felt it would be beneficial for us and our music. It was a fun investment."
During this leg of the tour, 311 has been cranking it up with Jimmie's Chicken Shack.
"They've been fun," Mahoney said.
Jimi Haha, lead singer of Jimmie's Chicken Shack -- yes, the first names are spelled differently -- said the tour has been awesome.
"It's great to be on the road with 311," Haha said during a phone call from Wichita, Kan. "They're a bunch of cool guys."
Haha said Jimmie's Chicken Shack's philosophy is just play what feels good.
"We really didn't have a musical goal," said Haha, who cited the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, Bad Brains, Bob Marley and the Grateful Dead as some of his influences. "We constantly go into things, and we don't know where we will emerge."
Haha said his band -- which consists of guitarist Double D, bassist Che Colovita Lemon and drummer Mark Stipple -- faced the usual challenges of being an up-and-coming group.
"Everything you could imagine," Haha said with a laugh. "We did survive the label switches and label mergers. I think we survived because we played our live shows to get through the thick of it."
That same grass-roots attitude is something that Haha doesn't want to lose, even when the band's single, "Do Right," has been buzzing around MTV.
"The success wasn't an overnight thing that changed our lives," Haha said. "We're just not at home as we were in the past. I mean, I'm still living with the same four roommates that I've lived with on-and-off for the last 10 years."
One nice trip for the band has been the TV gigs. Jimmie's Chicken Shack has been featured on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Donny & Marie Show."
"When we were on 'Donny & Marie,' it was cool," Haha said. "We grew up watching the first 'Donny & Marie Show.'
"Donny's a cool guy. He actually listened to the record and asked in-depth questions about the production of it. Man, he really is 'a little bit rock 'n' roll.'"
Wednesday, December 13, 2000
311: (Stage) Diving into the Net (Star Polish)
Dropped into the scene with no geographical demarcations, my first thoughts would have been, “LA on a Friday night? New York on a Saturday?” There was nothing about the electricity of this crowd to suggest Hartford on a Monday. Mastering this ceremony is 311, the show just one of 200 performed yearly by the Omaha born, LA-based funk-rock-reggae band. This number would seem to provide legitimate temptation to take it slow one night. But after give-it-all shows in major markets around the country, 311 showed no signs of fatigue in this small New England venue; just a burning determination to rock their audience. Hard. It’s this perpetual cycle of energy between the band and their fans on which 311 thrives.
There was once a time when a band’s online presence was not expected by fans. This was exactly when 311 established a home in cyberspace – a place to keep the energy flowing even when off-stage. “It was such new technology that the record label didn’t give us any support,” recalls lead singer, Nick Hexum. “It was all completely done on our own money.” Ten years ago, the only chance a fan had to connect with an artist she admired was jumping on stage during a performance or through a handwritten letter (and the dream of getting a response). But technology has changed the fan/artist dynamic forever and 311 is reveling in the advances. P-Nut, bassist, proudly recalls the band’s foresight, “We just knew that something that anybody in the world can access with a phone line has got to be a good marketing and communication tool.” Nick backs P-Nut, “Basically we understood that a lot of the things that are happening with the web are ideas that you start not because they’re going to be profitable now but because you’re establishing a promotional thing.”
Throughout their ten-year career, 311 has ensured that they are as technologically advanced as they are musically. Numerous upgrades to 311music.com have resulted in a website that succeeds in shrinking the gap between artist and audience. The recent implementation of “Ultimate Bulletin Boards,” inspired by beastieboys.com, flings open the doors of communication. As the self-appointed community representative, P-Nut uses the boards to keep the rest of the band in touch with what fans are thinking. “Even though lots of other bands had websites,” says P-Nut, “we still consider ourselves to be one of the first to use it to communicate with our fans.” P-Nut actually spends time talking to fans on-line! He explains, “the website allows us to be ourselves. I can answer emails at my own leisure. If someone yelled a question at my face after a show, that’s not really being me. I have to protect myself. But when I can sit down with a computer and answer questions, I can really be objective and not skew words.”
Nurturing a fan base composed of the most technologically evolved generation in history has 311 collaborating with web developers determined to keep them one step ahead of the next best thing. Peter Raspler, half of 311’s brother management team – Adam is part two -- asserts that “311 likes to stay on the edge by having an advanced website with cutting edge features. It helps the band keep up momentum.” Collaborators are not chosen arbitrarily on Planet 311 -- the requirements are tricky. Says P-Nut, “we like having people that are as excited about what they’re doing as we are excited about the music that we’re creating . . .when we meet designers or video directors . . .we just need to see that spark in their eye to know that an artist will create something true to themselves and that will be the best thing [for us].”
The newest addition to the high-tech world of 311 and the love child of both the boys in the band and their fans is 311 Radio. Created by New York-based web firm MusicVision, this specialized web radio streams songs from every era of 311’s career plus artists hand selected by each band member. 311 Radio is one of the only “artist radios” available online, offered by the band as a gift to their fans – a place to access non-stop, commercial-free 311 tunes while indulging in a sneak peek into the minds behind the music. The band even obtained a license from their label permitting them to override the rigid guidelines of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, allowing listeners access the entire catalogue of 311 Music. Sprinkled throughout the mix are songs by some of the very artists that have inspired the band throughout their lives. Showcasing the unique musical tastes of the five personalities that make up 311, recent band picks include: Chad Sexton, drums – Portishead, Bob Marley; Tim Mahoney, guitar – NOFX, Jerry Garcia, SA Martinez, vocals/scratching – The Jacksons, Common, Nick Hexum, vocals – The Clash, Lauryn Hill, P-Nut, bass – Outkast, Tom Waits.
“Being able to give the artists that have turned us on and made us want to be musicians respect on a 24 hour basis is pretty cool,” notes P-Nut. “Regular radio is just not specialized enough . . .everyone has to listen to the same shit . . .we want to expose our fans to things that they might not get a chance to hear,” adds Hexum. From his managerial vantage point, Raspler observes that the Radio “sends messages that diversity is good, respecting different genres is good, keeping an open mind is good.”
311 has found that the energy they give to their fans through their site comes right back to them. Fans who request songs on the Radio assist in the development of current work. “We’re playing some of our new songs live while we record the new album,” notes Hexum, “and the radio requests and message boards tell us what people are reacting to, what direction we should go in for the second half of the album.” And from a clear business perspective, Raspler admits that the information shared through the website “helps ticket sales by keeping the kids informed and excited.”
Cyber success, however, has not clouded 311’s understanding of the Internet as a tool - one that will only take you as far as you work it. “Even if your music is online, people aren’t going to listen to it for no reason. You have to create a demand by playing shows and handing out flyers to get people to your site,” reminds Nick. Following their own advice, 311 recently handed out thousands of postcards promoting a special Thanksgiving Radio broadcast of their 10-year Anniversary Concert. The week’s broadcast registered thousands of new visits to their website. P-Nut acknowledges the efficiency of the Net; “bands can stay in their home town and shop their tape around through email. We had to move to LA to be found. We sent out discs to every radio station and every record label that we could think of and it worked for us. But use the Internet to do it. We spent a lot on postage.”
Korn, No Doubt and Incubus are just a few of the acts that have opened for 311 before achieving mainstream success. A keen eye for spotting original talent, endless touring and the willingness to experiment with new sounds and technologies have garnered 311 lasting respect from the music industry. With a new album due out mid-2001, the band is continuing to make music on their terms. “Today there’s a weird dichotomy in [mainstream] music,” points out Hexum. “You either have agro metal or brainless pop. The amount of people in the middle making good old melodic rock music is pretty few. There are a lot of trends, but the only thing that’ll last will be true musicianship and melodies.” P-Nut appeals to upstart musicians, “test your limits. Do something new. You need to hit them in a spot that they’ve never been hit in before . . . that’s when a real imprint gets made and imprints like that last forever.”
There was once a time when a band’s online presence was not expected by fans. This was exactly when 311 established a home in cyberspace – a place to keep the energy flowing even when off-stage. “It was such new technology that the record label didn’t give us any support,” recalls lead singer, Nick Hexum. “It was all completely done on our own money.” Ten years ago, the only chance a fan had to connect with an artist she admired was jumping on stage during a performance or through a handwritten letter (and the dream of getting a response). But technology has changed the fan/artist dynamic forever and 311 is reveling in the advances. P-Nut, bassist, proudly recalls the band’s foresight, “We just knew that something that anybody in the world can access with a phone line has got to be a good marketing and communication tool.” Nick backs P-Nut, “Basically we understood that a lot of the things that are happening with the web are ideas that you start not because they’re going to be profitable now but because you’re establishing a promotional thing.”
Throughout their ten-year career, 311 has ensured that they are as technologically advanced as they are musically. Numerous upgrades to 311music.com have resulted in a website that succeeds in shrinking the gap between artist and audience. The recent implementation of “Ultimate Bulletin Boards,” inspired by beastieboys.com, flings open the doors of communication. As the self-appointed community representative, P-Nut uses the boards to keep the rest of the band in touch with what fans are thinking. “Even though lots of other bands had websites,” says P-Nut, “we still consider ourselves to be one of the first to use it to communicate with our fans.” P-Nut actually spends time talking to fans on-line! He explains, “the website allows us to be ourselves. I can answer emails at my own leisure. If someone yelled a question at my face after a show, that’s not really being me. I have to protect myself. But when I can sit down with a computer and answer questions, I can really be objective and not skew words.”
Nurturing a fan base composed of the most technologically evolved generation in history has 311 collaborating with web developers determined to keep them one step ahead of the next best thing. Peter Raspler, half of 311’s brother management team – Adam is part two -- asserts that “311 likes to stay on the edge by having an advanced website with cutting edge features. It helps the band keep up momentum.” Collaborators are not chosen arbitrarily on Planet 311 -- the requirements are tricky. Says P-Nut, “we like having people that are as excited about what they’re doing as we are excited about the music that we’re creating . . .when we meet designers or video directors . . .we just need to see that spark in their eye to know that an artist will create something true to themselves and that will be the best thing [for us].”
The newest addition to the high-tech world of 311 and the love child of both the boys in the band and their fans is 311 Radio. Created by New York-based web firm MusicVision, this specialized web radio streams songs from every era of 311’s career plus artists hand selected by each band member. 311 Radio is one of the only “artist radios” available online, offered by the band as a gift to their fans – a place to access non-stop, commercial-free 311 tunes while indulging in a sneak peek into the minds behind the music. The band even obtained a license from their label permitting them to override the rigid guidelines of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, allowing listeners access the entire catalogue of 311 Music. Sprinkled throughout the mix are songs by some of the very artists that have inspired the band throughout their lives. Showcasing the unique musical tastes of the five personalities that make up 311, recent band picks include: Chad Sexton, drums – Portishead, Bob Marley; Tim Mahoney, guitar – NOFX, Jerry Garcia, SA Martinez, vocals/scratching – The Jacksons, Common, Nick Hexum, vocals – The Clash, Lauryn Hill, P-Nut, bass – Outkast, Tom Waits.
“Being able to give the artists that have turned us on and made us want to be musicians respect on a 24 hour basis is pretty cool,” notes P-Nut. “Regular radio is just not specialized enough . . .everyone has to listen to the same shit . . .we want to expose our fans to things that they might not get a chance to hear,” adds Hexum. From his managerial vantage point, Raspler observes that the Radio “sends messages that diversity is good, respecting different genres is good, keeping an open mind is good.”
311 has found that the energy they give to their fans through their site comes right back to them. Fans who request songs on the Radio assist in the development of current work. “We’re playing some of our new songs live while we record the new album,” notes Hexum, “and the radio requests and message boards tell us what people are reacting to, what direction we should go in for the second half of the album.” And from a clear business perspective, Raspler admits that the information shared through the website “helps ticket sales by keeping the kids informed and excited.”
Cyber success, however, has not clouded 311’s understanding of the Internet as a tool - one that will only take you as far as you work it. “Even if your music is online, people aren’t going to listen to it for no reason. You have to create a demand by playing shows and handing out flyers to get people to your site,” reminds Nick. Following their own advice, 311 recently handed out thousands of postcards promoting a special Thanksgiving Radio broadcast of their 10-year Anniversary Concert. The week’s broadcast registered thousands of new visits to their website. P-Nut acknowledges the efficiency of the Net; “bands can stay in their home town and shop their tape around through email. We had to move to LA to be found. We sent out discs to every radio station and every record label that we could think of and it worked for us. But use the Internet to do it. We spent a lot on postage.”
Korn, No Doubt and Incubus are just a few of the acts that have opened for 311 before achieving mainstream success. A keen eye for spotting original talent, endless touring and the willingness to experiment with new sounds and technologies have garnered 311 lasting respect from the music industry. With a new album due out mid-2001, the band is continuing to make music on their terms. “Today there’s a weird dichotomy in [mainstream] music,” points out Hexum. “You either have agro metal or brainless pop. The amount of people in the middle making good old melodic rock music is pretty few. There are a lot of trends, but the only thing that’ll last will be true musicianship and melodies.” P-Nut appeals to upstart musicians, “test your limits. Do something new. You need to hit them in a spot that they’ve never been hit in before . . . that’s when a real imprint gets made and imprints like that last forever.”
311: An Interview with Tim Mahoney
The imagination is antithesis to physical limitation. Strolling through daily life, humans are constantly confined by flesh, weighed by thought, and serve as victims to the oppressive forces of gravity. Bound by logical influence of modern education mixed with illogical emotion, the mind often serves as buffer between fantasy and reality, forever deciphering and categorizing various occurrences. By standard, we are told to believe that the tangible is proven and therefore exists, and by default the invisible lives only under false disguise. Yet it is what we do not know that drives us. It is the unseen that is intriguing.
Be it cold whispers from closed shutters or suspicious auroras in Roswell, we share a cultural allegiance to the invisible. The mere chance of connecting with the infinite unknown is a dream shared by many, and shows through in all of our art forms. With a history dating back beyond Mesopotamian and Dravidian societies, our attempts at contacting other forms of life through music, literature, and painting have been timeless.
When 311 added their interesting blend of reggae, rock, and hip-hop to national airplay with their self-titled third release, in 1995, their triple-platinum success was painted with references to these infinite possibilities. While more infatuation then dedication, their reaching out merely exemplifies the evolution of human searching.
"Thinking about things that exist outside of the earth, I try not to say I know anything," says guitarist Tim Mahoney. "It just seems that the possibility is greater that things exist outside of our planet. It's interesting to think about. There's so many conspiracy theories, and it's good that people are thinking there is more than what we now see. It's just our curiosity, but I'm just as curious about going inward and being an inward astronaut, because there's just as much to learn inside. I try to keep my mind totally open to any possibility."
This open-minded approach has helped Tim lead these groove masters to international stardom. Intense spiritual reflections combined with essential elements of rock and roots dub music, 311 became a household name when "Down" was on constant rotation in the country's largest radio stations. Two albums later, in celebration of their latest release, Soundsystem, the boys from Omaha are enjoying further success via "Come Original." Reaching this level of acknowledgment without compromising can be difficult for bands to be truly creative. yet 311 have built a career on being consistently diverse, finding a niche on radio where it once seemed none existed.
"As long as we've been together, we've just been playing music the way we play music without worrying about the business," Tim says. "We've been fortunate enough to always have artistic freedom and control over our music. We don't really try to fit in, but it's difficult because we don't fit a lot of radio station format at times. We're just trying to create good music and keep it spiritual.
"A lot of times the most spiritual music isn't the most mainstream, whether it's jazz or reggae or blues. We just write music that's true to ourselves. All the business is second to the creative process."
This integrity has kept 311 alive since their roots were laid on high school stages in 1988 in Omaha, NE. Influenced heavily by reggae musicians like Peter Tosh and Bob Marley, jazz cats such as Bill Evans and John McLaughlin, rock idols like Jimi Hendrix, and hip-hop outfits De La Soul, Cypress Hill, and The Pharcyde, 311 have been able to create original rhythms borrowing from all these styles.
While this is all apparent on record, one need only to see them live to ingest the true energy transferred. Currently on tour in smaller venues with two recent nights at Irving Plaza, they are happy to get back to the intimacy shared outside arena life.
"We just want our shows to be a celebration - people gathering, listening to music, just coming to enjoy themselves and have a positive experience," Tim states. "We just travel around and have little celebrations each night, and have a release of good energy. "The energy just flows back and forth, and it amplifies so much greater the smaller the place is, so we're really enjoying playing these sized venues."
Originally trained on trombone in his grade-school band class, Tim picked up the guitar shortly thereafter. Waywardly reminiscent of his old muse, the six-string instrument quickly became the voice with which he spoke. Moving with his posse to Los Angeles after exhausting all resources in Nebraska, the band patiently watched their recognition grow after each show. Soon they were opening for the bands that influenced them, eventually headlining major showcases.
While Tim's personal style was developed through jazz and reggae experimentation, hip-hop grabbed his attention early on.
"The drum beats and the production of hip-hop really grabbed me," he says. "Besides all the sociological aspects of it, of course. It's a cool evolution of music. There is many tribal aspects and intelligent social commentary, as well as just looking at it as sound without the lyrics."
Advocates of the technological expansion of music through digital means, 311 have spent the majority of their career experimenting with sounds, be it Tim with an envelope filter or co-vocalist S.A. Martinez on the turntables.
Transistor was an extremely successful dive into alchemizing dub reggae rhythms with rap and rock. Soundsystem, while more straightforward, still exhibits various space grooves and roots echoes throughout. Tracks like "Leaving Babylon," a Bad Brains cover, delve back to organic Jamaican influence, while "Livin' & Rockin'" employs futuristic breakbeats. "Flowing" begins with a melodic aura that makes one feel as if floating through the music of the spheres; a light, serene journey reminding one that life is about the trip itself, not necessarily the goal.
311's dedication to open-mindedness serves as an example to the general tide of American culture today. While we have seemingly moved backwards in terms of interpersonal relations, highlighted by racial tension and an influx lawsuits and divorce hearings, our technology is expanding at speeds unfortunately uncontrollable. The Internet has saved our economy while offering endless new job and business opportunities, and is restructuring the music industry as well. Songs like "Evolution" point to this movement in hopes that we use our electrical skills for progressive actions.
"The web is great because of the alternate forms of communication we can have with each other," notes Tim. "It helps people get different angles on news, rather than having to rely on only three or four networks. But the whole process is up to humans to have good intentions with everything involved.
"Recording has evolved as well, so that now you don't have to have a record deal to make a great sounding CD. With digital, a band can make a record in their home and sell it over the web, and charge per copy. It will be interesting to see how all of this evolves in the future."
After 11 years, 311 are showing no sign of slowing down. Five studio albums, one live disc, and endless singles fill record store shelves. Their live intensity is unmatched, and their commitment to avoid mediocrity is a powerful inspiration to many of their fans. As the millennium clock dwindles, we are on the brink of another step of our own evolution. This will be a personal process shared among our physical and spiritual community. Regardless of outcome, it is apparent that changes will occur. Be it technological catastrophe or deeper reflections by our inner astronauts, there is a climax being reached, offered by an influx of artists and musicians.
Once worried, Tim sees this as another step, one to be handled as it occurs. The guitar will continue to speak for him as great as any voice can project. As for the worries, he'll leave that for somebody else.
"I hope that people realize that 2,000 years is relative to human history on earth," he says. "People get so caught up in thinking that they are the most evolved species in the universe and don't realize that humans created time, created this whole Y2K syndrome. I mean, is there even one clock that has the exact time? For a little while I was totally paranoid about it, now it just makes me laugh."
Be it cold whispers from closed shutters or suspicious auroras in Roswell, we share a cultural allegiance to the invisible. The mere chance of connecting with the infinite unknown is a dream shared by many, and shows through in all of our art forms. With a history dating back beyond Mesopotamian and Dravidian societies, our attempts at contacting other forms of life through music, literature, and painting have been timeless.
When 311 added their interesting blend of reggae, rock, and hip-hop to national airplay with their self-titled third release, in 1995, their triple-platinum success was painted with references to these infinite possibilities. While more infatuation then dedication, their reaching out merely exemplifies the evolution of human searching.
"Thinking about things that exist outside of the earth, I try not to say I know anything," says guitarist Tim Mahoney. "It just seems that the possibility is greater that things exist outside of our planet. It's interesting to think about. There's so many conspiracy theories, and it's good that people are thinking there is more than what we now see. It's just our curiosity, but I'm just as curious about going inward and being an inward astronaut, because there's just as much to learn inside. I try to keep my mind totally open to any possibility."
This open-minded approach has helped Tim lead these groove masters to international stardom. Intense spiritual reflections combined with essential elements of rock and roots dub music, 311 became a household name when "Down" was on constant rotation in the country's largest radio stations. Two albums later, in celebration of their latest release, Soundsystem, the boys from Omaha are enjoying further success via "Come Original." Reaching this level of acknowledgment without compromising can be difficult for bands to be truly creative. yet 311 have built a career on being consistently diverse, finding a niche on radio where it once seemed none existed.
"As long as we've been together, we've just been playing music the way we play music without worrying about the business," Tim says. "We've been fortunate enough to always have artistic freedom and control over our music. We don't really try to fit in, but it's difficult because we don't fit a lot of radio station format at times. We're just trying to create good music and keep it spiritual.
"A lot of times the most spiritual music isn't the most mainstream, whether it's jazz or reggae or blues. We just write music that's true to ourselves. All the business is second to the creative process."
This integrity has kept 311 alive since their roots were laid on high school stages in 1988 in Omaha, NE. Influenced heavily by reggae musicians like Peter Tosh and Bob Marley, jazz cats such as Bill Evans and John McLaughlin, rock idols like Jimi Hendrix, and hip-hop outfits De La Soul, Cypress Hill, and The Pharcyde, 311 have been able to create original rhythms borrowing from all these styles.
While this is all apparent on record, one need only to see them live to ingest the true energy transferred. Currently on tour in smaller venues with two recent nights at Irving Plaza, they are happy to get back to the intimacy shared outside arena life.
"We just want our shows to be a celebration - people gathering, listening to music, just coming to enjoy themselves and have a positive experience," Tim states. "We just travel around and have little celebrations each night, and have a release of good energy. "The energy just flows back and forth, and it amplifies so much greater the smaller the place is, so we're really enjoying playing these sized venues."
Originally trained on trombone in his grade-school band class, Tim picked up the guitar shortly thereafter. Waywardly reminiscent of his old muse, the six-string instrument quickly became the voice with which he spoke. Moving with his posse to Los Angeles after exhausting all resources in Nebraska, the band patiently watched their recognition grow after each show. Soon they were opening for the bands that influenced them, eventually headlining major showcases.
While Tim's personal style was developed through jazz and reggae experimentation, hip-hop grabbed his attention early on.
"The drum beats and the production of hip-hop really grabbed me," he says. "Besides all the sociological aspects of it, of course. It's a cool evolution of music. There is many tribal aspects and intelligent social commentary, as well as just looking at it as sound without the lyrics."
Advocates of the technological expansion of music through digital means, 311 have spent the majority of their career experimenting with sounds, be it Tim with an envelope filter or co-vocalist S.A. Martinez on the turntables.
Transistor was an extremely successful dive into alchemizing dub reggae rhythms with rap and rock. Soundsystem, while more straightforward, still exhibits various space grooves and roots echoes throughout. Tracks like "Leaving Babylon," a Bad Brains cover, delve back to organic Jamaican influence, while "Livin' & Rockin'" employs futuristic breakbeats. "Flowing" begins with a melodic aura that makes one feel as if floating through the music of the spheres; a light, serene journey reminding one that life is about the trip itself, not necessarily the goal.
311's dedication to open-mindedness serves as an example to the general tide of American culture today. While we have seemingly moved backwards in terms of interpersonal relations, highlighted by racial tension and an influx lawsuits and divorce hearings, our technology is expanding at speeds unfortunately uncontrollable. The Internet has saved our economy while offering endless new job and business opportunities, and is restructuring the music industry as well. Songs like "Evolution" point to this movement in hopes that we use our electrical skills for progressive actions.
"The web is great because of the alternate forms of communication we can have with each other," notes Tim. "It helps people get different angles on news, rather than having to rely on only three or four networks. But the whole process is up to humans to have good intentions with everything involved.
"Recording has evolved as well, so that now you don't have to have a record deal to make a great sounding CD. With digital, a band can make a record in their home and sell it over the web, and charge per copy. It will be interesting to see how all of this evolves in the future."
After 11 years, 311 are showing no sign of slowing down. Five studio albums, one live disc, and endless singles fill record store shelves. Their live intensity is unmatched, and their commitment to avoid mediocrity is a powerful inspiration to many of their fans. As the millennium clock dwindles, we are on the brink of another step of our own evolution. This will be a personal process shared among our physical and spiritual community. Regardless of outcome, it is apparent that changes will occur. Be it technological catastrophe or deeper reflections by our inner astronauts, there is a climax being reached, offered by an influx of artists and musicians.
Once worried, Tim sees this as another step, one to be handled as it occurs. The guitar will continue to speak for him as great as any voice can project. As for the worries, he'll leave that for somebody else.
"I hope that people realize that 2,000 years is relative to human history on earth," he says. "People get so caught up in thinking that they are the most evolved species in the universe and don't realize that humans created time, created this whole Y2K syndrome. I mean, is there even one clock that has the exact time? For a little while I was totally paranoid about it, now it just makes me laugh."
Bassist P-Nut talks music, film, and pet Weimaraners (IGN for Men)
311.
It's the police code for indecent exposure. You know, the stuff that streakers, flashers, and drunken frat boys do.
311 is also the chosen nom de soniference of 5 guys from Omaha, Nebraska . Anyone not even remotely familiar with 311 (Nick, Tim, Chad, SA, P-Nut) has obviously been residing in a total vacuum. This is a muy popular band whose diverse mixture of ska, reggae, funk, rap, and rock have won them a legion of loyal fans the world over.
IGN For Men's Senior Editor Spence D. recently caught up with the band's master of the low-end, P-Nut, and chopped it up about dogs, 311 music theory, and film.
P-Nut: Sorry I'm late. I had pictured it on my gravestone that I was always on time, but it's gonna have to be 99-out-of-100 times that I'm on time. I do my damndest, though. I was out walking my dog, if you can believe that.
IGN For Men: What kind of dog do you have?
P-Nut: I've got a 13-month old Weimaraner.
IGN For Men: Right on. You know what's so weird is that I've been starting to see a lot of those poppin' up. It used to be that you just saw them in the William Wegman photos.
P-Nut: Yeah, they're startin' to pop up pretty much everywhere.
IGN For Men: Yeah, it's like all of a sudden they're the popular dog. It's like I'd never really seen them out and about until this year.
P-Nut: Yeah, I didn't either, before I got one. Then I started noticing them all around, probably because I had one at that time, too. But also, they are startin' to just become popular pets.
IGN For Men: So what prompted you to get a Weimaraner?
P-Nut: Well, I have a gray house, a gray truck...what else is gray? I just kind of surround myself with gray. Like all of my cars have been either gray or silver. I think it's kind of like a safety thing for me, so I wanted a gray dog to protect the rest of my gray stuff.
IGN For Men: I bet it could work like camouflage, too. You know, somebody is sneakin' up to jack your gray car and all of a sudden from out of nowhere jumps this gray dog. Pretty clever, like urban camouflage.
P-Nut: Exactly, something like that [laughs].
IGN For Men: I got some questions that were thrown to me by our readers, which I took the liberty of reworking into my style and I've also got some of my own questions to ask, as well. But I guess the most obvious question is that we all know that Omaha, Nebraska isn't really known as a bastion of pop (or traditional) culture...
P-Nut: Oh, well I don't know what you've been reading! [laughs].
IGN For Men: I don't mean to stereotype the mid-west...
P-Nut: Oh it's true though. Stereotypes are there for a reason.
IGN For Men: True. Now, with the exception of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom,I can't think of any other significant contribution, other than you guys in 311, that Omaha has made to pop culture. 311 and Marlon Perkins, that's my generalization of the contributions to popular culture made by the city of Omaha in the last several decades. ..
P-Nut: Right, but we're in good company, at least.
IGN For Men: True, true. My question is, how the hell did you land on your ska-rock-rap-funk hybrid way the $%&* out in the middle of nowhere America?
P-Nut: I mean, I guess it comes from people not telling us that we couldn't. You know, people not being inundated with so many bands and so many different styles of music. There was either cover bands, which would make all the money in Omaha because that's what people wanted to come and see and hear; people performing songs that everybody already knew. Those bands were pretty much instantly successful on the local scene in Omaha. But we didn't want to do that. So we started makin' our own music. We were just these punk kids and no one told us that we couldn't do reggae and rock and, you know, what was 'grunge' at the time, which is now just 'modern rock.' Just taking all the things that we loved and things that were hard to play, too. Not easy things, 'cause we're all pretty accomplished musicians, even before we all got together we were pretty damn well rehearsed. So when we did get together, we wanted to do something really new on the technical side and the melodic side.
IGN For Men: Did you and SA perform in your high school band?
P-Nut: Umm, S.A. was in the choir, the swing choir. He'd do the little steps and sing a little bit. And I was in the Jazz Band for a matter of months. It was a little too boring for me. It was cool, I mean I really like my teacher, but it just wasn't open enough. It was very, very structured and I thought it would be cool to get into jazz because of all the improv that's usually associated with that style of music, but...
IGN For Men: So you were like Lisa Simpson, busting out with the crazy sax solo that's totally incongruous with the rest of the class, eh?
P-Nut: Yeah, I tried.
IGN For Men: So were you bustin' out with the Jaco [Pastoris] and Mingus bass riffs while the instructor was trying to teach you something else?
P-Nut: Right. And he knew that I was a better player than most of the people in the class, so he'd let me solo every once and awhile and make sure that I stayed within the chord structure, even though I didn't even know what a chord structure really was [back then]. But it was fun, it just took a little too much time away from my personal life.
IGN For Men: I know what you mean, I was in choir and on swim team when I was in high school and both of those activities took up a lot of my free time.
P-Nut: And that's good, but I knew I was gonna be playing music for the rest of my life and I wanted to enjoy my high school years as much as I could, since I was just skatin' through school anyway.
IGN For Men: Speaking of lack of free time, how often do you and the rest of the band practice? And, coming with the double-edged question here...
P-Nut: Ooooh yeah!
IGN For Men: Since this is your livelihood, how do you keep it from becoming a routine 9-to-5 'job'?
P-Nut: Well since we've stayed the same pretty much since 1991 when Tim came in the band, it's just been a building thing. The more we spend time together and since we lived together out in Los Angeles in 1992, 1993, pretty much broke-as-a-joke, you just learn to love who you're with. And we have so much fun playing together and everybody's such an individual and everybody brings such different styles to the table that it's fun for everybody else. We're all pretty strong personalities and egos, but we're open enough to accept what anybody else brings to the table. So in that way, it's a lot of fun and you learn tons of things that you wouldn't have come up with on your own. And since they respect me and I respect all of them back, it's just a perfect marriage of minds. As far as practicing, I make sure my calluses are ready to go, so I don't have to play through blood on a couple of songs. And Nick makes sure that his voice is all warmed up and Chad makes sure that all his chops are ready to go. We do it enough to stay on top of it, but we've played probably like 500 shows now and we're damn well rehearsed at the stuff we do live. But one of the things that we really need to concentrate on is that now that we have probably 80 songs out, is mixing up the set-list. And that is kind of a difficult thing to do.
IGN For Men: Speaking of you calluses, do you tape them up or do you do some Ancient Zen type of thing where you soak your hands in water heated by hot stones? You know how all those Indian tribes run through the forests barefooted and they build up the calluses on their feet? Do you do something like that?
P-Nut: [laughs] I just keep playing. And even though when I play at home I don't play nearly as hard as I do when I play onstage, it's still a good practice and it keeps me warm, per se [laughs].
IGN For Men: I don't play bass, but growing up I was really into Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Tony Levin, those were the guys that I was just fanatical about. Who are your low-end heroes?
P-Nut: Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. Very, very big [influence]. He was one of the first people that really like stood out as a bass player/composer/personality in a band. Most of the time, like as far as the Led Zeppelin era, Jones was back with Bonham just being the percussive part, and Robert Plant and Page were up in front. They were the lead guys and the rest of the guys were in back. I thought it was really cool that Steve Harris would be leaning up on his monitor, grabbin' people's attention, showing 'em how @#$%&*' great a player he is, and if you look at all the credits on the songs, especially their old stuff, he wrote pretty much everything. Even the solos. He was just cool like that. Even if you don't listen to their music, you can just tell that he's powerful and I wanted to carry that on to the generation of music that I represent.
IGN For Men: I must admit that I missed the whole Maiden voyage, you know, I was never really into their music. "Run To The Hills," that's about the extent of my Maiden experience. I did like the artwork though. The cover of Killers was sick.
P-Nut: Hell yes! It was all about the artwork and the music, the combination of the two. The image that they created was like 'I'm gonna scare the #$%^ out of my parents with this album.' My dad was a preacher and I'd bring home Number of the Beast.
IGN For Men: Wait, your dad was a preacher?
P-Nut: Well yeah, when my folks lived together. He still kind of is, but mostly he just marries and buries people nowadays. But that's all he kind of really did anyway, but he was more active in it [back then]. Now he lives out in New Mexico, which is really cool. He's happy and retired.
IGN For Men: So he doesn't have a problem with your rock-n-roll lifestyle?
P-Nut: Oh no, he loves it.
IGN For Men: Is he your number one fan?
P-Nut: One of them. Tied up there with many other family members.
IGN For Men: Does anybody in the band cook?
P-Nut: Umm, Tim cooks a little bit. I know Chad cooks a little bit...
IGN For Men: But does anybody have like a special dish that they prepare. You know, like 'We're having a potluck party tonight...'
P-Nut:...come check this out!
IGN For Men: Right!
P-Nut: Not really, but my fiancée is a @#$%&*' great cook and she's really into learning a bunch of different recipes and trying new stuff out, so we have people over once in awhile. But we haven't had like the whole band over to eat. But that might be because we don't have a kitchen table yet [laughs].
IGN For Men: Live versus the studio. I once read a quote from you where you remarked that you dig the live experience as it becomes a more collective experience as opposed to the more personal experience of the studio.
P-Nut: When you come out with a product from the studio, it's more set for headphones. That's how we want to mix [songs] so they sound really good on headphones. Of course we try it out in our car systems and stuff to get a perspective, but albums are made to be listened to through headphones. I think that's really cool and makes it a very personal [experience], it's very inside yourself and you can make it whatever it is. But if you're with 2000 people who are all jumpin' up and down at the same time, sweatin' their brains out, singin' the songs word-for-word, that's @#$%^&' badass. It's another peak. You know, I like making albums. I love it, actually. And we get better at it the more we do it, but after playing after about 500 shows and seeing that connection, seeing how powerful it can be when people are watching us create our music, it's so @#$%^&' cool. I wouldn't want to do anything else except for make movies.
IGN For Men: Now you've just said that you wouldn't want to do anything other than make music except for making movies. Are you talking about directing or acting?
P-Nut: Directing.
IGN For Men: What kind of movies would you make?
P-Nut: I would make disturbing movies in which at least one of two people would walk out [of the theater]. No matter what.
IGN For Men: You'd want to do like David Lynch-crossed with David Cronenberg on like crack or something?
P-Nut: Something like that. Those are good Davids. I'd probably be more like Kubrick-meets-Lynch.
IGN For Men: I was also thinking Alejandro Jodorowsky, y'know, the director of El Topo and Santa Sangre.
P-Nut: He's pretty freaky. I like that. I want like some square people to walk out of my movies at least at every show [laughs].
IGN For Men: Now you don't strive for that with 311. I mean you guys don't want people to walk out of your concerts.
P-Nut: No, no. We want everyone to stay for the show.
IGN For Men: But if you made movies you'd want some people to walk out .
P-Nut: Yeah. The cool thing about putting an image up on a screen is that you are hitting people in many, many different ways. It's not just a band performing the music that they want. It's like you get into someone's brain once you put an image up there and you can really $%&* with their heads.
IGN For Men: Yeah, but I think you can do that as a band, too. Especially once you gain a certain level of popularity and garner a sort of cult following. I mean if somebody is out in the audience reciting the words to all of your songs, I'd say that you got inside of their head, wouldn't you?
P-Nut: Yeah, it's true. They're a part of it. But I think, I don't know. Kind of like the headphone experience of listening to the album by yourself. You can make that image whatever you want and it will be different to other people around you. But as a show I think people take it in the same way. I don't know, you could fight both sides of it.
IGN For Men: Yeah, we could sit here for a few hours and ruminate on that, I'm sure. We'd even have to take a break and go get some beers or something.
P-Nut: Yeah [laughs] remember what you were gonna say next!
IGN For Men: Speaking of beers. I managed to catch a glance at your contractual rider and found it interesting that you request 24 bottles of beer, which is then broken down to 6 Sierra Nevadas, 6 Coronas, 6 Anchor Steams, and 6 Pete's Wicked Ale...
P-Nut: Oh 6 Pete's? There's probably a 4-pack of Guinness in there somewhere..
IGN For Men: But that comes out to a six-pack each for four of the guys and the fifth member of the band gets screwed. Is one of you on the wagon? And how did you come up with the beer selection?
P-Nut: [laughs] Well someone always wants something lighter like Corona. And I always want something a little bit more amber like Pete's or even darker like Guinness. It was just trial and error. That's a good mixture.
IGN For Men: It's like the selection that won't really disappoint or piss anybody off then.
P-Nut: Right. There'll be something for everybody. We really don't drink that much at all. Like I'll have a beer on-stage and that's pretty much my favorite time to drink is when I'm actually performing. But you won't see me drinking that much outside of that.
IGN For Men: Why is having a beer on-stage so good? I mean alcohol is a funny thing. I play pretty good pool after about 2-3 beers. And I bowl pretty good after a few beers. But it's that fourth beer that really $%^&$ your game up. I'm sure it's the same way with performing. I'm sure there comes a point when you can just be [too smashed]. The Replacements were pretty much the band from recent memory that could really drink and still play. But were also the band which perfectly illustrated what happens when you drink too much and try to perform live, you know? So does just one beer loosen you up a bit and put you into that performing vibe?
P-Nut: Yeah, yeah. And it just tastes a little bit better when I'm really, really sweaty and my heart's going crazy. And I pretty much, almost always, 9-out-of-10 times if I'm gonna have a beer on-stage it's gonna be Guinness. Which is even stranger because it is such a meal. But it goes down like water when I'm up on-stage. I'll have one, maybe two on a crazy night, and then I'll be kinda $%&*@#! for the rest of the night, between that and bangin' my head and jumpin' around. It's crazy. But I don't over do it.
IGN For Men: I'm more of a Black & Tan fan myself.
P-Nut: That's the way to go.
IGN For Men: Where do you see 311 and the music of the band headed over the next 10 years?
P-Nut: I see us constantly mixing up styles, doin' pretty much whatever we want because we have a very dedicated fanbase, even though with every album we shake off some people who have been listening for awhile and we gain new people. That's kind of a healthy mix, because if it's all the same rabid people all the time and you don't add any extras and you don't shake anybody off then you're not really doing enough, then you're just maintaining a straight line. We're into experimenting, we're into trying new things, we're into stretching our musical capabilities and we're ready to innovate a whole new sound of music. That's what we're out to do.
IGN For Men: Well you've constantly changed your sound and vibe since Transistor up until now. You've dabbled in electronic embellishment and what not. One of our readers, a veritable hardcore 311 fan, pointed out that Sound System goes back to the Grassroots sound a little bit.
P-Nut: A little bit. But you know, you can never go all the way back. And once people start saying that there's gonna be a huge backlash because people feel so strongly about our older stuff, as they damn well should, so we were just trying to have the songs [on Sound System] be ready to be played live like we had for Grass Roots. We knew after doing our first album of music that we'd have to go on the road for a long time. We also knew that after coming off of Transistor that when we made an album that we were gonna want to stay out for a long time and we wanted to write songs that we could play all of them in front of a crowd instead of how trippy Transistor turned out to be. That album was totally made for headphones and Sound System was compeltey made for the stage. It's nice to be able to play both sides of it.
IGN For Men: That's cool. So you went in [to record Sound System] with the intent 'Okay, we did our headphone album, now it's time to do an album where we won't have to take all this techno equipment on the road.
P-Nut: Right, a bare bones record as opposed to 'This sounds great, but how the hell are they gonna do it live?' We didn't even want to have to worry about that [this time out]. And the whole attitude of coming out aggressive and wantin' to play the songs that we had just written, it's cool and it's good for the organization, everyone feels a lot of momentum behind the band and we plan on touring very, very extensively the rest of the year.
IGN For Men: Would you consider yourself a touring machine?
P-Nut: Yeah. That's the only way to do it. And it's the only way not to rely on media, which is fleeting. No offense, of course.
IGN For Men: None taken. I know what you mean, though, trying to rely on the media to get the word out about a record and a tour is kinda lame these days.
P-Nut: Yeah, you can trust on it happening to a certain degree, but there's nothing like word-of-mouth as far as a valid source of information. Especially from a friend that you respect. I know you've got a friend that if they told you 'This album is good,' you'd go buy it. Same thing about a show, 'Go see this band live, they'll $%^&*!' blow your mind!' That's what we want to do. And that's why we take it to the street, because that's when that type of advertisement happens. And that's what was cool, I think, about doing our small club tour earlier in the year, was that not everybody in the city could go if they wanted to. Like there was gonna be some people that were left out in the cold. But now, the people that did get to go told all of their friends that couldn't go and even some people that didn't even give a #$%& at the time, how great of a show it was and now we're gonna be playing like 2000-5000 seats a night, so hopefully we'll be able to satiate all the funk crazed kids out there.
It's the police code for indecent exposure. You know, the stuff that streakers, flashers, and drunken frat boys do.
311 is also the chosen nom de soniference of 5 guys from Omaha, Nebraska . Anyone not even remotely familiar with 311 (Nick, Tim, Chad, SA, P-Nut) has obviously been residing in a total vacuum. This is a muy popular band whose diverse mixture of ska, reggae, funk, rap, and rock have won them a legion of loyal fans the world over.
IGN For Men's Senior Editor Spence D. recently caught up with the band's master of the low-end, P-Nut, and chopped it up about dogs, 311 music theory, and film.
P-Nut: Sorry I'm late. I had pictured it on my gravestone that I was always on time, but it's gonna have to be 99-out-of-100 times that I'm on time. I do my damndest, though. I was out walking my dog, if you can believe that.
IGN For Men: What kind of dog do you have?
P-Nut: I've got a 13-month old Weimaraner.
IGN For Men: Right on. You know what's so weird is that I've been starting to see a lot of those poppin' up. It used to be that you just saw them in the William Wegman photos.
P-Nut: Yeah, they're startin' to pop up pretty much everywhere.
IGN For Men: Yeah, it's like all of a sudden they're the popular dog. It's like I'd never really seen them out and about until this year.
P-Nut: Yeah, I didn't either, before I got one. Then I started noticing them all around, probably because I had one at that time, too. But also, they are startin' to just become popular pets.
IGN For Men: So what prompted you to get a Weimaraner?
P-Nut: Well, I have a gray house, a gray truck...what else is gray? I just kind of surround myself with gray. Like all of my cars have been either gray or silver. I think it's kind of like a safety thing for me, so I wanted a gray dog to protect the rest of my gray stuff.
IGN For Men: I bet it could work like camouflage, too. You know, somebody is sneakin' up to jack your gray car and all of a sudden from out of nowhere jumps this gray dog. Pretty clever, like urban camouflage.
P-Nut: Exactly, something like that [laughs].
IGN For Men: I got some questions that were thrown to me by our readers, which I took the liberty of reworking into my style and I've also got some of my own questions to ask, as well. But I guess the most obvious question is that we all know that Omaha, Nebraska isn't really known as a bastion of pop (or traditional) culture...
P-Nut: Oh, well I don't know what you've been reading! [laughs].
IGN For Men: I don't mean to stereotype the mid-west...
P-Nut: Oh it's true though. Stereotypes are there for a reason.
IGN For Men: True. Now, with the exception of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom,I can't think of any other significant contribution, other than you guys in 311, that Omaha has made to pop culture. 311 and Marlon Perkins, that's my generalization of the contributions to popular culture made by the city of Omaha in the last several decades. ..
P-Nut: Right, but we're in good company, at least.
IGN For Men: True, true. My question is, how the hell did you land on your ska-rock-rap-funk hybrid way the $%&* out in the middle of nowhere America?
P-Nut: I mean, I guess it comes from people not telling us that we couldn't. You know, people not being inundated with so many bands and so many different styles of music. There was either cover bands, which would make all the money in Omaha because that's what people wanted to come and see and hear; people performing songs that everybody already knew. Those bands were pretty much instantly successful on the local scene in Omaha. But we didn't want to do that. So we started makin' our own music. We were just these punk kids and no one told us that we couldn't do reggae and rock and, you know, what was 'grunge' at the time, which is now just 'modern rock.' Just taking all the things that we loved and things that were hard to play, too. Not easy things, 'cause we're all pretty accomplished musicians, even before we all got together we were pretty damn well rehearsed. So when we did get together, we wanted to do something really new on the technical side and the melodic side.
IGN For Men: Did you and SA perform in your high school band?
P-Nut: Umm, S.A. was in the choir, the swing choir. He'd do the little steps and sing a little bit. And I was in the Jazz Band for a matter of months. It was a little too boring for me. It was cool, I mean I really like my teacher, but it just wasn't open enough. It was very, very structured and I thought it would be cool to get into jazz because of all the improv that's usually associated with that style of music, but...
IGN For Men: So you were like Lisa Simpson, busting out with the crazy sax solo that's totally incongruous with the rest of the class, eh?
P-Nut: Yeah, I tried.
IGN For Men: So were you bustin' out with the Jaco [Pastoris] and Mingus bass riffs while the instructor was trying to teach you something else?
P-Nut: Right. And he knew that I was a better player than most of the people in the class, so he'd let me solo every once and awhile and make sure that I stayed within the chord structure, even though I didn't even know what a chord structure really was [back then]. But it was fun, it just took a little too much time away from my personal life.
IGN For Men: I know what you mean, I was in choir and on swim team when I was in high school and both of those activities took up a lot of my free time.
P-Nut: And that's good, but I knew I was gonna be playing music for the rest of my life and I wanted to enjoy my high school years as much as I could, since I was just skatin' through school anyway.
IGN For Men: Speaking of lack of free time, how often do you and the rest of the band practice? And, coming with the double-edged question here...
P-Nut: Ooooh yeah!
IGN For Men: Since this is your livelihood, how do you keep it from becoming a routine 9-to-5 'job'?
P-Nut: Well since we've stayed the same pretty much since 1991 when Tim came in the band, it's just been a building thing. The more we spend time together and since we lived together out in Los Angeles in 1992, 1993, pretty much broke-as-a-joke, you just learn to love who you're with. And we have so much fun playing together and everybody's such an individual and everybody brings such different styles to the table that it's fun for everybody else. We're all pretty strong personalities and egos, but we're open enough to accept what anybody else brings to the table. So in that way, it's a lot of fun and you learn tons of things that you wouldn't have come up with on your own. And since they respect me and I respect all of them back, it's just a perfect marriage of minds. As far as practicing, I make sure my calluses are ready to go, so I don't have to play through blood on a couple of songs. And Nick makes sure that his voice is all warmed up and Chad makes sure that all his chops are ready to go. We do it enough to stay on top of it, but we've played probably like 500 shows now and we're damn well rehearsed at the stuff we do live. But one of the things that we really need to concentrate on is that now that we have probably 80 songs out, is mixing up the set-list. And that is kind of a difficult thing to do.
IGN For Men: Speaking of you calluses, do you tape them up or do you do some Ancient Zen type of thing where you soak your hands in water heated by hot stones? You know how all those Indian tribes run through the forests barefooted and they build up the calluses on their feet? Do you do something like that?
P-Nut: [laughs] I just keep playing. And even though when I play at home I don't play nearly as hard as I do when I play onstage, it's still a good practice and it keeps me warm, per se [laughs].
IGN For Men: I don't play bass, but growing up I was really into Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Tony Levin, those were the guys that I was just fanatical about. Who are your low-end heroes?
P-Nut: Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. Very, very big [influence]. He was one of the first people that really like stood out as a bass player/composer/personality in a band. Most of the time, like as far as the Led Zeppelin era, Jones was back with Bonham just being the percussive part, and Robert Plant and Page were up in front. They were the lead guys and the rest of the guys were in back. I thought it was really cool that Steve Harris would be leaning up on his monitor, grabbin' people's attention, showing 'em how @#$%&*' great a player he is, and if you look at all the credits on the songs, especially their old stuff, he wrote pretty much everything. Even the solos. He was just cool like that. Even if you don't listen to their music, you can just tell that he's powerful and I wanted to carry that on to the generation of music that I represent.
IGN For Men: I must admit that I missed the whole Maiden voyage, you know, I was never really into their music. "Run To The Hills," that's about the extent of my Maiden experience. I did like the artwork though. The cover of Killers was sick.
P-Nut: Hell yes! It was all about the artwork and the music, the combination of the two. The image that they created was like 'I'm gonna scare the #$%^ out of my parents with this album.' My dad was a preacher and I'd bring home Number of the Beast.
IGN For Men: Wait, your dad was a preacher?
P-Nut: Well yeah, when my folks lived together. He still kind of is, but mostly he just marries and buries people nowadays. But that's all he kind of really did anyway, but he was more active in it [back then]. Now he lives out in New Mexico, which is really cool. He's happy and retired.
IGN For Men: So he doesn't have a problem with your rock-n-roll lifestyle?
P-Nut: Oh no, he loves it.
IGN For Men: Is he your number one fan?
P-Nut: One of them. Tied up there with many other family members.
IGN For Men: Does anybody in the band cook?
P-Nut: Umm, Tim cooks a little bit. I know Chad cooks a little bit...
IGN For Men: But does anybody have like a special dish that they prepare. You know, like 'We're having a potluck party tonight...'
P-Nut:...come check this out!
IGN For Men: Right!
P-Nut: Not really, but my fiancée is a @#$%&*' great cook and she's really into learning a bunch of different recipes and trying new stuff out, so we have people over once in awhile. But we haven't had like the whole band over to eat. But that might be because we don't have a kitchen table yet [laughs].
IGN For Men: Live versus the studio. I once read a quote from you where you remarked that you dig the live experience as it becomes a more collective experience as opposed to the more personal experience of the studio.
P-Nut: When you come out with a product from the studio, it's more set for headphones. That's how we want to mix [songs] so they sound really good on headphones. Of course we try it out in our car systems and stuff to get a perspective, but albums are made to be listened to through headphones. I think that's really cool and makes it a very personal [experience], it's very inside yourself and you can make it whatever it is. But if you're with 2000 people who are all jumpin' up and down at the same time, sweatin' their brains out, singin' the songs word-for-word, that's @#$%^&' badass. It's another peak. You know, I like making albums. I love it, actually. And we get better at it the more we do it, but after playing after about 500 shows and seeing that connection, seeing how powerful it can be when people are watching us create our music, it's so @#$%^&' cool. I wouldn't want to do anything else except for make movies.
IGN For Men: Now you've just said that you wouldn't want to do anything other than make music except for making movies. Are you talking about directing or acting?
P-Nut: Directing.
IGN For Men: What kind of movies would you make?
P-Nut: I would make disturbing movies in which at least one of two people would walk out [of the theater]. No matter what.
IGN For Men: You'd want to do like David Lynch-crossed with David Cronenberg on like crack or something?
P-Nut: Something like that. Those are good Davids. I'd probably be more like Kubrick-meets-Lynch.
IGN For Men: I was also thinking Alejandro Jodorowsky, y'know, the director of El Topo and Santa Sangre.
P-Nut: He's pretty freaky. I like that. I want like some square people to walk out of my movies at least at every show [laughs].
IGN For Men: Now you don't strive for that with 311. I mean you guys don't want people to walk out of your concerts.
P-Nut: No, no. We want everyone to stay for the show.
IGN For Men: But if you made movies you'd want some people to walk out .
P-Nut: Yeah. The cool thing about putting an image up on a screen is that you are hitting people in many, many different ways. It's not just a band performing the music that they want. It's like you get into someone's brain once you put an image up there and you can really $%&* with their heads.
IGN For Men: Yeah, but I think you can do that as a band, too. Especially once you gain a certain level of popularity and garner a sort of cult following. I mean if somebody is out in the audience reciting the words to all of your songs, I'd say that you got inside of their head, wouldn't you?
P-Nut: Yeah, it's true. They're a part of it. But I think, I don't know. Kind of like the headphone experience of listening to the album by yourself. You can make that image whatever you want and it will be different to other people around you. But as a show I think people take it in the same way. I don't know, you could fight both sides of it.
IGN For Men: Yeah, we could sit here for a few hours and ruminate on that, I'm sure. We'd even have to take a break and go get some beers or something.
P-Nut: Yeah [laughs] remember what you were gonna say next!
IGN For Men: Speaking of beers. I managed to catch a glance at your contractual rider and found it interesting that you request 24 bottles of beer, which is then broken down to 6 Sierra Nevadas, 6 Coronas, 6 Anchor Steams, and 6 Pete's Wicked Ale...
P-Nut: Oh 6 Pete's? There's probably a 4-pack of Guinness in there somewhere..
IGN For Men: But that comes out to a six-pack each for four of the guys and the fifth member of the band gets screwed. Is one of you on the wagon? And how did you come up with the beer selection?
P-Nut: [laughs] Well someone always wants something lighter like Corona. And I always want something a little bit more amber like Pete's or even darker like Guinness. It was just trial and error. That's a good mixture.
IGN For Men: It's like the selection that won't really disappoint or piss anybody off then.
P-Nut: Right. There'll be something for everybody. We really don't drink that much at all. Like I'll have a beer on-stage and that's pretty much my favorite time to drink is when I'm actually performing. But you won't see me drinking that much outside of that.
IGN For Men: Why is having a beer on-stage so good? I mean alcohol is a funny thing. I play pretty good pool after about 2-3 beers. And I bowl pretty good after a few beers. But it's that fourth beer that really $%^&$ your game up. I'm sure it's the same way with performing. I'm sure there comes a point when you can just be [too smashed]. The Replacements were pretty much the band from recent memory that could really drink and still play. But were also the band which perfectly illustrated what happens when you drink too much and try to perform live, you know? So does just one beer loosen you up a bit and put you into that performing vibe?
P-Nut: Yeah, yeah. And it just tastes a little bit better when I'm really, really sweaty and my heart's going crazy. And I pretty much, almost always, 9-out-of-10 times if I'm gonna have a beer on-stage it's gonna be Guinness. Which is even stranger because it is such a meal. But it goes down like water when I'm up on-stage. I'll have one, maybe two on a crazy night, and then I'll be kinda $%&*@#! for the rest of the night, between that and bangin' my head and jumpin' around. It's crazy. But I don't over do it.
IGN For Men: I'm more of a Black & Tan fan myself.
P-Nut: That's the way to go.
IGN For Men: Where do you see 311 and the music of the band headed over the next 10 years?
P-Nut: I see us constantly mixing up styles, doin' pretty much whatever we want because we have a very dedicated fanbase, even though with every album we shake off some people who have been listening for awhile and we gain new people. That's kind of a healthy mix, because if it's all the same rabid people all the time and you don't add any extras and you don't shake anybody off then you're not really doing enough, then you're just maintaining a straight line. We're into experimenting, we're into trying new things, we're into stretching our musical capabilities and we're ready to innovate a whole new sound of music. That's what we're out to do.
IGN For Men: Well you've constantly changed your sound and vibe since Transistor up until now. You've dabbled in electronic embellishment and what not. One of our readers, a veritable hardcore 311 fan, pointed out that Sound System goes back to the Grassroots sound a little bit.
P-Nut: A little bit. But you know, you can never go all the way back. And once people start saying that there's gonna be a huge backlash because people feel so strongly about our older stuff, as they damn well should, so we were just trying to have the songs [on Sound System] be ready to be played live like we had for Grass Roots. We knew after doing our first album of music that we'd have to go on the road for a long time. We also knew that after coming off of Transistor that when we made an album that we were gonna want to stay out for a long time and we wanted to write songs that we could play all of them in front of a crowd instead of how trippy Transistor turned out to be. That album was totally made for headphones and Sound System was compeltey made for the stage. It's nice to be able to play both sides of it.
IGN For Men: That's cool. So you went in [to record Sound System] with the intent 'Okay, we did our headphone album, now it's time to do an album where we won't have to take all this techno equipment on the road.
P-Nut: Right, a bare bones record as opposed to 'This sounds great, but how the hell are they gonna do it live?' We didn't even want to have to worry about that [this time out]. And the whole attitude of coming out aggressive and wantin' to play the songs that we had just written, it's cool and it's good for the organization, everyone feels a lot of momentum behind the band and we plan on touring very, very extensively the rest of the year.
IGN For Men: Would you consider yourself a touring machine?
P-Nut: Yeah. That's the only way to do it. And it's the only way not to rely on media, which is fleeting. No offense, of course.
IGN For Men: None taken. I know what you mean, though, trying to rely on the media to get the word out about a record and a tour is kinda lame these days.
P-Nut: Yeah, you can trust on it happening to a certain degree, but there's nothing like word-of-mouth as far as a valid source of information. Especially from a friend that you respect. I know you've got a friend that if they told you 'This album is good,' you'd go buy it. Same thing about a show, 'Go see this band live, they'll $%^&*!' blow your mind!' That's what we want to do. And that's why we take it to the street, because that's when that type of advertisement happens. And that's what was cool, I think, about doing our small club tour earlier in the year, was that not everybody in the city could go if they wanted to. Like there was gonna be some people that were left out in the cold. But now, the people that did get to go told all of their friends that couldn't go and even some people that didn't even give a #$%& at the time, how great of a show it was and now we're gonna be playing like 2000-5000 seats a night, so hopefully we'll be able to satiate all the funk crazed kids out there.
311 likes to keep things on positive note (Northwest Flordia Daily News)
The members of 311 don't want to rock the boat.
They just want to rock. And groove. And funk. And dance. And jam. And, well, you get the idea.
In the backward-hat-wearing, male-hormone driven, angst-ridden world of frat boy rap rock now dominating the airwaves of radio and MTV, the five guys from Omaha, Neb., are looking to offer another view for the popular genre that they helped pioneer almost a decade ago, but which is now littered with doom and gloom anthems.
"All entertainers come original. You got to come original. All entertainers hear why," sings frontman and guitarist Nick Hexum on the group's first single "Come Original" off their fifth studio album "Soundsystem," released last October.
"A warning to the crews who think they're hot: If you're not original rockers, you will get shot down by the kids neglecting' your art, the stuff you did. Eventually it gets so bad, puts you to bed," chants the band's other lyricist S.A. Martinez.
An easy jab at the Limp Bizkits and the Kid Rocks of the industry.
"Umm ... There's no hidden dis," Martinez says in a telephone interview. "It's open to interpretation."
Gotcha. Wink, wink.
"Are we immersed in a sea of replicants, hard exteriors and fake gold fronts. Losing yourself in the flavor of the month," Hexum offers in "Mindspin," also off "Soundsystem."
Aside from the combative-natured lyrics on some of the group's songs (which should come as no surprise considering the hip-hop influences laced throughout their musical library), peace, unity and self expression remain the staples for the group's message.
"We were trying to fill a void," Martinez explains about "Soundsystem." "There has to be a counterbalance to all the negativity. It's more of a struggle to stay positive, ya' know. It's a big challenge for a lot of bands."
And what does 311, which also includes Chad Sexton (drums), Tim Mahoney (guitar), and P-Nut (bass), think of the evolution of a sound they helped jump start with their 1993 release, "Music"?
"It's great for the genre to have such success," says Martinez, who adds turntable scratching to the eclectic outfit. "It's a profitable genre."
While the guys in 311, who will all turn 30 this year except P-Nut, who turns 26 in June, don't want to openly bad mouth another artist's work, they will stress a positive vibe for one and all in their music rather than brag about their sexual conquests or encourage mosh-pit behavior closer to sexual assault.
"That just sucks. It's unfortunate," Martinez says changing the tone in his voice. "I'm proud girls feel comfortable coming to our shows.
"It's a great correlation to the bands and the music. You're responsible for what you put out."
And what 311 has put out over the last decade is a combination and cross pollination of reggae, punk, hip-hop, '70s funk and arena rock.
After a series of short-lived bands and lineup changes during and shortly after high school, Hexum, Sexton, Mahoney, who went to the same school, P-Nut and Martinez, who went to a different school, came together as the current version of 311 around 1991. The band got its name from an Omaha police code for indecent exposure.
With a dedicated regional following, built upon aggressive touring and three independently produced records, 311 moved to Los Angeles in 1992.
Shortly thereafter, 311 was signed to Capricorn records and released "Music." The group hit the road immediately to support the record. The tour was briefly sidelined when the band's RV caught fire and exploded, destroying all of their equipment and personal possessions.
For the next four years, 311 maintained a relentless touring schedule, playing about 200 shows per year, stopping only to record 1994's "Grassroots" and the 1995 self-titled or "blue" album.
The band's fan base grew tremendously as people were drawn to the unique sound, boundless energy and powerful performances. In 1996, the band's popularity exploded with the singles "Down" and "All Mixed Up," both off the self-titled album, which reach triple-platinum success.
Quick to feed the rabid fans, 311 released their first home video, "Enlarged to Show Detail."
A Year later 311 put out the ambitious and experimental "Transistor," which reached platinum success, but failed to generate the buzz of their self-titled release.
After a long and successful tour, 311 spent June '98 through June '99 working on "Soundsystem" - the most time they've ever spent on an album - and releasing a 14-track live album in November '98.
"We wanted a more rock oriented record," Martinez says of the band's latest offering. "Something that we could take out on the road and just play. We love playing live. We're real enthusiastic."
Martinez says the band is also cool with its place on the current music scene of pin-up pretty boys and self-indulgent players.
"I don't mind that we're not selling tons of records right now," he says. "It would be nice, but we just don't take it that seriously. We're just happy to have a positive influence eon some people."
The singer is also relieved about not having to follow up another multi-platinum hit record.
"There's less expectations and less pressure. It's great to be in that position, where it's all word of mouth. That's the buzz we want," he says.
The band's current tour, which began in early February, will span over 30 shows, coast-to-coast, in mostly cities not previously covered on the club tour last fall. The opening act will be Jimmie's Chicken Shack.
"We had a blast on the last tour," Martinez says. "We're just trying to give something back to the fans.
"We prefer playing in front of 3,000-5,000 people. That's more in our element because then we're able to feed off all the heat and energy of the crowd."
Martinez says the band already is planning to work on a new record while on tour, which should last until August.
The group will also have a song on the upcoming "Titan AE" soundtrack and is working on their second home video, which should be coincide with the release of the next record due out at the end of the year.
They just want to rock. And groove. And funk. And dance. And jam. And, well, you get the idea.
In the backward-hat-wearing, male-hormone driven, angst-ridden world of frat boy rap rock now dominating the airwaves of radio and MTV, the five guys from Omaha, Neb., are looking to offer another view for the popular genre that they helped pioneer almost a decade ago, but which is now littered with doom and gloom anthems.
"All entertainers come original. You got to come original. All entertainers hear why," sings frontman and guitarist Nick Hexum on the group's first single "Come Original" off their fifth studio album "Soundsystem," released last October.
"A warning to the crews who think they're hot: If you're not original rockers, you will get shot down by the kids neglecting' your art, the stuff you did. Eventually it gets so bad, puts you to bed," chants the band's other lyricist S.A. Martinez.
An easy jab at the Limp Bizkits and the Kid Rocks of the industry.
"Umm ... There's no hidden dis," Martinez says in a telephone interview. "It's open to interpretation."
Gotcha. Wink, wink.
"Are we immersed in a sea of replicants, hard exteriors and fake gold fronts. Losing yourself in the flavor of the month," Hexum offers in "Mindspin," also off "Soundsystem."
Aside from the combative-natured lyrics on some of the group's songs (which should come as no surprise considering the hip-hop influences laced throughout their musical library), peace, unity and self expression remain the staples for the group's message.
"We were trying to fill a void," Martinez explains about "Soundsystem." "There has to be a counterbalance to all the negativity. It's more of a struggle to stay positive, ya' know. It's a big challenge for a lot of bands."
And what does 311, which also includes Chad Sexton (drums), Tim Mahoney (guitar), and P-Nut (bass), think of the evolution of a sound they helped jump start with their 1993 release, "Music"?
"It's great for the genre to have such success," says Martinez, who adds turntable scratching to the eclectic outfit. "It's a profitable genre."
While the guys in 311, who will all turn 30 this year except P-Nut, who turns 26 in June, don't want to openly bad mouth another artist's work, they will stress a positive vibe for one and all in their music rather than brag about their sexual conquests or encourage mosh-pit behavior closer to sexual assault.
"That just sucks. It's unfortunate," Martinez says changing the tone in his voice. "I'm proud girls feel comfortable coming to our shows.
"It's a great correlation to the bands and the music. You're responsible for what you put out."
And what 311 has put out over the last decade is a combination and cross pollination of reggae, punk, hip-hop, '70s funk and arena rock.
After a series of short-lived bands and lineup changes during and shortly after high school, Hexum, Sexton, Mahoney, who went to the same school, P-Nut and Martinez, who went to a different school, came together as the current version of 311 around 1991. The band got its name from an Omaha police code for indecent exposure.
With a dedicated regional following, built upon aggressive touring and three independently produced records, 311 moved to Los Angeles in 1992.
Shortly thereafter, 311 was signed to Capricorn records and released "Music." The group hit the road immediately to support the record. The tour was briefly sidelined when the band's RV caught fire and exploded, destroying all of their equipment and personal possessions.
For the next four years, 311 maintained a relentless touring schedule, playing about 200 shows per year, stopping only to record 1994's "Grassroots" and the 1995 self-titled or "blue" album.
The band's fan base grew tremendously as people were drawn to the unique sound, boundless energy and powerful performances. In 1996, the band's popularity exploded with the singles "Down" and "All Mixed Up," both off the self-titled album, which reach triple-platinum success.
Quick to feed the rabid fans, 311 released their first home video, "Enlarged to Show Detail."
A Year later 311 put out the ambitious and experimental "Transistor," which reached platinum success, but failed to generate the buzz of their self-titled release.
After a long and successful tour, 311 spent June '98 through June '99 working on "Soundsystem" - the most time they've ever spent on an album - and releasing a 14-track live album in November '98.
"We wanted a more rock oriented record," Martinez says of the band's latest offering. "Something that we could take out on the road and just play. We love playing live. We're real enthusiastic."
Martinez says the band is also cool with its place on the current music scene of pin-up pretty boys and self-indulgent players.
"I don't mind that we're not selling tons of records right now," he says. "It would be nice, but we just don't take it that seriously. We're just happy to have a positive influence eon some people."
The singer is also relieved about not having to follow up another multi-platinum hit record.
"There's less expectations and less pressure. It's great to be in that position, where it's all word of mouth. That's the buzz we want," he says.
The band's current tour, which began in early February, will span over 30 shows, coast-to-coast, in mostly cities not previously covered on the club tour last fall. The opening act will be Jimmie's Chicken Shack.
"We had a blast on the last tour," Martinez says. "We're just trying to give something back to the fans.
"We prefer playing in front of 3,000-5,000 people. That's more in our element because then we're able to feed off all the heat and energy of the crowd."
Martinez says the band already is planning to work on a new record while on tour, which should last until August.
The group will also have a song on the upcoming "Titan AE" soundtrack and is working on their second home video, which should be coincide with the release of the next record due out at the end of the year.
311 To Tour America After Returning From Japan (LiveDaily)
Nebraska-bred alt-rockers 311, currently wrapping up a short series of Japanese dates, will return to North America at month's end to resume the "Soundsystem" tour. Beginning in late February--following shows in Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas in late January and early February--an especially grueling schedule will take the band to more than 30 cities in just over a month.
According to the band's official website, 311's spring tour will hit theaters with capacities raging from about 2,000 to 8,000, and most stops will be in cities that weren't on the band's 1999 club tour, which covered well over 60 cities at the end of 1999. Tickets are on sale in most markets.
Jimmie's Chicken Shack will be the opening act for the spring tour, and Incubus will be on the bill for the tour's Feb. 28 stop in Winston Salem, N.C.
"Soundsystem" (Capricorn), 311's sixth-major label album, peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its release last October. It has since fallen to No. 194 on the chart, but the new single "Flowing"--for which the band shot a video earlier this month--is beginning to garner significant radio airplay.
According to the band's official website, 311's spring tour will hit theaters with capacities raging from about 2,000 to 8,000, and most stops will be in cities that weren't on the band's 1999 club tour, which covered well over 60 cities at the end of 1999. Tickets are on sale in most markets.
Jimmie's Chicken Shack will be the opening act for the spring tour, and Incubus will be on the bill for the tour's Feb. 28 stop in Winston Salem, N.C.
"Soundsystem" (Capricorn), 311's sixth-major label album, peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its release last October. It has since fallen to No. 194 on the chart, but the new single "Flowing"--for which the band shot a video earlier this month--is beginning to garner significant radio airplay.
Thursday, November 2, 2000
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