311 Tickets : The Band Continued To Attract Record Crowds To Their Shows In Recent Years (EZine)

311's first independent release was the Downstairs EP, which was recorded in 1989 in Nick Hexum's basement. Unlike many of their releases, it had no cover art. A copy of this EP can easily be found circulating in bootleg circles and tape trading communities.

The Downstairs EP suffers from guitar so scratchy that the instrument produced an unintended grinding "ringing" sound so high-pitched that it distorted the sound of the tape upon recording; the sound is so abrasive and scratchy that it has caused listeners of the EP to the suffer the phenomenon known as Tinnitus. On this EP, "Right Now" is one of the songs most afflicted with the grinding, ringing guitar noise. Owners of original copies of the EP report that the grinding, ringing guitar noise is in fact present on the original source material.

In 1991, 311 released their second independent release, Unity, recorded at Rainbow Recording Studios, Omaha, which was released with far greater numbers than their first release Dammit!, which was also recorded in 1989 and released in the following year. While Dammit! only printed 300 cassettes, Unity had 1000 CDs and 500 cassettes printed and was distributed through consignment and also sold at shows.

The band began to headline shows in local clubs, such as The Ranch Bowl and Sokol Auditorium, and became a local success.In 1992, S.A. Martinez, who had been making various appearances with 311 over the past years as a vocalist, had officially been asked to join the band. The newly formed 311 recorded a six-track demo, called Hydroponic, and moved to Los Angeles. Within their first few months, 311 was signed to Capricorn Records.

311 considers their first show to be held on June 10, 1990, opening for Fugazi in Omaha, NE, at the Sokol Auditorium.Their seventh major release, Evolver, came in 2003 and marked a return to the straightforward guitar-heavy sound that the band had become known for. Evolver debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200, and the single "Creatures (For A While)" reached #3 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.In 2004, 311 covered The Cure's "Love Song" which became a #1 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

It also reached #59 on the Hot 100, their first single to reach that chart. It was featured on the soundtrack for the motion picture 50 First Dates and then a few months later on their own Greatest Hits '93-'03. The compilation debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. The album also featured two new songs. "How Do You Feel?" and "First Straw". Of these new tracks, "First Straw", was released as a single and reached #14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

On August 16, 2005, 311 released their eighth studio album, titled Don't Tread on Me. "Don't Tread On Me", the first single, reached #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and #1 at R&R. The next two singles, "Speak Easy" and "Frolic Room", did not receive the same success as the first, neither of which made it past #20 on the Modern Rock Charts.Neither of their newest studio albums, excluding Greatest Hits, have received an RIAA certification yet.

On July 20, 2006, 311 kicked off their Summer Unity Tour, playing 37 shows in 27 states and featuring opening bands Pepper and the legendary Wailers. Though their album sales have declined in recent years, the band continued to attract record crowds to their shows. Over 18,500 people came to see the band in Atlanta, their largest audience ever in the city. Other cities with high turnouts included New Jersey, Boston , Washington DC, Omaha , Kansas City, and Colorado.

After completion of the tour, 311 announced they would be taking a break, their first official one in over eight years.
In January 2007, 311 stepped back into their Hive Studios with Nick's younger brother Zack Hexum. They recorded a cover of Toots & the Maytals song Reggae Got Soul for the soundtrack from the film Surf's Up, which was released on June 5, 2007. 311 is also one of the selected group of bands that have been able to successfully tour "off-cycle", headlining amphitheaters each summer.

Their Summer Unity Tour in 2007 included supporting acts Matisyahu and The English Beat. In 2008, they featured opening acts Snoop Dogg and Fiction Plane.In 2009, they had another Summer Unity Tour which featured opening acts Ziggy Marley and The Expendables while in 2010, supporting act The Offspring and opening act Pepper were featured.]In 2011, Sublime With Rome and DJ Soulman & DJ Trichrome will be opening on the Unity Tour.

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