311, whose roots are in Omaha, Nebraska now residing in California released their 15th album, in August of 2005 of their almost 20 year career. The album did well and the band is now on a cross country tour of 35 shows. They will be playing in Clarkston, MI on August 10th. I had a chance to talk with bass player P- Nut, this is what he had to say:
WRITER’S NOTE: This interview was conducted live and has been edited for content and length.
Schwegweb: How much of the creative process are you involved in?
P-Nut: "Probably just at my fair share, Nic Essay and Chad have multiple talents as well as Tim and I but when being creative with Nic and essay both being able to write music as well as lyrics, and Chad turning in to a producer extraordinaire that’s what he brings to the table besides his great song writing ability. Me and Tim have been just concentrating on our instruments. Tim has become a fantastic soloist and I’m working on trying to control my creative energy in a more understandable way up until this point what I bring to the table has been kind of off the wall kind of just trying to write something that’s really fun to play, concentrating on the song in more of a secondary sense. And now the older I get I’m concentrating on song composition and taking the body of the song as a more important piece than just the bass line. It’s a learning process and in having a lot of fun with it and we’re lucky to have as any talent people as we do in the band."
How did you get the name P-nut?
"I got p-nut from a friend of mine when we were about 14 we were playing in a garage band basically and we were all just rocking out and I distorted my head shape to even lengthier, and then it kind of stuck."
How did 311 come together as a whole?"
"Well Nick had Chad with him [in California] I’m guessing about in 1988 because we had gotten everything together by 90. Nick went out there everything kind of fell apart nick moved to Germany, Chad came back to Omaha he hooked up with me in the end of 89 and we started playing songs together with a different guitarist kind of as a three piece and nick came and saw us play at my high school that essay had subsequently graduated from the weird thing was that Chad and essay were roommates in college so that was like an instant link to the Martinez factor and I had met him through my wondering through our part of the neighborhood so there was a nice little link to bring him in to the whole as soon as possible especially after we got together after 1990. We started rehearsing as more or less a four piece in February of 1990 and then went to our 1st show June 10th at Silver Hole in Omaha opening up for Fugazi. Then we had at least a couple hundred people at every show minus the hand full of shows we did, immediately following our first show, just to get everything started. Things got started a lot faster for us a lot faster then, I think, any other band in our position. We came out pretty much as a fully formed band especially with nick and Chad having as much experience as they had. Me and my friend Jim were what basketball coaches call “gym rats” we were the same thing with our garage band we practiced all the time we ate, slept and drank it. It was meant to be we were all such big music fans that we had to add our ideals in to the big huge universe of music."
How did 311 develop such a unique sound?
"Well we never limited our selves to any one sound that’s how we came up with something that is so like hyphenated or like a run on sentence to describe all the styles that we permeate. We’re just huge fans of music like I said and no matter if you like it or not its going to come out in your music, I think the only way you can do like a singular influence band is if you limit your self, and I don’t think we have ever done that."
What, if any, were the dark periods of 311?
"I think transistor was kind of a dark period. When we were writing all those songs it’s kind of got a cloudy vibe to it., and the tempos are kind of slower than some of the other albums, the way it was recorded was kind of darker. Musically I guess we went through that, and we go through ups and downs just personality wise. What ever will happen to whoever in the band we will all kind of feel it in one way or the other, because we don’t really exist too much with out each other, our live are entangled upon each other."
So you guys are all pretty much best friends then?
"Yah for sure, we have to be in one way or the other. Putting out a genuine show has everything to do with the people playing with."
How has growing up in a small town like Omaha influenced your music?
"I think growing up in that environment forced us to go against the trend, and really please our selves first and worry about everybody else later, and I think that we have gained respect for writing music that we wanted pretty much all the way through our career. And then a cover song here or there, as suggested by Adam Sandler for the 50 First Dates sound track something that we didn’t come up with on our own but was very successful and fun to do. Its just cool to give respect to The Cure because the positive damage that they did to music as a whole, they are just great."
Who were your personal influences?
"My earliest were probably Iron Maiden and Metallica when I was really focusing on the instrument, the bass. That’s something that could really make me a stand out as a rock musician I guess."
If you weren’t playing music what would you be doing?
"Probably producing movies if I had that opportunity, I would have pushed myself in that direction one way or the other. Writing stories and getting them on film with out compromise."
What is your favorite place to play?
"We just did Red Rocks about three or four days ago, that’s pretty hard to beat. As a city I think New Orleans, as a band we have had so many monumental shows there."
Does 311 really have a holiday in New Orleans?
"Yah the mayor before the current mayor or New Orleans decreed March 11, 311 day in New Orleans."
So you guys have a show every March 11, there?
"No it’s a biannual, and we weren’t able to do it this year because the venue that we usually play at was damaged by the hurricane."
What is your favorite CD to listen to?
"I would be listening to the Artic Monkeys, What ever people say that I am, That’s what I’m not is a perfect album."
Are you as energetic off stage as you are on?
"No, I’m pretty much a polar opposite off stage of how I am on stage. I’m a kind of mellow person. I can get excited pretty easy, if I’m on a basketball court ill be all over you. I can draw from that kind of energetic persona but I’m defiantly not like that all the time I don’t think anybody could be."
How did 311 get its name?
"It came from a police code when the original guitarist who I was talking about earlier got arrested for being naked in a public swimming pool. That was 311 for indecent exposure. Late in my own studies I found that that’s the same thing that Lenny Bruce got arrested for, for saying “cock sucker” on stage, it was another kind of cool link to it."
Saturday, December 16, 2006
LA Places: Essential Features (Chad Sexton's Drum City)
Located amid local recording studios and shops, Chad Sexton, drummer for rock band 311, has opened up a drummer’s haven called Chad Sexton’s Drum City. Having worked at Joe Voda’s Drum City, a drum store in his hometown of Omaha, Neb., Sexton worked alongside his mom, Linda McDonald, who managed the drum store for over 20 years.
Although Voda’s Drum City is long gone, Sexton admits he’s long harbored the idea of owning a drum store in the back of his mind. His vision was to provide a place where drummers of all ages could come and get the personal attention and variety they craved, something that the Guitar Centers of the world often lack.
“The mom and pop-style drum store is what I’m trying to open up again,” says Sexton, “which had more to do with being a place to hang out and see what other drummers are listening to, to see what they’re doing. I’ve realized how much of my musical background was picked up at the drum store.”
Although CSDC will provide everything a drummer could want – drum sets, signature drum sticks, tour supplies, drum lessons, repairs, and personalized service – Sexton’s main goal is to bring variety back to music retail.
“I’m trying to walk the fine line of doing business but also stocking a lot of stuff, so that new drummers, old drummers, pros, and beginners can come in and see something that the other stores aren’t stocking,” he explains. “Unique items like cymbals with holes drilled into the middle of them, an 11-inch pair of high hats, or colored drum sticks.”
With high vaulted ceilings and skylights, Chad Sexton’s Drum City is a spacious store with a dedicated room for cymbals, another for one for one-on-one drum lessons, along with providing a sprawling selection of drum sticks, carrying signature lines from drummers such as Danny Carey of Tool and Adrian Young of No Doubt.
Yamaha, Mapex, ddrum, Zildjian, Sabian, Istanbul, Vic Firth, Pro-Mark and Toca Percussion are just a taste of the brands at CSDC, with Sexton’s Orange County Drum & Percussion yellow drum set proudly on storefront display.
Sexton’s experience as a drummer began as a tot, taking his first lesson at age seven, then spending five years as a teenager in a drum corps group called the Sky Ryders. “All those years of drum corps were my main lesson,” says Sexton, who admits his drum style in 311 often mimics the fast-paced drumming of drum corps. “It’s like a boot camp for chops.”
With mom at the helm as manager and a focused vision, Sexton is excited to open the doors to his drum store. He prides himself upon working hard at every aspect of the business, winning loyal customers and providing a positive vibe that makes newcomers feel at home.
“Me and my mom do the ordering, we set up the store together, we place things where they think they should go. I take out the drums sets and put them together,” says Sexton with a smile. “Just like I used to do as a teenager. It’s kind of surreal.”
Although Voda’s Drum City is long gone, Sexton admits he’s long harbored the idea of owning a drum store in the back of his mind. His vision was to provide a place where drummers of all ages could come and get the personal attention and variety they craved, something that the Guitar Centers of the world often lack.
“The mom and pop-style drum store is what I’m trying to open up again,” says Sexton, “which had more to do with being a place to hang out and see what other drummers are listening to, to see what they’re doing. I’ve realized how much of my musical background was picked up at the drum store.”
Although CSDC will provide everything a drummer could want – drum sets, signature drum sticks, tour supplies, drum lessons, repairs, and personalized service – Sexton’s main goal is to bring variety back to music retail.
“I’m trying to walk the fine line of doing business but also stocking a lot of stuff, so that new drummers, old drummers, pros, and beginners can come in and see something that the other stores aren’t stocking,” he explains. “Unique items like cymbals with holes drilled into the middle of them, an 11-inch pair of high hats, or colored drum sticks.”
With high vaulted ceilings and skylights, Chad Sexton’s Drum City is a spacious store with a dedicated room for cymbals, another for one for one-on-one drum lessons, along with providing a sprawling selection of drum sticks, carrying signature lines from drummers such as Danny Carey of Tool and Adrian Young of No Doubt.
Yamaha, Mapex, ddrum, Zildjian, Sabian, Istanbul, Vic Firth, Pro-Mark and Toca Percussion are just a taste of the brands at CSDC, with Sexton’s Orange County Drum & Percussion yellow drum set proudly on storefront display.
Sexton’s experience as a drummer began as a tot, taking his first lesson at age seven, then spending five years as a teenager in a drum corps group called the Sky Ryders. “All those years of drum corps were my main lesson,” says Sexton, who admits his drum style in 311 often mimics the fast-paced drumming of drum corps. “It’s like a boot camp for chops.”
With mom at the helm as manager and a focused vision, Sexton is excited to open the doors to his drum store. He prides himself upon working hard at every aspect of the business, winning loyal customers and providing a positive vibe that makes newcomers feel at home.
“Me and my mom do the ordering, we set up the store together, we place things where they think they should go. I take out the drums sets and put them together,” says Sexton with a smile. “Just like I used to do as a teenager. It’s kind of surreal.”
Friday, November 17, 2006
311: Across A Wire
Every year on March 11, thousands of fans migrate to New Orleans to celebrate 311's music the way other's celebrate 420. It's a universal day of peace, love and understanding, and in the past, the band has performed for upwards of six hours with material ranging from their early independent releases like "Dammit!", "Hydroponic" and "Unity" to their latest smash single "Don't Tread on Me."
311 guitarist Tim Mahoney, who started his day with a wake and bake, paused to reflect on the band's holiday and the good vibes being shared each night on the band's Summer Unity tour with the legendary Wailers and Pepper.
Austin In Austin: Have you ever made out in a dark hallway and displayed the kiss that made the day?
Tim Mahoney: I think S.A. [Martinez] might have. That's funny' cause if you knew him, that's such a natural thing for him to say. I have made out in a dark hallway, but the rest of that gibberish I'm not sure about.
AIA: How did you end up with Pepper and more importantly, The Wailers, on your current tour?
TM: We've been playing with Pepper for a while now. Our styles vibe together well. The Wailers, that's one of my favorite bands of all time, space, continuum or whatever. For me, the vibe is just unreal. To hear all of those classic songs with Jr. Marley singing, it's just great. By the time it's our turn to play that vibe is just perfect for us; it's the best line-up we could ever hope for.
AIA: How did 311 Day come to be?
TM: Well, we've celebrated 311 day as long as we've been a band. There just so happened to be a couple of years in a row starting about five years ago, where we were consecutively playing in New Orleans. So then we just looked at the situation and decided it would be cool if we just created a holiday for ourselves, and the band, and our fans. And New Orleans is such an awesome city that's always embraced us. This past March, we weren't able to actually do it in New Orleans because of all the damage done to the city. The area where we normally play wasn't up to safety regulations and that sort of thing. There weren't enough generators. There was a whole bunch of stuff in the air, so we did it in Memphis working with the same promoters and it turned out great. I forget how long we played for that evening. We just try to outdo ourselves, but it kind of got to the point where we only have five hours to work with.
AIA: Only five hours?
TM: Well, yeah. But we play songs that we haven't played in 10 years and that sort of thing. We're so fortunate that we have fans that would come from every single state except for Hawaii to be there. And we played Hawaii after that, so it wouldn't have been that reasonable for those people to have come then.
AIA: Does it surprise you each time you add up the years and you realize it's been 16 years? And a follow-up question to that, how have you managed to stay relevant in the process?
TM: It's almost like time travel when we go back and play those older songs, because it puts you back in that place. Plus, they're fun to play because we've become such better musicians since then that we're able to play these songs in ways they weren't before. As far as the actual music, we've always just tried to channel beautiful melodies or super rockin' riffs that we just enjoy playing. And the lyrics are just things that everyone can relate to, that are timeless in a sense. We've always just tried to influence people in a positive way with our music. That's been the attitude all along.
We just try to get people to be kind to one another. All I can really do is try and be a good person and influence people in a positive way, to try and have people get all that they're supposed to get out of music.
AIA: Between 311, Pepper, Damien Marley and Matisyahu, there seems to be a recent rise in reggae-influenced music on the popular, mainstream level. Is this something you expect to continue or last?
TM: It blows my mind still that every city doesn't have a reggae channel. People just don't get exposed to it enough. I'm glad I did when I did through those old Bad Brains records. It's not surprising to me; it seems like each year it grows a little bit more, spreads out a little more.
311 guitarist Tim Mahoney, who started his day with a wake and bake, paused to reflect on the band's holiday and the good vibes being shared each night on the band's Summer Unity tour with the legendary Wailers and Pepper.
Austin In Austin: Have you ever made out in a dark hallway and displayed the kiss that made the day?
Tim Mahoney: I think S.A. [Martinez] might have. That's funny' cause if you knew him, that's such a natural thing for him to say. I have made out in a dark hallway, but the rest of that gibberish I'm not sure about.
AIA: How did you end up with Pepper and more importantly, The Wailers, on your current tour?
TM: We've been playing with Pepper for a while now. Our styles vibe together well. The Wailers, that's one of my favorite bands of all time, space, continuum or whatever. For me, the vibe is just unreal. To hear all of those classic songs with Jr. Marley singing, it's just great. By the time it's our turn to play that vibe is just perfect for us; it's the best line-up we could ever hope for.
AIA: How did 311 Day come to be?
TM: Well, we've celebrated 311 day as long as we've been a band. There just so happened to be a couple of years in a row starting about five years ago, where we were consecutively playing in New Orleans. So then we just looked at the situation and decided it would be cool if we just created a holiday for ourselves, and the band, and our fans. And New Orleans is such an awesome city that's always embraced us. This past March, we weren't able to actually do it in New Orleans because of all the damage done to the city. The area where we normally play wasn't up to safety regulations and that sort of thing. There weren't enough generators. There was a whole bunch of stuff in the air, so we did it in Memphis working with the same promoters and it turned out great. I forget how long we played for that evening. We just try to outdo ourselves, but it kind of got to the point where we only have five hours to work with.
AIA: Only five hours?
TM: Well, yeah. But we play songs that we haven't played in 10 years and that sort of thing. We're so fortunate that we have fans that would come from every single state except for Hawaii to be there. And we played Hawaii after that, so it wouldn't have been that reasonable for those people to have come then.
AIA: Does it surprise you each time you add up the years and you realize it's been 16 years? And a follow-up question to that, how have you managed to stay relevant in the process?
TM: It's almost like time travel when we go back and play those older songs, because it puts you back in that place. Plus, they're fun to play because we've become such better musicians since then that we're able to play these songs in ways they weren't before. As far as the actual music, we've always just tried to channel beautiful melodies or super rockin' riffs that we just enjoy playing. And the lyrics are just things that everyone can relate to, that are timeless in a sense. We've always just tried to influence people in a positive way with our music. That's been the attitude all along.
We just try to get people to be kind to one another. All I can really do is try and be a good person and influence people in a positive way, to try and have people get all that they're supposed to get out of music.
AIA: Between 311, Pepper, Damien Marley and Matisyahu, there seems to be a recent rise in reggae-influenced music on the popular, mainstream level. Is this something you expect to continue or last?
TM: It blows my mind still that every city doesn't have a reggae channel. People just don't get exposed to it enough. I'm glad I did when I did through those old Bad Brains records. It's not surprising to me; it seems like each year it grows a little bit more, spreads out a little more.
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
NICK HEXUM can hear the storms coming again. He is singer-guitarist with the band 311 and is calling from his island home in the Florida Keys, where he owns a six-acre plot of land about a mile off the southeast coast, a place he calls "this most beautiful island that I love with all my heart." And he remembers what happened in 2005.
That was a year of big destructive hurricanes, labeled with the otherwise innocent names of Wilma, Rita, Dennis and Katrina. Hexum's house was battered but survived, and he realizes that others obviously had it much, much worse. Thousands across the region lost homes, jobs, lives. The devastation led Hexum to delve into researching climatological issues and take up global warming as a cause.
"Hurricanes are going to get worse," Hexum says grimly. "We are on an upward trend of hurricane strength because we're on an upward trend of global temperatures. We really felt it hard-core last year."
That experience was enough to further inflame Hexum's existing environmental concerns. He bought a hybrid car (a 2007 Lexus), founded a nonprofit organization, LiberalHexum.org, and is having solar panels installed at his Laurel Canyon home.
This year, he raised $15,000 in pledges for LiberalHexum.org by running the Los Angeles Marathon (his first). He also has a solo project in the works, a collection of ancient pop standards ("Sweet Lorraine," "Smile," etc.), rendered as reggae songs, that he hopes can be used to raise more funds. Its working title: "Too Darn Hot."
"I love 311, but those things are very important," says Hexum, 36. "So I'm going to take a little time off and work on those other things."
That means an indefinite band hiatus will begin at the end of 311's current tour, which closes this weekend with shows at the Greek Theatre and the Santa Barbara Bowl. Hexum isn't sure how long it will last.
"I'm leaving it open-ended," he says, "because if there is any kind of deadline, that will ruin it."
The hiatus comes just as 311 is experiencing one of its most successful tours, playing bigger rooms and with more sell-out crowds than when 311 albums were going triple-platinum. Hexum can't explain the surge in numbers, but says many new fans seem to be in their late teens.
That was a year of big destructive hurricanes, labeled with the otherwise innocent names of Wilma, Rita, Dennis and Katrina. Hexum's house was battered but survived, and he realizes that others obviously had it much, much worse. Thousands across the region lost homes, jobs, lives. The devastation led Hexum to delve into researching climatological issues and take up global warming as a cause.
"Hurricanes are going to get worse," Hexum says grimly. "We are on an upward trend of hurricane strength because we're on an upward trend of global temperatures. We really felt it hard-core last year."
That experience was enough to further inflame Hexum's existing environmental concerns. He bought a hybrid car (a 2007 Lexus), founded a nonprofit organization, LiberalHexum.org, and is having solar panels installed at his Laurel Canyon home.
This year, he raised $15,000 in pledges for LiberalHexum.org by running the Los Angeles Marathon (his first). He also has a solo project in the works, a collection of ancient pop standards ("Sweet Lorraine," "Smile," etc.), rendered as reggae songs, that he hopes can be used to raise more funds. Its working title: "Too Darn Hot."
"I love 311, but those things are very important," says Hexum, 36. "So I'm going to take a little time off and work on those other things."
That means an indefinite band hiatus will begin at the end of 311's current tour, which closes this weekend with shows at the Greek Theatre and the Santa Barbara Bowl. Hexum isn't sure how long it will last.
"I'm leaving it open-ended," he says, "because if there is any kind of deadline, that will ruin it."
The hiatus comes just as 311 is experiencing one of its most successful tours, playing bigger rooms and with more sell-out crowds than when 311 albums were going triple-platinum. Hexum can't explain the surge in numbers, but says many new fans seem to be in their late teens.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Nick Hexum: Man on a Mission (Washington Post)
Move aside, Brad Pitt -- 311's Nick Hexum is on a mission to tackle global warming.
"I agree with Al Gore's statements that global warming is a bigger threat than terrorism," the singer told us yesterday. Hexum launched Liberal Hexum in April to inform people about environmental issues and to raise money for the cause.
"I first got interested in forming a political action committee, but the red tape was too much," he said, before unleashing enough global warming statistics to make a scientist envious. Hexum said he had been mulling the idea of working for environmental causes for some time, but when his house in the Florida Keys was hit by four hurricanes in 2004, he decided to take action.
While he isn't ruling out taking his cause to the Hill, Hexum says he's mainly focused on getting the word out. "A lot of people don't understand the urgency of global warming," he said. "It's a struggle for our Earth, to save it for our grandchildren."
"I agree with Al Gore's statements that global warming is a bigger threat than terrorism," the singer told us yesterday. Hexum launched Liberal Hexum in April to inform people about environmental issues and to raise money for the cause.
"I first got interested in forming a political action committee, but the red tape was too much," he said, before unleashing enough global warming statistics to make a scientist envious. Hexum said he had been mulling the idea of working for environmental causes for some time, but when his house in the Florida Keys was hit by four hurricanes in 2004, he decided to take action.
While he isn't ruling out taking his cause to the Hill, Hexum says he's mainly focused on getting the word out. "A lot of people don't understand the urgency of global warming," he said. "It's a struggle for our Earth, to save it for our grandchildren."
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Promise Keepers (Santa Barbara Independent)
When vocalist Doug “SA” Martinez told The Independent that 311’s show at the Bowl would be one for the history books, it may have seemed like a bold statement, but let it be known across the land that the Omaha, Nebraska quintet does not lie.
With a résumé boasting nine full-length albums, 17 singles, and 18 years, 311’s live shows have become a powerhouse of diversity that revolve around their deadliest weapon: the set list. Even the few bands who can match the depth of their discography often fail to display the same diversity in their live shows, making 311 a constant fascination even to the fans who have been following them since the beginning. With more than 80 songs in rotation for their Unity tour, the set list offered by the boys last Saturday was the best I’ve heard at the Bowl in years.
Following a kinetic jumpstart by Pepper, the day began with a historic footnote as the Wailers returned to the Bowl for the first time in 27 years. Though the absence of Tuff Gong was noticeable, the reggae ensemble presented a concrete performance, checking off the hits one by one until they were joined by Pepper for a closing performance of “One Love.”
311’s lengthy set maintained a gymnastic balance among all of their albums, beginning with the mellow grooves of “Welcome.” Of course the necessities were present, including “Beautiful Disaster,” “All Mixed Up,” “Come Original,” and “Down,” but what really sent the show over the edge were the tracks normally forgotten in the live circuit. Much to the delight of old-school fans, 311 played a plethora of old jams, including “Prisoner,” “From Chaos,” “You Wouldn’t Believe,” “I’ll Be Here a While,” and “What Was I Thinking?”
An eclectic encore put the finishing touches on the night as 311 returned to stage with the Wailers, joining forces to jam out to the classic Bob Marley song “Exodus.” The 11-piece ensemble transformed back into five rockers, who finished off the night with “Creatures.”
With a résumé boasting nine full-length albums, 17 singles, and 18 years, 311’s live shows have become a powerhouse of diversity that revolve around their deadliest weapon: the set list. Even the few bands who can match the depth of their discography often fail to display the same diversity in their live shows, making 311 a constant fascination even to the fans who have been following them since the beginning. With more than 80 songs in rotation for their Unity tour, the set list offered by the boys last Saturday was the best I’ve heard at the Bowl in years.
Following a kinetic jumpstart by Pepper, the day began with a historic footnote as the Wailers returned to the Bowl for the first time in 27 years. Though the absence of Tuff Gong was noticeable, the reggae ensemble presented a concrete performance, checking off the hits one by one until they were joined by Pepper for a closing performance of “One Love.”
311’s lengthy set maintained a gymnastic balance among all of their albums, beginning with the mellow grooves of “Welcome.” Of course the necessities were present, including “Beautiful Disaster,” “All Mixed Up,” “Come Original,” and “Down,” but what really sent the show over the edge were the tracks normally forgotten in the live circuit. Much to the delight of old-school fans, 311 played a plethora of old jams, including “Prisoner,” “From Chaos,” “You Wouldn’t Believe,” “I’ll Be Here a While,” and “What Was I Thinking?”
An eclectic encore put the finishing touches on the night as 311 returned to stage with the Wailers, joining forces to jam out to the classic Bob Marley song “Exodus.” The 11-piece ensemble transformed back into five rockers, who finished off the night with “Creatures.”
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
311 Rocks Tech Campus
Rock veterans 311 hit the Burruss stage with their signature beats and in your face vocals last night, giving the Tech crowd everything they were looking for, and officially kicked off the 2006 fall semester, "(311) is a show Tech's been looking forward to for a very long time. We've had a lot of requests for it over the past five or so years. And obviously it sold out in about eight days, so this is something the students have wanted for a very long time," said senior Jon Hardage, director of concerts for Virginia Tech Union.
Their long anticipated Virginia Tech debut wasn't easy though. Hardage said, "This is actually the only college on their tour, so it's kind of unexpected that they accepted the offer. They are a hard band to get because they're so popular," Welbilt, a band from Fairfax, Virginia, opened for 311. According to Hardage, "Welbilt is getting very popular regionally, especially in Virginia and Maryland. They play real good rock n' roll."
If no one had heard of them before they took the stage, Welbilt made their introduction quick and memorable. They played an almost continuous 15 minutes of music, and perhaps would have made it longer had they not literally broken some thing.
"It's a Welbilt tradition to blow something up at each show," lead singer and guitarist Nate Ihara told the crowd.
After a momentary pause to fix the problem Welbilt picked up where they left off. Ihara's face glowed with sweat. He occasionally flicked the sweat from his brow, where it got caught in the stage lighting and hung momentarily in the air. They continued to play for close to half and hour with unexpected confidence for a band opening for such staples of the American music scene.
The crowd was anxious. In the half-hour from the end of Welbilt to 311, several Burruss wide chants of "311" rang out.
This was the first 311 concert for junior biology major Elizabeth Arwood and her friend Caryn Clements. Arwood's expectations would be met if she heard anything from the "Motive" album, and fears that her Thursday Genetics class may be sacrificed because of the concert.
The unique sound of 311 is hard to categorize. Eric Miller, a freshman engineering major, said, "They're hard to place in a genre really. They're rock, but they have a groove, you know? A funky type of rock." When asked what he wanted to hear them play, Miller summed it up in one word, "Amber."
Finally the house lights of Burruss hall were killed and only the red glow of the exit signs remained. The crowd's anticipation overflowed and the screams rivaled the columns of blaring speakers.
On stage vocalist and scratcher Douglas Martinez engaged in a vocal duel with lead singer and guitarist Nicholas Hexem. Back and forth they went in such 311 classics as "All mixed up." Martinez's body bounced up and down as he spouted off the lyrics. Hexum, standing on the amps or facing up with Martinez, poured himself into his performance and Tech responded. Waves of hands in the air, and mouths completely in sync with the song could be seen throughout the auditorium.
Guitarist Timothy Mahoney, and Bassist P-Nut were the stoic bookends that contained the lyrical chaos of Martinez and Hexum in the middle of the stage. And of course Chad Sexton provided the beat that is 311. The most important thing on stage, though, could have been a silent Peace Lily atop a stack of speakers whose exact purpose, aside from being pretty, is unknown.
Bassist Matt Waller of Welbilt described opening for 311 as a "dream come true." "I've loved 311 since I was like 14, and I've always wanted to meet them," he said.
"Personally I had never heard of them," admitted senior Coleman Collins. "The best part is the energy." For many others in Burruss hall on Wednesday night, this was also their first meeting with the band. 311 made sure to make it a memorable though.
Their long anticipated Virginia Tech debut wasn't easy though. Hardage said, "This is actually the only college on their tour, so it's kind of unexpected that they accepted the offer. They are a hard band to get because they're so popular," Welbilt, a band from Fairfax, Virginia, opened for 311. According to Hardage, "Welbilt is getting very popular regionally, especially in Virginia and Maryland. They play real good rock n' roll."
If no one had heard of them before they took the stage, Welbilt made their introduction quick and memorable. They played an almost continuous 15 minutes of music, and perhaps would have made it longer had they not literally broken some thing.
"It's a Welbilt tradition to blow something up at each show," lead singer and guitarist Nate Ihara told the crowd.
After a momentary pause to fix the problem Welbilt picked up where they left off. Ihara's face glowed with sweat. He occasionally flicked the sweat from his brow, where it got caught in the stage lighting and hung momentarily in the air. They continued to play for close to half and hour with unexpected confidence for a band opening for such staples of the American music scene.
The crowd was anxious. In the half-hour from the end of Welbilt to 311, several Burruss wide chants of "311" rang out.
This was the first 311 concert for junior biology major Elizabeth Arwood and her friend Caryn Clements. Arwood's expectations would be met if she heard anything from the "Motive" album, and fears that her Thursday Genetics class may be sacrificed because of the concert.
The unique sound of 311 is hard to categorize. Eric Miller, a freshman engineering major, said, "They're hard to place in a genre really. They're rock, but they have a groove, you know? A funky type of rock." When asked what he wanted to hear them play, Miller summed it up in one word, "Amber."
Finally the house lights of Burruss hall were killed and only the red glow of the exit signs remained. The crowd's anticipation overflowed and the screams rivaled the columns of blaring speakers.
On stage vocalist and scratcher Douglas Martinez engaged in a vocal duel with lead singer and guitarist Nicholas Hexem. Back and forth they went in such 311 classics as "All mixed up." Martinez's body bounced up and down as he spouted off the lyrics. Hexum, standing on the amps or facing up with Martinez, poured himself into his performance and Tech responded. Waves of hands in the air, and mouths completely in sync with the song could be seen throughout the auditorium.
Guitarist Timothy Mahoney, and Bassist P-Nut were the stoic bookends that contained the lyrical chaos of Martinez and Hexum in the middle of the stage. And of course Chad Sexton provided the beat that is 311. The most important thing on stage, though, could have been a silent Peace Lily atop a stack of speakers whose exact purpose, aside from being pretty, is unknown.
Bassist Matt Waller of Welbilt described opening for 311 as a "dream come true." "I've loved 311 since I was like 14, and I've always wanted to meet them," he said.
"Personally I had never heard of them," admitted senior Coleman Collins. "The best part is the energy." For many others in Burruss hall on Wednesday night, this was also their first meeting with the band. 311 made sure to make it a memorable though.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)