Unity Tour headed for the Amphitheatre (TBN Weekly)

TAMPA - 311 with special guest Matisyahu brings the Unity Tour 2007 to the Ford Amphitheatre on Wednesday, July 18, 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $37.50, general admission dance floor; $35 and $25, reserved seats; and $20 festival lawn and available at the Ford Amphitheatre Box Office, online at www.livenation.com and www.ticketmaster.com, and all Ticketmaster locations, including FYE and Spec's Music, or charge by phone by calling at 813-287-8844 or 727-898-2100.

311 return to the road, and they are fired-up and ready to make this an amazing summer tour. Formed more than 15 years ago in Omaha, 311 are pioneers of mixing rap, reggae, funk and metal to create their own unique blend of vibe music.

The band is composed of five self-described “friends for life” (singer and guitarist Nick Hexum, singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and the bassist known only as P-Nut) whose common link was a passion for both music and life. It was this philosophy that eventually brought them together to make music with a positive message behind it.

They have sold millions of albums and even had a video certified platinum, all serving as a strong testament to the unique relationship 311 has with its fans.

“When we first started the band, we were always sure something good was going to happen,” said drummer Chad Sexton. “And we’ve never gone backwards in any way since.”

Hailing from Brooklyn NY, Matisyahu brings his electrifying fusion of reggae and rock with an unbelievable energy and positivity. When Matisyahu emerged with his debut album, Shake Off the Dust ... Arise, in 2004, his musical persona seemed to some a novelty. Here was a Hasidic Jew, dressed in a black suit with a broad-brimmed black hat worn over a yarmulke, and sporting a full, untrimmed beard, who nevertheless performed toasting raps about the glories of traditional Judaism over reggae beats in a dancehall style directly from Jamaica, punctuating his performances with stage diving.

It may have seemed like a joke at first, but Matisyahu was serious, and he began to attract press notices to go with the enthusiastic audiences that packed his concerts. Breaking big on the scene with his song "King Without A Crown", Matisyahu delivered an original, uplifting, powerful performance. Matisyahu toured around the country and prepared a second studio album produced by Bill Laswell. The final product, Youth, appeared in March 2006 and was nominated for a Grammy in the category of “Best Reggae Album.”

Unity Tour headed for the Amphitheatre (Tampa Bay)

311 return to the road, and they are fired-up and ready to make this an amazing summer tour. Formed more than 15 years ago in Omaha, 311 are pioneers of mixing rap, reggae, funk and metal to create their own unique blend of vibe music.

The band is composed of five self-described “friends for life” (singer and guitarist Nick Hexum, singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and the bassist known only as P-Nut) whose common link was a passion for both music and life. It was this philosophy that eventually brought them together to make music with a positive message behind it.

They have sold millions of albums and even had a video certified platinum, all serving as a strong testament to the unique relationship 311 has with its fans.

“When we first started the band, we were always sure something good was going to happen,” said drummer Chad Sexton. “And we’ve never gone backwards in any way since.”

Hailing from Brooklyn NY, Matisyahu brings his electrifying fusion of reggae and rock with an unbelievable energy and positivity. When Matisyahu emerged with his debut album, Shake Off the Dust ... Arise, in 2004, his musical persona seemed to some a novelty. Here was a Hasidic Jew, dressed in a black suit with a broad-brimmed black hat worn over a yarmulke, and sporting a full, untrimmed beard, who nevertheless performed toasting raps about the glories of traditional Judaism over reggae beats in a dancehall style directly from Jamaica, punctuating his performances with stage diving.

It may have seemed like a joke at first, but Matisyahu was serious, and he began to attract press notices to go with the enthusiastic audiences that packed his concerts. Breaking big on the scene with his song "King Without A Crown", Matisyahu delivered an original, uplifting, powerful performance. Matisyahu toured around the country and prepared a second studio album produced by Bill Laswell. The final product, Youth, appeared in March 2006 and was nominated for a Grammy in the category of “Best Reggae Album.”

311 preparing for next album (The Rock Radio)

311 plans to enter the studio and begin recording its ninth studio album sometime this fall, after completing a summer tour with Matisyahu. Frontman Nick Hexum told Billboard.com, "We kind of go through a general cycle of making a more straight-ahead album that comes quickly and then we kind of rotate to more of a departure where we take a longer time making the album and inventing more new styles...So due to that back-and-forth thing, we're due for more of a groundbreaking, take-a-long-time-with-it album. We don't know when it's going to be done. We're not going to make any deadlines and promises, but it's time we slightly reinvent ourselves."

The band recently took more than a year and a half off, perhaps the longest stretch without work in 311's history. Hexum explained, "We needed a break, we've been working so hard and long. So everyone has been doing their own thing. I've been traveling and fishing, doing things I do to relax. Now everyone is really jonesing to get back to our primary purpose, which is 311."

311 kicks off its summer jaunt on June 21st in Tucson, Arizona. Hexum said that the band may play some new songs at a few dates.

'Mixed' Emotions (Entertainment Weekly)

If you were one of the few to recognize the song Top 12-er Blake Lewis performed on American Idol last week, 311's 1995 modern rock hit ''All Mixed Up,'' then you were likely as surprised as we were by the choice. But what threw us for an even bigger loop was when Lewis casually mentioned, at the Top 12 party later that night, that 311 singer Nick Hexum was in the audience for the show. Naturally, we had to investigate this very important Idol development, and what we discovered after tracking Hexum down on 3/11 (a day he spent two hours chatting with fans online), was an even more interesting backstory to this tale of a fan and his favorite band...

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So Nick, what did you think of Blake's rendition of ''All Mixed Up''?

NICK HEXUM: Well, dawg... [Laughs] I think he did it well. I was surprised when I first heard about it, because usually Idol is all about the big, cheesy Celine Dion stuff. So I wasn't imagining that a song like ''All Mixed Up,'' which doesn't have the big huge pop-ness to it, would go over too well, but Blake pulled it off. The opening part is really hard to sing. It's like an ascending half-step jazz chord, and he nailed it. He gave it a cool arrangement that had a little bit more of a straight groove than our version. He changed it around and had a lot of fun with it. I have only positive things to say.

What about the judges' comments? Were you offended that they didn't recognize the song?
No, I wasn't mad. Our fans think of 311 as a kind of secret society, so it made sense that these really pop-oriented people wouldn't be familiar with us. What I thought was funny were the judges' comments about what a contemporary song choice that was. Yeah, we wrote that song about 12 years ago.... [Plus,] all these industry suits were sitting around me, and they were like, ''Who was that, Sublime?''

Was your phone ringing off the hook?
Yeah, and the funny thing about is that everyone assumes that no one else is watching it among my friends. They're all texting me as if they're not. They'll start with the excuse of, ''Well, my girlfriend watches the show,'' or ''My kids,'' or whatever. So my phone was blowing up. It's a guilty pleasure. Why not cop to it?

Were you a fan of the show before?
I was familiar with it. I watched early on and kind of sat out the last couple of seasons. But in general, I think it's good TV. The fact that the emotions are so real... These people are really ecstatic or crushed right there before you; you can't deny it even if you don't care for the musical selection or format. I think the most brutal part is when they make them sing after they're eliminated. Like that girl [Alaina Alexander] who sang the Dixie Chicks — that was really brutal.

Do you have a favorite past Idol?
Fantasia. She can just sing her ass off. She's so right there with no pretenses. She was one person I really got behind, but I didn't vote or anything.

How did you hook up with Blake and end up in the audience?
Actually, my brother Zach [Hexum] is friends with [Blake's fellow top 12-er] Brandon Rogers, and Blake got in touch through Brandon asking if he could do the song. But I didn't get to meet Blake — we just texted.

How does your brother know Brandon?
Zach is a singer-songwriter and Brandon produced quite a bit of the vocals on his new album. There's a lot of cool layered harmonies and more R&B influences that Brandon brought to it. And he did it all without any sort of auto-tuning or digital editing. It's an awesome album, and, while he's working on it, I'm looking for a distributor for it.

So is your loyalty now divided between two contestants? Who do you root for?
They both want to make it to the top 10 so they can go on tour together. I'm pulling for both of them. And honestly, anything I do as far as an endorsement is not going to tip the scales at 30 to 40 million watchers. But my take on Brandon is, he's so versatile. No matter what they make him do in the next few weeks [as far as theme shows], I think he's going to surprise people as time goes on.

Were you happy Ryan didn't give you an on-air shoutout during the show?
I made sure that opportunity did not present itself.

311 Interview (Buzzine)

God-forbid a band these days has a positive outlook: here’s one that has cranked out hits without threatening any police, any coast, and not even anyone’s bitch. They’re hard, melodic, multi-timbral, and don’t require a Special Forces advance team to clear the room prior to entry.

Pure talent, a constant connection with the fans, and a low profile seem to be key elements in the formula that keep SA Martinez, P-Nut, Chad Sexton, Tim Mahoney and Nick Hexum pumping out the evolving gems on album after album. On vocals, guitar and programming tidbits, the lanky Hexum sat down with me in their Southern California rehearsal/recording studio:

Aaron Stipkovich: Touring with Jay-Z must have been a bit of a “look over your shoulder” experience, no?

Nick Hexum: (Laughing) He had a real extensive security staff. Basically, in the top echelon of hip-hop it’s gone beyond your normal…you know, big black guy as a bodyguard. Now they have CIA-looking white guys in suits with the earpiece. It’s gone to a whole new “Secret Service” level.

AS: Definitely. And they’re usually not even big giant buff guys. They’re usually guys that can fit an Uzi or some other device to disembowel you…(laughs)

NH: (laughs)Yeah, trained killers.

AS: Let’s talk about that for a minute. What are your thoughts about how the entire planet has changed? Not necessarily the World Trade Center incident, but just from the days when you first started being a band and you guys were just hanging around, just thinking about music, chillin’. Now, with ten times more security, economic, financial, and promotional issues…the music is almost gone.

NH: Yeah, now a lot of musicians keep themselves so separated from their audience…like…in the early days, when we were doing our own little club tours, we were responsible for our own stage security. There was no barricade, and people were rolling onto the stage. We had one guy that would be there to point and the offender would jump back out, or he’d go push them back out in the crowd. It was like one collective thing. Now there’re people…I don’t want to name names, but people that aren’t that famous that they don’t even need bodyguards, and have bodyguards just to feel important. It’s like they want the, you know…intimidation factor. I mean, it’s like I see some of these people and I’m like…rent-a-posse. “Who wants to beat you up?” or “Who wants to kill you?” or like, “Are you really being mobbed?” like “‘Beatlemania’ around you just because you got a Top 20 modern-rock hit?” you know…right, right. It’s like, there’re a lot of bands that are smaller than us that have all full-time bodyguards. We’ve never had that because we don’t go around beefing with people and we don’t have anything to…we don’t want to keep ourselves separated. We like to mix with people and I really…you know, sometimes people look at me and they’re like, ” Oh, my God, that’s him,” and I know that they might be scared to talk to me, so I’ll just make the gesture and be like, “Hey, how’s it going,” because I want to be approachable. I want to have a lot of contact and let people know that we’re just like them and that we’re not trying to become aloof.

AS: Yeah. Why? That sounds like a really basic question, but why is it that you want to keep the contact and keep that interaction with your fan-base? Is there a specific reason, or you just don’t want to become something else?

NH: It’s just….to use a terrible phrase, “Keepin’ it real,” you know? We just want to be as normal as possible, because I believe that when you put on an air, some people might blow up real big because they’ve got an image like Pimp has, and they’re really, like, you know…putting on a character that’s going to become easily noticeable and definable, and it’s going to blow up, like, “Wow, there’s this new guy,” but then, after a while, you kind of start seeing through the facade and are like, “Okay…musically, maybe he can’t cut it,” so we just want to….we know if we’re keeping ourselves as honestly representing how we are as much as possible…then there’s not going to be some façade that, at some point, people are going to see through. Like, we’re always just being ourselves–we’re never saying that we’re any more than just five friends, music fans…we work really hard at our music…we love to put on really high-energy shows, we work really hard at our making of the albums, but we’re not trying to glamorize our lifestyle beyond the fact that we talk about, you know, “Yeah, we like to smoke weed and hang out and have a good time”….but it’s not that we’re like, you know…banging super models and being something that we’re not, you know? I’m just…scooping up my dog’s shit this morning, and you know it’s like…(laughs)

AS: (Laughing) Yeah, shit…I remember the days when, you know, your van burned down and you were, like, scrambling for gear. You were still just like right on the verge of getting a ton of airplay. It doesn’t seem like you guys have changed much, personality-wise.

NH: Not much. We just always remind ourselves how grateful we are to have this position and to be able to make a career out of that. It’s hard to know how to reciprocate to the fans in just the right way. But we do things like taking requests, like being in touch with our fans through message boards. They’ll say, “We really want to hear this certain obscure song at this show; there’s going to be a ton of us there…it means a lot to us…can you please…?” We’ll be like, “Okay, but we’re going to have to re-learn it because we haven’t played it in years…” just being responsive to them like that, and we did a couple of free shows recently–one on UC San Diego campus and one in the middle of downtown San Francisco. It was kind of a corporate sponsorship thing because Nissan picked up the bill as far as putting on the staging and paying for the PA and anything like that. But you know, it wasn’t like there was a big Nissan poster behind the band or anything like that. It was just like there was a car on the site that you could check out to come. And so it was a modest, corporate thing, which, as long as it’s done tastefully, it’s okay. I mean, some bands do it more than others. There are some things that other bands do that we wouldn’t be comfortable with. This is actually the first time we’ve done this type of thing. The Liquid Mix Tour was the Sprite Liquid Mix Tour, but we figured if it doesn’t say Sprite behind us on stage–and it doesn’t–it’s not all like, you know…whore-ish. If it’s just about the music, it’s okay, if they’re kind of connected because they were picking up the bill to put a lot of promotion behind it…get the big venues and pay to have Jay-Z, and who knows how expensive he was, you know…so some of that stuff can be okay.

AS: Yeah. Is there a point where you draw the line, or is it that kind of thing where you look like you’re “pimpin’ out”, you know, for some soda or something? I mean, have you been in the position where you said, “You know what? This is wrong–let’s not do this”?

NH: Yeah, Doritos commercial. Sorry, that’s just not…we don’t want our song….” They made one and showed it to us and said, “Look how cool this is–your music in a Doritos commercial.” They open the bag and a 311 song comes blazing out, and they close it and it’s like…what song was it? It was back when “Down” was…it was “Down”, and we were like, “Yeah, it’s a well-done commercial, but that’s not what we want our music to be associated with.” I mean, I’m not saying that we would never do it. I mean, as we were just discussing, I’m such a huge fan of Apple computers that if there could be a tasteful way to put one of our songs in an Apple commercial, maybe we’d do that because that’s something that we’re so into, you know? But we just go on a case-by-case basis.

AS: I was really impressed with the way you were able to pull off your previous album as such a polar opposite from the previous stuff. At first, everyone was kind of, “What? Where’s that (singing, ‘Don’t Stay Home’) feeling? What happened to you guys? What’s this ethereal, spacey bullshit?” But then, after it sank in a little bit, you can’t turn it off. Cheers to you.

NH: Yeah, and we’re even taking it a whole different leap forward this next joint, so… the one thing is to expect the unexpected with us. I’ve been listening to a lot of Beatles and a lot of punk, so, we’ve got a few songs that are like this “Beatle-esque-punk” with these huge soaring harmonies, driving guitar, up-beat, slammin’-like stuff that’s more English influenced than what you’re used to. It’s not rap-rock. And then, there are some other songs which are kind of exploring. We’re trying to make a hybrid of hard-ass rock dance hall.

AS: I don’t think that’s just recently for you guys, by the way. I mean, you said, “What I’m trying to do now is promote this positive,” I think. I mean, listen to your own damn music, man–you have been promoting positive! I mean, it’s just a feel-good sound since day one.

NH: And people say, “How did you get this way?” and I’m like, I don’t know—it’s just as blessed as we have been, besides being in 311, as blessed as we have been to live in such an affluent society with so much freedom and to be able to do whatever we want. I would feel embarrassed if the bulk of what was coming out of my mouth was negative and complaining because we have been really, really truly blessed, and I am always reminding myself of that because I get depressed and down like anybody else–or frustrated–but to say, “Hey, lets look at the bigger picture here. Most people in the world are oppressed or impoverished or oppressed,” you know, just like really, we should spend more time counting our blessings, and that’s been a thread running through the lyrics forever.

AS: Was your comfort level challenged a bit, touring with someone like Jay-Z or some of these other bands that don’t have quite that same attitude lyrically and lifestyle-wise?

NH: No, they were nice to us and said hi in the halls. We didn’t really hang out that much. Not with the Jay-Z camp. But, you know, it actually went by fairly quick. It was just a three-week tour. Everyone was really respectful and I actually made an appointment to meet Jay-Z and get my picture taken with him on the last day of the last show. But I can’t judge him–maybe he has stuff going on. You know Jam Master J got killed, so maybe there are needs for him to have that kind of security force, but all I know is that I am never going to give in to that kind of paranoia, and I am always going to want to be a man of the people and talk to the kids as much as possible.

AS: Lastly, after 311, what’s left for you?

NH: Well, I don’t see an end to 311, but I do see that I am really enjoying producing works for other people, such as my girlfriend is an amazing singer, and were kind of creating this sound for her that’s…she’s Hawaiian…and were creating this kind of Hawaiian, R&B, dance hall. It’s like its this tropical hip hop-reggae, So it’s all about murder then. Yeah, (laughs) its fun, and she’s got the voice of an angel. And then my brother is…

AS: Can we talk about your girlfriend then? What’s her name?

NH: My girlfriend’s name is Nicole. She’s a singer. And my brother, Zack, is eight years younger than me, so he is getting going, but he is an amazing singer/songwriter on his own. Kind of along the lines of The New Back, or maybe like Coldplay, John Mayer…just these intelligent singer/songwriter kind of guys. So I’m thinking, you know, got some deals in the works about maybe having my own label for these other projects, I’m working with producing them to get their demos ready to make some deals. I’ve got a lot of extra energy. I really enjoy working. I get up early in the morning, and work, to me, is fun. I don’t see 311 ending, but there are so many things that I would like to do that I will be able to do, even if I was too old to perform–even though The Rolling Stones are proving that you are never too old to perform.

311 hit the charts in the early 1990's, a midwest band hailing out of Omaha, Nebraska. Since their debut Music under Volcano/Capricorn, the quintet had a busy decade releasing more than a half a dozen records to date. Today I got the chance to talk with S.A. Martinez from 311 about everything from the new album to what he wants in his Christmas stocking. Enjoy!


Tim: On this Monday after Thanksgiving, what corner of the nation can we find you guys in?
S.A.: We are in the Southeast.

Tim: Are you guys down in Baton Rouge?
S.A.: Yes, we are. We are down in Baton Rouge today. We're doing a make-up Katrina show. (laughs)

Tim: Oh really?
S.A.: It was the show that we had to cancel because of the hurricane.

Tim: With a little less than three weeks left on this current tour, how's everybody holding up?
S.A.: [laughing] Everyone's holding up pretty good!

Tim: One question that everyone wants to know is what the band plans to do for "311 Day" this year. And, I guess its even more fitting since you guys are down there today! Since New Orleans has gone through so much, could Chicago possibly be the home of "311 Day" 2006?
S.A.:Well, we're definitely gonna try to have it in New Orleans again this year. But um, as far as, you know, if there is ever a problem with holding the venue in New Orleans then, ya know, we'd have to find another venue. Possibly another city. But um, yeah, I mean Chicago would be a great place to have a show of that nature. And, so, it's a possibility one day!

Tim: Excellent. How do you feel that the "311 Day" DVD turned out?
S.A.:That was great! I think it was like the fastest to go platinum music DVD that year or something. So it did really well and it turned out great. And, ya know, we'll do something similar again this year. Or next year, rather, for 311 day. Another recording video...

Tim: Going back in the time machine a little bit, you guys played a show here for Q101 called Twisted Christmas about two years ago. It was actually December of 2003. The power went out a couple of times. I'm not sure if you remember...
S.A.:Yeah, Yeah, I totally remember that show!

Tim: You guys played right through it. A lot of bands like Limp Bizkit got a lot of heat that same year for walking off stage (Summer Sanitarium Tour). I thought it said a lot about your band. How does an instance like that speak to the character of 311 as a band?
S.A.: Well, I mean, it shows you how easy-going we are. (laughing) We are. Yeah, you get thrown into all kinds of situations on tour. And um, ya know, you just can't say nothing. The power going out? That shit happens!

Tim: Sure does!
S.A.:When people over react to things like that, obviously those people are a little too full of themselves...

Tim: Well put. I was doing some research and in 2000 LAUNCH did an interview with Nick and P-Nut and they were talking about where they get advice from and where people draw from both musically and beyond. Nick mentioned his buddy from Grasshopper Takeover (who recently toured with 311 this fall at Northern Illinois University).
S.A.: Right

Tim: Curtis Grubb was the guy he mentioned. Is there anyone who you draw upon for musical advice? Or, in general, just who you go to for perspective?
S.A.: Um, (laughs) honestly, the guys in the band. Ya know, if I have a question or I'm working on a song and I want some advice on it, I'll take it to Nick and be like, "Yo, ya know, what do you think about this? And, I'm thinking about doing this here. What do you think about that?" Yeah, he's really good about... I mean, I think he's one of the greatest songwriters of our generation. I think as far as our genre is concerned, then definitely so. Um, so yeah, I'll go to him! (laughs)

Tim: No, definitely! Yeah, I'm always impressed.
S.A.: ...and Chad too. Any of the guys in the band! I have no problem going to them for input or whole direction on something if I'm stuck or need some ideas or something like that.

Tim: Cool. Keeping the theme and moving on to the new disc, you seem to have the mose lyrics as opposed to other 311 albums in the past. Did you have free reign on Don't Tread On Me?
S.A.: Well, it was more of the fact that... I took more of an active role as far as asserting myself a little more on this record. And, ya know, bringing more to the plate as far as we're concerned and whatnot. So, it was more or less me finding myself with a lot of ideas and then finally having the time to put those ideas together. We were supposed to start working on the record in October of last year and what happened was Nick went on this tour with his brother and so it gave everyone else in the band a lot of time to put our demos together. And, so what I did was put my studio at home together and I got to work on all the ideas I had been collecting in putting songs together. I really took that opportunity to string it along like that. When it came time to present the demos, I had something that I thought was worthy. So, that's really how that all came about.

Tim: In reading the lyrics to "It's Getting OK Now," the song speaks to death and someone's last days on earth. Can you tell me where the inspiration came from in writing this and who, if anyone, this song refers to??
S.A.: It's really something that I'll find myself thinking about on occasion. Ya know?

Tim: Yeah.
S.A.: It's impossible not to think about the obvious. It's a democratic thing because we all do it and it all happens on the solo tip. Do you know what I'm saying? It's just one of those things that's very unsettleing and at the same time you have to find, I think... I think it would be great if there was in our culture, something in place where we actually practiced death. (laughs) Ya know? I think something like a ritual act or something that would alleviate the fear of that. So, I guess it's more or less something I try to work out in my own mind and find, or try to place the meaning to it.

Tim: Definitely. It's one of those topics that's always a conversation piece.
S.A.:Right, Yeah!

Tim: Excellent. After reading some of the album reviews, people were talking about Solar Flare as being something you could have drawn on Rage Against the Machine for. Can fans expect to hear more of that tone in upcoming 311 albums? Or, in general, how did that song factor into the whole disc?
S.A.: Well, that was a song we had been kinda working on for a little bit. And, in the writing sessions that we had and full band sessions that we had, it was a song that we were just stumbling on as far as lyrical ideas were concerned. Finally, one night I was at the Alleman and I was listening to it over and over and, you know, it just kinda hit me like this is really what it brings out in ME. And, at the time you had the election going on and war in the background. There's just like, uh, we had to. It was like that perfect song to apply it to. And really, once that decision was made, lyrically it just flowed from there. I think it was the angle we were not sure of, basically. Once it was more concrete and became more apparent, it just went from there.

Tim: Do any songs on Don't Tread On Me mean more to you than the others? If so, why??
S.A.: Um, really "Getting Through To Her" would be the one song that brings out the most emotion in me. It's about someone I really care about deeply. This song is meant to reach somebody who is going through a very tramatic experience. I know its not an inspiring topic, but what brought about the song was child sexual abuse. That's something people don't really want to talk about because its difficult too. Understandably, its ugly and it wrecks havoc on everything about a person and their consequent relationships. You name it, you can go down the list and it affects everything about the victim you can possibly imagine. And, so, that song is about reaching and trying to get through to somebody who I care about and love that it happened to. So, to get back to your question... Yeah, (laughs) that would be the one song that speaks to me most out of any of the other songs on the album.

Tim: Here's an easy one, what is your favorite 311 song to play live?
S.A.: Well, ya know what, we've been dusting off some songs recently and one song we've been playing a few times on this tour now is a song called "Mindspin" off of, I think it was on Soundsystem (1999). And, that's a great song! I really forgot about that song completely until someone posted it on our bulletin board and we had a petitition going about for that song in particular and would we play it. So, we sound checked it a few times and...

Tim: Just went with it?
S.A.:Yeah, we played it like four or five times. It would be hard to say what songs out of all the songs we play live that I like the best but, recently, that song is a standout.

Tim: Very cool. This seems like an excellent point to work in a question from one of our readers. Kariann from Chicago had this question for you – What's one song in history you wish you could take credit for writing?
S.A.:I would say (long pause)...something by George Harrison. "Something in the way she moves attracts me like no other lover." I believe its called "Something."

Tim: OK...
S.A.:Yeah, that would be the song that I'd like to take credit for! (laughs)

Tim: If you weren't in this band, what would you be doing today?
S.A.: We get asked this question. I never know the answer to that one. Because, I think Nick put it best once time when he was asked a similar question he was like, "If I wasn't in this band, I would be trying to start this band." (laughs)

Tim: Exactly!
S.A.: So, I always thought that was a great answer to that question. If I wasn't in 311, I'd be trying to find something like it!

Tim: Well, on that thought, are there any new bands that catch your ear? Or, that you might want to tour with that you haven't yet?
S.A.: Gosh, I am so out of the loop when it comes to new bands. Let's see, hmm...that we haven't toured with...

Tim: Even if you have, just in general...
S.A.: Well, I like The Mars Volta. I'd love to play with those guys some day. I've never seen them live but I hear great things about their show and I love their songs.

Tim: I saw them open for System of a Down...
S.A.: Yeah, them and ummm...them! (laughs)

Tim: OK, that works for me! Final question here. What does S.A. Martinez want in his Christmas stocking this year?
S.A.: In my Christmas stocking this year...

Tim: Sure, tis the season!
S.A.: I want a reliable cell phone with great self-service! (laughs)

Tim: I second that! Couldn't agree with you more! Well, thanks again for the interview. I appreciate your time and have a great show tonight!

Here's the 3-1-1 (Rebel Yell, Vegas)

It's an alternative/reggae/funk musical group, it's the Omaha police department's code for indecent exposure, and it is not meant to be any kind of reference to the Ku Klux Klan. Without ever rocketing to astronomical superstardom, the band 311 has managed to maintain a successful career for 15 years now, much of it because of a loyal fan following. The guys of 311 have gotten used to life on the road, as touring has played a huge role in bringing the band's music to the masses. Touring is a tried-and-true method and tradition for 311, which began with the band's Omaha, Neb., grassroots.

On Friday, March 3, the Omaha rockers, who now call the Los Angeles area home, will headline UNLV's Rebelpalooza, a campus festival held annually at the intramural fields. The band is excited to be playing in Vegas as part of the university's music bash, 311 bassist P-Nut, said. "Vegas is a hot spot. I think people instinctively travel to this town to see great shows. It's never a miss, always a hit. People know how to have a good time."

Last year saw the release of the group's eighth studio album, "Don't Tread on Me." While reviews have been mixed, the sound is undeniably 311, and faithful fans should not be disappointed.

Rebel Yell: So tell me about the new album.

P-Nut: It's us continuing doing our thing. People are like, "What are you doing different?" Our normal routine is a focus on coming from a different point of view. To 311 fans, it's a formula they understand.

RY: I find it interesting that most people know 311, and your songs have made it to radio multiple times, but the band has never exploded into glaring commercial success in the mainstream pop world. Why do you think this is?

P-Nut: Exclusivity. We've been very successful as a touring band. When radio comes around and decides it understands us for a year here or there, it helps the camp. We're gonna focus on touring. When the public comes around to understand us, we'll be ready for it. The couple of times we have tried to write pop songs, it just doesn't work. It won't leave a deep impression.

RY: I read you were studying upright bass a few years back. Have you incorporated this into the music at all?

P-Nut: I recorded a little upright on "Evolver" and the 3-11 Day DVD that came out Oct. 26, 2004. With left -hand technique, where I was a little sloppy before, I now have a more classical left - hand swagger.

RY: I also saw you have an interest in writing screenplays.

P-Nut: I'm in the process of writing an obsessive love story from the mind of a delusional sociopath. A fun stalker movie.

RY: Are you drawing from personal experience?

P-Nut: There's a little bit of truth.

RY: Has the issue of stalkers ever been an issue for the band?

P-Nut: No. Thankfully our fans are really down-to-earth.

RY: Is this spring tour still in support of the new album, or is it more about building toward 3-11 Day in Memphis (a concert the band has traditionally played every other year since 2000 in New Orleans, but was relocated for 2006 because of Katrina)?

P-Nut: That is more what we're supporting. We're supporting the whole career. We spent last year supporting the album, and now we're focusing on 3-11 Day. We've already practiced 80-some songs.

RY: How did 3-11 Day come to be?

P-Nut: The fans started suggesting it. We started hearing fans were having parties on 3-11 and listening to the music. In 2000, we busted the first one out. In 2002, we played 50 songs. In 2004, we upped it to 68 songs. We're hoping to beat that this year.

RY: Wow. As a musician, how do you maintain the stamina to play so much music in a show? Isn't that a killer on your fingers?

P-Nut: I've got small craters in my hands that public works comes and fills up before the show.

RY: How does your wife deal with you being on the road?

P-Nut: If my wife wants to come out, there's always room for her.

RY: How did you meet?

P-Nut: I met my wife at a show in New Orleans.

RY: Was she stalking you?

P-Nut: We were ravenous about each other.

RY: When do you expect to go back into the studio to work on another album?

P-Nut: Probably in July/August. The great thing about having our own studio (The Hive in Burbank, CA) is we can just go in whenever we want.

RY: Where did the name P-Nut come from?

P-Nut: My name came from my skull shape as a kid. It's kind of elongated … and salty.

RY: So, P-Nut, why should UNLV students go out to see 311 play at Rebelpalooza?

P-Nut: I think we offer a live experience that most bands can't double. How many positive bands can stay together for 15 years and keep making a difference? As fragile as everything is right now, everybody adds their own part. We're teetering so awkwardly right now (society) that it's great to appreciate the good times we have while we have them.

REBELPALOOZA, featuring 311, will be held this Friday, March 3, and is free to all UNLV students with a valid student ID. More information is available at rebelpalooza.com.

"Don't Tread on Me" is available in stores now. For more on 311, visit their Web site 311.com.