Welcome back to another edition of the 311 fan spotlight! I’m sorry it’s been 2 weeks since the last one, so let us not delay any further! If there is one thing some of the fans in 311 nation are good at, it’s making me feel really old. Our fan spotlight this week is no exception, since she was only 12 when Evolver came out and “Creatures for A While” was being played on the radio. This week we meet Ms. Leslie Roane!

Leslie fell in love with 311 back in 2003 while visiting her aunt and uncle for the summer. The local alternative radio station, HFS 99.1, would do a top 9 countdown at 9 and she remembers “Creatures” was always number one. “I really got into them around that point and once I listened to other stuff [shamefully, Love Song], it solidified my love for them.”

Leslie’s first show was in 2008 with her aunt, who had just recently seen the band at a Michigan festival and wanted to go see them again. Since then Leslie has rocked out at 8 more shows. Of those, this years 311 Day in New Orleans takes the top prize as her best experience yet. This event was her first 311 Day and it was a last minute decision to go after a rough experience on a trip to India. “It was a very last minute road trip with Andrea Baker and it was so great finally meeting all the familia and people I’ve only communicated with online.” Leslie said meeting these individuals in person, people she became very good friends with, was a moving experience. She also said that the outpouring of love and positivity from everyone was just awesome. And then the show just was the icing on the cake! “The setlist was amazing. I cried to “Eons” and the whole show was just a major life turning point for me. I also happily met my boyfriend (Alex) in Nola on Bourbon Street.” Meeting great friends (she gave a shout out to Veronica Thompson) and finding love sounds like a great 311 Day to me!

Leslie lives in Baltimore but originated from Montross, Virginia. She just this past week achieved a major life milestone, graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with a minor in Art, from Salisbury University. She hosted a college radio show for two and a half years and has been in radio for four and a half. She says she has an appreciation for new music thanks to being in this field and it resulted in her having an expansive music library. “My iTunes has 5600 songs and that’s only about half of non-related stuff on my external.” She usually comes across a band at least once a year and falls hopelessly in love with them. Lately, like many of us, she’s been obsessed with Stereolithic, but has also been getting into Local Natives, Bumpin’ Uglies, and Matisyahu (his first album specifically).  Other than 311, she says she’s always been a fan of Kanye West, Dave Matthews Band, Sublime, Incubus, Ballyhoo!, The Marley family, The Roots, Mos Def, and Maroon 5.

Just two Friday’s ago Leslie hosted her final show at her college radio station, WXSU. She said it was one of the best shows ever because of the support from friends and family plus she got to put A LOT of 311 in the rotation. Her show was called TheFridayNightCrash because she took that time slot to escape bad roommates at the time. Her hobby turned into a passion and caused her to switch her major to communications. Since then she says she hasn’t been happier and would like to say, “Many thanks to WXSU for helping me get out my dreams!”

Recently Leslie had the opportunity to study abroad in India. While it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, she had a frightening experience over there. Leslie was hit by a motorcycle and as she says, “Lived (hobbled) to tell about it!” She said this experience is something that makes her unique. She also can give you a scholarly argument on Kanye West’s first three albums and their effect on a person through their messages. And while she graduated with a degree in Communications, she used to me a Marine Science major and volunteered over 450 hours at her local aquarium back in high school. She also believes she has an unhealthy obsession with flip flops. “I will wear them March through November, even if it’s freezing!” Everyone has guilty pleasures, and Leslie is no exception. Hers is the show Boy Meets World and she has seen every episode! She also said she cried when N’Sync made a comeback last year and believes Old Bay seasoning goes on everything (I think that’s just awesome – no guilt there).

Leslie has been through some tough times and 311’s music has helped her survive them. She said it’s a tough call to pick her favorite song, but it’s a close tie between “Boom Shanka” and “Eons”. “Both have helped me get through hellish points in my life and ‘Boom Shanka’ has helped me grown as a person.”  She also loves the song “Existential Hero” because of the lyric, “Time with you, it keeps on sliding.”  “Those words just make you realize time is precious and to value each experience.”

With that, Leslie would just like to say to the guys in 311, “ Thank you for your contribution to music and my life, and for helping me change for the better.”

To the fans of 311 –

“Much love and positive vibes, and thanks for all the wild nights!”

—-

There you have Ms. Leslie Roane everyone! I hope you enjoyed this weeks spotlight. Now go have some fun on this Memorial Day! Until next time, “I wanna make a mess, I wanna blow off stress, I wanna stoke the fire, just creatures for a while!

Much Love! – The Runt

Hey there all you awesome people out there in the 311 universe! I know, I’m sorry I’m a day late in posting this weeks fan spotlight – but have no fear, it is finally here! This week let’s get to know Mr. Winston Kostrzewa!

Winston was introduced to 311 in 2007 thanks to friend Mitch Hex Lyons. The first album he had was From Chaos. “I could not get over how rockin’ Tim’s guitar was. I listened more and more, continuing to be amazed and made happier by their message and their overall talent!”

Winston may have only discovered the band 7 years ago but his love for them grew quickly. He’s been to 10 shows so far – 3 of them were on the third cruise and the other 7 shows he saw in 6 different states. This summer he will be heading out to shows in St. Louis, Chicago, and hopefully at least one night in Atlanta! Of the 10 shows Winston attended so far, he says that his favorite event has been the cruise. The experience was life changing for him. “You can feel the buzz of the love and positivity. Every step you took, there was another person to high five or hug or say whats up to you. Those sets were some of the greatest shows I will probably ever see. It really gives you a new perspective on life. You see these people, each and every one of them as happy as can be for 4 nights. Nothing to get us down. You start to realize that life is a big ball of crap sometimes and that you have to remember who is there for you when you need someone the most. For me, other than my mom, its my Excitable crew that I know is always there for me.”

There are a ton of songs that Winston says mean a lot to him, so much so that it’s nearly impossible for him to choose just one as his favorite. However there are lyrics that stand out to him that he carries with him in his life everyday, such as “If you don’t have someone to do it with it’s not worth doing.” He says those lyrics truly embody the way he sees life. “It’s only as good as the memories you make with the people you share it with.”  He also mentioned that one of his new favorite lyrics comes from Stereolithic – “You gotta keep on climbin’ the hill, ’cause if you think you’ll make it you will.”  Winston says that he really loves how 311 continues to bring the overall simple message of staying positive and not giving up on life. “Never admitting defeat and continuing to climb the hill, knowing that one day we will reach the top and that also, the top of said hill is different for us all in terms of happiness and success.”

Winston lays claim to Chicago as home (the suburbs of Chicago really) but currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. He currently works every possible moment as a shift lead at Cracker Barrel in order to fund his 311 addiction. He is an avid sports fan in addition to music! “Let’s go Blackhawks, Bulls and Bears!” Winston says he doesn’t really have too much that makes him unique, but that he thinks he has the capability of being more positive than some of his “non-excitable” friends. “I know how to take the lemons that life hands you, add vodka, and have a life party…if you can’t stay positive and love your life no matter what, you have nothing.”

Being a music lover, there are other bands that Winston holds in high regard. Some of them include Dirty Heads, Rebelution, Full Service, Tribal Seeds, Slightly Stoopid, Atmosphere and A Tribe Called Quest. While these are his current favorites, he says he has a guilty pleasure for gangsta rap! “Tupac, Biggie, Ice Cube, etc. I like to get a little reckless sometimes!” A fun fact that many don’t know about Winston – before his first 311 show, he had never seen a concert!

Winston would like to say a big thank you to 311 – “Thank you for the kick ass tunes and for bringing me together with some of my best friends.”

His message to all of you out there in the positive sea of fans is similar:

“Thank you. Thank you for helping me to discover what love, life and happiness is really about. Thank you to everyone who made me feel like a celebrity on the Cruise with those “Keep Calm” shirts. Thank you to those who have gone out of their way to make sure I’m safe, make sure I”m comfortable and having fun. Thank you to those of you who stay in touch, those of you who have forgiven my mistakes, and to those of you whom I’ve yet to meet, thanks for being part of this groove. It isn’t near the same without each and every one of us. Stay positive, see y”all out there this summer!”

——

There you have it folks! That’s Winston! As always thank you for reading and I hope you were entertained. Have a fantastic day and get excited, summer is just around the corner! Until next time…much love!!

The Runt

Hello again my friends out there in the 311 universe! Happy Monday and welcome back for an all new edition of the 311 fan spotlight! This week we feature someone from down in Cajun Country – Mr. Kyle Boudreaux!

Kyle first discovered 311 early on in the 90’s. It was late 1993 and he graduated from high school that year. He hit the road to go visit a friend who was attending LSU (Louisiana State University) in Baton Rouge. They went to see a concert at the Varsity Theater and it was there that Kyle first experienced 311 live. “From that show on I was hooked. I saw them five times in several small clubs before the end of 1994. 311 was very good to Louisiana in the early days, for which I am very grateful. The music drew me in, but their energy and uniqueness got me wanting more and more. Now, the fellow fans are almost as equally important to me as the music.”

Obviously since Kyle has been seeing the band live since 93, he has seen a lot of shows. He says he stopped trying to keep count around number 35. He has been to five 311 Day shows and one cruise. While he says there are a lot of shows he attended that hold a special place in his heart, it was 311 Day 2012 that holds the top spot. “It was the first time I met so many people that I talked to daily. Also both nights I had rail – a first for any 311 show, before or since.”

Kyle was born and raised in Lafayette, L.A.  He has actually never lived more than 5 miles from the hospital he was born in! He credits his staying close to home as being the reason that he loves to travel so much. In fact, the song “Visit” is the one that he says means the most to him right now because, in his words, “I am living my dream of traveling around the country (and beyond) and meeting many cool people.”

Kyle is the youngest of four children and he credits his family for his eclectic taste in music. He attended about 10 country concerts before he saw what he calls his first “real” concert, which was Motley Crue on their Dr. Feelgood Tour. “Metal music was a gift from my brother, while 60’s and 70’s music was from my sister.” He also says that since he lives in Cajun country, he has some love for music with French/Zydeco influences as well.

Growing up in Lafayette, Kyle says his family was one of the only white families in a predominantly black part of town. He mentioned that it was isolating being an overweight white kid in that area, and not to mention that his father was known for raising dogs, chickens, and pigeons. “This is probably the reason I am usually very quiet when people first meet me these days. Once you get to know me, you usually can’t shut me up!”

Kyle works as a programmer at a small software company in Lafayette. He’s been with the company for over 10 years but still only gets two weeks vacation, which limits his ability to travel to shows. However, he still finds ways to get to all the major events. While he is a programmer by day, he has a passion for paranormal investigations by night. “Something I don’t tell many people about is that I have a bit of what you can call a sixth sense. I can “see” ghosts sometimes, although it’s more of a feeling coupled with a physical description in my head.”  Kyle trained as an equipment technician for a local paranormal society but he left before any real investigations took place. “I did join a team for one night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. I can tell you that it is indeed highly active and the spirits there like messing with you.”

Kyle’s guilty pleasure is one that is full of knowledge – he loves the gameshow Jeopardy! “I haven’t missed an episode since I got a DVR. I’m pretty good at trivia and have tried out twice, but never made it.”  I mentioned earlier too that Kyle has eclectic taste in music so he has a long list of bands that he loves besides 311. “I have always been a huge Pearl Jam fan. Before 311, Pearl Jam was the only artist I traveled to see. I saw them once in Knoxville and twice in Denver.” He also says that Rebelution has become one of his new favorites, and some other bands he loves include Dave Matthews Band, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Dirty Heads, Phish, System of a Down, Jack Johnson, Garth Brooks, and Conway Twitty.

One of Kyle’s favorite lyrics is from “My Stoney Baby” – “The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream.” Kyle says that this song is for everyone who “needs a little motivation to keep on going when times get tough.”  The fact that Kyle can find the positive messages in 311’s lyrics and apply them to life shows just why he is one of the fan spotlights!

Kyle would like to tell the guys in 311, “Thank you for changing my life through 20 plus years of great music that seems to be getting better with age.” And to all of you out there in the 311 universe, here are his words:

“311 has survived 20+ years without having any major meltdowns or in-fighting. We all can learn a lot about unity from the boys. Forget the Facebook drama that creeps in to the many 311 groups out there. Stay positive and love YOUR life – don’t worry so much about the way others are living. Enjoy this brief snapshot in time where our favorite band still rocks this little pebble we call Earth.”

—-

That, my friends, is Kyle! I hope you all were entertained and enjoyed reading his story! If you know him, or liked what you learned, feel free to leave some love in the comments!

Until we meet again my friends, enjoy your week and your life! “It’s all about the company we keep.”

Much love! – The Runt

We meet again 311 nation! Happy Monday to you all. Let’s start the week right by meeting a new excitable who hails from Illinois and has amazing hair! This week our fan spotlight is on Mr. Mario Garza!

Mario developed a love for 311 through his younger brother and they always listened to the band growing up. It wasn’t until after his first concert in 2009 that he really fell deep for them. His brother gave him the ticket shortly after he moved back home and once he saw 311 live, he was hooked! “After that first show I was addicted and wanted to do it over and over again!”

Mario’s show count is up to 21 and includes seeing them in 10 different states! He’s been lucky enough to attend two 311 day shows. Which one of the 21 is his favorite? He says it’s a toss up between 311 Day 2014 and Red Rocks 2013. “Both shows I was surrounded by amazing people. The unity at those two concerts was unreal.”

The song “Still Dreaming” is the one that holds a special place in his heart. He says it’s because a lot of his friends and family don’t really get why he travels to see 311 over and over again, something I’m sure most of us can relate to. Mario says “Still Dreaming” reminds him to keep on doing what makes him happy and not to worry about trying to get the approval of others. Naturally his favorite lyrics come from the song as well: “No I’ll not renounce my views, do what others do. I’d rather drink the hemlock than be like you, to my soul untrue. It never gets easier, so quit tryin’ pleasing her. Everything is a choice, so let me hear your voice.”

Mario hails from the state of Illinois and grew up in Danville.  His family consists of mom and dad plus 3 younger brothers, all of whom are 311 fans! Mario joined the Air Force at the age of 18 and was stationed in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He served two tours in Iraq and then was honorably discharged back in 2007. (Thank you for your service to our country Mario!) After leaving the Air Force he moved back to Danville and he works there as a painter and a bartender. He says that since returning home he tries as hard as he can to attend as many concerts and Chicago Cubs games as possible!

Mario loves jigsaw puzzles and NASCAR – both he says are his guilty pleasures! One thing that he thinks makes him unique is his amazing hair! (See photo above!)  “Anyone that has met me or is my friend on Facebook knows that I won’t shut up about it! #HairFlow.” Mario also has a love for music from other artists such as The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Rebelution, Dirty Heads, Tribal Seeds, Led Zeppelin, Jack Johnson, Incubus and Rage Against the Machine.

Mario knows that 311 and their music have impacted his life in a big way and he’d like to say to them, “Your music has changed my life in such a positive way! Keep on rockin’!”

To all of you out there in 311 nation he has this message:

“You guys changed my life and helped me expand my horizons. I made many life time friends though 311.  Love you and can’t wait for many more good times at future concerts with you all. See you this summer in Ft. Wayne, St. Louis, Chicago, Chillichote, and hopefully I can squeeze in a few more shows this summer.”

—–

Well excitables, that is our new fan spotlight on Mario Garza! I hope you enjoyed reading about him and his stunning hair! 🙂

Until next week, keep on dreaming and remember, summer is just around the corner! Can’t wait to be surrounded by the unifying love of 311 fans again. “311 is down for the unity!”

Much love – The Runt

Ladies and gentlemen of 311 nation, I welcome you back for another week of fun and delight as we meet a new excitable. Did you go on the third cruise? Did you play a treasure hunt game and find the Sasquatch at sea? If you did, then you know that this weeks 311 fan spotlight is on the one & only Matt “Sasquatch” Taylor!

Matt got into 311 twenty years ago, back in 1994 when a friend introduced him to the album Grassroots. What Matt loved most about them was how different they sounded than everything else playing at the time. He then attended his first live show in 96, and while he never kept count, he believes he has attended anywhere from 25-35 shows. Included in this count are all three cruises. “I’ve never made a 311 day, but I have been lucky enough to have been on all three cruises.” Of all the shows Matt has been to he said the first cruise takes the cake. “It was such a life changing experience. So many great times and wonderful people.

Matt is a happily married man with two kids, currently living in Washington. He says that his wife Mari and his two daughters Pepper and Colbie are his world  He was born and raised in the San Francisco bay area, an only child and only grandchild. Despite being an only kid he was taught the valuable lesson that hard work pays off. He was stacking wood at the age of 6 and started working on cars at the age of 12. Matt has been working on cars professionally for 21 years and manages a mom and pop Goodyear store, where he has been for the past 14 years. He says he still enjoys it too! Matt mentioned that ever since the first cruise ended he & Mari have been saving nonstop for each consecutive cruise, taking a year to make it happen but that it’s been worth it every time.

So what’s up with his nickname being Sasquatch? Well, Matt loves tattoos – he said it’s one of his guilty pleasures. And the man has a giant tattoo of a Sasquatch on him. Here, take a look:

“On the first cruise lots of people stopped and told me how much they liked it. On the second cruise, people actually started shouting at me “Hey Sasquatch!” as I walked the boat. Before the third cruise my lovely wife decided to turn me into a treasure hunt/hide & seek type game. We plastered the boat with find the Sasquatch flyers and handed out special bracelets saying “I saw Sasquatch at sea” we took pictures with everybody who got a bracelet, gave out almost 600! Thus my moniker was cemented.” Matt said it was a blast doing it and they did it again at the Full Service Circus a few months later. He says thanks to all the fans & Familia for helping make him unique!

Something else that makes Matt stand out are his pinky fingers. Yes, you read correctly. His pinky fingers actually bend in an odd way. It’s a hereditary trait where they both bend making them look broken. Both of his girls have them too and the love it. “I told them that’s how they know I’m theirs and that they’re special.”

I mentioned before that Matt loves tattoos and he is about 70-80% covered at this point. He plans on having a full body suit at some point, but right now he is waiting to get his sleeves done out of respect for his Grandmother because she doesn’t like tattoos. “Lots of people trip on me the first time they see them because I have almost no visible tattoos with pants and a T-shirt on.”

One of Matt’s favorite songs is “Crack the Code” because it reminds him of his wife. For a brief time they had taken a break from their relationship and it was during the time that Evolver  came out. After they reconciled, they both had listened to that song and it helped them realize that they should get back together. “We had cracked each others code.”

I asked Matt to give me some favorite quotes from 311 songs and he replied, “Theres always a quote when you need one! So many different songs have just the right lyric for what you need, when you need it that it’s impossible to pick just one.”  That said, he did mention that “Lovely life, I thank you for the reason to see the pain through.”  He stated that it reminds him that even at it’s toughest, beauty can still be seen and felt everywhere in life.

When Matt isn’t listening to 311, he cranks up some Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (a band from my hometown! Nice pick.), Rebelution, and Passafire. “When I was younger it was all thrash, hard rock and heavy metal. Now that I’m older it’s mostly reggae and similar styles. Just makes me happy!”

Matt would love to say to 311 that, “It has been a joy growing and evolving with you. Keep it up for another 20 years!” I think we all agree with Matt on that note. That my friends is the man they call Sasquatch. So if you see him on cruise #4, keep an eye out for that tattoo and give him a high five when you find him! His final words to all of you are sweet, simple and to the point. They are words we all know and live by. In the words of 311 – “Stay positive and love your life!”

—–

Thanks for reading all about Matt Taylor everyone! Until next time, and in honor of this years Record Store Day, go spin some vinyl somewhere! Trust me, you’ll thank me for it! 🙂 Much love!

-The Runt

Welcome back 311 nation! I hope you are all coming off an amazing weekend and ready to conquer another week! Get it started right by meeting our newest fan spotlight – Marion Novicky!

Marion first discovered the wonderfulness of 311 back in 2003 when she went to the Rolling Rock Town Fair in Pittsburgh, PA.  She saw a ton of bands that day and as she said, “They all sucked and then 311 came on and I was blown away.”  She went home, bought all the music that she could find, and has been listening to them ever since. “What I loved most was how different their music was from everything else that I was listening to at the time.”

Since then Marion has seen the band somewhere around twenty times. She isn’t sure of the exact number but she tries to see them at least once a year, although it’s usually multiple times. Her favorite event she said is hard to choose because they are all such a blast. If forced to choose, it would be the 2013 cruise, which is the first one she went on.   “I just loved how there was live music playing from every corner of the ship, pretty much 24/7. It was so much fun to go to the name that tune event and have Nick hang out and just jam out.” She also said everyone was just so friendly and having so much fun that you couldn’t help but have a great time too. She also was lucky enough to hit 311 Day this year in Nola and she got meet a ton of other fans which meant a lot to her!

Marion grew up in a Cleveland, OH suburb where she still currently dwells. She still lives at home with her mother, and even though this doesn’t make her happy, she realizes how fortunate she is for this opportunity. It allows her to save a ton of money and go where she wants, when she wants. “It allows me to follow 311 around or go to California to visit my brother and sister-in-law.”  Marion has one brother who is a year and half older than her and he lives in Orange County, CA. (He is in the photo above with her, which she said is her favorite picture!)

Not only does Marion love 311, she loves music in general and doesn’t limit herself to a set type that she’ll listen to. “I’ll listen to whatever I think sounds good. I don’t have any other artists or bands that I love as much as 311. If you look at my playlist, my top 25 songs played are 311. 90% of the time they are who I’m listening to.”

I asked Marion to tell me something that makes her unique, and she responded saying, “I know you say there has to be something but here honestly isn’t haha. I am the most boring and generic person you’d ever meet.” (I sincerely doubt this!)  She does like to read and run. Something you may not know about her though is that she is a vegan. She also said her guilty pleasure is that she “may or may not” watch The Vampire Diaries. (No shame there Marion! I watch it too!  He he.)

Marion is like many of us in 311 nation who have multiple songs that mean the world to them. When asked what song means the most to her, she replied, “I can’t pick just one song, they all mean a lot to me for different reasons.”  Marion’s answers show the lessons that 311 music has taught her. “From Chaos reminds me that people’s actions can only bother me if I let them.  Trouble reminds me that I can be my own worst enemy sometimes and life is too short to hold things in, that I need to just let them go.  Beyond the Gray Sky reminds me of some rough times I went through and how I got through them because of my family and friends.”

Some lyrics that Marion mentioned stand out to her are, “No matter what you do I don’t react, I’m a perfect example of not giving a fuck about the catty rude people that just suck.” She also loves words from the song “Get Down” – “Think I’m despised when I look through the eyes of another, not mine to discover, what the next man think is none of my fucking business.”

I asked what one thing Marion would like to say to the band and she came back with, “This kills me because I’ve met Nick a few times and I always want to tell him how much the band means to me but I clam up like a nerd.” So Nick if you are reading, here is her response:

“I would thank them because they’ve taught me to not care what people think about me and to live with a positive attitude.  Nick has said he’s positive to a fault, well I’m negative to a fault and their music reminds me to not think that way and just enjoy life and live it to the fullest and every time a negative thought comes across my mind I just turn on their music and it fades away.  I will be forever grateful for what they’ve taught me about the power of having a positive attitude.”

That my friends is Ms. Marion Novicky! I hope you enjoyed learning more about her and that one day you all get to meet her in person! The fact that she mentioned all the things 311 has taught her with their music and lyrics shows just how powerful their words affect all of us excitables. Here are Marion’s words to all of you in 311 nation:

“Thanks for all the love!  You’re all so kind and even if I’ve never met you or I’ve just met you, you always treat me like we’ve known each other for years.  It means a lot.  311 fans are the greatest.”

—–

That’s it for this weeks edition of the fan spotlight! I hope it brightened up your Monday a bit! Until next week, “Oh living is a journey, waking, believing, running.”

-The Runt

It’s that time of the week again 311 nation! This week we introduce a fan who is from good old New England – the state of Maine to be precise! I actually had to ask him his real name because I’m sure most of you, like me, only know him by the name of Clockwork! Ladies & gentlemen meet Mr. Paul Butler!

When Nick dedicates the song “Down” to all the old school fans in the house, Paul a.k.a. Clockwork is one of those fans. He graduated from high school back in 1991 and he was really into punk music. 311 infiltrated his life somewhere between 93 & 94. “I was a big fan of Fugazi and heard 311 on an older recording of a Fugazi show.”

Clockwork didn’t really keep track of how many shows he has been to, however he thinks it’s somewhere around 24, which includes the recent 311 Day in New Orleans and the third cruise back in 2013. That cruise was his first big event that he attended and he said it was purely magical because he finally got to meet a ton of other excitables. Not to mention he met Doug Benson, as you can see from his photo above!

There are a few songs that strike a personal chord with Clockwork, but he says that “Strong All Along” has a special meaning to him since last summer at the Unity Tour Boston show they dedicated it to the marathon bombing and said, “Boston strong, Strong All Along.” He also loves the song “Old Funk” because he freestyle raps and says that instrumental melodies always catch his ear.

Yes you heard me right, he loves to freestyle rap! He would love to do this as his career. “I freestyle rap A LOT and J. Randy has really inspired me a lot the last few years.”  He can also freestyle for long periods of time. How long? He once did it for three hours straight at a YouTube convention! He says he can rap on any topic and it’s always off the top of his head. I asked Clockwork what his guilty pleasure and he says he believes it is freestylin. “Even though I can go forever and rhyme really well, my delivery is sub par. I really enjoy rhyming in front of a crowd, I’m just really shy about it. So next time any excitables see me, ask me to spit some bars!”

Clockwork was born in Florida but moved to Maine at six weeks old and has lived there his whole life, minus a short stint of living in New Hampshire. He says he has a few ways that he funds his 311 addiction. The main one is he sells motorcycle riding boots ten weeks out of the year. He also works in recycling at a family owned business in Maine. Clockwork has an older sister (he says is not a 311 fan) and a younger brother (HUGE 311 fan). He is also a single dad to a beautiful 10 year old girl. He also says that music is a huge part of his everyday life. He also is told by his family and friends that he is very diplomatic. “Guess I just want everyone to get along!”

Clockwork was a huge Phish head from 1991 to 2004. He has been to over 150 Phish shows! He also loves rap, metal, jazz, and rock. Some favorite artists include Eminem, Suicidal Tendencies, Grateful Dead, Primus, Lamb of God, The Algorythm, and Deadmau5.

One thing he’d love to say to the band, well really Pnut in particular is “Thank you for the basketball tips on the cruise!” And then to the whole band, he says, “Let me freestyle on stage to you guys playing Old Funk!”

So now you know a little more about fellow excitable Clockwork! I hope you all get to see him at a show this summer. And when you do, don’t forget to ask him to freestyle for ya! I know I will!

Here is his personal message to all of you out in the 311 universe:

“To all the good people I’ve met through 311, keep being you. To all I haven’t met, hope to some day! And lastly, we’re not here for a long time…we’re here for a good time! :)”

—-

Hope you all enjoyed this weeks fan spotlight! If you like what you read, leave comments showing some love for Clockwork! Thank you all for reading, I truly love doing these and hope you love them too. Until next week…”Just take a moment to have a fit once and awhile!”

-The Runt

Hey hey 311 nation! I’m here to get you through another Monday with the latest fan spotlight! Put some papers in front of you on your desk and make it look to your boss like you’re entering stuff in the system, then read on about Ms. Shaden “like Aladdin” Zakour!

Shaden told me people often think her name is pronounced “Shade-in” when reading it on Facebook or various other ways, because people see the word shade in it. So to help people remember how to say her name, she says she’s Shaden like Aladdin! Got it? So now you know how to say her name in your head as you read on! 🙂

Shaden stumbled upon 311 because she listened to a variety of music and just came across the band one day back in high school. She credits her best friend Poochie (shout out to Ian Camhi!) for really developing her as the fan she is today. When she first met Ian she owned the blue album, and found out Ian was a 311 fan because his license plate at the time was 311MUSIC. It was there that her love for the band began to blossom and grow to be what it is now. While Shaden has no clue how many shows she’s attended, she mentioned that her and Ian once hit six shows in one summer. “We followed them around for as many shows as we could afford.  NY/NJ are givens every year, then we did Philly, Boston and SPAC, where I forgot my awesome keen sandals in the grassy lot, and drove away!  I’ll never forget that one hehehe!”

Shaden says it is hard to pinpoint her favorite show because in her words, “I love them all! You get this overjoyed excited feeling every time with the energy from the crowd and the surprise of what songs they’ll play that night.” However, if she had to choose just one, she said it would hands down be the beach show from the second cruise. “It was just EPIC in ALL dimensions!  311 live in the Sun on a BEACH on a private Island surrounded by the coolest fans ever!  What more could anyone ask for?  Oh yeah, and don’t forget about the carnival beer slaves chasing us with buckets of beer, you couldn’t get enough!”

One song that Shaden loves, and I find it is the one song that seems to have resonated strongly with many fans, is “Beyond the Gray Sky.”  Shaden has lost some close friends and this song always makes her think of them. “It’s a very sad and touching song that hits the heart.  I think everyone who was on that first cruise will always remember that show on the lido deck.  It was purely magical, I just got chills writing about it!!” She also loves “Rub-a-Dub” and says it is her all time favorite because the melody is very happy and it always cheers her up when listening to it! Some lyrics that mean the most to her though come from “Can’t Fade Me”: “Massive yang and yin, on this earth we spin, and sometimes I gotta center, find out who I am. I chill out, I let in the wind, I gotta feel the force of the planet on my skin. I got news for ya, it ain’t nothing’ nice, we all got demons, we all got a vice. The struggle never ends, to keep it in check, but I never stop trying to make the trek what up!”

Shaden is a Queens, N.Y. native – born and raised! She says that many people think she has a New York accent, but she is unaware of it. “I definitely do not speak with the typical New Yawk accent like saying cawfee (coffee) and chawclate (chocolate).”  Her dad worked for the United Nations so she was lucky enough to attend the United Nations International School growing up. It was there she met her first best friend Ansaa who was from Ghana. Ansaa ended up passing away when she was 13 from a brain tumor. Shaden says Ansaa is one of the people that the song BTGS reminds her of. Shaden is a self-proclaimed mutt – her parents are both foreigners. Her mother was born and raised in Leeds, England, but she is 100% Irish, and her father is 100% Syrian. It’s the Syrian side of her heritage where her name comes from. It means when a fawn has her independence to leave its mother. Shaden also has a sister and is a proud auntie! She would love to move to the west coast and feels something out there is calling her, but understandably she is hesitant to leave her family because she is so close to them.

Shaden went through a rough time when she was just getting ready to begin college and she ended up being diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease. She went through many painful tests to figure out the extent of how badly the cancer was impacting her. She also ended up going through six months of chemo therapy. She said she really missed her hair and body during that time. While many people think that you would lose weight having Cancer, Shaden said she actually gained weight. Shaden is a fighter though, and she is proud to say that she is approaching her 18 year mark of being in remission! “Many people ask me, how did you survive?  I tell them that it’s all in the mind.  I told myself that I was going to get treatment, get better and go to college, and I did.  Mind over Matter is so TRUE!”

Shaden currently works for the United Nations, following in her fathers footsteps. She has been there for over ten years and has been in many different positions. Right now she has applied and interviewed for a position that would give her a raise and be a permanent role, as opposed to the temporary roles she has been filling in her time there. She said if she wasn’t working at the U.N., she’d like to be doing something artistic. “I really miss having the ability to create.  I wish I could live on a farm and own a barn with tons of tools!  I love welding, carpentry and ceramics.  I also would love to work on movies/films or in theatre.  It’s so much fun and total opposite of the life I feel I’m ‘stick in’… but hey, as long as I can keep on concert hopping, I’m not complaining!”

Here are some fun facts about Shaden! She has a mini cooper “ROXI” that she believes is the 311est car, at least in the state of N.Y.! It has a huge 311 decal on the driver’s side, and a Familia sticker on the other one. Plus her licence plate is 311LOVER! She lives in her own universe that has it’s own time zone called Whammer Time! Whammer is one of her old nicknames and she says she often loses track of time and ends up running late. So to this she says that Whammer Time took over! Shaden also has a unique connection with cats and believes it’s because she is part cat! She’d like to come back in her next life as one! Let’s see – she also starts talking with a British accent when she is tipsy, and can speak and write both French and Arabic! Can this girl get any more interesting?? 🙂

Shaden would like to thank 311 from the bottom of her heart, “For bringing together such an awesome vibe of people.” She mentioned that the band has stayed true to their word about making it all about unity. “Their music and lyrics bring so much joy and positivity to my life, so I would thank them from the bottom of my heart!” She also hopes to one day hear the song “Wandering Around” live and she is absolutely IN LOVE with the new album Stereolithic! “Been listening to it non-stop!”

That’s Shaden in a nutshell! She is an amazing soul and I truly hope you all get to meet her one day and give her a giant hug! I have and I’m one of the many blessed to have met her unique and caring soul! I hope you enjoyed getting to know Shaden like Aladdin better! Here is her personal message to all of you in 311 universe:

“Never give up on your hopes and dreams, only YOU can make this happen, your destiny lies in your mind and determination.  GO FOR IT!!  Oh and this is one of my favorites I’ll steal:  Dance like no one is watching, love like you’ll never be hurt and sing like no one is listening!  But most of all SMILE and enjoy your time on earth.”

——-

Thank you Shaden again for being this weeks fan spotlight! Hope you all enjoyed the read. Until next week I leave you with one of my favorite lyrics from “Boom Shanka”: “Now I’m ready to turn the page on yesterdays and forgive them. Now I’m willing to disengage, to seize the day and move on!” Seize the day people!

-The Runt

Another Monday is here 311 nation! You know what that means…it’s time for our new fan spotlight of the week! Are you excitable? Of course you are! We always are! Please give a warm welcome to our latest feature – Kellie “Freeze Time” Felton!

Like many of us in 311 nation, Kellie has been a fan of 311 since she was in high school. She was living in Billings, Montana when she got her first taste of the band. It was her older brother who brought home the Music CD and got her hooked. Ever since she first heard it she said her mind was blown. She isn’t exactly sure how many shows she’s been to at this point, but she knows it’s at least ten. While each and every one of those shows has meant a lot to her, she said it’s the first one that will always be her favorite. “It was in my home town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first show will always be my favorite because I was so excited for it. I could go to a thousand 311 shows but nothing compares to your first show. Boom!”

Kellie grew up in the awesome city of Pittsburgh, PA and lived there until the end of her 8th grade year when she relocated to Montana. As we know, that is where she first was introduced to the amazingness of 311. After she turned 18, Kellie moved back to her hometown and met her love Chuck and they have now been together for 16 years. She says Chuck is an amazing man, but his only fault is, “He is not a 311 fan! They say opposites attract. He doesn’t understand my love for 311, but he respects it.” Sounds like he is a keeper to me then! Kellie and Chuck have twin boys, Donavin and Devin, who are 13 years old. Devin followed in mama’s footsteps and is a “311 nut” as she put it. “He already had his first 311 show under his belt!”  Donavin likes the band, but not to the same level and mom and bro. I can’t imagine having twins, and Kellie said, “The twins keep us on our toes, that’s for sure.”

I asked Kellie, as I do everyone, what song means the most to them. This is the first answer that actually made me tear up. Kellie said that “Strong All Along” is the song that means the most to her. The reason? She has a nephew battling brain cancer and she said that throughout his whole ordeal with the sickness and chemo therapy, Michael has remained “Strong All Along.” Thank you Kellie for sharing that personal information. I don’t know about everyone else, but for me it made me realize just how much we have to be thankful for. If Michael can be strong through everything then the rest of us can too! I hope he wins his fight, he sounds like an amazing person!

Kellie has a lot of quotes that stand out to her from the 311 catalog. A popular one, “From chaos comes clarity”, has been a popular answer from everyone showing how unifying 311 lyrics really are and just how much they hit home! Some of the others are “I grab a moment like a thief and I make it mine,”  “Talkin’ shit like shut up, and listen to me, cutting through the crap is my specialty,” and “Glycerin tears don’t fool me.” Great choices!

Some of Kellie’s other favorite bands include Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads, Tribal Seeds, Josh Hienrichs, and One Drop. If you haven’t heard these bands, go check them out! I asked Kellie to tell me something that others may not know and she confessed that she’s really into romantic comedies and chick flicks! “I’m a softy at heart despite my tough and independent attitude. My favorite is Pride and Prejudice. It’s one of the greatest love stories ever told!”

If Kellie could be in front of the band with one thing to say, it would be, “Thank you for being a big part of my life. “It’s been a wild ride, I wouldn’t change a minute.” It’s amazing how many people simply want to tell the band thank you. I don’t think any other words really sum up the unity and positivity they have brought to each and every one of our lives.

So you’ve met Kellie! I hope you all enjoyed her story and if you see her at a show, say hello in person! I leave you with her words to all of the fans:

“To all my fellow excitables – I love the energy and love we share for 311 and each other. I have had the time of my life in Nola with all of you beautiful people who were there. ‘It’s been a wild ride, I wouldn’t change a minute! And of course, “Stay positive and love your life!”

—–

Thanks for reading 311 crew! Until we meet again…”To all my friends, it’s not the end, the earth has not swallowed me yet!”

-The Runt