Hello again all my friends in the excitable 311 nation! Welcome back and cheers to starting off another week with the next 311 fan spotlight. Time to meet Donny Scales!

Fandom came for Donny while hanging out with some friends one night. They went to dinner and then back to one of their houses just to hang out, where they had some “party favors” and played board games. The radio in the house didn’t pick up any stations so they played the one CD they had on repeat, which happened to be Music. “I was hooked! I like what most everyone else likes about them; positivity, lyrics that are sometimes quirky, sometimes funny, cohesiveness of the band, but what really drew me in was miT’s guitar riffs.”

The exact number of shows Donny has seen is unknown, but the range is somewhere in the 30’s. Top three favorites are the 2000 10th anniversary show in Atlanta, Halloween 2010 (also in Atlanta), and cruise four from this year, which was his first. “I wouldn’t even know what order to put them in.” He also said Sweetwater this year holds a special place in his heart thanks to allowing him to hang with a lot of friends as well as make new ones.

Choosing a favorite song was difficult for Donny. “It changes daily sometimes.” However after thinking about it he chose “Lose” as the one that’s meant the most to him over the years. “It’s helped me through a couple of divorces and breakups over the years.” “Running” is another fave just because it makes him smile and then “The Call” is one of his favorites to rock out to.  A few special lyrics that stand out to him are “Celebrate the good times, not the wish we could times,” “A ray of hope remains, if we take the reins, we’ll arrive eventually,” and “Things turning inside out all the time just rewind it’s all in your mind.”

The Atlanta area is where Donny was born and raised, from College Park to Norcross. At the young age of 6 he was attacked by a German Shepherd. “I had to have plastic surgery along with 113 stitches to partially reattach my right ear and close up my head wounds. That’s when we moved to Norcross.”  He lived all around Gwinnett after that until he bought his home in Winder, about twenty minutes outside of Athens.

Donny’s brother is ten years older than him so growing up his musical influences came from what his brother loved. Music like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd. His brother was also a guitarist since he was sixteen and still plays in local bands around Atlanta. Some of Donny’s other favorite musicians include Gary Clark Jr., Iration, The Green, Ben Harper, moe., The London Souls, King Johnson, Avenged Sevenfold, and Gov’t Mule. “There are others, but that covers it good.”

Aside from music loving, Donny is also a huge fitness fanatic. “I started working out when I was 17 and still do. I was in my first and only (to this point) bodybuilding show in 2011 (placed first in beginner).” He also played basketball as a kid and was the starting point guard for four out of the five years he played. His talent doesn’t stop there. He won a talent show doing a Muppets skit with his sister. “We were asked to do it several times after and my mom would bribe me with Star Wars action figures lol.”

Donny has also been told he’s a good singer, however he’s too shy to sing in public. He’s also really great at working on machines like cars, motorcycles, lawn mowers, etc., even with no formal training. When not doing one of his many talents, he can be found watching movies…chick flicks are his guilty pleasure! “I absolutely love The Notebook. I like all kinds of movies, but chick flicks is my guilty pleasure.”

If face to face with 311 (or maybe they are reading this!), Donny would like to say these words: “Thank you for your incredible lyrics that have helped me out in so many ways in my life and saved me in other ways!”

Now to all his fellow excitables:

“I love each and every one of you like a member of my own family. Enjoy this trip and make the most of it!”

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The tale of Donny Scales my friends! Thank you so much for reading and hearing Donny’s story of how 311 changed his life. Until we meet again, keep on being awesome and spreading good karma throughout the world!

Much love – The Runt

Welcome again my friends to another excitable fan spotlight! This week we introduce you to Kris Trentham!

Junior year of high school, back in 1995, Kris saw his friend had a 311 sticker on the back of his car so he asked who they were. After that they rode around in the car all day listening to Music.  “At that time I was mostly listening to rap and country music. Quite the contradiction, I know. But I remember hearing ‘Feels So Good’ for the first time and just completely rocking out to it. I was hooked!”

It’s been twenty years since Kris became addicted to 311 and he’s seen them 24 times over the past two decades. His favorite time so far was the cruise this past March and it was the first one Kris went on. “It definitely tops the list for me. A friend told me it would be life changing. It was! Nothing can prepare you for it. Its something ill remember and reflect back on, for as long as I live.”  311 Day Nola came in as a close second for Kris and it isn’t even the concert that he loves the best about the time in Nola. “It’s the atmosphere and vibe on Bourbon Street and around the Quarter. You just feel the unity! Everyone is hanging out having a good time, jamming out to songs, singing together in the streets and in the bars. Gives me goose bumps just thinking about it.”

When asked what song means the most to him, Kris said, “How can you narrow it down to just one song?”  He did manage to pick one – “Sunset in July.”  “A few years ago, me and my best friend flew out west and decided to go on our own personal vacation for about two weeks. We started in Phoenix, and then on to Sedona, Vegas, and San Diego. My friend had recently gone through some really difficult times. She had recently lost her father to Cancer and had just recovered from having surgery. She needed a break and she chose me to go on this awesome vacation with. We saw 311 at Sleep Train Amphitheater in San Diego to close out our vacation, before flying back to New Orleans. When they played ‘Sunset in July’ I completely came unwound. The song title, the lyrics, the moment, it all just hit me at once. Everything we had experienced over the past two weeks, leading up to that moment. Watching her dance and having the time of her life! It was an incredible High for me! Every time I hear that song now, it takes me back to those two weeks we spent together in July of 2013.” Favorite quote from a song is, “Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.”

Kris is a southern boy from Chattanooga, Tennessee. His dad has been a musician his whole life and that is where most of Kris’ grassroots come from. “His musical influence definitely rubbed off on me.”  Growing up he listened to old country and classic rock, with a little Elvis mixed in. “I’ve always had a huge appreciation for music and it’s always been my constant companion.” Some other artists he’s into are DMB, Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Metallica, RHCP, Sublime, Alice n Chains, Dr. Dre, Snoop, 2Pac, Eminem, Jay-Z, Linkin Park, Hank Jr, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, and Elvis.

Kris has lived all over the south including Atlanta, Birmingham, Auburn, New Orleans, and Pensacola. However he spent most of his time growing up in Birmingham, Alabama. “I’ve lived close to the beach in Pensacola, Florida for the past 8 years now. I’m self employed and work as a Private Investigator. Being self employed is the greatest kind of freedom you can have! It allows me to make my own schedule and take off work whenever I like. Thus funding my 311 habit. ;)”

Being a private investigator has been one of the coolest jobs for Kris. “It’s been my career now for almost 20 years. I handle divorce, infidelity, child custody, and missing person investigations. I also handle a lot of insurance defense investigations. So if anyone needs a Private Eye, I’m your guy!”

Kris has always been a great athlete. He played baseball growing up and semi-pro as an adult. “I’ll kick your ass at bowling, golf, and most any sport.” He’s also a lefty (southpaw) which makes him somewhat unique also! And he also mentioned he’s super competitive. Guilty pleasure comes in the form of his obsession with college football and the NFL. “Go Vols and Falcons – Rise up!” Most Fall weekends you can find him at the games or on the couch screaming at the T.V. He said he’s also a sucker for the movie Top Gun. “I know every word to the movie – Yeehaw Jester’s dead!”

To 311, Kris would simply like to say, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

To all the fellow excitables:

“All of you are amazing! Collectively, all of you have been the greatest positive influence in my life! We all have our ups and downs, and sometimes life isn’t fair. But if you keep a positive mindset, and try to live your life by PLUR, then you can never go wrong! I urge each and everyone of you to go buy the book, or watch the movie ‘The Secret’! Just do it! Believe in it! If you do, you’ll soon see be able to have anything you’ve ever dreamed of! Trust me on this!”

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And now you have met Kris! Thanks for reading as always and I hope you enjoyed his story of his love for 311!!

Until next time, keep on being awesome and spreading the positivity!

Much love – The Runt

Hello again excitable friends! Welcome back for the next edition of the 311 fan spotlight.  Let’s start the day off right and meet Mr. Craig Leynes!

Being a 311 fan just came naturally to Craig, which is why he can’t pinpoint just how he became one. For the past 23 years they’ve been a part of his life and in his music choice rotation. “Now when I think about it, I love the diversity of the band: rap rock, reggae, off the wall lyrics, amazing shows and their love of their fans.”

This past summer marked Craig’s 80th show when he attended the Orlando stop on the tour. When narrowing down which of the 80 were his favorite, he had 4 recent ones that stick out in his mind. There was the fourth cruise, which was his first. Then the Atlanta shows last summer at the Tabernacle and 311 Day New Orleans 2014. The fourth one he thought about he said is the most memorable which was when he saw Soja, Slightly Stoopid, and 311 at Red Rocks. “We ll got a little ‘loco’ on that mountain and had the time of our lives!!! That place along with the rest of Colorado is amazing.”

There is a certain song that as Craig puts it, soothes his soul and that song is “Stealing Happy Hours.” “A real chill song that I kinda wish it didn’t end if you know what I mean.”

Lakeland, Florida is where Craig grew up, and area he calls “a bump in the road between Tampa and Orlando.”  His family was mixed, meaning he has a brother and a sister, 2 step brothers, and a half brother and sister. After he graduated high school he did some mission work which enabled him to travel the world twice and visit almost every state. He’s also lived in Georgia and New York, but now resides in Tampa where he’s been for the past five years. He manages a restaurant called Jason’s Deli and had been in management for sixteen years, which helps him fund his 311 poster and show addiction. “It has been a long strange trip.”

One of the most memorable places Craig said he visited was India. “Beautiful people, beautiful culture, and amazing food that my stomach couldn’t handle.” He says he saw a lot of great things, but also some horrible things that, along with his faith, helped him set his world view on a different level. “True happiness and joy are not found in physical things or monetary security, but in love and joy of family, faith, and living life to the fullest with what you have. I knew these things before visiting India but in some slums we worked in is where it became real.”

Back in junior high and high school, Craig was a band geek. He played the tuba and sousaphone. “My fondest memories in HS were not the sports awards or classes, but the music we played and the trips we took as a band.”  Something that makes Craig unique is tied in with his job. When he’s working the end of the deli, taking the guest checks and telling them what to do next, he can remember everything that they order by noticing something about them that stands out! “Shirt color, hair color, glasses, facial feature, shoes, pants, something. In short, I can look at the tray of food and remember who ordered it, go out into the dining and find their table to deliver the food without looking at the number. On the flip side, I suck at remembering peoples names!”

Guilty pleasure for Craig comes in musical form. “JJ Grey & Moffro is my guilty pleasure. Aside from the Eagles, they are one of the few bands that our entire family really enjoys. Great music that makes you sing and dance and my wife really likes them (She likes 311 but not like I like them.” Craig said it’s great when he and his wife go see this band because since she really enjoys them so he knows she actually wants to go because she digs them and not just because she wants to spend time with him. Also, Craig mentioned that one of his favorite quotes is currently, “Friends and family, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Leynes.” He said the happiest day of his life was last year when he got married!

As you can tell, music is a big part of Craig’s life. Some of his other favorite artists are: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Steel Pulse, Eric Lindell, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, Star field, Stick Figure, Resinated (a hometown band on the rise), Led Zeppelin, The Hip Abduction, Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers, Dirty Heads, and Dierks Bently. “There are many, many more but I think this gives the spectrum of my catalog.”

Craig’s message to 311 is this:

“Thanks for being the soundtrack of my life for the past 23 years and I’m looking forward to the next 23. Y’all just keep getting better and better with time.”

Now his message to all the amazing fans of 311:

“Y’all are awesome. I have met some fantastic awesome people because of this band and y’all have made shows and my life a lot more fun. I wish all of y’all the best in this journey of life. If you see me and my awesome wife at a show come and say hello, give a hug or a high five, drink a beer or smoke a spliff, and remember that life is what you make it, never be “under the circumstances” but instead stay on top of them. One love.”

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That’s Craig’s story my friends! Thank you for reading and I hope you had fun meeting him (virtually at least). That wraps up this week’s fan spotlight!

Until the next time…keep on being positive and sending out that vibe to the world.

Much love! – The Runt