Hello again excitable friends! Happy Thanksgiving week to all my U.S. peeps! Let’s kick this day off the right way with our next fan spotlight. Let’s meet Alison Haertjens!

The year was 1993 and a friend of Alison’s, who has gotten her into metal back in 1990, put on the Music album for her. “I was instantly hooked! I could never put my finger on what I liked about it. I just knew I loved the sound.”

Alison just hit her 40th show back in August in Chula Vista. Her very first show was February 23, 1996, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. “My ex-husband wasn’t a 311 fan and going to shows just wasn’t a priority for me when my kids were little, and I didn’t go to another 311 show until 2011!  I didn’t even go to a single concert from 2001 until then.  I have been making up for lost time over the last few years.”

Favorite show was hard for Alison to decide because like many, she’s had amazing experiences at multiple shows like 311 Day, the cruise, Red Rocks, and club shows at House of Blues or The Roxy. “One of the best experiences was at the Stone Pony in 2015 – I had my first 311 photo pass, for a show in my home state, where I first fell in love with them, despite living almost 3000 miles away in San Diego.  P-Nut used one of the photos I took of him as his Twitter profile pic for a long time, and it made me so happy!  But this last cruise was nearly perfection in so many ways.  I am really fortunate to have had these experiences.”

Song that means the most to her was another hard choice, but if forced to chose she would pick “FTBS.” “The story is far too long and boring to get into here, but it involves 2 people I care about very much and singing it in a motel parking lot at 3am after my 40^th birthday party.”

One of her favorite lyrics is “You’re all up in my mix like fuckin’ Betty Crocker.”

Readington, New Jersey, is where Alison grew up. She also lived in Raleigh, North Carolina, for 2 years. She attended The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also lived in Houston for 3 years before finally ending up in San Diego in 2001. “I was a stay at home mom for 13 years, but am finishing a degree in Library and Information Technology in May and have worked part-time in a college library for almost a year.  I also have a temporary job doing data management at a small company.”

Alison has a 14 year old son and a 10 year old daughter. “They are truly awesome kids.” Her daughter has attended four 311 shows and was able to shake Tim’s hand briefly after her second show. “My son is not at all interested in anything I listen to, but I kind of like that he is following his own lead on that.  Hopefully he will come around to 311 some day, but I can’t make him!”

While Alison said she is pretty much an open book, it might surprise some people to know that she was a cheerleader from 8th to 10th grade, plus she was in a sorority in college. Another fun fact is that she was a concert photographer for awhile and was lucky enough to have met and photographed many of her longtime favorite bands and artists. “I honed my concert photography skills at Brick By Brick, a metal club in San Diego, and after photographing shows there for almost a year, became friends with the co-owner who books the bands – who happens to be a longtime excitable.  I have rocked out beside her at metal shows and 311 (including night 2 of 311 Day 2018).  And the way I started photographing live music was because of a friend I met through the 311 Familia who invited me to a local Pantera tribute show, which I photographed, and everything kind of took off from there.  That was 5 years ago and my life has been transformed for the better because of these music families.  I have met the most amazing people through our mutual love of music, and I am infinitely grateful.”

Alison has been a metalhead for almost 30 years and she said her top 5 favorite bands have been the same since high school: 311, Pantera, Slayer, Prong, and Pro-Pain. “The rest of what I listen to tends to be pretty random and mostly rock or pop of the 70s-90s, but 90% of the time I am listening to 311 or metal.”

As for guilty pleasures, Alison said she really doesn’t feel guilt over harmless things that make life fun. “I will sing along just as loudly to Hall and Oates as I will to 311 or Pantera.  My kids hate grocery shopping with me because I cannot refrain from singing along to the Muzak sometimes.  Foreigner?  Whitney Houston?  Billy Joel?  DON’T MIND IF I DO!”

Alison has these words for 311: “Thank you for this beautiful thing you have given so many of us that transcends music.” She also said, “I honestly don’t know what my life would be like without my 311 family and the incredible experiences we share.”

Here is her message to all her fellow 311 fans:

“This 311 thing we have is so unique and special, but it is what you make of it.  Enjoy it!”

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There you have it my friends, the story of Alison Haertjens! Thank you so much Alison for sharing your story and many, many thanks to those who read each week. During this week of gratitude, I’m thankful for being a part of this amazing, positive community! Until next time, keep being awesome!

Much Love – The Runt

Hey hey excitable peeps! It’s about time for the next edition of the 311 fan spotlight. Remember meeting Alison Winzenread last week? Well this week we learn all about her love, Mike Winzenread!

Growing up, Mike listened to a lot of punk rock, ska, and rap. Then one day, listening to the radio, he heard the sounds of 311 and was immediately hooked. “They had this sound that was completely different than all the standard alternative rock that was getting all the radio time.”

Show count for Mike is sitting at 46. First show for him was July 1, 2000, at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, where Incubus opened for 311. While Mike picked the cruise as his number one, won’t forget ever experience, he does have another show he holds high up in the ranks of favorites. “There was one show on March 18, 2017, House of Blues Anaheim. They jammed so hard everyone in the crowd was going nuts.  I guarantee anyone who was at that show would definitely say the same thing.”

Song that Mike says means the most to him is “Tranquility.” One of his favorite lyrics is “From chaos comes clarity.”

La Habra, California, is where Mike grew up. He loved playing sports and was lucky enough to be able to play all the way through college. His parents were teachers, which gave him the opportunity to travel during the summers. “They took me all over the world. I feel like that is something that has stuck with me. I love getting away places with my wife and kids. That’s another reason I love this band so much. They give me and my wife the perfect excuse to travel together and hang out with great people.”

Mike says he has no musical skills, so he thinks that’s why he is so blown away by live music. When not listening to 311 he can be found listening to musicians such as Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, Iration, Tribal Seeds, Fortunate Youth, Passafire, Stick Figure, and The Movement.

Something Mike says he’s pretty famous for are his chocolate chip cookies and homemade chicken pot pie. He’s been told he’s a great cook! He’s also a certified scuba diver. Something Mike is really excited and proud of is that he’s a brand new grandpa to a precious grandson! (Congrats to Mike & Alison!)

Guilty pleasure for Mike? “I have to admit. I like watching MTV’s The Challenge and of course some Jersey Shore.”

Mike would like to say to 311: “Thanks for creating this great familia that I have so many great memories with.”

These are Mike’s words to all his fellow fans:

“In the words of Nick Hexum, stay positive and love your life.”

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Awesome story Mike Winzenread! Thanks for sharing, and again congrats to you and Alison on your precious new grandson! Much thanks as always to the readers. Have an amazing week!

Much Love – The Runt

Hey all excitable people! Welcome again to our latest edition of the 311 fan spotlight. This week we dive into the tale of Alison Winzenread!

Back in 1990, Alison was listening to a radio station called Pirate Radio, and that is where she discovered the sounds of 311. “From the get go, their sound was what I had to hear!”

It wasn’t until 2006 that Alison was able to see 311 live for the first time. Her first show was at the Greek Theater. She just hit show number 46 when she saw them perform at the Grammy Museum back in August.

As for favorite show or event, she chose the cruise over everything else she’s attended. “I would have to say that being on that ship, surrounded by every single person who loves this band as much as I do was THE BEST thing EVER!!!” She did say that Red, White & Boom was also fantastic, as were the 311 Day shows she’s been to.

Song that means the most to her is “I Told Myself.” One of her favorite lyrics from a 311 song is: “I love it when the only sound I hear is your infectious laughter. I will hear you again in 800 years if I’m still lucky.”

Alison grew up in Southern California and is the middle child out of five. She feels like she has always had a love for music. “I can remember loving Duran Duran so much in the 5th grade. I had their pictures all over my walls! I would watch VH1 with Richard Blade every day at 5:00 pm in the hopes of seeing Duran Duran. I guess I have my oldest brother to thank for introducing me to so many great bands back in the early 80’s.”

Fun fact about Alison is that she’s terrified of sharks…yet she tortures herself by watching every show during Shark Week! Another interesting tidbit about her is that she can make her tongue into the shape of a flower!

Guilty pleasure for Alison? “The Jersey Shore baby!” Some other artists that she enjoys listening to include Chevelle, Incubus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iration, Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution.

Alison’s message to 311 is: “Thank you guys so much for your music. Your lyrics have walked this path of life with me, and it has been a beautiful ride. and……. can you please play I Told Myself at 311 Day?!? :)”

Her words to all her fellow 311 fans:

“I feel so lucky that my husband loves this band as much as I do. We have enjoyed so many rad shows together and  have  met some pretty amazing people because of this band. Its been a complete pleasure to travel the world with these beautiful people who share the same love for these five guys who have changed so many lives.. PLUR<3”

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Thanks for sharing your excellent story Alison! Gratitude as always to the readers each week as well. May you have the best week ever and don’t forget to spread the positive vibes to everyone you meet!

Much Love – The Runt

Why hello there my excitable friends! New month…another Monday is upon us…and that means it’s time for the next edition of the 311 fan spotlight. This week let’s learn the story of Christina Long!

Intro to 311 came through a childhood friend for Christina. She was just a casual fan until her friend bought her a ticket to see them live as her college graduation present. This show was in Jones Beach, New York, on July 9, 2010. “The energy of the show was breath taking, and I easily lost myself in the music. From that day on I was hooked, and haven’t regretted a minute of the journey since.” It was about a month after this show that the first cruise was announced. “When I saw the email I called up my bff and told him that we had to go. My second 311 show was the sail away show on the 2011 cruise.”

Show count for Christina is now at 74, which she hit this past summer. Show 75 will be night one of 311 Day 2020. As for her favorite show, she chose the sail away show on the first cruise.  “The feeling of being on a ship for the first time, watching 311 perform as we leave the port, not knowing what the next few days will be like. It’s an experience you can never really have again. Now when we go on the cruise, we know what an amazing time we’re going to have, but during that first one, the sense of the unknown made everything far more intense.”

Song that means a lot to Christina was hard to choose as many songs have meant different things to her over the years. She says “Dodging Raindrops” is toward the top of the list currently. “Speak Easy” is also up there because of “the feeling of freedom that song inspires.. Especially when played on the cruise.  I actually have lyrics from Speak Easy tattooed on me. :)”

There are a few lyrics that stand out to Christina as favorites including: “If there’s a shadow in your life, Then there’s sunshine, Things turning inside out, All the time, Just rewind, It’s all in your mind”; “Hey you, what would the world be like, Ahh, without you around, Music you’re my constant companion, ahh”; “Let the cards fall where they may, All I can do, all I can say, Gotta move to trust my instinct, And surrender, let my song sing itself”; and “But if you’re feeling locked up and you wanna get free, Cuz you’re always on the hunt looking for serenity, Some of the times are gonna be rough but no matter what it brings Just lean into it, yeah lean into it.”

Christina grew up in New York City, in the urban borough of Queens. She spent a short time in upstate New York for college, but other than that she’s been in Queens her whole life. “ I don’t plan on staying here forever though, and I use my 311 travels as opportunities to check out other states/cities I’d want to live in. So far the PNW has really captured my heart, and I’m seriously debating heading out there.” For the past 10 years she’s worked for the NYC government. First it was for an elected official and now she works for a local agency that addresses quality of life issues within a small part of Queens. “Not the most glamorous work by any means, but I’m trying to do my part to help improve the neighborhood that I call home.”

Fun facts about Christina are that she has 8 tattoos, 6 of which are 311 or music related. “I’m hoping to add a few more soon.” Also, when she was in her 20’s, she was offered a modeling contract but turned it down. Something that makes her unique she wasn’t quite sure how to answer, so she had her bestie answer it- “Your infinite compassion and empathy, even for those whom you don’t actually like.”

Guilty pleasure? Christina said she doesn’t really have one. “ I fully embrace all of my weird likes and hobbies, and put them on display for the world to see. I mean if I’m not afraid to publicly post about meeting the actors from the original Power Rangers show in the early 90s, then what could I possibly want to hide?”

Other artists Christina enjoys include Passafire, Ballyhoo, Coheed and Cambria, Backstreet Boys (yeah I know, but I was a teen in the 90s lol), Dirty Heads, Rebelution, Iration, and Mike Shinoda.

To 311, Christina would like to say: “Thank you, I know you’ve probably heard this a thousand times, but your music has without a doubt changed my life.”

Christina has this message for all her fellow fans:

“Thank you for all of the amazing times these last 10 years, and I’m looking forward to the next 10!”

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Thank you Christina for sharing your 311 story! Much gratitude to all the readers out there as usual! I can’t thank you all enough for the continued support. Until next time, have an amazing week!

Much love – The Runt