Hey everyone! Welcome to the latest edition of the fan spotlight. Let’s meet spotlight #295 – Linnea Geres! 

It was around the age of 12 that Linnea was introduced to 311 by her older brother. He lent her copies of Grassroots and the blue album and said, “Here listen to this, you’re gonna like it.” Linnea said she did like it, but it was more of a slow burn for her at first. “There were some songs that drew me in right away, but a lot of it went right over my head for a while.  That all changed for me in high school.  I bought Soundsystem and Evolver, absolutely loved those albums from start to finish, and then went back to the older albums with a whole new appreciation for the music.  Somewhere along the way it all just clicked for me: the message, the energy, the sound, and I got hooked.  When I finally saw them live for the first time, I was blown away by how much I enjoyed every minute of it, and I knew, without a doubt, that 311 was my favorite band.  It didn’t happen all at once, but over the course of several years.  As I grew into the music, suddenly, in that moment when I saw them live, I was home.”

First show for Linnea was March 1, 2010, at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. “At the time, I had been living out there for a year and was planning to move back to Connecticut at the end of the month.  I think I just happened to see an ad for the show in a local paper and decided to go check it out, like a fun last hurrah before moving back home.  I had no idea that night would turn out to be one of the best nights of my life!” Since then she’s attended just over 30 shows including Pow Wow, 3 of the cruises, and two 311 Day celebrations in New Orleans. “Basically, any money I’ve had to spend on fun and entertainment for the last decade, I’ve spent on 311-related adventures and concerts, and it’s been worth every penny!  Honestly, there is no place I would rather be than a 311 concert.”

Favorite show for Linnea is difficult to pick with all of the great experiences she’s had. She decided it would be a tie between Pow Wow and her first cruise which was in 2012. “The Pow Wow was my first experience at a large 311 event and also my first music festival, and while it was ridiculously hot, I had the best time I could have ever imagined.  I met so many amazing people, and Suwannee at night was out-of-this-world beautiful, not to mention having the opportunity to hear Transistor in its entirety.  Similarly, the cruise was just beyond words, and that’s where I really felt like I became a part of this incredible 311 community.  The show they played on the beach was a once in lifetime experience, and even just thinking about it gives me goosebumps!”

One of Linnea’s favorite songs, that means a lot to her, is “Speak Easy.” “Through many difficult times in my life, I have put this song on to remind me not to think too much or let my sadness, fear, or anger lead me down the wrong path.  I’ve battled with anxiety and depression for most of my life and this song has always given me the strength I need to slow down and allow the difficult thoughts and feelings to pass.” Another song she loves is “Get Down.” “When I saw them in Boston in 2016, just before the show someone asked me what one song I’d like to hear, and I said “Get Down.”  Sure enough, they played it, and it just hit me hard, unlocking all of this unspoken pain inside of me so I could finally let it out.  I was going through some difficult changes in my life, and it was like this crazy, beautiful moment just for me.  I’ll never forget that.”

For lyrics that Linnea loves, she chose the following:

“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.”

“From chaos comes clarity.”

“Love is a stream that will find its own course.”

“Everything you do, it comes back to you, whatever it may be. If it isn’t one thing, rest assured that something will come back and pay you for your deed.”

Linnea was born and raised in central Connecticut right near Hartford. She attended University of Connecticut and graduated in 2008 with a degree in Film Studies and Psychology. After graduation, she moved to Seattle for about a year before returning to CT in 2010. “I found my way into a good restaurant job when I moved back and worked my way up into bartending for the last several years, but ultimately, I’m aiming for a career in video production/editing or something where I can flex my creative muscles in the communications field. The money bartending has been quite good for me, though, and has pretty much funded all of my 311 adventures!”

Aside from going to concerts, other hobbies Linnea has include playing guitar, writing poetry and short stories, photography, and hiking.  “I also love board games.  I have a whole bookcase dedicated to them!  I have two cats and a fish tank, and S.A. is the name of one of my fish!  I love stand-up comedy, and I like to think I’m pretty funny, but I don’t know… my cats can’t laugh, so my humor is pretty much wasted on them.  To sum it up, I’m just a fun-loving hippie chick, and the first thing anyone who knows me would probably say about me is that I’m the crazy cool girl who loves 311 (well, and cats… and pizza).”

Interesting fact about Linnea is that she experiences lucid dreaming. “I’m not sure exactly when it started, but at some point, I realized I was experiencing a dream while still conscious that I was dreaming, and from there I just started playing around with what I was able to do in my dreams.  It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, I just become highly aware that I’m dreaming and know that I can then actively make decisions and choices throughout my dream.  It’s definitely a weird experience, but now I just have fun and roll with it.” 

Something that makes Linnea unique is her ability to work with space in a purposefully creative way. “Whether it be how I design my living room to how I frame the subject 

of a photograph.  I think that affinity for spatial awareness is what first drew me to video production, and subsequently, to photography and graphic design.  I love playing with the use of space and framing in an image, and I mirror that aesthetic in all of my creative endeavors.  I would love nothing more working on the cinematography and editing of a 311 video project… a girl can dream… lol.” 

Linnea said, “If I was a pie chart, music would probably make up half of that chart.” Needless to say, she loves music and there are many, many artists that she loves. Some of her favorites are The Smashing Pumpkins, Silverchair, Queen, Collective Soul, Less Than Jake, Atmosphere, Halsey, Incubus, Modest Mouse, Porcupine Tree, Slightly Stoopid, Deep Banana Blackout, Paramore, and Sublime. She also has a musical guilty pleasure – Avril Lavigne! “I’ve always said that my guilty pleasure was Avril Lavigne, but, honestly, I don’t even see it that way anymore.  I love her, and I’m not afraid to say it!  She kicks ass!!”

To 311, Linnea has these words: “. Music is a journey of the heart and soul; thank you for shining a light on the path that speaks to mine.”

To all the other fans out there:

“To all of my amazing 311 friends and family, thank you for welcoming me into this incredible community with open arms.  I have grown so much as a person through all the crazy experiences and wonderful friendships, and I wouldn’t change any of it for a minute!  It’s definitely a strange time to be alive, but I’m glad to know that there’s so many other people just like me because we have an energy that can change the world 🙂 Keep Livin and Rockin!”

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What a great story Linnea! Thank you so much for sharing it and of course, many thanks to all the readers! Take a moment today to remember that we are all on this crazy ride together, and for that we should be truly grateful. Have an amazing week! 

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again my excitable friends! I hope you are all staying well and enjoying your summer the best that you can. Let’s get to it and meet the next fan spotlight – the lovely Jessica O’Neal! 

At the age of 15 in the year 2004 is when Jessica was introduced to 311. It was her sons father that told her about them. “Their lyrics are nothing but positivity and hope, the beats impossible to not dance to. I was instantly hooked.”

For show count, Jessica believes she is up to 34 but she isn’t 100% sure. Her favorite show so far? “I took my son to his first show July 7, 2018, and watching his face light up, watching him sing every song, dancing with him to the tunes we’ve heard for years….nothing could ever compare to that.”

To pick a favorite song Jessica said is a tough one, but she went with “Getting Through To Her” because she said it just melts her heart. For favorite lyrics, she went with the following:

“You’ve got to bet on yourself now, star, because that’s your best bet.”

“Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions.”

“You gotta keep on climbin’ the hill, cuz if you think you’ll make it you will.”

“The river cuts its way through stone, not through shear force but persistence. At the end of the day the relentless always win.”

Jessica grew up in a small farm town with just her dad and her brother for awhile. At 15, she met her sons father who was from the city. Not only did he introduce her to 311, but she said also about 99% of the other bands she loves. After high school she moved to Columbus, Ohio, and that’s when she had her awesome son Cread. “While the relationship didn’t work, we co-parent really well, we actually took Cread to his first 311 show together in 2018. I work full time, as many of you know, for the Ohio Army National Guard as a Recruiter. I am actually right now in the process of coming home from my first deployment to Kuwait, which has been a wild experience but I think helped me grow. 311 has introduced me to my favorite people, helped me through the best and worst times, and the community’s love and support was vital to my success while overseas.  That active duty pay certainly helps fund my annual show with my sisters, and now my son, which has easily become one of my favorite family traditions!”

Interesting fact about Jessica that you may not know, she showed pigs and sheep in the county fair! “I was quite the little country bumpkin as a kiddo.” What makes Jessica unique? “I think the thing most ‘unique’ thing about me is my ability to help push people to be their best versions of themselves. It’s part of what helps me as a recruiter, and why I adore the band as much as I do. I love meeting people, learning their hopes and dreams, and helping them find the tools to accomplish anything. Nothing good comes easily, sometimes you have to fight! I take so much pride in being the person who is able to really help people accomplish things.”

Guilty pleasure for Jessica is the show “Fixer Upper” with Chip & JoAnna Gains! “I love their relationship dynamic, the way they put in some TLC to help people’s dreams come true, and I’ve taken many of the things they’ve done in the show and applied it to my house.” 

When not listening to 311, Jessica loves music from artists such as Tropidelic (whom she adores), Taylor Swift, Coheed and Cambria, and Chris Stapleton. “Basically I listen to everything I can get my hands on!”

To 311, Jessica would simply like to say: “Thank you. Thank you for being a positive role model in a world where the norm seems to be the opposite. Thank you for being the good, being a role model and for giving my life such a rad soundtrack.”

Now here are Jessica’s words to all her fellow excitables:

“You guys are the most amazing people I have ever met. I love our Familia. I am honored to know and love you guys, you have become such a huge part of my life. The love and support I got from you guys overseas, as well as the love and support that we all give and receive at all times, is so beautiful. We truly are the luckiest excitable crew, and I am SO ready to be home and (once COVID is a thing of the past) HUG EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! Thank you for being amazing, stay positive and love your excitable lives, I love you all! <3”

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Thank you SO much Jessica for sharing your story and for your service to our country! You rock girl! Of course, thank you to all the readers out there! Go have an amazing week and keep smiling! 

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again my beautiful excitable readers! Hope you are all enjoying your summer. Let’s meet the latest edition of the fan spotlight – Matt Evans! 

Like many, MTV was the reason Matt found 311 because they were playing their videos off the blue album. He doesn’t remember them getting much radio airplay where he was in New York City in 1995. Then his family moved from northern New Jersey to Atlanta that same year. “Many of the friends that I met were into the band from older siblings. I was introduced to Music (still my favorite) and Grassroots.” 

46 is the magic number for seeing 311 live for Matt. “I was bored at work a few years back and made a google sheet to keep track of my adventures and shenanigans with the band. I have seen them in 3 countries, International Waters, and 11 states in the gold old USA. My first show was in 1997 in Atlanta, GA.” 

Favorite event for Matt was 311 Day 2006 in Memphis. “It was my first 311 Day Experience and the three sets were bangers. I always think about the stilt dancers every time I hear Light Years. I was part of a crew of 20 that drove out from Atlanta, GA.”

“Eons” is the song that means the most to Matt. “It is extremely powerful and beautiful. It has always been one of those songs that reminds me of the 11 years of nearly annual shows at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, GA. We started going in the summer of 1997 (my first 311 show). In the early 2000s our crew was close to 30 folks between my high school and college friends. We would always exchange hugs during eons and really appreciate the love and our mutual friendship. It has always been a song that my brother Paul and I would get a few tears flowing. I remember getting him allowed by his wife, thanks Tracey, to go on the 2019 with me. We knew right away when the song started and found each other up on the upper deck to share the song.”

For lyrics though, Matt says he’s usually partial more to the bangers than the slower or more pop style songs. “I would have to quote unity especially ’It Runs In My Family’. I have put this quote on a few of my 311 All Star Jerseys. My crew in Georgia was dubbed The Family by many of our peers. We had a crew with multiple sets of brothers, cousins, and many of us were not from Georgia but merged quickly for our love of fellowship, music, and shenanigans. It reminds of me of my Mother telling my siblings growing up to make family, not friends. This is something that I endeavor in all of my familiar, social, and professional interactions.”

Matt is New Jersey “bred and born, loud and proud.” He was raised by his amazing family and they had weekly Sunday dinners at Grandma’s house with all of the aunts and cousins. “My parents, aunts, uncles, and their friends had a huge crew that did everything from weekend cookouts, to camping, beach, and ski trips. I loved playing Football, Skateboarding, biking, and especially music.”  His family moved to the Atlanta suburbs right before his freshman year of high school. He stayed in Atlanta through high school and college, then in 2006 he got an itch and moved back up to New Jersey, landing his first big sales job in 2007, which was in New York state. “The Hudson Valley Area of New York State is amazing. I love the people in Georgia but the weather is hot AF and the lack of seasonal snow was something that I longed for. It was great to be close to the Catskill and Adirondack mountain ranges and have easy access to snowboarding.”

Flash forward to 2009 and Matt moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, due to the company he was working for being sold. “I missed my brother greatly and was able to move down to his guest room. 2012, I moved back to the East Atlanta Burbs. I was there until Fourth of July weekend this year when I finally moved up to the Northern Atlanta Burbs. I should be above the snow line this winter which is exciting. I am far from sales and was able to ditch that career 5 years back and got into surface mining (Think Fred Flintstone at the Rock Quarry). I am in mining health and safety and I love my company and position. I still get to do a lot of new hire training and work on safety projects at my sites in North Georgia.” 

Matt has never been married and has no kids, something he is completely content with. “I do my best to live a life of balance and can do whatever I want. Which pre-covid was to travel the country to see concerts and sporting events. I have met so many great people through 311 and made so many lifelong friends from all over the country and some of the world travelers that show up for the special event shows.”

Fun fact about Matt, he was once the 26th caller on the radio station 99X in Atlanta, which won him a trip to Paris to spend a week and see the band The Offspring! “My brother Paul and I had an amazing time wandering the streets, legally drinking at 18 and 20 years old, finding party supplies, and getting to hang out backstage with The Offspring, Lit, and some of the members of Silver Chair.”

Unique trait for Matt is that he is an empath and he said that random strangers will approach him frequently for life advice. “I carry myself with a generally pleasant disposition and do my best to make eye contact and smile at everybody. I try my best to not be an asshole and appreciate the interactions that I have with family, friends, coworkers, and the general public at large.” 

Guilty pleasure for Matt, he said he gets some shit from people for being a Weezer fan. “ I would gladly tell them to fuck off ha ha. I love the Blue Album. It is such a great album and songs like In The Garage is a go to at karaoke for me. Only In Dreams is a Masterpiece, My Name is Jonas. Undone, The Sweater Song. The whole album rocks. The Pinkerton Album is also phenomenal. Plus they have plenty of other good ones. They always kick ass life and I sing my heart out.” 

Weezer isn’t the only other band that Matt loves. He grew up on Pink Floyd and classic rock and says that Floyd is still his favorite band. “As a kid my folks had Columbia House music and would give all the 80s hair metal to my brother and I. Bands like Bon Jovi, Poison, Warrant, and Def Leppard. They fucked up one day and gave us Appetite For Destruction by Guns and Roses and that was a life changer. We soon got into Metallica which is my favorite metal band. I got into Pantera, Danzig, Megadeth, Corrosion of Conformity, Tool, Type O Negative, Slayer, and Sepultura (Seen all of them play). But I was also a huge fan of Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, The Offspring and Weezer.” In high school he got into Sublime, plus progressive trance like Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, and Sasha. Then in college he added Deftones and System of a Down to his list. He later realized that like 311, all of his favorite bands are unique. The ones that mean the most to him are Pink Floyd, Metallica, Alice In Chains, Deftones, Radiohead, Muse, Baroness, Opeth, Soulfly, 311, Weezer, Tropidelic (Thanks Tony G from Buffalo), and Bumpin Uglies. 

Matt has been lucky enough to say his words to 311 in person. “Thank you. I do not get into the details as I don’t want to tie the guys up in forced conversations. They are just people and I would never want to get to the skinny of the thank you unless in a genuine conversation with them. But for you Chrissy, I will elaborate…

Thank you for being the background music to so many of the best moments of my life. The live show. The energy. The fellowship with family and friends that I made and grew up with. I would love to have the whole crew back together and on the lawn at Lakewood once again. 311 is not my favorite band. I do not love all of the songs and some albums are way better than others. But I do respect the show. And they are fucking magical on stage. And their longevity, friendship, love, and unity with each other. And then there is us, dancing and having the time of our lives. Thank you for that 311. Also, they should always close with Fat Chance into Fuck The Bullshit.”

Now Matt’s message to the other fans out there:

“RIP Chris the Fish. Love you Paulie and Tido, Dwadd, Cari, Aragorn, Kimmy, Bozwald Stormin Norman, Christy Doc Martins, Johno, Adam, Dave and Jen, Brad, Gary and Amanda, Sam and Margarita, Mutt and Nikki, Dip and Jen, Dirty, Flipper, Cam and Grace, Drew Rubbers (Jammin Soundsystem), Hannah H Tata, LeBron, Skeet, Glenn, Jean Girl and Tara, Jack, Dirty Jim, Dave Corless, Kathleen Corless…My Favorite Jamie Norton in the world, Terri and Erica the Pandas, Nate and Lindsey Bigg Daddys.. The whole ATL crew, the Smiths, the Waldmans, the Wilsons, the Scales, the Hoglunds, Amanda H, Julia, Beth, Terri, Elicia K my E, BB, Benee¦ My girl Ashley Tucker from Texas and Her Bestie Karen from Jersey (South Jersey HaHa) Dave and Gabe… The Buffalo New York crew Tony G, Jami, Eric and Angela¦ The Chicago Crew like the Belmonts, the Campabellos, the Kokos, The Ambergs, Mark, and Doncat… Julie 311 Shows her husband David and her California Crew¦ Sam Fuckin Conner¦ Jem from Canada…The Lessors of Geer (formerly Wisconsin)… Marino and Company from Charlotte…Kmac from Maine¦ The Dominican Republic Crew like Ismar, Jaun Carlos, and Luijo¦ Tayler from the Tropidelic Freak Drop New Year 2020¦ Adam West  Ham Fan (Glad you made it through that recent health scare mate)… Erik W the original All Star¦ The Unity Allstars (Kevin you are the man)… And of course Cristina DO from Charlotte I know I missed a bunch here… Much love and many blessing to you all¦ #ItRunsInMyFamily #GeniusRunsTheWorld”

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Great story Matt! Thanks for sharing it with us all! To all my readers, thank you thank you thank you! Go have an amazing week. Stay positive & love your life! 

Much Love – The Runt