Hello again 311 nation! Welcome back for another installment of the 311 fan spotlight. Get ready to learn all about Billy Gravel!

The year was 1996 and Billy was digging through his sisters CD collection when he just happened to find one in this blue case. Upon opening it he saw a photo with these guys that had their faces painted like aliens and he thought it looked interesting. Then he popped in the CD to give it a listen. “I was hooked.  The hard rock, rap, jazzy sound was something I hadn’t heard before and it blew me away! And the content of their lyrics was just the icing on the cake.”

For show count, Billy is at 12 and said he went through a time in his life where he allowed his anxiety to hold him back which is why his number isn’t higher. “A problem I have since squashed.” For favorite show he’s attended, it was the one at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island that was billed as “An Evening with 311.” ” I believe it was 1999.Such a small intimate venue with just 311 and their fans. You could feel the energy in the air! It was amazing!”

Choosing a favorite song is always hard, especially when the band has so many great ones. For Billy, he said he has a few that really stand out to him. ” I remember “Sever” and “Eons” helping me through some really rough times in my life. They’re so powerful and still give me chills when I hear them.  My absolute favorite songs come in 3. “Visit”, “Homebrew” and (I know it’s a radio song but it doesn’t matter to me) “Beautiful Disaster”. I just think they’re so badass and really get me pumped.” For favorite lyric, Billy has one from “Do You Right” that he loves: “I’m free as I stare at the sea and I’m not coming down. The world is yours once you have found,  the good is to share, which is elsewhere.”

Born and raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Billy is the youngest of three and has two older sisters. Music has always been a big part of Billy’s life and he was introduced to it at a young age. “My father was always blasting music around the house. The Beatles, Dylan, Neil Young, The Kinks, Tom Petty. I eventually became obsessed with singing and recording music. When I was 15, I joined my first punk rock band and 25 years later,  I’m still rocking out!” Billy now lives in North Smithfield, R.I., with his amazing wife Sarah and their three kitties, Lily, Daysie, and Charlie. For work, he followed his childhood dream and became a firefighter/EMT for the city of Woonsocket and has been doing that for 14 years.

Fun fact about Billy, when he was around the age of 12-13 he was in a boy band called Impursuit. “We pretty much covered the R&B of the time. Lol! I can’t believe I admitted that! Very less known fact about me!” Billy moved on later to be in a 311 tribute band. “From 2012-2015 I was the cofounder, lead singer and rhythm guitarist (Nick) for “Applied Science” Rhode Island’s exclusive 311 tribute band. We had so much fun with this band. We played a ton of shows, won a bunch of contests and had the opportunity to play with a lot of great tribute bands. Not to mention, we got to rock out to 311! What’s better than that!” Other things Billy really enjoys is being out in nature and also surfing.

For guilty pleasure, Billy said it’s music for sure. “Whether listening to it, playing, recording or producing it, music is always on my mind. I have a small production company called “Island Rhodes Productions” and a decent little recording studio. I’m currently the Co-lead singer and bass player for a 3 peice punk rock band, “Surviving Seasons” and I’m in the process of recording and producing our first album due out early 2021. I also have a solo reggae project called “B.Grateful” and I’m currently working on new music with that as well.” Other artists that Billy loves include Ballyhoo!, Rebelution, Stick Figure, SOJA, Goldfinger, No use for a Name, Passafire, Less than Jake, and Slightly Stoopid.

Billy would like to send this message to 311: “Thank you guys for creating the soundtrack to my life. For making dark days bright and bright days even brighter.”

Now here are his words to all the other fans out there:

“Especially in this day and age, we need to stick together and unite. We should all live by the words 311 has been spreading for 30 years. PLUR.”

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Thank you Billy for sharing your story with us all! Another great tale about love for 311. I hope you all have an amazing week, thank you for reading, now go spread some positive vibes to others!

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again my beautiful friends in 311 nation! Happy Thanksgiving week to all in the U.S. Let’s kick it off properly with a new fan spotlight. Meet Mike Creager!

While Mike vaguely remembers seeing 311 videos as his older sister and brother were watching MTV, it wasn’t until he was a freshman in high school that he really got into their music. One of his classmates tragically died in a car crash and Mike read in his obituary that he loved 311. “Growing up hearing all the 311 means KKK rumors I never really gave them a chance prior to that point. They had just come out with their Greatest Hits CD so I went and bought that, my brother soon after burned me a copy of the Blue Album, and I slowly acquired the rest.”

For show count, Mike said this is his first attempt at really figuring out his number. He believes he is at 24 shows, which includes 311 Day 2010 and 2014, plus the cruises in 2015 and 2019. His first show was the Download Festival in 2006 at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Mike said this show is still probably his top show. “Right before 311 came on thunder and lightning came crashing in. The lights go off, and the band starts with Welcome (my first time hearing that song) I think it was that whole experience that got me hooked.”

The song “Golden Sunlight” holds a special place in Mike’s heart as it’s the first song he listened to with his daughter when she was born. For lyrics that he loves, he chose these: “It’s like you and me on Plymouth Rock, embarking on a journey that I never thought would happen to me so effortlessly, sparks flying, your laughter is a symphony.”

Mike grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, just a few minutes away from Plymouth Rock, which is why that lyric always connected with him. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else because it’s like being in a small town and a city at the same time, having characteristics of both.  Other than a few short stints in neighboring towns I’ve lived here my whole life and officially became a townie when I bought a house here a few years back with my wife and 3 kids.” Mike makes his living as a member of The Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 17. “I install big pieces of metal that heat and air conditioning flow through mostly in the city of Boston.”

Crazy interesting fact about Mike is that when he was about 5-6 years old, he had his fingers run over by a roller coaster! “Waiting on my siblings to get off of the Galaxy at Canobie Lake Park. The coaster ran right next to the fence, I guess I held onto the track and one of the cars ran over the tips of my fingers. Luckily other than a few popped blood vessels there was no real harm done.”

Fun fact about Mike is that he can recite the alphabet backwards. “It has gotten me a few drinks over the years.” Guilty pleasure for him is the T.V. show “This Is Us.” “That show hooks me every time.”

Other bands and musicians that Mike loves include The Elovaters, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, O.A.R, RDGLDGRN, Dispatch, Stick Figure, Twiddle, Slightly Stoopid, Pearl Jam, Band Of Horses, Counting Crows, Michael Franti, and SOJA.

To 311, Mike has these words: “You guys have been with me through the best of times and the worst of times, I don’t know what life would be like without your music, Thank You!”

Finally Mike would like to relay this message to all the other fans out there:

“To all the fans I have met, You’re some of the nicest, most welcoming people I’ve met in my life. To those who I have yet to meet, I look forward to sharing a groove with you at a show somewhere down the line.”

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Thank you so much to Mike Creager for sharing his story! This is Thanksgiving week, so I’m thankful to all who participate as a fan spotlight and to all of the supporters who come back to read them every week. The 311 fan community is unique and I’m so thankful to be a part of it. Have a fantastic week my friends, see you next time.

Much Love – The Runt

Welcome again my friends from 311 nation! It’s about time for the next fan spotlight. This week let’s learn all about Angela Myers!

It was Angela’s high school boyfriend that introduced her to 311 by making her a mixtape that had the song “Down” on it. “I loved it.  I asked him to put more 311 on the next one.  They were a combo of all styles of music I really liked.” There was a bit of time in her 20’s that she went without listening to 311 but when she rediscovered them, she realized how much she had been missing. “I feel like I’m still paying my dues as a fan to get caught up, but I’m definitely devoted.  (Enough to have gotten a 311 tattoo!) My best friend, Bryan Cori gets all the credit for getting me back into them when I moved to Florida in 2007.   We’d listen to 311 on road trips, singing at the top of our lungs and go to shows together.  We’ve been on 3 cruises together as that has become our vacation time together every other year since I moved back to Maine.   In 2016, I had Bryan come up for a New England leg of the tour and it was a blast to share that experience with him.  It will be amazing when this pandemic is over and we can all gather again!”

For show count, Angela is at 28, which includes shows in New England, Florida, and 3 of the cruises. Her first show was in 1997 in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, where Rustic Overtones opened for them. “My goal is to make it to 311 Day someday and I would totally go to a Pow Wow or destination festival if that opportunity ever arose!”

As for favorite show or event, she said the Soundsystem cruise was her favorite. “I was in such a dark place personally, and I fully believe being on that ship with all those Excitables brought me back to life.  From the energy on the lido deck to turtle birthin’ on the beach in Jamaica, it woke my spirit up and I realized I had found my tribe and I was ready to learn how to live in the now.”

For favorite song, Angela said there are so many songs and lyrics that she has gathered strength from that a few years ago she created a document she calls, “The Tao of 311: An Excitable Philosophy On Life.” “I organized quotes by subjects like Strong All Along (Confidence) or Sometimes Jacks Rule the Realm (Dealing with Assholes) and What Was I Thinking? (Regret and Apologies).  I printed it out for Bryan as a present but I often reference it when I need a boost.  I actually need to update it for Voyager.  It’s so hard to choose a favorite 311 song.  Kinda like picking your favorite student as a teacher!  Everyone brings something different!  Use of Time, Speak Easy, Five of Everything, Let the Cards Fall, and of course, Beyond the Gray Sky would be my top 5 that mean the most to me but I could put the entire catalog on shuffle and not skip a single one.” One of her favorite lyrics though is from “Simplify” – “This moment is a gift, it’s why it’s called the present.” “It keeps me grounded in gratitude and in the moment.”

Here is the link to Angela’s Tao of 311 document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JMDSOXxFYGhTfh5UxARcJVRKXc8kxvpzGbPZlDv0FRA/edit

Angela grew up in a small paper mill town in Northern Maine. She played soccer, ran cross country, and was a cheerleader, but she said her passion was always music. ” I sang, played piano, saxophone, and trumpet.  I attended the University of Maine and double concentrated in vocal music and alto saxophone.  My goal was to get my degree in Music Education then try my hand at singing and composing in grad school at Berklee College of Music in Boston where I received a scholarship.  I was given an amazing teaching opportunity straight out of under grad and jumped into my teaching career and haven’t looked back.  I am so incredibly lucky that it is my job to inspire kids to create and utilize music as a therapy, especially in times like these!  My philosophy is to teach a hands-on approach so that my students are always creating not just listening.  I make sure they are actively making music as much as possible.”

Angela moved to Florida for 8 years with her ex-husband but ended up coming home to Maine because she missed the seasons and wanted to raise her two kids there. “I ended up getting divorced last year.  Honestly, the music of 311 was my go-to during the tough days of that. The boys always bring me clarity, calm, and consistent positivity.  I’d go as far to say that 311 has influenced my spiritual journey as well.  I suffer from depression and anxiety.  My therapist would always tell me that depression is living in the past and anxiety is living in the future.  I would say the music of 311 as well as the energy I’ve felt around other Excitables has taught me to live in the here and now.”

Interesting fact about Angela? “I was drum major of my college marching band…this one time…at band camp….lol.” She also got to perform at Carnegie hall with her college choir when she was 19. “Hands down, biggest performance of my life!”

Guilty pleasure for Angela is that she plays Pokemon Go pretty much daily. When not listening to 311, she can be found jamming out to artists like Ballyhoo!, Hirie, Twiddle, Phish, and Turkuaz.

To 311, Angela has these words: “I know this pandemic took tour (and live music) away, but honestly, thinking about the fact that the boys got to spend the summer with their families makes me smile.”

Now her message to all the other fans out there:

“We’ll all be together again…until then stay safe, grateful, and present in the moment!”

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Thank you Angela for sharing your story with us! Much gratitude always to the supporters out there as well. Be strong, stay safe, and always be kind!

Much Love – The Runt

Hello again my friends in 311 nation! I know it’s been a crazy week since last Monday – so take a break and read all about our next fan spotlight, Kala Knapp!

It was in middle school when Kala first heard the song “Down” and loved the sounds of 311. However it wasn’t until a friend asked her to attend Pow Wow with her back in 2011 that she really became a huge fan.

So naturally, Pow Wow is the show that means the most to her as it was the show that introduced her to the 311 Familia and the musical message that 311 really sends out to the world. “Although it was the hottest show, it will always rank highest for me.” Kala is at 32 shows total and her very first show was at Sunfest in Florida back in 2009.

While all of the 311 songs have some sort of meaning to Kala, she said that the song she always freaks out to is “Down South.” Lyric that she loves is – “Whether you think you can, whether you think you can’t, either way you’re right.”

Kala grew up in South Florida and lived there for 33 years of her life. She just recently moved up to New England back in 2019, to be with the love of her life Joe, whom she met through 311.

For work, she slaves away in corporate America as an Environment Data Analyst and Cartographer. “I make data understood visually and spatially on maps.”

Kala loves anything and everything nature related. “I love New England so much, we just bought a home in the middle of the woods!” She is really good at identifying birds and plants. “Not so good at tracking, but I’m hoping living in New Hampshire will help me expand!”

Speaking of loving Nature, Kala worked for 3 years on the huge BP oil spill, saving wildlife and beaches. “I had the chance to experience many different ecosystems and made lifelong friendships.” Guilty pleasure for Kala she says is brewery hopping around New England! “It’s kind of a hobby and brings us on great adventures.”

For other music that Kala loves, she loves anything with a deep beat. Some of the musicians she loves include RDGLDGRN, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Fortunate Youth, Passafire, and Ballyhoo!.

To 311, Kala has these words: “Just a simple thank you and if EVERYONE could please take your shirts off. Thanks.”

Now her message to all the other 311 fans:

“Party on and be excellent to one another.”

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Many thanks to Kala for sharing her story! As always, a huge thank you to the supporters of the fan spotlight each week. Now as Kala said, be excellent to each other.

Much Love – The Runt