Welcome back friends! It’s time we meet another awesome soul who loves 311! This week, let’s learn the story of Melissa Chernoff!

It was Melissa’s older cousin who was a huge influence on her musical choices growing up and she was listening to a lot of hip hop and R&B in the early to mid 90’s. In 6th grade she started listening to the local rock station and that is where she first heard 311 when they played “Down.” “Shortly after, I saw the music video was mesmerized and wanted more. I found out about Music and Grassroots and soon became obsessed, to say the least. I had those albums on repeat. I grew up in a family of musicians and was currently learning how to play piano and flute in the 6th grade. It’s safe to say that my curiosity and passion for music ran deep. 311’s sound was like no other; it was a sound I craved and didn’t even know it.”

Melissa said it’s hard to put into words what really drew her into 311’s music, but it was really their uniqueness. “Their raw sound, the jazz, rap, funk, rock, and reggae sounds were incomparable at that time. Looking back 30+ years, they had a sound that was so far beyond their time. Although I was only 12 years old when I got my hands on the Blue album, lyrically, I was blown away. And to this day, I still enjoy lyrical analysis because the meaning is always evolving.”

For show count, Melissa said she’s completely lost track of how many she’s attended. She believes she is somewhere in the mid 50’s. “My first show was at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1997. I will never forget that they opened with Hive and the lights were in sync with the intro; I still get goosebumps when I think about that memory.”

As for favorite event, she said it was the cruise in 2019. “I had been in graduate school and working during the previous cruises and well, just couldn’t afford it. I was able to go with my childhood best friend who also shared the same passion for 311. I had been in an emotionally abusive relationship and I was struggling with what to do after finding out about his 8 month affair. On the last day of the cruise, it started to sprinkle during the band’s Q&A session. I was standing on the pool deck with my best friend, 2800 excitables, and the most amazing band to grace the earth. I stood there, looked up into the sky, closed my eyes and realized that I deserved more, I had never experienced that kind of peace and comfort like I did in that moment. I made the decision to take care of myself and my mental health and end the relationship when I got home.”

As for her favorite song, Melissa said this has to be the hardest question for any fan. “I think that the answer depends on the day, month or year. It depends on my mood. It depends on my challenges or successes. I will say that for today, in writing this… Let the cards fall, Life’s not a race, Made in the shade, Cali Soca, Color, and Unity.”

There are also many lyrics that strike a chord with Melissa that she just couldn’t name them all. “There are so many words, feelings, symbols, prophecies, and meaning making lyrics, I will have to plead the 5th on this one. In my 10th grade English Literature class, we were studying poetry and song meaning. I chose to do my report on “Six” and I remember sharing this song with my classmates; most of whom knew me as “the 311 girl” and no one seemed to get it. I got an A and feel like I made the guys proud.”

Henderson, Nevada, is where Melissa was born and raised. In 2013 she moved to New York for graduate school but came home after the first semester because of how expensive it was. “That experience saved my life in more ways than one and I am forever grateful for that time in my life.”

Melissa is a proud auntie to two nieces whom she says own her heart. She is also a cat mom to Betty, who has been her ride or die for the last 14 years and her birthday is 3-11-2007. For work, Melissa is a Mental Health and Substance Use Therapist working in a private practice. “I love helping others, especially on their journey to heal. 311’s influence in my own healing has definitely helped me be a better therapist.”

In her downtime Melissa loves to paint, read, travel, walk, bake, and spend time with family & friends. She also enjoys anything macabre, antiquing, existentialism, plants, and live music, which she has been desperately missing for the last year. “I recently started playing piano again after many years and feel like part of my soul has reawakened. This is a weird time in my life, but weird in a change is good but change is hard kind of way. I hope to write a personal memoir while sprinkling in mental health encouragement and psychoeducation. I am thankful for this continuous life.”

Before starting her journey as a therapist, Melissa had hoped to be a record producer or engineer. “I studied it in my undergrad, but it was a very strange time in the music industry, so I chose to pursue psychology instead. My dream job will always be somewhere in the music industry as I even considered getting into A&R as a backup plan. That was a long time ago, and I still think about what life would have been like if I had the opportunity to pursue that career. I know I made the best choice for myself at that time, but a girl can dream.”

For guilty pleasure, Melissa loves the shows “Schitt’s Creek” and “American Horror Story.” Also “Fight Club” is her favorite movie of all time and she loves anything written by Chuck Palahniuk. However her guiltiest pleasure is cleaning and organizing!

For music aside from 311, Melissa loves the sounds of Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday, Jay-Z, and The Beatles. “I make the joke (but it’s not a joke) that I still listen to the same music I have been listening to since I was 13 years old.”

Melissa wants the guys in 311 to know this message: “You have imprinted my heart and soul and I am eternally grateful for your passion, commitment to each other and your craft, and especially for the last 30 years of blood, sweat, and tears.”

Now here is her message to all her fellow 311 fans out there:

“The community that we are a part of is a special group of souls. You are so loved and cherished, we are part of a cosmic connection that no other fan base shares. Be kind to each other and be kind to yourself. Hope to see you all sooner than later.”

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Thank you Melissa for sharing your story with myself and the rest of the 311 community! A great story and I hope all of the spotlight supporters enjoyed it. Have an amazing week friends! Sending you all so many good vibes.

Much Love – The Runt

Welcome again Excitables to another edition of the 311 fan spotlight! And obviously happy 311 Day week! This week we learn all about Paulo Macedo Jr.!

The year was 1997 and Paulo came to the United States as an exchange student. He lived in Norfolk, Nebraska, and 311 was blowing up the charts with the album Transistor. “I was already a fan of NOFX, Green Day, Offspring sort of knew about Sublime (I didn’t like it at the time), I was getting started on hiphop. There was some bands in Brazil doing this rap/rock/reggae at the time also like O Rappa and Planet Hemp and I was really in that scene. So it was a natural movement.”

Paulo said that show count for him is an easy one to tell – it’s two! Since he lives in Brazil, he hasn’t been able to see them live as much as he’d like. “I went to 311 Day 2006 in Memphis and went to the Unity Tour 2011 in San Diego, CA with Sublime with Rome <3. They came to brazil once, but I couldn’t get a day off. It was a festival that was going on 10 hours from where I live so I couldn’t make it.”

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Since he’s only been able to attend two shows, he obviously loved them both and said 311 Day is just an amazing time to him. “The whole city breathing 311, I’ve made friends that I’m still in touch. At the time I was working with o local radio in my hometown, so I’ve got in touch with the band management and ended up meeting the guys on the day before the concert and it was awesome. Because of this I ended up on the Extra DVD that came on Uplifter and one of the episodes of the 30 years doc that is on Youtube. And once I was in a The Beautiful Girls Concert here in my hometown of Curitiba, Brazil and I saw someone with a 311 shirt, I came to talk to him and he recognized me from the DVD.”

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The whole blue album means a lot to Paulo because the time he spent in Nebraska were not his best days. “I was living on a farm, sort of far from the city, no friends, just kids that I would talk to in class, so Don’t Stay Home and DLMD were life savers to get through the end and graduate.”

There are quite a few lyrics that mean a lot to Paulo, including: “You’ve got to bet on yourself now star, cuz that’s your best best,” “Stay positive and love your life,” and “I only say what I feel and that is a promise, nothing in life is above being honest.”

Paulo’s full name is Paulo Roberto Macedo, Jr., but his friends all just call him PR. He just turned 40 years old and is married with 2 boys. Married to the love of his life for 2 1/2 years, their boys are the ages 1 year 9 months and the other only a month, so he has his hands full! He lives in the city he grew up in which is Curitiba, Brazil. With a bachelors degree in Communications and Journalism, Paulo has his own video production business where he does videos and also marketing.

Paulo grew up listening to music from The Beatles and also popular Brazilian music so he showed interest in music from an early age on. “My first music tape was Guns n Roses Appetite for Destruction, I had the forbidden front art, at that time on the age of 7 or 8 my father knew that the rock bug had bitten me. I like a lot of the local alternative bands from the rock, reggae, punk and hardcore from Brazil.”

Aside from his time in Nebraska, Paulo has also lived in Montevideo, Uruguay, and also San Diego back in 2006. “I could watch so many bands that I never thought I would ever see live and took a Marketing and Media Course in San Diego State University.” Paulo loves going to concerts and seeing live music, so he’s really been missing that lately like so many of us.

Being Brazilian, Paulo is a huge soccer fan. ” I support my local team, it’s called Paraná Clube, I love going to the games with my friends, also missing that a lot!! With this Corona Crisis and two babies at home I’ve also miss having barbecue with my friends, one of my favorite things to do. Meet with some friends, have a barbecue, talk about music, listen to music. Some of my friends have/had bands, so there’s always a guitar somewhere.”

Funny story about Paulo is that right when the video for “Love Song” was released, he happened to be in a Walmart and saw the video playing on all of the T.V.’s there. “20 different TVs with Nick’s face on it. I rushed to the counter and without thinking I yelled at the guy I WANT THIS DVD, the guy wasn’t understanding. This DVD, the one that is playing on all of the TVs, how much, I WANT IT!! He replied oh… it’s just a music channel…I haven’t seen the video yet. Then I spent the time talking to the Walmart guy.”

Fun fact about Paulo is that he’s had two cars with 311 plates on them! He’s also really interested in technology, so many people are always asking him questions about it. “My mom’s friends come to me to buy TVs, smartphones and this stuff. And as expected, asking me to fix something.”

Other artists that Paulo loves include  Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, Bouncing Souls, Social Distortion, Unwritten Law, Sublime with or without Rome, Offspring, Green Day, Dirty Heads, Mad Caddies, Beastie Boys, Wyclef Jean, The Fugees, Less Than Jake and Goldfinger. There are also some Brazilian bands he said are awesome and sing in English, including AbraSKAdabra, Lou Dog and Water Rats. Paulo’s guilty pleasure is also music related – he loves a Brazilian band from the 90’s/2000’s called Comunidade Ninjitsu. “Their sound is similar to the cheesy pop Brazilian funk but it came 20 years before and have sort of a smart ass ironic lyrics, I just love it.”

Paulo was lucky enough to have time to talk to the guys of 311 and tell him how much they mean to him in person. “I got the most impressive answer that I never expected to hear. I said to Nick that they were my heroes, he asked me back “Who else is your hero?” And that changed my whole perspective on a lot of things.” That was then…now Paulo would like to tell them: “Keep on rocking on the positivity because what you guys bring is more than just music.”

Now here are Paulo’s words to all his fellow 311 fans:

“It’s great to be a part of this community, It’s awesome the work that you do Chrissy, it is amazing. On my 311 day concert I went early to the venue, I talked to some guys that I met on the day before to get together and have some beers, I bought a pack and went to the venue, when I got there I couldn’t find them. After walking for a while I just stopped and some other guys started talking to me, I left my beer on their ice and we had a great time. This is what this community is about.

I could not finish this without saying “Stay positive and love your life.”

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There you have the story of PR! Much gratitude to Paulo for sharing his story of his love for 311. To all the readers, I wouldn’t be here without you all, so THANK YOU! Have an amazing week, and an awesome 311 DAY!

Much Love friends – The Runt

Welcome back 311 nation! Who’s ready for the newest addition to the fan spotlight? Let’s meet Bryan Weinstein!

The journey into 311 for Bryan began in the year 1993 when a classmate of his received the Music album. “I remember thinking to my 13 year old self, how rad is it that bands have shifted into numbers as for their names!!??” Then about 2 years after the blue album came out, someone had copied the album onto a cassette for him. “I didn’t stop playing it continuously for several months, bumping chads drumming and Pnuts phat bass lines on my 6×9’s in my old school station wagon! Soon after,  Transistor came out and I HAD to buy it on CD! That was quickly followed by the ’98 live album, then like all true heads,  had to dive backwards a small bit-and NEVER stopped going forwards from there.  It’s always been a soul connection. Their lyrics and funky fun riffs spoke to me, as I crave true consciousness, positivity, and a message from music. From the playfulness raps of the blue album to all the mind mellowing alchemizing tones and lyrics of transistor, it forever shifted me between the expansive years of 15- 18, every single lyric! I mean, who else was even mentioning sacred geometry in the 90s?!?!”

Even though Bryan was a fan early on, he didn’t start seeing 311 live until later on in life. “I regretfully didn’t start going to see 311 live earlier in life, although coming up in Phoenix, AZ, where they played a lot in the early years (Shoutout to phx on Grassroots!!!)  I had plenty of chances, and I kick myself  in the tail when I think about it…. the first show I can clearly remember was in 2001 in Columbus, Ohio. Other big shows I’ve attended were 311 Day Vegas 2010,  2011 311 Pow Wow Festival, all 6 Caribbean cruises, and last show of decade in Chitown Dec. ’19. I think my concert count is around 70-75ish?!”

As for a favorite show or event, Bryan really just loves all of his experiences too much to narrow it down. “I’ve been so lucky to have been to so many shows over the years, have made many trips around the country to see family/friends and to sneak in a 311 show while in town!! I can’t put into words how special each show is with different people and energy, that said, after the privileged of all 6 Caribbean cruises and the infamous private beach show, dancing and rockin’ out in the beautiful water and soft sands…, how could it not be all that!!!?”

Like many fans, picking a favorite song is difficult for Bryan. “I feel there’s so much wisdom and knowledge in each song and each lyric. I absolutely love all the young energetic hard rap rock, and the maturing chillness of more newer tracks, but  Evolving rapidly in my youth with Transistor I’d have to go with Inner Light Spectrum, The Continuous Life,  Borders, C.U.T.M, UNITY, Whiskey and Wine, & Who’s Got The Herb?!. And Extension, as it was the name of the road I grew up on!”

As for lyrics, Bryan named a few that really resonate with him including, “Time is precious, as you say it is”, “I wanna visit the world”, “The same force that flows through every circuit”, “Time to GET DOWN”, “See all the energy around you,” and “I wanna be free, I wanna do right.”

Bryan was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and raised in Mesa. His parents were school teachers, always into good vibes and good music. “My mom raised me and my younger brother on all the excellent Beatles and British 50/60s music and Motown, my dad raised us on Hendrix, Floyd, Zeppelin, The Doors and all that incredible 70s Rock.  I gravitated to all the historic 80 and 90s bands including the humorous antics of Weird Al Yankovic, being the goofy kid I was is what truly cultivated my taste, and in blending all those styles together as I grew into my late teens 311 was the way forever forward!”

Being influenced by love and art in their household, Bryan became an artist majoring in 3D animation and his brother became an extremely talented musician. In 2001, Bryan moved to Columbus, Ohio. “It was living up there, where 311 loves to roll through that allowed me to start seeing them so often and in so many neighboring cities!  A couple years later I moved to South Florida (not knowing there’d be 6 future 311 boats sailing from here) and in 2005 after getting rocked by a few serious hurricanes,  I soon ended up changing from the visual arts to the healing arts.  Always striving for balance, harmony and wellness I was inspired to go down the path of becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist. After 15 years of successful massage practice (which has funded my 311 lifestyle) and incorporating my passion for healing and vitality with the study and practice of  Qigong and Tai Chi I have now shifted my studies on Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.  With the wisdom’s of SA “be kind to every single body” it lead me down a path of studying and exploration, which lead to the incredible opportunity of teaching Tai chi classes on the 2017 and 2019 311 Cruise!  It was a honor which I’m forever grateful for.  After ending the ’19 Tai Chi class a few minutes early to race to the basketball court to see Nick and Pnut play 5 on 5 basketball, as I found a spot in the high bleachers, I was absolutely speechless when the crowd cheered Nick as he came through to the court, I had no idea Nick and his security detail were right behind me, and as he walked past he said personally in his sincere tones as always, “Hey, saw you teaching the Tai Chi from my room up above, that shit was dope!” He gave me a sincere pound, and that unexpected encounter is something I don’t have words to describe! I truly believe everywhere we go and all we do is meant to be, timing is everything in life, and as I moved back to Phoenix in 2016 for a special female, I was once again in the right place and time to see 311, out of all places on the planet, host a 2017 New Years Eve Show in my backyard of  Tempe, AZ!! As I left Arizona to head back to south Florida in 2018 I caught 420 shows in Colorado, Red Rocks, dream come true, to make it back in  time to Florida to see 311 again a week later in early May at SunFest in West Palm Beach, FL, then another monumental cruise in 2019! Had such big plans for their 30^th Anniv. summer shows with Incubus, as we all know it fell apart!  One fact is true, 311 always adapts, and will always continue to do so!”

Fun fact about Bryan is that he had Billy Joel tell him to go fuck himself! “It was a live show of his in Phoenix in ’99 and as he sung his encore song “Piano Man” the spotlight from over his shoulder was casting and shining onto me and my mom who were singing and waving as we were swaying… He sees us making direct eye contact.. asks us in front of over 20,000 people… “Hey, is that your girlfriend!!?”  Needless to say, stunned as we were, we didn’t answer quickly, and he said jokingly.. “ehhhhh go f%#k yourself!!” What a true honor!! A story we still share and laugh about constantly for over 20 years!”

As for something that makes Bryan unique, he said it’s his capability to know the body well and he gives amazing therapeutic massages. “Or so I’m humbly told from my many worldly traveled clients. If you’re ever in South Florida, feel free to contact me! Shameless plugs aside, I’d have to say my love and passion for brewing kombucha, messing around with different ingredients like chia seeds, ginger juice, and crafting unique flavors and spices, is a fun thing to create and enjoy! Some day I want to sell kombucha on a grand scale and partner with 311, that’d be a true honor!”

Aside from 311, Bryan has a huge love for artists like he Beatles, Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, KRS-ONE, Mr. Lif, Sublime, De La Soul, The Roots, Incubus, Pepper, Rebelution, The Movement, Stick Figure, Los Stellarians, Ghostwolf, Dirty Heads, Slightly Stoopid, and Phunk Junkeez.

Guilty pleasure for Bryan is that he has way too many 311 concert posters. “Most difficult honestly is finding enough wall space to house them in my  apartment.  I’ve collected a lot of 311 merch and schwag and am always trying creative ways to capture and collage them into something fun to decorate the 311 dojo!”

Bryan’s words to 311: “I would truly want to thank them from the depths of my soul and express my gratitude for who they are,  for what they’ve worked so hard to become, and just for how they’ve touched so many lives in the most important and positive ways! And for their 30+ ongoing years together, NO ONE IN MUSIC is more DOWN…. MUCH LOVE! Andddddd, thank you so much for allowing me to share tai chi on the last two boats, an absolute incredible honor of a lifetime!!!!”

Now his message to all the other 311 fans out there:

“Thank you to all slinky sisters &  brodels that I’ve been honored to meet whether on land or sea, and to all those out there I’ve yet to cross paths, stay frosty.  To all heads that supported Tai Chi initially, and requested to have it again, I’m eternally grateful!!  One day soon, with love, we will lift the veil of this crisis, we will rejoice and ROCK! Keep being the change you want to see and continue dodging raindrops! BE REVOLUTIONARY, and always stay positive and LOVE your LIFE!”

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Thank you Bryan for sharing your story with all the excitables! As always, so much gratitude goes out to the supporters of this little project. Have an amazing week friends!

Much Love – The Runt