Monthly Archives: April 2023

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311 Fan Spotlight #390 – 4/24/23 – Dennis Jewell!

Welcome back my friends out there in 311 nation! A new week is here and that can only mean one thing – it’s time for the next edition of the fan spotlight. Let’s meet Dennis Jewell!

It was the 1992 Lollapalooza that Dennis had his musical awakening. Now flash forward to 1994, where now he felt like he had a good ear for music. He was driving in his car one day when “Homebrew” came on the radio. “I go absolutely nuts I am dying to find out who this band is. Honestly I don’t remember how the knowledge came to me I just know I went home and told my ex-wife who had very similar musical taste all about the song I was like”they were rapping and singing…. I think there were two of them… The music was unreal…”I found out somehow the album had just came out and went out and bought it immediately we listen to it a couple times and I was absolutely blown away… I called a drummer friend of mine and asked him if he had heard of them and he was like bro this band is for Real and told me that Grassroots was their second album…. He told me to go get Music that he thought it was even better.. I went out the very same day bought it…”And I will never be the same…👽”

Exact show count Dennis has yet to really dig in to, but he believes he’s around the 50 mark. First show for him was in 1994 or 1995. “I’m pretty sure it was 94 because we followed them in 95 after The Blue album came out…. It was at what was then called The Roxy in Atlanta. That’s all it took I was a Brodel for life.” As for a favorite show/event, it was hard to pick just one. “311 Day 2020 was magical.. I had always wanted to go to one and for whatever reason just was never able to… I decided on a whim that I was going went by myself didn’t know anybody and became a true part of this wonderful family… That being said what can I say about my first cruise 2023….wow…. With the combination of all the other bands I got to see and meet hang out with and enjoy the cruise might trunk 311 day slightly.”

Some of his top songs include “Flowing” and “Large in the Margin,” as they are both from his favorite album. It’s “Visit” however that takes top billing as Dennis’ favorite song. “Get Down” he said is a close second. “The lyrics just mean so much to me.”

Some lyrics that really resonate with Dennis include: “Music’s what I need to keep my sanity’,” “If you don’t have someone to do it with it’s not worth doing,” “We only enter in one contest that we made up ourselves it’s to be the 311est,” and “It’s alright, wherever you are right now. I tell you it’s alright, that’s where you’re supposed to be now.”

Dennis is a military brat so he’s lived all over the place. Born in Ohio in 1972, he then moved to Colorado, then Georgia, then Germany, Kentucky, Virginia, Texas, and New Mexico. He lived in Germany for 7 years. He lived in Virginia and Georgia twice, and said his heart is really in Atlanta. He has two older brothers and an older sister that all have different musical tastes, so he gathered a little bit from each of them in his quest for what he calls “real music.” “Music that touches my soul music that makes me move in a way I cannot control…. Cuz I do not dance LOL.” Dennis has five daughters….you heard me right – five! He’s a total girl dad. He also has one son that is a musician and huge 311 fan also. “I also have six grandchildren who are the loves of my life. My Kids range from 12 to 36 😲 ,”

Getting back to 311, in the 90’s Dennis actually hung out on the bus with 311 a few times and Tim would put him on their guest list at small venues that he couldn’t get tickets to. “. dude actually gave me the shirt off his back once… I gave him some weed after a show and he like touched his pockets and was like man I don’t have anything to give you he was wearing a hempilation shirt the album had not come out yet and he took his shirt off and handed it to me… We used to be really close his eyes would light up every time he saw me and we had some amazing conversation about other guitar players during that time including my favorite Mike McCready… We actually rode on the bus with them and the Phunk Junkeez to an after show party once and walked right in like we were just part of the crew it was amazing… I could go on for hours with some of my stories but they are real and these dudes were absolutely amazing back in the day I haven’t had a whole lot of interaction with them in the past 20 years but when I got to see Tim on the Cruise he remembered me and it was an amazing moment… Sweet was always one of my favorite songs back in the day cuz I love to hear SA sing…. I used to always ask them to play it…. One of my greatest concert moments ever was in New Mexico when Nick walked up to the microphone and said this one goes out to one of our greatest fans and played Sweet after telling me before the show they probably weren’t going to play it cuz they had played it the night before….YES… What a moment.”

Something that makes Dennis special is he said he’s a true extension of 311. “I truly connect with others during their shows. If you don’t have someone to do it with it’s not worth doing.” Guilty pleasure for him is country music. When not listening to country or 311, he can be found playing tunes from Pearl Jam, Blind Melon, 7 Mary 3, Janes Addiction, Soundgarden, Live, Pink Floyd, and Audic Empire.

Dennis has these words to say to 311 (which he hopes they already know): “Thank you for ALWAYS being there.”

Now his words to the other 311 fans are simply lyrics from 311 themselves:

“Don’t Stay Home.👽👽 🙏”

Thank you Dennis for sharing your story with the community! Of course, my sincere gratitude to the readers each time. Hope you all have an amazing week, sending you all the positive vibes.

Much Love – The Runt

311 Fan Spotlights, Tales from a 311 addict

311 Fan Spotlight #389 – 4/17/23 – Marissa Menditto!

Well hello again my Excitable friends! Welcome back to the latest edition of the fan spotlight. This week let’s meet Marissa Menditto!

It was during her middle school years that Marissa became a fan of 311 by hearing their music on the radio and she immediately started to love it. “The beats and just how the their music flowed. Also the way they are for unity and positivity.”

Show count for Marissa is at 58. Her first show was during her high school years. While she doesn’t remember exactly where it was, she knows it was awesome! As for favorite show/event, she loves the cruises. “The last one I just went on had to be the most favorite so far.”

The song “Tranquility” means a lot to Marissa. “It reminds me of people I knew that have passed on in life.” As for favorite lyric, Marissa loves “Spirit on the run, I’m an alien.”

Central New Jersey is where Marissa was born and raised, and she has stayed in that area most of her life. For work, she’s an administrative assistant at a construction company. She loves going to shows, traveling and going to the beach in the summer.

Fun fact about Marissa is that she took dance lessons for 12 years. She is also very flexible and can still do cartwheels! Guilty pleasure for her is watching the T.V. show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” “I also love to color in my free time.”

When not jamming the tunes of 311, Marissa can be found listening to The Elovators, Rebelution, Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, and The Movement (just to name a few).

Marissa would like to send this message to 311: “Thank you for everything you do for all of us and bringing such great music to our community.”

Now her words to all the other 311 fans out there:

“Always live in the moment.”

Many thanks to Marissa for sharing her story with us all! Of course, my sincere thanks to the readers each time. Hope you all have an amazing week my friends.

Much Love – The Runt

311 Fan Spotlights, Tales from a 311 addict

311 Fan Spotlight #388 – 4/10/23 – Ryan Reali!

Hello again my dear friends out there in 311 nation! Let’s start this new week properly and say hello to a new fan spotlight. This week we meet Ryan Reali!

An older student was listening to 311 during Italian class when Ryan was a freshman in high school. That’s the first time he heard their magical sounds. “I was intrigued, picked up Transistor, and have been hooked ever since. The heavier sound of their earlier albums hooked me at first.”

As for show count, Ryan lost count years ago. “Being an hour from NYC and Philly I catch em at least twice year on top of 311 Day/the cruise. My first show was somewhere in the tri-state area, senior year of high school or sometime in college. So sometime between 2000 and 2005.”

As for favorite show, Ryan said it was almost 311 Day at sea on this past cruise, but instead he chose when they played on his birthday in December at a small venue in Atlantic City. “Pretty sure that casino doesn’t exist anymore though.”

For song that means the most to him, Ryan said it’s “8:16AM.” “Had an emotional moment on the boat wishing dad could of been there to hear it, looked up and saw the Orion constellation, the hunter, which was dad to a T.” A lyric that Ryan loves is , “And fuck the naysayers cause they don’t mean a thing. Cause this is what style we bring.”

Ryan hasn’t gone far from where he grew up in New Jersey – there is only one neighbor in between the home he lives in now and the house he grew up in. The house he has now he said was a 3 bedroom, but he turned it into 2 bedrooms and a library. He heads down the shore on weekdays because his weekends, thanks to mom, are reserved for hunting at yard sales, estate sales, and flea markets. “Winter thanks to dad is for hunting for meat in the woods. Also a lil spring fishing. And thanks to both I do it all from woods, to freezer, to steaming hot and delicious on a plate. The only people from high school I still talk to went through Boy Scouts with me. A bunch of us got Eagle Scout.”

Civil engineering on highway projects is what pays for Ryan’s 311 addiction. Fun fact about Ryan is that he’s had sideburns since 7th grade. “And have progressed to full on civil war mutton chops.” Another fun fact – Ryan caught a pair of deer horns with his forehead!

Something unique about Ryan is that he collects the old, odd and unusual. “Such as an entire 5 drawer filing cabinet full of license plates. The oldest being a 1910 Ohio plate.” Guilty pleasure for him is watching the show “Big Brother” every summer. When not listening to 311, Ryan can be found jamming the tunes of Frank Zappa, Monster Magnet, Metallica, Halestorm, Alestorm, No Doubt, Black Sabbath, and The Urge.

To 311, Ryan has this message: “Thank you for creating this amazing community of people with your musical message of unity.”

Now here is his message to all the other 311 fans:

“Be kind, let each groove as they groove, and see y’all back OTMFB!!!”

Many thanks to Ryan for sharing his 311 story! Per the usual, my love & gratitude to all the supporters/readers of this little project. Hope you all have the best week possible! Until next time.

Much Love – The Runt

311 Fan Spotlights, Tales from a 311 addict

311 Fan Spotlight #387 – 4/3/23 – Matthew Roads!

Hello again my friends out there in 311 nation! Hope everyone has been well since it’s been a few weeks since the last spotlight. Don’t worry, this one won’t disappoint! Let’s meet Matt Roads from the amazing Tropidelic!

The first memory that Roads has of 311 is around his time in middle school, when he saw the video for “Down” on T.V. He said he was immediately struck by it. “Even at that age, thinking this was something different.”

Roads attended a handful of 311 shows in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Columbus before Tropidelic really started up. “I do remember during the
early onset of the band, we drove down to see them in Columbus and
waited by their tour bus til the bitter end and ended up meeting
Ballyhoo! instead. I’ve been a touring musician almost all my adult
life and when you tour at the pace we do, you really don’t get a lot
of time to go see shows (or do anything else). That being said, I’ve
seen a ton of their shows now since opening for them, including 20 or
so last year.” As for favorite show, he said it’s definitely one of the cruises. “Always a blast.”

As for song that means the most to him, I’ll let Roads tell you in his words. “I spent many hours during my college years running Transistor,
Evolver, From Chaos, The Blue Album front to back. Those records take
me to a place. Maybe..Jacks?”

Roads grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in a blue collar household. “I think from a young age I was seeking some sort of alternate route or outlet. I found that in music and even more so, in music that diverged from the beaten path. I think that is why I gravitated to 311’s music.”

Fun fact about Roads is that can juggle and walk on stilts. “I think I can still walk on stilts at least.” Guilty pleasure for him is that he loves true crime and gangster movies. “As lame as it sounds, I also enjoy things as simple as cutting the grass at my home. It helps keep me grounded.” Some other musicians that Roads can be found listening to include Tyler Childers and Mac Miller.

As for what Roads would say to 311, these are the words he wrote: “I’ve said a lot of things, mostly all revolve around just having the
utmost appreciation and respect for them. They definitely have helped
form not just my musical path but my whole human path with their
music. In recent years, the 311 community has been incredibly
supportive and embracing of Tropidelic and that has been very
significant for us. So many thanks are due from us to the whole 311
sphere of influence.”

Now here are his words to all the other 311 fans out there:

“It’s been an amazing experience to meet and form friendships with so
many of you. Hope to meet more of you in the years to come!”

There you have the story of Matthew Roads! I cannot thank him enough for being a part of this. I hope everyone enjoyed reading all about his 311 story. Now if you haven’t listened to Tropidelic yet, do me a favor and check them out NOW! Have an amazing week friends. Until next time.

Much Love – The Runt