Monthly Archives: July 2023

311 Fan Spotlights, Tales from a 311 addict, Uncategorized

311 Fan Spotlight #399 – 7/17/23 – Kat Starrfire Chuckran!

Hello again my friends out there in 311 nation! Who’s ready for the latest edition of the fan spotlight? Let’s meet Kat Chuckran!

Kat was really little when she first found 311 as she was going through her older brothers diverse CD collection and he had a burned copy of the Music album. “I remember hitting that ‘play’ button on the stereo system like it was yesterday! I was instantly captivated by their unique style and enraptured by their sound, which fueled an insatiable quest to hear more of their albums.”

Show count for Kat is somewhere between 45 and 60. Her first show was in Mansfield, Massachusetts, at Great Woods (before the 800 name changes it’s had) either in 1998 or 99. While it’s hard to pick a favorite show, because 311 Day is one of her favorite things every other year, she said her most favorite event so far was this years 311 Day at Sea. “I’ve been on two 311 Cruises, and this last one was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life! Take me back OTMFB!!”

Picking a favorite song is also hard for Kat since there are several that strike her fancy. If she had to pick one, she would choose “Time is Precious” which is really meaning a lot to her right now.

Now favorite song lyrics, she has a lot that she loves! The list includes the following:

 “It’s alright to feel good. It’s alright for nothing to be wrong. The deepest dream that we have could be tomorrow’s song,” “From Chaos Comes Clarity.” “Do as you will. Do as you wish. Follow your bliss,” “Everything is a choice, go ahead raise your voice. Might as well forgive yourself, that means more than someone else. Set you free, break the shell. To your Demons farewell. I tell you, don’t dwell,” “I think about you much more than I should. Now there’s a structure nothing had once stood. No more bluffing it’s cards on the table time, what it will be we must take it as a sign,” “In the genesis of the solar mine, Amid the fractals and the combination of the signs, It’s not hard to find patterns that flow bright, In the bluest light, now enhanced by your crystal sight,” “I’ve seen the other side and I say, oh, I’ve been insane, and I won’t ever be the same,” “I found a bootleg of the cosmic conscious, then erased it. Visualized the breath technique, slowly became it. Now something is watchin’ me, since I have found the keys, to free this energy- my high speed light body ‘Cause the galaxy is crazy, it doesn’t amaze me, that we’re livin’ out of phase and quickly decaying. 6 protons, 6 neutrons, 6 electrons Is encoded in this planet we live on,” “Spirit on the run, I’m an alien,” “I’m vexing many mofos, but I’m wishing you the best. I keep ’bout half my lyrics and I throw out the rest.” and “On the scales of desire your absence weighs more than someone else’s presence. I want to kiss reason goodbye today, I want to show it’s purple essence. On your lips, baby, it’ll fade away. Return your natural iridescence. On the scales of desire, your absence weighs more than someone else’s presence.”

Kat grew up in the small town of Raynham, which is a suburb about 35 minutes south of Boston, MA. She also lived in Rhode Island for a few years. As for work, her very first job was working with animals and she has been a veterinary technician for most of her adult life. ” I have a deep respect for all animals and the environment. I have several passions, and I enthusiastically seek new knowledge at any opportunity. I’ve been learning the art of Shibari and Kinbaku for the past year consistently and it’s become an exciting hobby. I’ve been a Floral Designer in the past as both a job and a hobby, and I recently graduated from Rittner’s School of Floral Design in Boston this year. I’m a certified Herbalist and I make Botanical Medicine for my friends and family. I’ve trained in Muay Thai on and off for many years. Presently, I work at a Hydraulic Forklift company that funds my 311-ing, and I enjoy my job. In my free time I love spending time with my cat J.J., being immersed in nature, making plans for new adventures, events and traveling, spending time with good friends & family, camping, and creating art to name a few.”

Interesting fact about Kat is that she’s been studying Peruvian Shamanism for quite some time. “I’m a Shaman apprentice.” Something that makes her unique is that she has been doing face & body painting since she was 12. ” I started doing that 4th of July weekend on the peninsula beaches of Scituate, MA. I’m a multi-media Artist, and I do commissioned work privately, as well as public work for all kinds of different events and festivals.” Guilty pleasure for Kat is that she loves the movie “Batman Returns” and she’s not sorry about it! “GET IN THE DUCK!”

Kat loves many other artists besides 311 and the list includes Michael Jackson, The Elovators, Ballyhoo!, Bumpin Uglies, KMFDM, Thievery Corporation, Beastie Boys, Static-X, Daft Punk, Sevendust, Kascade, Blue Oyster Cult, ATB, The Prodigy, Aerosmith, Silverchair,  The Chemical Brothers, Tribal Seeds, BackStreet Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Alesso, NIN, Maceo Plex, Shpongle, The Expendables, Ramones, Nightmares On Wax, Bile, The Crystal Method, Iration, The Cure, Diplo, Marilyn Manson, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Type O Negative, SlipKnoT, Benny Benassi, Knife Party, Eminem, Deftones, (Hed) P.E., The Movement, Breaking Benjamin, Kid Rock, Collie Buddz, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Street Urchinz, Gin Blossoms, Jane’s Addiction, Godsmack, Pepper, Pantera, STP, Stick Figure, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Incubus, Green Day, Rebelution, Avicii, Korn, Cypress Hill, Garbage, Swedish House Mafia, En Vogue, Boyz II Men, and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Kat has this message for the members of 311: “Your music has touched the lives of all us fans, and it’s helped an immeasurable amount of us out of the darkest times of our lives, healing so many of us– Thank you for all you do for your fans!”

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

“There’s much power in anger, but love’s a bigger banger. Complete props to my crew, ‘Cause this is how we do!”  “Oh, life is a journey- waking, believing, running.” and of course:”Stay Positive & Love Your Life!”

Many thanks to Kat for sharing her story with us all! Now of course, my eternal gratitude for all the readers and supporters of this little blog out there. Hope you all are finding some peace this week and remember to keep on running. Sending love to you all.

Much Love – The Runt

311 Fan Spotlights, Tales from a 311 addict

311 Fan Spotlight #398 – 7/10/23 – Greg Greco!

Photo by @WillByington © 2023 – 311 Cruise

Welcome friends to the next edition of the 311 Fan Spotlight! This week, let’s hear the story of Greg Greco!

During high school Greg was listening to all sorts of music and was having trouble figuring out exactly what he liked. Then a friend of his threw the “Music” album on to his Napster account. “The first song I listened to was “Unity”. I jammed so hard to that song on repeat over and over again. I think what drew me to the album was not only the tunes themselves but the lyrics showing how positive and how much fun they have being a group of friends. #goals”

Exact number of shows Greg has attended is unknown, but he believes he is around 45. First show was the Sprite Liquid Mix Tour at the Jones Beach Theatre in New York on August 20th, 2002. “A good lineup that show. Nappy Roots, NERD, Hoobastank, 311, Jay-Z all on the main stage.”

As with most fans, picking a favorite show or event is difficult for Greg. He said it’s sort of a toss up between seeing them at Hammerstein Ballroom, when he first got to meet them after the show. Or his first 311 Day or first 311 cruise. “I really don’t know. The anxiety of not knowing what the set will be, because i never looked beforehand, was what made every show somewhat unique.”

Right now the song that is really connecting with Greg is “Dodging Raindrops.” “I have been going through tough times and it really resonates with where I want to be in life right now. I do believe that Beyond The Grey Sky saved my life, it came out at the height of a depressive state of mine and it helped me get my head right.” Some lyrics that really stick with Greg are as follow: “”Stay positive and love your life,” “Life’s a bowl of punch, Go ahead and spike it,” and “You’re all up in my mix like fucking Betty Crocker.”

Greg was born into a large Irish Catholic family – he is one of seven children and has five sisters and one brother. “Growing up, I made a lot of friends and had I guess your stereotypical childhood. Riding bikes, playing sports, going to school etc… I am, however, the black sheep of my family and have become that in my world as well. My parents are good, hardworking people but I don’t conform to what they feel people should be doing. I am distant from my siblings. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a relationship with them but it’s not your leave it to beaver type situation at all. After years of having a lot of friends, I kept a very small group of them in my adult life. Now I am in the process of getting divorced so most of the friends left, have stopped reaching out to me as well. If this were 20 years ago, I’d be in my room crying. I stay positive. I live for the moment and don’t let the small things get to me anymore.”

Greg has two beautiful daughters who he said are a true blessing for him. “They are kind, intelligent, funny and love listening to 311 with me. My oldest is Skylar and my baby is Amber (yes named after the song). Their favorite 311 songs are Don’t Stay Home, Amber, Til the City’s on Fire. I am just your average Blue Collar guy that does the best with the cards he is dealt.” Greg was born and raised on Long Island and is currently trying to become a professional bowler. He likes to play ice hockey as a hobby. “I have a beautiful girlfriend (no I did not leave my wife for her). I just try to keep to myself. Obviously my kids come first but outside of that, for the first time in my life, I am taking care of me and making sure I’m in a good place physically and mentally.”

Interesting fact about Greg is that he’s a good singer. “In high school, I was selected to be in the National Catholic Youth Choir (kinda corny i know). I was one of 50 teenagers selected and we spent a month traveling the Midwest. That’s right. We even got Omaha, Nebraska for a concert.” Something unique about him also is vocal – he likes to impersonate people or make up voices. “I am very critical of myself so wouldn’t say I’m great at it but a lot of people tell me I should be a cartoon voice over. My girlfriend finds a lot of my impressions scary accurate such as Kermit the Frog. I have that down pat.”

Guilty pleasures, Greg said he has a few, but one big one is being a movie buff. “Not just comedy’s or thrillers. I like the “chick flick” movies too. I’m not afraid to cry from a well written, well acted movie. It’s the “chick flick” part that is the guilty pleasure.”

There are many artists that Greg is into aside from 311. Some of them include Linkin Park, Slipknot, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Blink 182, Dave Matthews Band, Chevelle, Red Jumpsuit Aparatus, Jimmies Chicken Shack, Metallica, Korn, Dirty Heads, Sublime, Don McLean, NWA, Eminem, Biggie, Bronx Slang, G-Love and Special Sauce, Barenaked Ladies, and Blues Traveler. “The list goes on. My music taste is very versatile.”

As for words Greg would like to say to the band, he said he was lucky enough on the last cruise to say to P-Nut something he had been wanting to relay which was this: “When we took our photo with the band, I put my arm around P-Nut and I said, “I am really glad you’re here and decided to stay.” Relating to his announcement that he was gonna go on a little hiatus. He side eyed me and said “I am too.” That was great to hear and a special moment for me.”

Now here is Greg’s message to all his fellow 311 fans in the universe:

“In the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Spread the joy to others that 311 spreads to us. Don’t let the little things get you down. Live your life the way you see yourself doing it and “fuck the naysayers”. Come find me at a show! Love to all!”

Many thanks to Greg Greco for sharing his story with us all! My eternal gratitude as well to those who keep reading and supporting this little blog. Hope you are all having a great summer and keep on being awesome!

Much Love – The Runt

311 Fan Spotlights, Tales from a 311 addict

311 Fan Spotlight #397 – 7/3/23 – Victor Hsiao!

Welcome again friends to the next edition of the 311 fan spotlight! This week let’s meet Victor Hsiao!

First exposure to 311 was when Victor was 12 and in middle school. He had moved from to Fairfax, Virginia to Loudoun County, Virginia. It was there that he saw some students with the blue album and then eventually saw the video for “Down” on MTV in early 1997. “The funky heavy riffs of “Down”, the raps/rhymes over these guitar riffs, then the chorus of thanking others and gratitude; I kept thinking this is like all my favorite types of music rolled into one with lyrics/messages I can support. Several weeks later, I’m at the Target and convinced my parents to buy me the blue album. Then Transistor came out late summer 1997 which I nabbed after seeing the “Transistor” music video. I found the spacy groves and guitar riffs to be unique and reminding me a bit of Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’ as having this unique sound. By my sophomore year of college, I found myself pulled further to 311 when some of us were riding home from the bar and ‘Hostile Apostile’ came on. I knew immediately it was 311 due to Nick’s voice and grooves. After hearing that, I purchased their remaining cd’s on amazon (CDNow back then) and the rest is history. Their ‘Music’ and ‘From Chaos’ albums are my top 2 with MOSAIC being #3.”

Victor just hit show number 45 last month at the Houston House of Blues. His first show was in 2008 at the Nissan Pavillion in Bristow, VA. “I hadn’t thought about seeing them until graduated college in 2008 when I was really into the band. After seeing them live the first time, I made it a point to see them at least once every year when they toured. I haven’t stopped since.”

As for favorite show or event, Victor of course said it was hard to choose. “2023 311 Cruise ranks up there since it was my first 311 cruise and I got to watch their performance with other fans and in the hottub of all places. Hard to beat that setting! As for venue concerts, the one that sticks in my mind the most is July, 2017 when I saw them on the Pier landing in Philly. They played a lot of their MOSAIC album which had some of my favorite live tracks (Face in the Wind, Extension, Perfect Mistake, Days’ of 88′, Till’ the City’s on fire) plus other live favorites of mine (Brodels, Hydroponic, Unity).”

Favorite song for Victor changes based on the timing, different styles, and lyrics. “So it depends what mood I’m in and what I’m going through. “Electricity” from Transistor means a lot to me due to lyrics about hate and people believing things about others before getting to know them. When I first heard the Transistor album, the music and lyrics spoke volumes to me due to being a new kid in a new environment and gave me a sense of comfort because of what they were preaching. The line about we’re all from the same lucy despite differences people would see; we’d be a more unifying world if we’d stop and acknowledge that. “Speak Easy” from their DTOM album is another one recently. Since my profession involves a lot of public speaking and presentations, I listen to that track every time before I’m about to start a meeting or do a presentation and it always calms my nerves. “Just speak easy, and say what’s on your mind”, couldn’t be more simple but more true. Other ones include Simplify due to the calming melody, and Full Ride and From Chaos due to the raps mixed with the riffs.”

Some lyrics that resonate with Victor include the following:

“I’m in disbelief at what people will believe. All along I thought we had our hearts on our shirtsleeve. If one thing I can say as a piece of advice. Don’t believe it till you see it and then see it twice” – Electricity

“This moment is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.” – Simplify

“The question I’m observing is am I really deserving.” – No Control

“You get back what you give, and I was born to live.” – Born to Live

“From chaos come clarity.” – From Chaos

Victor spent most of his life in Virginia until 2019 when he moved to Houston, Texas, which is where he still currently resides. When he was young and moved to a new town in Virginia, it was challenging leaving all his friends behind and he said at the time there weren’t a lot of people there that looked like him. “During that period, we got exposed to MTV for the first time (thank you mom and dad for finally let us have cable) which is how we started to develop our love for music. Music, for me, became my shield from my troubles and anxiety as I started with grunge/alternative bands (Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, RCHP, Third Eye Blind, etc.) and the 90’s rap/R&B scene (Biggie, Nas, 2pac, Wu-Tang, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Aaliyah, etc.). 311 jumped on my radar which mixed these genres and spoke about things I found myself longing for as a someone searching for belonging in a new place. Things such as gratitude, unity, kindness, perseverance, antiracism, dealing with anxiety, staying positive; those really spoke to me and I tried to emulate that as best I could.”

Current profession for Victor is bank examiner/regulator. “I never thought I’d ever get into my current profession but I’m thankful it’s provided me direction and purpose. Since the job has a lot of traveling involved, it’s also allowed me to follow my favorite band more frequently and regularly than I ever could have imagined.”

In his younger days, Victor was heavily into musical instruments. “I played piano for 12 years, violin for 3 years, and guitar for 6. That’s helped me develop an appreciation for all genres of music. I’m hoping to get back into playing an instrument again; maybe the saxophone or keyboard.”

As for special talent, Victor’s friends tell him he is a wizard in the kitchen. “I developed it during my server/bartender days in the restaurant industry and also from cooking with my mom during the holidays and family gatherings. Get me in the kitchen and give me some ingredients, I can whip up something tasty/delicious whether it’s a dish or some sort of tasty adult beverage.” Guilty pleasure comes in the form of the show “Succession.” “It’s already on my mt rushmore of best TV shows ever. Other areas of interest include NBA, Formula 1, concerts/live music shows, traveling, golf, and tennis.”

When not cranking the tunes of 311, other artists Victor loves recently include Tropidelic, Dirty Heads, Iya Terra, Bronx Slang, Logic, Gareth Emery, Alison Goldfrapp, Clutch, RDGLDGRN, the Band CAMINO, Incubus, Paris Jackson, Deftones, Iration, Rihanna, Metallica, Young the Giant, and SOFI TUKKER.

Victor would like to send this message to 311: “”Thank you for what you do, for being who you are, and for helping myself and others during those times we needed it.” (He also wanted to note: “The band and members have had a huge influence on my life and how I wish to interact and behave with others. Through all the positive/negative moments in my life, they’ve always been a constant that has helped me navigate and reflect.”)

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

“Stay positive, love your life, and stay true to who you are.”

Many thanks to Victor for sharing your 311 story! Sending out so much gratitude to all those reading this today and any other day. Wishing you all good vibes and an amazing week.

Much Love – The Runt