Happy 2017 my excitable friends! Kicking it off right with a brand new fan spotlight. It’s time to meet William Robinson!
A school trip to NYC is where William’s story begins. He was listening to an alternative radio station on his Walkman when “Do You Right” came on. “I remember being mesmerized by the guitars and then the vocals. I hadn’t heard anything like it before. This was before you could easily find out who played this song. The station didn’t mention the artist so I was stuck.” It wasn’t until a year or so later that he heard “Down” and found out who 311 was. “I instantly had the same feeling. The guitars, the back and forth vocals, the drums. I was hooked. I went out bought Music, Grassroots and the blue album and listened to them over and over while reading the lyrics and reading the liner notes. The meshing of musical styles and the positive message of the lyrics resonated with me instantly.” William was in broadcasting arts in high school and had an hour long radio show once a week, during which he would play 311 as much as possible. “It was really exciting to just learn as much about them. Sure, the rap/rock was obvious but listening deeper and discovering the moments of jazz, funk and reggae was really cool at the time.”
Show count for William is at 27. He was in the Air Force for 13 years which allowed him to see 311 in places like Germany in 2002 when the guys opened for Incubus. He’s seen 311 in about 9-10 different states and was lucky enough to see them in 2010 in Guam! “They were on their way to do shows in Indonesia and decided to stop to do a show on this tiny island. My wife got word of when they were arriving so she met them at the airport. I unfortunately wasn’t able to get out of work but the guys were really nice to my wife, they signed a poster for me and Nick was nice enough to use my wife’s cell phone to call me. It was unbelievable. The conversation is a blur to me now but it was great that he did that.”
Of the 27 shows, William’s favorite has been the 25th anniversary show in Omaha. William and his friend (and fellow fan spotlight) Chad Evans drove 11 hours just to see the show. “When we arrived at our hotel, DJ Trichrome was outside so right then we knew it was going to be a great couple of days. We started out at The Hive that night and I was finally able to meet some other fans I had only known from social media. The show ended up being more than I could’ve hoped for. I stood next to SA’s parents which was cool and going back to The Hive for the secret show was at the time just the icing on the cake. Little did I know that myself and the band were staying in the same hotel and I was able to meet the guys as they were coming in from the secret show. They looked wore out but they were gracious as always.”
Over the years many songs have come and gone as William’s favorite 311 tune. “Listening to a particular song at a certain point in your life makes it resonate a little bit more then maybe if you listen to it at another time. Even after all these years I’ll listen to a song that I’ve heard 1000 times and something will strike me differently or I’ll noticed something that I never really noticed before. Whether it’s the guitar during the chorus of Livin’ & Rockin’ or SA’s long stream of lyrics in Salsa, it seems that it’s always something new no matter how much I’ve heard it.” With that said, there are a few songs that still stand out to William more than others including “Starshines,” “Still Dreaming,” “Freeze Time,” “Brodels,” “Visit,” “And A Ways to Go,” and “I Told Myself.” Favorite lyrics have changed over time for William too, because he said being a fan for over 20 years, your tastes change from when you are a teen to when you are an adult. “In my 20s when everything was carefree you tend to just enjoy the music overall, then you have children and life changes because you know it’s about more than just you.” From the start he said “Stay positive and love your life” was always one of his favorites and his motto, then some others are “Like the warrior souls we are, we never give in,” “venture on, the sketch is not completely drawn,” and “Desperate the cling I make to positivity.”
Hamilton, Ohio is where William grew up, about 30 minutes north of Cincinnati. He was a young 19 when he left for the Air Force and was stationed in many places like Mississippi, Germany, Spain, Nebraska, South Korea, Guam and Arizona. “I loved living in Europe for those few years. I was able to travel to almost a dozen countries and I met some great people. I skied the Swiss Alps and went to Oktoberfest for my 22nd birthday. Hanging out in some of those places you meet some interesting characters. My favorite places I visited while I was over there was Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome.”
William also said one of the coolest things about living overseas was seeing concerts there. “Europe loves their festivals, and the biggest band come over there every summer.” William met his wife when stationed in Omaha and have now been married for almost 10 years. They have a son Myles, 4, and a daughter Nova, 2. He left the Air Forces in 2012 and moved to Lexington, Kentucky, where he started school and then in December 2016 received his bachelors degree in Information Technology.
In early 2011 William was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Dermatomyositis. He was medically retired from the Air Force due to it and he said it basically turned his life upside down. Thanks to his family and 311, they’ve helped him get through each day of his weakening muscles and fatigue. “Keeping a positive attitude is key to getting by. When you are struggling with something their music hits you a little different than when things are good. I see the song Showdown as “me vs this disease” and I’m going to do everything I can to win. When this illness has me down I’ll listen to songs like The Call to remind myself not to give up, it’s never too late for a beginning.”
Fun unique fact about William is that when he was in the Air Force, he was a weather forecaster! “Weather is a huge part of what the Air Force does so it was challenging. When I say I was a weather forecaster most people think that I was like someone on the news. But it wasn’t like that at all. We had to be more specific and more detailed. Billions of dollars of assets are at stake when you have heavy snow or heavy thunderstorms. It was pretty stressful at times but I enjoyed it. But never ask me if it’s going to rain tomorrow. I’ve been asked a million times.”
Besides 311, William’s other favorite bands are Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Band of Horses and Guns N’ Roses. He also loves Reggae which started in his early teens. “I never grew up listening to it or was exposed to it as a kid but when I heard Bob Marley in Jr. High, that led me to discover other artists and sub genres like roots and dub.” Guilty pleasure in musical form? “I’ll occasionally listen to Limp Bizkit. They used to be staple on my workout playlist. Another would be some old 80’s/90’s country songs. My parents had it on the radio a lot as a kid, so it brings back memories.” He also said he’s a political junkie but will rarely talk politics to anyone. “Most of the time it’s just a drag, but I can’t help it. It fascinates me. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way.”
William’s words to 311: “I can’t say thank you enough. Every album, every show I’ve attended has shaped me somehow. I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.”
Now his words to all the other 311 fans:
“We are some dedicated people. I’m so glad you all are out there. I love you all. Special shout-out to Chad Evans who’s been my travel buddy for a little while now. Thanks for being awesome.”
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Now you all have met William Robinson! Another great fan sharing their story. Thank you to all who keep reading. What a great community to be a part of! Until next time, keep being awesome.
Much love – The Runt