Welcome back my excitable friends to the next edition of the fan spotlight! It’s time to meet the lovely Carolyn Huerta!
The year was 1993 when a friend of Carolyn’s introduced her to the awesomeness that is 311. They were at his house and he put on the Music CD, from that moment on she was hooked. “Immediately I was connected to this music in a way I had never felt before. There was this funk to them that I was drawn to and it was feel good music. That album had so many great songs on it and I remember loving NixHex and My Stoney Baby and soon I found myself listening to this album on repeat. I was in 6th grade at the time.” Carolyn said this genre of music was new to her at the time. She had just started to get into Pearl Jam and Nirvana, but 311 took precedence over them. “The reggae and funk sounds that they put out was something that made them stand out to me. It was s sound unlike any I had heard before.”
Carolyn said that at this point she has 100% lost count of shows she’s attended. However she knows the only time she missed a show in her home state was when she was 5 months pregnant with her son in 2006. She knows the show count is a high number, she just can’t keep track anymore! October 28, 1997 was her very first show at the Desert Sky Pavilion. “ A bunch of us piled into my car and headed to Phoenix to catch our first show. My car was rocking a 311 and Sublime decal by this point! The show was electrifying. Everything I could have wanted to hear and more. This was also my first time crowd surfing! What a rush that was!”
Favorite show so far that has resonated the most with her was the sail away show on her first cruise. “I was with my best friend Casey and this was her second cruise and my first. I had no idea what to expect. We were drinking beers with thousands of 311 fans on deck and looking out at Miami when all of a sudden we start moving and 311 takes the stage and sends electricity through every single person on the boat. I had chills. A high that was natural and unexperienced before this moment. The energy was insane. That was when I knew that all of the crazy traveling I do for this band was never going to stop! I have made some of the most genuine friendships with fellow 311 familia and that has brought so much more love into my life.”
Like many fans, picking a favorite song is difficult for Carolyn. Some of the ones that stand out to her are “Crack the Code,” “Random,” “Large in the Margin,” “Sever,” “Visit,” and “Stealing Happy Hours.” She also loves “1,2,3” because of S.A. “I love them all. I guess that during each ebb and flow of my life different songs stick out more to me but I love them all. Those are just a few that really stand out all the time.” Quote that resonates with her the most is “Stay positive and love your life.” “ I practice mindfulness every day and making sure I live in the moment so that I can get the most out of life and this quote reminds me that even though we experience hard times, staying positive and believing that life is still beautiful is incredibly empowering for the soul. It makes the bumps easier and the beautiful times even more vibrant. It is tattooed on my back.”
Carolyn was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, and has lived there all her life. During her younger years she was a gymnast for 12 years and she loved to roller skate in her free time. She is currently an Administrative Assistant for the operating room at a hospital, as well as a freelance makeup artist for NARS cosmetics. She is married to her best friend Rob and has a 10 year old son. Eventually she plans to move to Los Angeles to work for NARS full time.
Something very cool about Carolyn is that she and her business partner Jessica are the makeup artists for the Miss Arizona Organization. “It is an incredibly honor to be a part of that and we have met so many wonderful people. I’m exceptionally proud of this because we get to work with amazingly talented and very bright women. Makeup has been a passion of mine since I was a little girl and I’m so happy that it gets to be a part of my professional life. It doesn’t feel like a job at all!”
Carolyn said unique attribute is that she thinks she is funny, she can make others laugh and that has always brought her happiness. “I would love for people to meet me and remember me in a way that left them with a smile on their face. I think laughing is the best medicine. It is a positive release for your soul and laughing until I’m crying is my favorite thing to do.” Guilty pleasure of Carolyn is that she is a huge fan of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Atlanta, New Jersey and Orange County. She said she is also the “BIGGEST original 90210 fan there ever was!!”
When not listening to 311, Carolyn can be found rocking out to many different kinds of music including Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Incubus, Sublime, Sam Cooke, Mariah Carey (old school), Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Elton John, Queen, Britney Spears, Audioslave, Garth Brooks, and Bob Marley. This is just the start of the list for her, she said it can go on and on. “I love all genres of music from the 50’s and on.”
Carolyn’s words to 311 are this: “Thank you for rocking my soul for the last 24 years. I will continue to support and follow this band.” She was lucky enough to have the opportunity to tell the guys this when she brought her son to his second show in Tucson. “He got to meet the whole ban and get their autographs and take pictures with them. He cherishes that day, as he is a mini excitable. Aiden has taken on a love for this band as much as I have. He knows every song and I’m confident he could win the Name thatTune competition with Nick Hexum, which makes me a very proud mom. So the band knows how much me and my family love and appreciate all they do.”
Her message to all the other fabulous fans out in 311 nation:
“I want to take this time to say THANK YOU to every single member of the 311 nation who came together in March of 2016 to help raise funds for my dear friend Evan. I started that GOFundME for him with the hopes of being able to help my dear friend and I was blown away by the love and support that this community showed. I had no idea what to expect going into that. What would the community think? Would there be backlash? But instead, there were So many people who reached out and shared the post, donated and prayed and when all was said and done. I was speechless. I love every single one of you and I thank you for the big hearts and the kindness you all showed. That awful experience turned into a positive and loving outcome for all involved. From that day forward, you all had my heart and I will always be here for anyone in this amazing 311 nation. Now let’s meet up at a 311 concert and rock the fuck out together!! XOXO.”
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Now you know the story of the lovely Carolyn Huerta! Thank you Carolyn for being part of the fan spotlight and this amazing community of fans. Is there a better fan base out there? Not in my opinion! Until we meet again my friends, go be positive and spread the love.
Much love – The Runt