Hey my friends in 311 nation! It’s a new week & Happy Memorial Day! Let’s get it started and meet Brian Sweeney!
Brian was in elementary school when he first started listening to 311. It was about the time that the blue album came out. He heard the singles – “Down” and “All Mixed Up” – he was hooked. “I was a big fan of alternative rock, and they had such a unique sound that I gravitated towards. When I heard the full album for the first time I was blown away by the amazing guitar, the interesting rap / rock vocals, and then I started diving into their older stuff, and have been a huge fan ever since. I think one of the things I really liked is that they were riff driven, and not simply playing 4 chord songs, they have a lot of changes and phrasing that make every song interesting to hear.”
As far as show count, Brian never really kept count. However, he thinks he is somewhere between 50-60. “I’d see them 2 times a year or more, and over the years and especially with their bigger events have been able to see multiple sets (cruise, 311 days, etc.). I think my first show was at PNC in NJ, a large outdoor amphitheater. They always packed the house!”
Cool story about Brian…he met his wife playing an unofficial 311 pre-party at the Cheeba Hut in Denver with Kevin Labella, who urged him to come see 311 at Red Rocks. “That was one of the first iterations of what would become the Unity All Stars. I then spent the RR show ditching my friends and hangin with this beautiful woman Lauren Richerson, and we instantly formed a connection. After that my favorite events have been the cruises.. Becoming part of the 311 family I have gained so many new friends, and it’s not just the music I look forward to but seeing all those happy faces and feeling the love. Each cruise is different, on Cruise 1 I didn’t know many people, but when I came back for Cruise 4 (and have been on each since) my friends group grew to the hundreds!”
As for song that means the most to Brian, it was a hard choice. It depends on the day and what musical sounds are soothing him. “But as a guitarist, generally my favorite songs are Tim heavy on solos, and Stealing Happy Hours is probably my #1 go to when I want to chill out.” Favorite lyric for Brian is this – “The world revolves around your mind in a golden spiral, the natural way that things organize, you can’t stop entropy so why even try. Observe the conscious flow and don’t mystify, life’s not a race.”
Northern New Jersey is where Brian grew up. From the age of 6 until he was 18 he played competitive soccer. That and playing guitar were his outlets. He then attended SUNY Albany where he met 2 of his current band mates – Kevin Labella and Aaron Zuckerman. They started a cover band that also played a lot of 311 music. “We kept in touch over the years and I consider them 2 of my best friends.”
Post college Brian lived in New Jersey for awhile and then when he met his wife they moved out to L.A. Then at the end of last year they relocated to Kansas City. “Happy to be in a home in a cool city but having the burbs life.” Brian started playing guitar when he was in elementary school and he said it’s become an extension of him. “I almost always have music and ideas for songs or riffs in my head, and it’s a great outlet for emotions and the drive for creativity. I love seeing live music, and I love a lot of different kinds of music genres and seeing musicianship up close. But I’ve definitely seen 311 more than any other band, it’s not even close.” Other musicians that Brian loves include progressive rock bands like Tool and Propagandhi, as well as artists like Jimi Hendrix, NoFX, Strung Out, Clapton, Deftones, and Snarky. “Variety is the spice of life.”
Unique attribute for Brian is that he he has a bit of synesthesia with sounds, colors, and shapes. “It’s basically like having certain sounds, notes, tones, giving off unique colors or shapes that I can feel. And the brightness, tone, distortion, phrasing, etc. all give it sort of a unique signature to me, and each note, an E or a C or an F# minor or whatever are generally in certain parts of the color spectrum. Like a bright sounding happy G chord can be a lighter shade of green with gold and silvery flecks, or a heavy distorted palm muted G chord takes on a dark hunter green. It can apply to any sound but I feel it most with music. I can’t read music and don’t really know how to speak music theory, a lot of it is self-taught, intuitive, and using relationships of sounds, chords, notes, etc. that I’ve sort of learned over the years. To me every song is almost like a painting, with different colors, shapes, and textures that are unique to them.”
Interesting tidbit about Brian is that he once won a state-wide drawing contest to design the mascot for a recycling PSA. He was in the 4th or 5th grade when it happened. “Drawing, writing, and making music are all creative outlets for me.” Guilty pleasure for him is that he watches Dragon Ball, an anime that has been around for about 30 years. “I dig it as much now as a 35 year old as I did as a 12 year old.”
Words Brian has for 311: “Thank you. More than any other band, 311 has really changed my life. From bringing me into contact with people like my wife or my bandmates, to giving me endless hours of musical bliss, and always keeping me feeling positive with their messages, 311 is really close to my heart.”
Words for all the other fans out there:
“Just to love each other. We’re on this golf ball called earth, and every day we have the power to be positive, and to try and be the change we want to see in the world. Life goes by too fast to be swallowed by negativity. Enjoy every day, every song, enjoy each other, and try to lift yourself and others up at every chance.”
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That’s the story of Mr. Brian Sweeney! Great story and thank you for sharing. Much gratitude to all the readers as well. Now go have a great Memorial Day and be the positive, loving people you are!
Much love – The Runt