Hello again 311 nation! It’s a new week and time we learn about another awesome fan. Let’s meet Erika Wood!
It was a complete accident that Erika became a 311 fan. It was during her sophomore year and she was getting ready for school when she turned on MTV the video for “Down” just happened to be on. “That was that, I was hooked and picked up the blue album that weekend, which was difficult to do in Tahoe because all we had at the time was a Kmart and they were very selective about what albums they carried. Then the following weekend I ordered the rest of 311’s albums through BMG (totally dating myself).”
Show count for Erika is 47 and she has a spreadsheet. She’s been to every 311 Day since 2010 and went on the cruise in 2013, 2017, and 2019. Her first show was on October 9, 2000, at the Warfield in San Francisco. “I bawled like a baby at the end because I thought it was so amazing and that this one show was the only one I’d make it to. Little did I know what it would turn into.”
Favorite event for Erika is 311 Day 2012 and she said she’s not sure how she survived that second set list. “It was opened with Down, Rock On, Grassroots, Hive and my favorite Sever.” Another one of her faves is the first concert she went to with her husband which was in Vegas on August 12, 2002, at the House of Blues. “I had noticed a tour bus pull into the Mandalay Bay from our room at the Luxor and I was positive it was them, of course Chris thought I was insane but we booked it outside and low and behold Tim was there just chatting with fans, it took about 4 long HOT hours, but we met the entire band, needless to say that’s a day I’ll never forget.” She also said that this years cruise was epic and they had so much fun every day of it. “The best part was meeting Harlow and Nick in our reindeer costumes and for the rest of the cruise every time we ran into Nick he said there are my bad ass bitches.”
The song “Speak Easy” now has a special place in her heart because of the loss of the beautiful Renee. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to get through that song without tearing up.” She also will always love “Down” as it’s the reason she found 311. The lyrics “Stay positive and love your life” are ones that have gotten her through some really tough times. “I just repeat and repeat it to myself until I eventually talk myself out of being sad or depressed.” She also said that “You can’t be let down if you don’t expect the world” really resonates with her. “There’s been so many times when I’ve, let’s say, expected more from people and have been disappointed in the end, so I’ve learned what ever happens happens and not to expect too much from people.”
Erika grew up in South Lake Tahoe, California. She hasn’t moved very far as she now lives in Reno, Nevada, which is only an hour away. She said it’s sad but there really isn’t an alternative music scene in that area. “Last year when 311 came here the billboard was down before the show even started.” She says she has no idea how she hasn’t gone into serious debt during all of their 311 adventures over the past 17 years, but she works hard and saves money so they can do it and even managed to squeeze in a trip to Hawaii in 2012. “Music has just become such an outlet for me, it makes me happy to be in a pit among my excitables, however any other concert I’m so anxious and on guard the entire time it’s ridiculous.”
In 2002, Erika and Chris had been living together for only a month when they lost everything in a house fire. They were devastated. “Poor Chris was only worried about finding any of my 311 collection in the rubble. In the mist of our grieving my dad decided to reach out to Joan and about two week later I got a package from the HIVE, I carefully opened it ( I still have the manila envelope) and there was a hand written letter, some guitar picks, cds and an autographed picture. From that moment that was it I was an excitable through and through, funny thing is I brought the letter to the Fresno show in 2003 in the hope I could thank the guys in person, and once again we met them (again it was super hot) and I was bawling poor Nick was like yeah I remember doing that in the moment I believed him, but who knows if he truly remembered but after losing everything that meant the world to both of us.”
Erika said that in her normal, everyday life, she’s a really shy and anxious person, which is a side that no one sees when she’s around the 311 community. She said being shy, she tends to like animals more than people – they have 4 cats and 2 dogs. Another interesting fact about Erika is that she has 17 tattoos and 6 of them are 311 related. “the others are all related to meaningful events in my life and family members I have lost. I have the Renee flower on my shoulder which make me feel like she is always with me.” Another interesting fact about Erika is that she has zero interest in skiing, for good reason. “In 5th grade during the ski week on the second day, I fell just right and tore my ACL, another ligament and fractured my tibia. So no more skiing for this girl.”
Something interesting about Erika and Chris – at least one point every day, they both have the same exact song in their heads at the exact same lyric. “I guess that’s what happens after being together for 17 years sharing so many concerts together. I must admit though it’s been a wild ride.” Guilty pleasure for Erika is that she’s a reality T.V. junkie. “It’s so bad that when we are in an area where a reality show is filmed I have to go, we’ve been to Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, NJ we have also visited the bakeries in Time Square and Las Vegas. I’ve dragged Chris to every ATM fish tank we are in the vicinity of and we went to Gold and Silver pawn shop from Pawn Stars when we were heading out of Vegas in December.”
Other musicians that Erika loves include No Doubt, Gwen Stefani, P!NK, Dirty Heads, Garbage, and Sublime, just to name a few.
Erika has these words for 311: “I would just like to just thank them for their music and the beautiful people they have brought into my life and for helping me through rough times.”
To all the other fans, her message is this:
“I truly care about everyone in the 311 community, when I see some of you at these events I really really want to go up and say hi but my shyness stops me in my tracks every time. I’m truly grateful for all of you and I’m privileged to be part of such a positive community.
Stay positive and love your life ❤️”
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Much thanks Erika for sharing your story with everyone! Thanks to everyone for coming back and reading each week. I truly hope you all have an amazing week!
Much Love – The Runt