Hello again my beautiful excitable readers! Hope you are all enjoying your summer. Let’s meet the latest edition of the fan spotlight – Matt Evans! 

Like many, MTV was the reason Matt found 311 because they were playing their videos off the blue album. He doesn’t remember them getting much radio airplay where he was in New York City in 1995. Then his family moved from northern New Jersey to Atlanta that same year. “Many of the friends that I met were into the band from older siblings. I was introduced to Music (still my favorite) and Grassroots.” 

46 is the magic number for seeing 311 live for Matt. “I was bored at work a few years back and made a google sheet to keep track of my adventures and shenanigans with the band. I have seen them in 3 countries, International Waters, and 11 states in the gold old USA. My first show was in 1997 in Atlanta, GA.” 

Favorite event for Matt was 311 Day 2006 in Memphis. “It was my first 311 Day Experience and the three sets were bangers. I always think about the stilt dancers every time I hear Light Years. I was part of a crew of 20 that drove out from Atlanta, GA.”

“Eons” is the song that means the most to Matt. “It is extremely powerful and beautiful. It has always been one of those songs that reminds me of the 11 years of nearly annual shows at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, GA. We started going in the summer of 1997 (my first 311 show). In the early 2000s our crew was close to 30 folks between my high school and college friends. We would always exchange hugs during eons and really appreciate the love and our mutual friendship. It has always been a song that my brother Paul and I would get a few tears flowing. I remember getting him allowed by his wife, thanks Tracey, to go on the 2019 with me. We knew right away when the song started and found each other up on the upper deck to share the song.”

For lyrics though, Matt says he’s usually partial more to the bangers than the slower or more pop style songs. “I would have to quote unity especially ’It Runs In My Family’. I have put this quote on a few of my 311 All Star Jerseys. My crew in Georgia was dubbed The Family by many of our peers. We had a crew with multiple sets of brothers, cousins, and many of us were not from Georgia but merged quickly for our love of fellowship, music, and shenanigans. It reminds of me of my Mother telling my siblings growing up to make family, not friends. This is something that I endeavor in all of my familiar, social, and professional interactions.”

Matt is New Jersey “bred and born, loud and proud.” He was raised by his amazing family and they had weekly Sunday dinners at Grandma’s house with all of the aunts and cousins. “My parents, aunts, uncles, and their friends had a huge crew that did everything from weekend cookouts, to camping, beach, and ski trips. I loved playing Football, Skateboarding, biking, and especially music.”  His family moved to the Atlanta suburbs right before his freshman year of high school. He stayed in Atlanta through high school and college, then in 2006 he got an itch and moved back up to New Jersey, landing his first big sales job in 2007, which was in New York state. “The Hudson Valley Area of New York State is amazing. I love the people in Georgia but the weather is hot AF and the lack of seasonal snow was something that I longed for. It was great to be close to the Catskill and Adirondack mountain ranges and have easy access to snowboarding.”

Flash forward to 2009 and Matt moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, due to the company he was working for being sold. “I missed my brother greatly and was able to move down to his guest room. 2012, I moved back to the East Atlanta Burbs. I was there until Fourth of July weekend this year when I finally moved up to the Northern Atlanta Burbs. I should be above the snow line this winter which is exciting. I am far from sales and was able to ditch that career 5 years back and got into surface mining (Think Fred Flintstone at the Rock Quarry). I am in mining health and safety and I love my company and position. I still get to do a lot of new hire training and work on safety projects at my sites in North Georgia.” 

Matt has never been married and has no kids, something he is completely content with. “I do my best to live a life of balance and can do whatever I want. Which pre-covid was to travel the country to see concerts and sporting events. I have met so many great people through 311 and made so many lifelong friends from all over the country and some of the world travelers that show up for the special event shows.”

Fun fact about Matt, he was once the 26th caller on the radio station 99X in Atlanta, which won him a trip to Paris to spend a week and see the band The Offspring! “My brother Paul and I had an amazing time wandering the streets, legally drinking at 18 and 20 years old, finding party supplies, and getting to hang out backstage with The Offspring, Lit, and some of the members of Silver Chair.”

Unique trait for Matt is that he is an empath and he said that random strangers will approach him frequently for life advice. “I carry myself with a generally pleasant disposition and do my best to make eye contact and smile at everybody. I try my best to not be an asshole and appreciate the interactions that I have with family, friends, coworkers, and the general public at large.” 

Guilty pleasure for Matt, he said he gets some shit from people for being a Weezer fan. “ I would gladly tell them to fuck off ha ha. I love the Blue Album. It is such a great album and songs like In The Garage is a go to at karaoke for me. Only In Dreams is a Masterpiece, My Name is Jonas. Undone, The Sweater Song. The whole album rocks. The Pinkerton Album is also phenomenal. Plus they have plenty of other good ones. They always kick ass life and I sing my heart out.” 

Weezer isn’t the only other band that Matt loves. He grew up on Pink Floyd and classic rock and says that Floyd is still his favorite band. “As a kid my folks had Columbia House music and would give all the 80s hair metal to my brother and I. Bands like Bon Jovi, Poison, Warrant, and Def Leppard. They fucked up one day and gave us Appetite For Destruction by Guns and Roses and that was a life changer. We soon got into Metallica which is my favorite metal band. I got into Pantera, Danzig, Megadeth, Corrosion of Conformity, Tool, Type O Negative, Slayer, and Sepultura (Seen all of them play). But I was also a huge fan of Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, The Offspring and Weezer.” In high school he got into Sublime, plus progressive trance like Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, and Sasha. Then in college he added Deftones and System of a Down to his list. He later realized that like 311, all of his favorite bands are unique. The ones that mean the most to him are Pink Floyd, Metallica, Alice In Chains, Deftones, Radiohead, Muse, Baroness, Opeth, Soulfly, 311, Weezer, Tropidelic (Thanks Tony G from Buffalo), and Bumpin Uglies. 

Matt has been lucky enough to say his words to 311 in person. “Thank you. I do not get into the details as I don’t want to tie the guys up in forced conversations. They are just people and I would never want to get to the skinny of the thank you unless in a genuine conversation with them. But for you Chrissy, I will elaborate…

Thank you for being the background music to so many of the best moments of my life. The live show. The energy. The fellowship with family and friends that I made and grew up with. I would love to have the whole crew back together and on the lawn at Lakewood once again. 311 is not my favorite band. I do not love all of the songs and some albums are way better than others. But I do respect the show. And they are fucking magical on stage. And their longevity, friendship, love, and unity with each other. And then there is us, dancing and having the time of our lives. Thank you for that 311. Also, they should always close with Fat Chance into Fuck The Bullshit.”

Now Matt’s message to the other fans out there:

“RIP Chris the Fish. Love you Paulie and Tido, Dwadd, Cari, Aragorn, Kimmy, Bozwald Stormin Norman, Christy Doc Martins, Johno, Adam, Dave and Jen, Brad, Gary and Amanda, Sam and Margarita, Mutt and Nikki, Dip and Jen, Dirty, Flipper, Cam and Grace, Drew Rubbers (Jammin Soundsystem), Hannah H Tata, LeBron, Skeet, Glenn, Jean Girl and Tara, Jack, Dirty Jim, Dave Corless, Kathleen Corless…My Favorite Jamie Norton in the world, Terri and Erica the Pandas, Nate and Lindsey Bigg Daddys.. The whole ATL crew, the Smiths, the Waldmans, the Wilsons, the Scales, the Hoglunds, Amanda H, Julia, Beth, Terri, Elicia K my E, BB, Benee¦ My girl Ashley Tucker from Texas and Her Bestie Karen from Jersey (South Jersey HaHa) Dave and Gabe… The Buffalo New York crew Tony G, Jami, Eric and Angela¦ The Chicago Crew like the Belmonts, the Campabellos, the Kokos, The Ambergs, Mark, and Doncat… Julie 311 Shows her husband David and her California Crew¦ Sam Fuckin Conner¦ Jem from Canada…The Lessors of Geer (formerly Wisconsin)… Marino and Company from Charlotte…Kmac from Maine¦ The Dominican Republic Crew like Ismar, Jaun Carlos, and Luijo¦ Tayler from the Tropidelic Freak Drop New Year 2020¦ Adam West  Ham Fan (Glad you made it through that recent health scare mate)… Erik W the original All Star¦ The Unity Allstars (Kevin you are the man)… And of course Cristina DO from Charlotte I know I missed a bunch here… Much love and many blessing to you all¦ #ItRunsInMyFamily #GeniusRunsTheWorld”

—————

Great story Matt! Thanks for sharing it with us all! To all my readers, thank you thank you thank you! Go have an amazing week. Stay positive & love your life! 

Much Love – The Runt