Welcome back folks! Here we go, another week, a new fan spotlight! This week let’s hear the story of Adam Fey!
The year was 1991-1992, and Adam can recall being in the 6th grade and being woken up at 7AM by his older brother who was getting ready for school. His brother would listen to music, sometimes Beastie Boys, Living Colour, or R.E.M., but mostly Adam remembers hearing 311’s Unity. “I remember yelling at him to turn it off so I can sleep. But I remember feeling the energy of that record. Being 12, I didn’t really recognize what that energy was, but I was hooked. Fast forward to my junior year of high school, cruising around with a friend of mine’s brother, listening to “Music,” shortly after they released the blue album. He had never heard 311 before. I found myself singing along to “Feels So Good” and the next thing I knew, he invited me to join his band and we did a cover. We ended up playing together for a few years, and although we never achieved greatness, it was the greatest time. 311 inspired all of that, all those years later.”
Show count for Adam he believes is somewhere around 15 and all of them have been in the Omaha area. “My first show was in ’97 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Fishbone opened. It was my first experience in the pit and it was insane. Buried my front teeth in some guy’s shoulder, by accident. Jumped, moshed, surfed. It was magic.”
As far as his favorite show, he said nothing will top seeing them at Sokol Auditorium. “They played clubs during the Soundsystem tour around ’99-’00 and seeing them with Grasshopper Takeover and Hoobastank, in that kind of atmosphere, was indescribable. Talked with Tim for a little bit after the show as their buses were parked on the street right next to the hall. The intimacy of that venue, seeing your favorite band, you just can’t beat it. Then in 2015 for their 25th anniversary show, again at Sokol, they turned back the clock and played a set mostly from Unity and Music. Also taking my oldest son to his first 311 show, also in Council Bluffs, IA, when they played Grassroots beginning to end, was a very special time for me. And he’s been hooked ever since.”
The song that means the most to Adam is a tough question to answer. He said being first exposed to songs like “Rollin’,” “C.U.T.M.,” and “Damn” that those will always be his favorites. “But what they did with Mosaic, at that time, was an inspiration. So, short answer long, “Wildfire.”
As for lyrics, these are some of Adam’s favorites:
“Truth I hid the truth I hid from me, hit the skids I hit the skids only to find the light to light my way home, sun come through.”
“Anytime you will ignore your heart it will come back twice more, never deny your own instinct, reconsider everything.”
“Nod your head to this.”
Adam was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and still calls it home. He went to the same high school as Nick, Tim and Chad, plus his kids now attend it as well. “I had the interesting experience of being there while the farce of a t-shirt ban was going on. Thankfully, it didn’t last long, 311 shirts were half my wardrobe. The following year I wore my 311 Music shirt the first day of school, directly in front of the dean so they had come to their senses.”
The grass industry is where Adam has worked for the last 15 years, and he said no not that type of grass! ” I’ve worked at golf courses and sports fields, with most the appeal being that I can throw in the ear buds and rock out 8 hours a day.” Adam has 3 amazing children, the oldest one being in a band called 622. “He’s the skinny dark haired kid on vocals/guitar. I brought 311 to him, he brought them to his friends. It’s such an amazing thing to be able to share music, especially my favorite band, with him. The other two are a little younger, but I’m working on ’em!” Here is the link to the YouTube video of his sons band:
As previously mentioned, Adam was in a band in high school. What you may not know is that they recorded an album in the same studio were 311 recorded Unity. A talent that Adam has is that he can quote a ton of movie lines. “A blessing and a curse.” Guilty pleasure for him is the 90’s sitcom “Wings.” “It’s pretty bad. And the cheesy ones, Saved By the Bell for instance. Ya, Saved By the Bell.”
When not listening to 311, Adam loves the sounds of other artists such as Incubus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Linkin Park, Beastie Boys, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, The Who, Van Halen, The Police, and Billy Joel. “Over the last few years my kids got me into Twenty One Pilots as well.”
Adam would like to send this message to 311: “Thank you for being an inspiration to so many through your lyrics, melodies and rhythms. Chad, send my Chad some sticks.”
Now here are Adam’s words to all his fellow fans:
“I believe it was P-Nut that said in an interview that the band has evolved into something more of a living, breathing organism. It’s a privilege to be a cell in the soundsystem with you all! Catch you at the next show!”
There you have the story of Adam Fey! Thanks Adam for sharing it with us all. Of course, much gratitude to all the readers! Thanks for all of the support, have an amazing week!
Much Love – The Runt