Welcome again 311 nation! It’s time to get to the next fan spotlight. Let’s get the story from Bobby Jones!

Like many other fans, Bobby was first introduced to 311 thanks to MTV playing the video for “Down.” He was immediately drawn to it and played the song on repeat because he recorded it onto a cassette tape from the radio. “I was around 11-12 years old when it came out. I remember asking my mom to buy me the Blue album for Christmas that year and she wouldnt because it had a parental adviosry sticker on it. So I could only listen to their radio hits till I was old enough to get my hands on their albums on my own. The reggae-rap-rock vibe drew me to them. It was unlike anything I had heard before. I was instantly hooked on em when I first heard them. And, of course I had my hair dyed blonde like Nicks in highschool, Haha. It was the thing to do in the 90’s!”

Number of times Bobby has seen 311 live? He has no clue because he see’s so much live music every year (200+ shows a year). “I don’t keep count of any of the shows I go to. I don’t really feel like it’s that important.” First 311 show for him was around 2004-05 in Dallas, Texas. First 311 Day he attended was in 2006. He’s also been on all the cruises and will be on the one next year. “I’ve been to all the 311 days since 2012. Taking a guess, I’d say I’ve seen 50-75 times or more.”

As for favorite show, Bobby said the beach show on the second cruise takes top prize for him. “Hands down the best 311 set I’ve seen. That splash pit was wild and unforgettable! Then the Pow Wow Transistor set comes in 2nd, after that the Soundsytem Cruise set, and then 311 day 2018 are my favorites.”

Picking a song that means the most to him proves to be difficult for Bobby because there are so many that he loves. “Uncalm and Beyond the Gray Sky are pretty meaningful to me for different reasons. In college around 2002-2003, for my composition class, my professor told us to pick a song that is like poetry and analyze it, and present it to the class. I went through my catalog of music and chose Uncalm. Up to that point in my life I was a fan of the 311 hits, but never really dived into their music that deep. In the process of unraveling that song I went deeper into 311, and became closer to 311, and then started listening to all of their other songs. Uncalm opened up 311 for me past their radio hits. My brother Joey commited suicide 2010, and after that happened Beyond the Gray Sky became a very meaningful song in my life since it’s about suicide. 311 was his favorite band, and in his memory I got into 311 deeper and decided to pursue 311 more and go on the 1st cruise and start attending 311 days. If he didn’t kill himself I probably would have never gotten into 311 more than I already was prior to 2010.”

One lyric that resonates with Bobby is “Stay positive and love your life” which he has tattoeed on his left abdomen, around a “Beyond the Gray Sky” sunrise/sunset over the ocean. It’s a tribute to his brother. “So I try to stay true to those words.” A few others that he loves include: “Don’t give up the fight to stay alive and even if you have to find the reason of another’s pain if they lose you. If not for yourself then those around who care like I do. One day you’ll see the clear blue”
“Violence is for those who can’t handle diction”
“Do what you feel, the more absurd the better”
“The solar systems and atom in a larger molecule called a galaxy”
“Fourth of July with Lucy in sky. I remember pine trees and the coat of many colors. I was nineteen, I’d do anything. Shit like that now scares me, but I’d like to do it again. It was Independence day. I’ve seen the other side, and I say oh, I’ve been insane and I wont ever be the same”
“The roots that grow underground are as big as the tree that you see, if not it will fall down”
“Think of all the good times instead of “wish we could” times. So much better that way”
“It’s all right to feel good it’s all right for nothing to be wrong”

Fort Worth, Texas, is where Bobby was born and he had a fun, active childhood with his mom and little brother. “Spent my days as a kid playing soccer, riding my bike till the streetlights came on, playing video games, hangin with friends, being a punk, getting into trouble, taking roadtrips with my family to camp and explore caverns, skating, and in my teen years I started planning my escape from Texas.” In high school Bobby was friends with everyone and he said it continued into his adult life. “I have tolerance for others views and can be friends with anyone even if our political ideology differs. In this day and age, I notice many people canceling long time friends and family members over something as trivial as their political ideology, and disagree whole heartedly with that perspective. With that being said, I will always welcome someone back into my life who has canceled me. I’m just that type of guy.”

Bobby attended Texas Tech University where he obtained a degree in Anthropology and Biology. He originally wanted to become a forensic anthropologist. Then after he graduated he took year off from school and ended up never going back because he got an awesome job as a catastrophe insurance adjuster. “I travel the country working property insurance claims, inspecting homes for catastrophic storm damage caused by tornados, hurricanes, wildfires, and large hail storms. I see the worst of the worst in regards to storm damage all around the country. It can be stressful at times, but is very rewarding as I feel like I’m really helping people in their time of need.”

In 2010 Bobby moved to Oregon to pursue snowboarding as his main hobby. “I’m an avid snowboarder and love hitting everything on the mountain from the park, to the half pipe, to the backcountry, to the trees. I also love doing handstands all the time, and taking pics of myself doing them all over the world in different countries infront of cool sceneries.”

live music has allowed him to make many friends in numerous states across the country. “Social media has allowed me to stay in contact with all those friends on a regular basis. While on the road for work I am always hanging out with friends in different states, going to shows, and pursuing my other hobbies. I also enjoy yoga, rock climbing, white water rafting, traveling the world and exploring (been to over 15 countries), skydiving, hiking, camping, going to festivals, scuba diving, and generally being outside. I’m a pyschonaut and enjoy exploring the boundaries of my consciousness. I lived in Spain to study Spanish back in college, and though I don’t practice it much anymore, if you find me inebriated you’ll probable hear me pop off some Spanish phrases, and try to get others to speak Spanish with me! I love learning about space, consciousness, culture, music, geology, physics, history, and language amongst other things. I’m a science and cultural nerd. I am a huge fan of standup comedy and see it often. Bill Hicks is my favorite comedian. He dies in the early 90s, but most of his jokes and philosphies from the 80’s and 90’s still hold true today.”

When Bobby was a senior in high school, circa 2001, he joined the Navy. “I made a 98 on my ASVAB (the military entrance exam), and was told with that high of a score I could do anything in the Navy that I wanted. My plan was to goto the Naval Academy and become a physician. I graduated in June of 2002 and went to bootcamp that August after I turned 18 in July. When I got to bootcamp during the first few days I went through a more intense medical exam, and they found a hole in my left retina which I never knew I had. They never found this at MEPS which is the pre entrance physical exam you take to join the military. This hole in my retina was cause for the Navy to medically discharge me immediately. So I came home back to Texas just in time at the end of August to enroll in community college. Took my basics for a couple years, and then transferred to Texas Tech to complete my degree. This experience taught me early on in life that no matter what you might think you have planned in life that it can change in the blink of an eye. My life plan of having a Naval career had to be altered as soon as I got news that I was getting medically discharged. Despite that let down in my life plan, I worked hard through college and landed a great gig, and life has been awesome! I learned real quick early on in life to Always have a plan B, and C, and D.”

Guilty pleasure for Bobby? “I love the reality dating show “Fboy Island”! Haha. It’s hosted by a comedian Nikki Glaser which is why I started watching it. There is a guy on a couple of the seasons named Benedict that is also a standup comic, and I took some friends to go see him in Portland last month and got them hooked.”

What other artists does Bobby love, aside from 311? He’s got quite the list! It includes:

To 311, Bobby would like to say: “Your music has inspired many to live their best lives, get through the hardships of life, and continue to strive to be the best we can be to each other.”

Now here are his words to all the other fans out there:

“Pursue your dreams. Anything is possible with hardwork and sacrifice. Make friends with everyone, practice tolerance, and keep an open mind in life. If you want to do something, then Do It Today because tomorrow is not promised. Show those that you care about how much you love them with your words, and more importantly your actions. Stay true to yourself, and live an interesting active fun filled life. Live life for a good story. Live fast & take chances! Don’t compare yourself to others, as comparison is the thief of joy. Stay selflessly selfish in your pursuit of happiness. And finally, since I’m a shredder: Life is a snow capped mountain, have a blast shredding your line!”

---

Thank you Bobby for sharing your story with all of us! And of course my eternal gratitude to all the readers out there. Hope you all have an amazing week!

Much Love – The Runt