Hello again my friends out there in the 311 universe! Happy Monday and welcome back for an all new edition of the 311 fan spotlight! This week we feature someone from down in Cajun Country – Mr. Kyle Boudreaux!
Kyle first discovered 311 early on in the 90’s. It was late 1993 and he graduated from high school that year. He hit the road to go visit a friend who was attending LSU (Louisiana State University) in Baton Rouge. They went to see a concert at the Varsity Theater and it was there that Kyle first experienced 311 live. “From that show on I was hooked. I saw them five times in several small clubs before the end of 1994. 311 was very good to Louisiana in the early days, for which I am very grateful. The music drew me in, but their energy and uniqueness got me wanting more and more. Now, the fellow fans are almost as equally important to me as the music.”
Obviously since Kyle has been seeing the band live since 93, he has seen a lot of shows. He says he stopped trying to keep count around number 35. He has been to five 311 Day shows and one cruise. While he says there are a lot of shows he attended that hold a special place in his heart, it was 311 Day 2012 that holds the top spot. “It was the first time I met so many people that I talked to daily. Also both nights I had rail – a first for any 311 show, before or since.”
Kyle was born and raised in Lafayette, L.A. He has actually never lived more than 5 miles from the hospital he was born in! He credits his staying close to home as being the reason that he loves to travel so much. In fact, the song “Visit” is the one that he says means the most to him right now because, in his words, “I am living my dream of traveling around the country (and beyond) and meeting many cool people.”
Kyle is the youngest of four children and he credits his family for his eclectic taste in music. He attended about 10 country concerts before he saw what he calls his first “real” concert, which was Motley Crue on their Dr. Feelgood Tour. “Metal music was a gift from my brother, while 60’s and 70’s music was from my sister.” He also says that since he lives in Cajun country, he has some love for music with French/Zydeco influences as well.
Growing up in Lafayette, Kyle says his family was one of the only white families in a predominantly black part of town. He mentioned that it was isolating being an overweight white kid in that area, and not to mention that his father was known for raising dogs, chickens, and pigeons. “This is probably the reason I am usually very quiet when people first meet me these days. Once you get to know me, you usually can’t shut me up!”
Kyle works as a programmer at a small software company in Lafayette. He’s been with the company for over 10 years but still only gets two weeks vacation, which limits his ability to travel to shows. However, he still finds ways to get to all the major events. While he is a programmer by day, he has a passion for paranormal investigations by night. “Something I don’t tell many people about is that I have a bit of what you can call a sixth sense. I can “see” ghosts sometimes, although it’s more of a feeling coupled with a physical description in my head.” Kyle trained as an equipment technician for a local paranormal society but he left before any real investigations took place. “I did join a team for one night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. I can tell you that it is indeed highly active and the spirits there like messing with you.”
Kyle’s guilty pleasure is one that is full of knowledge – he loves the gameshow Jeopardy! “I haven’t missed an episode since I got a DVR. I’m pretty good at trivia and have tried out twice, but never made it.” I mentioned earlier too that Kyle has eclectic taste in music so he has a long list of bands that he loves besides 311. “I have always been a huge Pearl Jam fan. Before 311, Pearl Jam was the only artist I traveled to see. I saw them once in Knoxville and twice in Denver.” He also says that Rebelution has become one of his new favorites, and some other bands he loves include Dave Matthews Band, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Dirty Heads, Phish, System of a Down, Jack Johnson, Garth Brooks, and Conway Twitty.
One of Kyle’s favorite lyrics is from “My Stoney Baby” – “The fish who keeps on swimming is the first to chill upstream.” Kyle says that this song is for everyone who “needs a little motivation to keep on going when times get tough.” The fact that Kyle can find the positive messages in 311’s lyrics and apply them to life shows just why he is one of the fan spotlights!
Kyle would like to tell the guys in 311, “Thank you for changing my life through 20 plus years of great music that seems to be getting better with age.” And to all of you out there in the 311 universe, here are his words:
“311 has survived 20+ years without having any major meltdowns or in-fighting. We all can learn a lot about unity from the boys. Forget the Facebook drama that creeps in to the many 311 groups out there. Stay positive and love YOUR life – don’t worry so much about the way others are living. Enjoy this brief snapshot in time where our favorite band still rocks this little pebble we call Earth.”
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That, my friends, is Kyle! I hope you all were entertained and enjoyed reading his story! If you know him, or liked what you learned, feel free to leave some love in the comments!
Until we meet again my friends, enjoy your week and your life! “It’s all about the company we keep.”
Much love! – The Runt