(Kelly is in the center, holding the sign)
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Happy Monday and happy March my excitable friends! If you were on the cruise, you know it was a magical time and for those of you who weren’t, you were all with us in spirit. Let’s kick off this month of renewal (Spring is almost here!) with a new fan spotlight. Time to meet the awesome Kelly Cedrone!
“Blue album baby” is how Kelly describes her introduction to 311. She first heard the band on a Boston radio station called WAAF back in the summer before she entered the 8th grade, at the age of 13. “I liked it, but I decided I liked 311 a few months later when ‘All Mixed Up’ came out as a single. That following Friday I bought the blue album at the Walpole Mall, after eating Papa Gino’s and playing Area 51 at the Dream Machine, of course!” (Nice throwback Kelly!)
Show tally for Kelly was at 31, but has now grown with the recent 311 cruise! (When she answered the questions, the cruise had yet to happen obviously.) Her favorite event she’s been to were all three of the shows on cruise number two, the first one she attended. “I look back at the “Applied Science” lightning videos people have posted and I can’t believe I was there! The indoor show was wicked awesome because I was in the front row right in front of Pnut. I got to rest my beer on stage while I jammed out to his sitting-indian-style bass solo. The beach show was incredible. I was backstage with Ms. Megan McTigue and at one point I hopped off stage to take a dip and “Speak Easy” came on while I was floating “out on the ocean.” ….Serendipitous my travels throughout time, lol.”
The song “8:16 A.M.” has special meaning to Kelly because she was married to her love Keith last year on 8/16! They also had lyrics from “Speak Easy” and “1,2,3” read at their wedding. Her favorite song is “Strong All Along” because she says “It always pumps me up and makes me happy.” Her favorite quote comes from “Do You Right” – “Can’t get enough, this is the stuff, life’s about and it trips me out.”
Norwood, Massachusetts is where Kelly grew up. “It’s a mostly Irish-Catholic townie suburb of Boston.” She went to college in Maine and lived in Standish for about three semesters, then transferred home where she obtained her BA in English from Bridgewater State College. She then lived for a brief stint in Dorchester to be closer to her Gaelic football club, then back home to Norwood where she’s been ever since. “I now live in a condo a whole block away from my parents.” Teaching funds her 311 addiction, and one casual Friday when she had a 311 shirt on, one of her students asked, “Is that 311? Like the band?” She said that girl became her new favorite student!
When asked to name an interesting fact that most may not know she replied, “I swear a lot, but that’s a New England thing for sure.” (I can vouch for this fact!) Something she loves to do that you might not know though is ice fishing! Kelly is also really good at sports and musically inclined. “Growing up I didn’t know what clique that put me in, so I made my own.”
Other bands she’s into are Social Distortion, Staind, Aaron Lewis, Shinedown, Steel Pulse, Sublime, TREE and Gangsta Bitch Barbie, a.k.a. Nullset, which is an old Boston hardcore band. You can also add Allman Brothers and most classic rock to that list. Her guilty pleasures consist of the movies What About Bob? and My Cousin Vinny. Then she said sometimes when no one else is in the gym, she’ll work out to Nikki Minaj and Kid Rock…loudly!
To the band, Kelly delivers this message: “Thank you so much for doing the damn thing! Because of your music I have such wonderful memories and I’ve met some awesome friends! Traveling in the name of 311 is an awesome lifestyle and I am so grateful to have been able to participate in such shenanigans.”
To the awesome souls that make up this amazing fan base, Kelly’s message is this:
“Hey, hey, fellow excitable folk! I love seeing you beautiful people out at shows and random 311 meetups- shout out to my New England Familia! I am so grateful to call some of you my friends (especially my ladies and our Cauliflower Wine Mixers). For those I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, let’s do it again! And to to everyone else, I can’t wait to meet you and jam out to our favorite band together!”
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Now you have all met Kelly and I can tell you she really is an awesome lady! I’m proud to call her my friend and honored I got to introduce her to all of you. Thank you a million times over for reading. Until next time…keep that positive vibe flowing.
Much love – The Runt