Hello again excitable friends! Welcome back for the next edition of the 311 fan spotlight. Let’s start the day off right and meet Mr. Craig Leynes!
Being a 311 fan just came naturally to Craig, which is why he can’t pinpoint just how he became one. For the past 23 years they’ve been a part of his life and in his music choice rotation. “Now when I think about it, I love the diversity of the band: rap rock, reggae, off the wall lyrics, amazing shows and their love of their fans.”
This past summer marked Craig’s 80th show when he attended the Orlando stop on the tour. When narrowing down which of the 80 were his favorite, he had 4 recent ones that stick out in his mind. There was the fourth cruise, which was his first. Then the Atlanta shows last summer at the Tabernacle and 311 Day New Orleans 2014. The fourth one he thought about he said is the most memorable which was when he saw Soja, Slightly Stoopid, and 311 at Red Rocks. “We ll got a little ‘loco’ on that mountain and had the time of our lives!!! That place along with the rest of Colorado is amazing.”
There is a certain song that as Craig puts it, soothes his soul and that song is “Stealing Happy Hours.” “A real chill song that I kinda wish it didn’t end if you know what I mean.”
Lakeland, Florida is where Craig grew up, and area he calls “a bump in the road between Tampa and Orlando.” His family was mixed, meaning he has a brother and a sister, 2 step brothers, and a half brother and sister. After he graduated high school he did some mission work which enabled him to travel the world twice and visit almost every state. He’s also lived in Georgia and New York, but now resides in Tampa where he’s been for the past five years. He manages a restaurant called Jason’s Deli and had been in management for sixteen years, which helps him fund his 311 poster and show addiction. “It has been a long strange trip.”
One of the most memorable places Craig said he visited was India. “Beautiful people, beautiful culture, and amazing food that my stomach couldn’t handle.” He says he saw a lot of great things, but also some horrible things that, along with his faith, helped him set his world view on a different level. “True happiness and joy are not found in physical things or monetary security, but in love and joy of family, faith, and living life to the fullest with what you have. I knew these things before visiting India but in some slums we worked in is where it became real.”
Back in junior high and high school, Craig was a band geek. He played the tuba and sousaphone. “My fondest memories in HS were not the sports awards or classes, but the music we played and the trips we took as a band.” Something that makes Craig unique is tied in with his job. When he’s working the end of the deli, taking the guest checks and telling them what to do next, he can remember everything that they order by noticing something about them that stands out! “Shirt color, hair color, glasses, facial feature, shoes, pants, something. In short, I can look at the tray of food and remember who ordered it, go out into the dining and find their table to deliver the food without looking at the number. On the flip side, I suck at remembering peoples names!”
Guilty pleasure for Craig comes in musical form. “JJ Grey & Moffro is my guilty pleasure. Aside from the Eagles, they are one of the few bands that our entire family really enjoys. Great music that makes you sing and dance and my wife really likes them (She likes 311 but not like I like them.” Craig said it’s great when he and his wife go see this band because since she really enjoys them so he knows she actually wants to go because she digs them and not just because she wants to spend time with him. Also, Craig mentioned that one of his favorite quotes is currently, “Friends and family, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Leynes.” He said the happiest day of his life was last year when he got married!
As you can tell, music is a big part of Craig’s life. Some of his other favorite artists are: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Steel Pulse, Eric Lindell, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, Star field, Stick Figure, Resinated (a hometown band on the rise), Led Zeppelin, The Hip Abduction, Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers, Dirty Heads, and Dierks Bently. “There are many, many more but I think this gives the spectrum of my catalog.”
Craig’s message to 311 is this:
“Thanks for being the soundtrack of my life for the past 23 years and I’m looking forward to the next 23. Y’all just keep getting better and better with time.”
Now his message to all the amazing fans of 311:
“Y’all are awesome. I have met some fantastic awesome people because of this band and y’all have made shows and my life a lot more fun. I wish all of y’all the best in this journey of life. If you see me and my awesome wife at a show come and say hello, give a hug or a high five, drink a beer or smoke a spliff, and remember that life is what you make it, never be “under the circumstances” but instead stay on top of them. One love.”
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That’s Craig’s story my friends! Thank you for reading and I hope you had fun meeting him (virtually at least). That wraps up this week’s fan spotlight!
Until the next time…keep on being positive and sending out that vibe to the world.
Much love! – The Runt