Wednesday, March 24, 2010

311 Day 2010


This post is far overdue, sorry for the delay!

I am a HUGE 311 fan. They have been my favorite band since I was in 8th grade--for 15 years now. When I run into people that I haven't seen in years, one of the first things they ask me is if I still love 311. Yup!

I see them every time they tour, which usually means driving around Southern California seeing them in one city one, then in another the next night. For my fellow SoCal friends, or those who are familiar with this region, Irvine and San Diego are the shows I attend.

For the past decade they have been hosting 311 Day in New Orleans (with one show in Tennessee). Every two years people come from all over the world to see 311 on 311 Day, which is March 11...3/11. Also known as "fan appreciation day" according to the band, the shows never disappoint. In 2008, there were concertgoers from 15 different counties. Seriously.

(Steph and me)

This year the show was moved to Vegas so I had to go. I was thrilled that my pal, Stephanie, of Thoughts from Cali, joined me!

Held at The Mandalay Bay, the show went on for five hours and consisted of 60 songs. Pretty amazing. Even more impressive, the band had no opener and only took four 10 minute intermissions. I couldn't even stand for five hours, I have no clue how they performed with high energy that entire time!

(Our view of the show)

Everyone was so excited to be there. Fans wore their band gear all weekend and made sure to stop and speak with you, or at the very least, yell "311!" when they would see you were there for the show.

If you are unfamiliar with 311, here is a little history. They have been around for about 20 years. The five guys that make up the band are all from Omaha, Nebraska. Their sound is a mix of rock, rap, and reggae. The message behind the music is unity, and they close every concert with the words, "Stay positive and love your life."

(Me in my new band shirt after the 5-hour concert)

311's biggest hits are "All Mixed Up," "Beautiful Disaster," and "Amber." They also remade the Cure's "Love Song" for the movie 50 First Dates.

Here is a video for your enjoyment. This was my introduction to the band. 15 years ago I saw this video and was hooked from then on. And it didn't hurt that the lead singer, Nick Hexum, is HOT! He's the blond guy haha ;)



This summer they are out on tour with The Offspring and Pepper. I highly recommend you catch a concert if they are in your area! They put on an incredible live show. Check out the Unity Tour 2010 schedule.





Photos courtesy of: 311.com

22 comments:

ThingsToDoWithKids said...

I'm glad you guys had a great time. I would definately do the same thing if Bush were putting on a concert like that...but no, they had to go and break up.

Anonymous said...

Oh my... i live under a huge rock!!! lol

I have no idea who they are!! :(

Leah said...

You are indeed a real fan... you stuck it out with them all these years.

PS... I can't view the video because it has been blocked.

Meg said...

Looks like a really fun show!

Jules said...

I’m so glad you posted about this, because I was wondering how everything went! I cannot believe that they played for that long and only took a few short breaks. It sounds pretty amazing if you ask me. I also think it’s really cool that it happened in Vegas. I love the little background that you provided and think that is a great message to end their shows with. You’re looking good after the long concert! I just checked the schedule and they’re going to be playing in Philly the day after my b-day at the outdoor venue we have in the city. I used to like The Offspring as a teen. Maybe I will convince my husband to go. It sounds fun!

English Rose ♥ said...

Im glad you had a great time - I adore going to concerts especially if you love the band more than anything

Merci beaucoup for stopping by darling =]

Stay safe and chic ma chérie,
English Rose x
http://iammanenglishrose.blogspot.com

Syed said...

How fun! I feel very embarrassed that I have never heard of 311, but I promise to go check them out now :)

Cafe Fashionista said...

Ohmigosh did they have a song out years ago that had this very Bob Marley beat and said something like "Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again..."? Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong band... :/

Anyway...what an exciting adventure and opportunity - especially for someone like you who is such a big fan of theirs! I'm so glad you had a good time, my love!! :)

Stephanie said...

Looks like you had a ton of fun! I'm not familiar with 311 but I'm deff going to youtube them and listen to some of their music.

Kisses,
Stephanie

Unknown said...

ooh very cool!

Marta from With Love... said...

That's awesome, thumbs up :) Sounds like a great time!

-Marta

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Jealous! I'm dying for another Vegas vacay!

Fashion Court said...

looks like you had a great time! i totally forgot about 311! haha :p

Chicago Chic said...

Sounds like fun! I love music and I love your blog!

Baci from Italy xo
Rachel

Gwen said...

What a fun time!!! I used to love 311!!! XOXO

Lovely Scribbles said...

I might be too late for this giveaway, but I am now following on Twitter! I also have a huge amount of respect for the mission of ending sex trafficking. I actually support missionaries in China who are working to bring the women there out of this terrible industry.

Lovely Scribbles said...

Oh, oh, I am a facebook fan, too!

marian said...

How amazing that you have been a fan of 311 all these years! How cool that they have the concert every other year on the 11th of march.
glad you had a great time at the concert!
xoxo
marian.

Angela said...

Looked like you had a great time. Cute tee btw... : )

SHIZUKA said...

oh it definitely is easy to fall behind with the blogging world :(! im back now thooo .. well for now haha. Lol! thats cute how the first thing they ask u is that aww. to be honest, i actually don't know of this band but wow to have people gather from all over the world is amazing !! i am a bit out of it tho, i dont even know current famous ppl! my friends think im crazy hehe! glad u had a great time! x

Audrey Allure said...

That's awesome, great photos!

Melissa said...

Oh wow! I have not heard of 311 in forever! Blast from the past, that is so fun!