There’s no doubt 311 has earned a place in all of our hearts as the unstoppable '90s band everyone loves -- or has loved at some point.
Hearing “Down” and “All Mixed Up” conjures fond yet awkward adolescent memories of feeling like the coolest kid on the block while blasting scratched 311 CDs from a boombox. I’ll admit the fact -- maybe even embrace the fact -- that I can still get down to 311.
Bassist P-Nut said by phone this week that 311 still rocks out during live performances, despite the fact they've grown up since their 1988 debut. The band is currently on their annual summer Unity Tour with Cypress Hill and G-Love & Special Sauce.
“The cool thing that’s stayed the same is that the front four rows are always college-age kids who are up for more physical interactions and have more physical endurance,” P- Nut said. “It would be a shame if it got to be a standing-room only, with people just staring. It’s so much fun to move with the music, which is part of letting go and really getting into it.”
Veterans Sublime with Rome and Pennywise are also joining forces with 311 on a five-band lineup at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre stop on the Unity Tour, which will be the only time those bands will play together on the West Coast.
“It’s a damn shame that it’s the only one on the West Coast,” P-Nut said “They’re the biggest shows of the tour. They’re always a slam dunk, a touchdown; it’s a no-brainer they’re going to be a huge hit.”
The tour is not 311's only current project: There's also a new album in the works, which is scheduled to drop in March 11, 2014, on what the band has coined as 311 Day. The album will include new content, along with reworked, previously unreleased demos, according to P-Nut.
“It’ll be things that have tail-spun in the past,” P-Nut said. “We’re giving them a breath of fresh air and new suit of armor. It’s all the good songs that have lost their way.”
Despite their eclectic sound on past albums, P-Nut said 311 has finally struck a chord that resonates with the band.
“We found a sound we're comfortable with and that can be related to. We don't want to sound like anyone else,” P-Nut said. “If you’ve listened to us, you know we have a distinct drummer and vocalist, and that’s what we like.”
Head out to Sleep Train Amphitheatre on Saturday to catch some good vibes with 311. Buy tickets HERE.
