The secret to 311’s success after more than three decades with no lineup changes is no secret. Omaha’s finest funk rock sons have remained productive and successful while musical influences and peers disbanded or disintegrated, delivering performances that are energetic from opening song to encore. And for hardcore followers and fan club members who make up the 311 Nation, there’s no better way to celebrate the band’s longevity than 311 Day.
311 Days might be more accurate. Only one 311 Day concert every year that ends in an even number (most odd-numbered years are dedicated to 311 Caribbean Cruises) was not enough to meet fan demand, so one concert on or adjacent to the 11th day of the third month of the year became two. Las Vegas has been a host city since 2010, but has been the exclusive destination for 311 Days since 2018.
One of the most durable bands to come out of the ’90s, 311’s roots go back to 1985 before lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum and lead guitarist Tim Mahoney could drive. They played in high school bands that covered acts mainly confined to college rock stations of that era such as The Smiths, The Cure and R.E.M.
It was at this time that Hexum and Mahoney began a tradition of lead guitar dueling, trading off licks during a reggae-fied version of garage rock classic “Wild Thing,” that they still thrill 311 fans with at shows while playing songs such as “Beautiful Disaster.” Hexum would start 311 with bassist Aaron “P-Nut” Wills and drummer Chad Sexton in 1988, with Mahoney joining two years later. DJ/vocalist S.A. Martinez, who had guest performed with the band, joined in 1992 to complete the lineup that remains unchanged today.
Wills supplied the band name, police code in Omaha for indecent exposure. Inspired by the late-’80s L.A. scene stoked by Jane’s Addiction, Fishbone and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 311 had a foundation in funk rock but mixed in healthy doses of hip-hop and reggae. While their first two albums did not chart, 1993 album Music put 311 on the pop culture map as the alternative music wave of the early ’90s crested, opening the door to national exposure, capitalized on via constant touring.
311 was not part of a trend or a regional scene, though. Bands such as Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit would take cues from 311 and enjoy success with rap-rock hybrids, but by the time of the band’s 1995 self-titled album and the success of its single “Down,” a following usually characteristic of jam bands was forming. 311 closed out the decade with genre-fusing 1999 album Soundsystem, manifesting the musicians’ collective philosophy in single “Come Original.”
The band is happy and healthy, with physiques like professional tennis players and energy levels that allow for 40-song 311 Day sets. Set lists are mixed up for the 311 Day performances, so truly devoted members of the 311 Nation that attend both concerts get their money’s worth, as well as a weekend of complete immersion in a live act that never lets them down.
Park MGM, 8:30 p.m. March 9-10, starting at $183 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com
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