311's cosmic sound goes Universal

Published: Friday, March 1, 1996

Native Omaha band graces Los Angeles venue in midst of 30-show tour

By Vanessa VanderZanden

Daily Bruin Contributor

Tim Mahoney dreams of a good night's sleep in his California king size bed. He salivates over the thought of a "tasty dinner" out, and would love the freedom to just go see a movie. In fact, if he weren't in a band, he'd take up snowboarding and live on a mountain. But Mahoney, guitarist for the hip hop/rock ensemble, 311, knows he's got it easy.

With brief 50-minute sets a night and a crew to facilitate the technicalities, "I just lounge around. We get a Sega/Saturn on the bus, so we play, and I lift weights and exercise every other day."

In the midst of a massive 30-show tour with Cypress Hill and The Pharcyde, 311 will return to their home base of Los Angeles this Sunday night at the Universal Amphitheater.

Having just put out their self-titled third album, Mahoney and company are no strangers to the stage. In the past, they've performed with the likes of Fugazi and Oingo Boingo. Last year, they even received a Pollstar nomination for "Best Club Tour of 1995" alongside the better known talents of Bush, Foo Fighters and Alanis Morisette. However, 311, a small group from Omaha, Neb., hasn't always lived life so large.

Having met in high school, the five friends formed various bands before leaving home and pursuing their own separate paths. "(Lead Singer) Nick (Hexum) the whole time knew this is what he wanted to do ... and it's always been what I've loved to do," recalls Mahoney.

But, under pressure to get a job and make a living, Mahoney opted for two semesters at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and two more at the University of Arizona in Tucson, without ever declaring a major. "It just wasn't my thing." Playing again with the band on trips home, "I realized this is what I wanted to do with my life."

Aware that the success of the operation depended on a larger venue, the troupe saved up their money and struck out for Los Angeles. "It was kind of scary. It was like cutting the umbilical chord." Without jobs or connections, 311 moved into a house in Van Nuys with only enough cash "to buy weed and pay the electricity bills." Still, they grew tighter and soon signed a deal with Capricorn Records. That was four years ago.

Since then, over the course of three albums, the band's sound has continued to evolve. And, much in the same way that no one's quite sure what the name "311" stands for, it's hard to pinpoint their specific genre of music. "I'd want to make up a really different new word ... maybe Cosmic Rock," suggests Mahoney.

Drawing on the varied influences of Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Navarro, Bad Brains, Dr. No and KLON 98.1, a Long Beach commercial-free jazz station, Mahoney describes his band's concoctions in somewhat uncertain terms. "It's not heavy metal or straight reggae ... we're just creating new styles and types of music."

In fact, they've been involved in a number of musical fronts, including the production of three videos. The most recent of which, "Don't Stay Home," involved the artistic genius Mark Kohr, best known for his direction of Green Day and Alanis Morissette spots. "We don't know that much about videos, so they were mostly his ideas," admits Mahoney. Pleased with the work, his initial reaction was "God! Do I really look like that? Is that how I look when I play? Oh no!" However, the experimental band's long list of side project dabbling doesn't end there.

Trying their hand at the motion picture industry, 311 contributed a song to the soundtrack for "National Lampoon's Senior Trip." "It's cool because the song that they chose to use was a B side from our last recording session ... that we decided not to put on the record but we still liked." Mahoney thinks the song is rolled during the ending credits, but can't be sure, as not surprisingly, he's been too busy to see the film. "Maybe I'll rent it, that's what I need to do," he notes.

Despite the lure of branching out into different rock opportunities that come with success, 311 will always be a touring band. Over the next two summers the band will be mounting solo tours.

But if 311 never wanted to hit the road again, it would be understandable.

Three years ago, the members just barely escaped from an RV that caught on fire while they were on their way to a gig.

"All we had on were just shorts and shoes and not even shirts ... We had to jump through a fire door." But Mahoney and his ensemble appear unscathed by the experience. The band still loves the road and even attempts to emulate bands who have traversed the highways before them.

"The Grateful Dead is a perfect role model ... I still want to be rockin' it when I'm 55, you know."

CONCERT: Sunday March 3 at the Universal Amphitheater. For more info call (818) 777-3931.Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu