311 and JIMMIE'S CHICKEN SHACK

AT THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM / APRIL 3, 2000

By Lina Reyes

You gotta love a 311 show: infectious groove to be had, high energy to be seen, and plenty of awesome sounds to move to. The best thing about seeing this band is you can dance all night if the mood strikes you. That's exactly what I did.


After finding my way into the large room (that has always reminded me of a roller rink), I started my search for the best viewing position for the evening. I wasn't going to miss out on seeing Nick Hexum and the boys up close and personal. I secured my position slightly off to one side of the stage and intended to stay the course for the duration of the show.

The opening act was Jimmie's Chicken Shack. I was not really sure what to expect from these guys having only heard the "What do I do" song on MP3. I envisioned that to be the most rocking song they had in the mix, I guess I was expecting a sound that was more power-pop than rock. They are a good band, and I wouldn't mind seeing them again some other time. I am happy to say they rocked out a lot more that I thought they would from that one song. They played well and were extremely entertaining, despite the fact that the audience could not really get into them.

When it was time for 311 to take the stage, I found myself starting to move outward as more people forced themselves down into the center of the crowd. I was lucky to still stand my ground, I had an awesome spot. The boys came out and went freak wild on the stage. They played a long set, about an hour and half, offering up all the radio hits as well as a bunch of other tunes from their older albums and tracks off of the new CD Soundsystem. The set list included some of our favorite 311 tunes.

Trading off fast rhythmic vocals in the signature lyrical assault SA and Nick work the slick verbiage as a single entity. This band is driven by the power of the vocals, and the danceable melodies they play. Doug (SA) Martinez dances his fucking ass off between his dual roles as vocalist and DJ. Boy can he move! One of the coolest moments of the show was where the roadies brought out extra drums and after a killer drum solo by Chad, all the guys joined in and they all played drums together.


I was in total sensory overload while they were on stage, in constant motion to the 311 sound. A blast of power supplied by P-Nut's power bass was like a wind blowing past me. There was the constant pulsating push against my body as the overexcited crowd moved, moshed, surfed, and forced themselves to the front. I was sharing the collective sweat from everybody in the packed house! Then there was sight of Nick and SA working the stage. Al l of this seemed to enchant the total 311 experience even more. Not that there is a need to enhance the 311 sound. They put on one great show!
 
Photos by Caren Spitler / Property of The Scene LA © 2000