From the first riff in “Down,” 311 played powerfully at Raleigh’s Walnut Creek Amphitheatre on Aug. 30. Some of the production found in the studio was sure to be lost, but 311 offered great translations.

“Down” was probably my favorite performance of the evening, capturing the dual guitar and double vocals found on 311’s blue album. Both Nicholas Hexum and S.A. Martinez were impressive on vocals, on “Down” and throughout the night. Hexum also backed up guitarist Timothy Mahoney well on several songs.

I enjoyed the faster and heavier songs of the evening, but even the “mellower” tunes were cool. “Transistor” featured neat guitar sounds and effects, along with dazzling light effects that focused as much on the audience as on stage. Although a lot of bands shine the white lights on the audience occasionally for a little reaction, 311 chose to do this often, keeping the small audience in a frenzy.

The band played a good sampling of hybrid rap-funk-alternative rock from its four CDs. From “Music,” “Feels So Good” and “Do You Right” both sounded great. They weren’t as raw as on the disc, but that turned out to be a good thing. A favorite was “All Mixed Up,” from the blue, self-titled album. The group did a great job of producing the song’s dynamics. The clean and distorted guitar and bass were nicely separated.

From the start, it was evident that Chad Sexton had more than a little talent on the drums. His beats were strong throughout and locked the other four into a frenzy. Sexton had a quick little drum solo in the middle of a song that just blew listeners away. He was all over the percussion that made a half-circle around him.

Although many concerts have peaks and dips in energy, 311 didn’t. One thing that did take away from the show, in no way 311’s fault, is the inconsistent behavior of the Walnut Creek security. One staffer shot a bright flashlight twice in my friend’s direction, demanding that she remove her feet from the chair in front of her. She wasn’t blocking anyone’s view nor damaging the seat. All the while, people around us were doing the same thing and nothing was said to them. Also, though smoke (both from cigarettes and marijuana) hovered, nothing was said, even though no smoking is supposed to be allowed. Talk about screwed-up priorities. Though this wasn’t a huge thing, it was a distraction for us and those seated around us. It did put a negative vibe on the concert, which is unfortunate because 311 put on a grade-A show.

311 is definitely worth checking out during the “Transistour.”

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 7th, 1997 at 9:55 am and is filed under Music, Music Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Related Posts: