SPACE CITY ROCK: Live -- 311 Kicks It High School Stylee

Live: 311 Kicks It High School Stylee

by Jill Krasny

CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL PAVILION -- 9/1/2006: It's not entirely their fault. 311 has been around since before I was in high school, and that dear reader, is a very long time. So can I really blame the guys for the kegger that was their September 1st show at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion? Probably not. They've created a sound that's undeniably high school. Funky, danceable, with a generous splash of whitewashed reggae and bravado, the rap-rock outfit will be cranking out crap for years, no matter how childish the lyrics come off.

But let's start at the beginning, shall we? The night kicked off with the shittiest excuse for a 311 imitation ever, Pepper. That's all I'm going to write about them. Matters improved significantly, however, once the Wailers took the stage. Their predictable set was flush with all the Marley standards -- "One Love," "Stir it Up," and "Is This Love," to name a few -- and sent the brat-packs into a frenzy, no doubt fostering a sense of contact high-induced unity. And though their set wasn't remarkable, it wasn't shabby, either; just a mild sort of letdown from an amazingly talented group.

It was around the end of the Wailers' set that I realized the real show was going down right before my eyes. No, really. Up in the lawn, in front of my overpriced rented recliner, were two swinging couples getting more than a feel. These kids were probably no older than 16 or 17 and they were dry-humping their way into hussy heaven, all to the sounds of 311 and the Wailers! Not that I actually watched (c'mon guys, I'm not that perverted), mind you.

Ah, well. At least I got to hear them play "Down." END

LINKS:

311 -- http://www.311.com/; The Wailers -- http://www.wailers.com/; Pepper -- http://www.pepperlive.com/; The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion -- http://www.woodlandscenter.org/