It can be difficult to keep crowd spirits and energy up at an outdoor show nearly any time of the year – in a record heat wave, even more so. To hear the crowd at the Skyla Credit Union Amphitheater on June 24th, though, you never would have known.
From the moment opener Sitting On Saturn took the stage, it was clear everyone there was ready for a show. Music filled the air, and palpable delight swept through the amphitheatre. Vocalist and guitarist Hoyt Yeatman played barefoot, and he was in constant motion from the beginning of their first song – headbanging and jumping his way across the stage, playing to the crowd and his fellow band members alike. At one point, he mentioned that the 311 sticker on his guitar was the first one he’d placed there. Sitting on Saturn clearly draws on a number of inspirations as a band, from punk to ska, but to hear that 311 is among those inspirations just makes sense. Their endless enthusiasm clearly came not only from their own enjoyment of playing for an audience and playing with each other, but also being a part of this particular lineup.
Next to the stage was Badflower. Fans stationed at the barricade screamed as soon as frontman Josh Katz took the stage, many of them decked out in Badflower merch. Again, the enthusiasm echoing between the band and the audience was absolutely contagious. Bassist Alex Espiritu spun and rocked all across his side of the stage, grinning all the while. Katz and lead guitarist Joey Morrow made jokes between the band’s heart-pounding songs, full of bass and drums you could feel in the back of your throat. At one point, much to everyone’s chagrin, the PA system dropped out, but Badflower didn’t let that stop them. Instead, Katz stepped up to the edge of the stage and led a singalong with just his own voice and Anthony Sonetti’s steady drumbeat. In spite of the less than ideal circumstances, it was a beautiful moment to be a part of.
To wrap up the night, 311 took the stage. It’s clear, from the moment they step out, why I’ve heard so many people in attendance that night say 311 is the band they’ve seen live the most. There’s location specific merch for just this show, and at their show just three nights before in Delaware, the band had dedicated their song “Visit” to fans who were seeing the band in their 50th state. The band themselves acknowledge onstage that they’re happy to still be actively touring, not just to play their music, but to continue spreading positivity – and it was that overall good vibe that I’d felt and seen in action all night long. Fans sharing stories, people helping each other tip the emptying water cooler so everyone could get a drink, taking pictures for complete strangers and thanking each other and laughing together afterwards. All around me were people who were happy to enjoy the music they love, and to share that with the people around them who understood – all brought together by a mutual appreciation of 311 and the kind of energy they bring to their shows.
Right now, especially in a stifling heat wave, it can feel hard to find those spaces. But the name of 311’s “Unity” tour is no false assurance – it’s a promise of what you can feel as soon as you walk in the venue.
Catch up with Sitting on Saturn, Badflower, and 311 on social media, and be sure to catch the Unity tour near you if you get a chance.
All photos appear courtesy of Fox Nichols
