311: Tiny Desk Concert

Maia Stern | March 11, 2024
What better way to spend March 11 than with 311 bringing love and nostalgia to the Tiny Desk. The members of 311, who have been a band together for over 30 years, strolled into NPR HQ and barely needed much rehearsal time before playing four of their most beloved tracks. The band has been performing these songs for decades, and you can tell it all just comes naturally. "This kind of reminds me of being in my dad's basement, being back next to the pool table, but it smells better here," said lead singer Nick Hexum, who felt right at home and back to his roots at our office space.

311's self-titled album came out in 1995 when I was entering my peak angst stage. The songs on that album were the perfect soundtrack to all the pre-teen feelings I wasn't able to fully express myself. I also heavily related to what remains to be my favorite lyric of all time from the band's 1997 album Transistor: "I do, I don't, whatever."

311's Tiny Desk set started off with the song that lyric comes from, personal favorite "Beautiful Disaster." The band continued with classic "All Mixed Up" before chilling out a bit with "Amber." Then, as Hexum said before the band's final track, "Down," it was "back to the rock." Listen out for SA's changed lyric honoring my and Tiny Desk's shared hometown: "Fall in love with your teachers, on the wax we are self made / Check the technique, 311 in D.C."

SET LIST
"Beautiful Disaster"
"All Mixed Up"
"Amber"
"Down"

MUSICIANS
Nick Hexum: vocals, guitar
Tim Mahoney: guitar
SA: turntables, vocals
Chad Sexton: drums
P-Nut: bass

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer/Director: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#311 #nprmusic #tinydesk

0:00 Beautiful Disaster
4:25 All Mixed Up
8:30 Amber
12:15 Down

[Fit.For.A.Firefight.]

If you’re here, congratulations. We all made it through our youth and have entered our golden years.

[BTBSteve]

311 snare drum is the sound of my childhood 🙏

[michelebella]

I love that the band still has all its original members. A lot of these bands from the 90s end up just being the lead singer and a bunch of studio musicians. Their music is timeless.

[Seapatico]

So much respect for 311 for playing the hits. No one comes on Tiny Desk and plays TWO songs from their 1995 album, but 311 delivers.

[mattstiglic]

311 might be one of the few bands from my youth that STILL has all their original

[bobcaldwell]

Nick ending with "Stay positive. Love your life" really gave me a smile. It was a brutal day for me

[folkbeard]

So glad that NPR celebrates 03/11 day.

[timothyrixner]

Props to PNUT for the quiet Mac Miller tribute w/ the orange Don't Trip hat. This band is so good and they just keep getting better. Original crew 30+ years later and still rocking.

[rotapp]

First I was kinda shocked of seeing all my favourite bands getting older, but now I kinda love it. Getting old is part of life and seeing them still with the same energy is awesome.

[nathanaeldavenport]

I've been a touring musician before. I know how mind-numbing it can be to play the same music over and over. These guys have been doing these songs for decades. You don't do that unless you really, REALLY love your fans. They've already made their millions. They've already got their fame. They have nothing to prove anymore. The only thing I can see that keeps them going is just straight up love for one of the most loyal fanbases in the business. That's pretty admirable.

[kyleorr]

They all look like dads from 5 very different sitcoms.

[BahamutBreaker]

Kind of nutty that these five guys have kept the band together for so many years. Still sound pretty good, too!

[DZblaze]

This 15 minutes, literally can bring back YEARS of memories and great time, so easily and quickly

[TacosFromMars]

They are respectably tight after so many years. Well done

[white-mocha]

311 is criminally underrated. So good, still, after 30 years. Nick looks decades below his age. Tiny desk sound engineers might be the best in industry.

[ixdrums]

I don't know of it's ever been said, but you really have to give this band credit for introducing rock fans to a lot of world music styles

[stu]

Can't believe they crammed their sound behind the Tiny Desk! Happy 311!

[eustaciosolisii]

I’m 36 and I’ve been in a 311 kick for the last two weeks showing my daughter this beautiful music and now I run into this…. The universe is an awesome thing. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[racamorg]

They've still got it. I love seeing artists love what they do decades later.

[furious_boye]

This brings me so much joy. Whoever came up with the idea to have 311 on TD, thank you!