311 & The Offspring wsg Pepper in concert live at the DTE Energy Music Theatre! Win tickets online and all this week on the Midday, Afternoon Shows with Dana, Jay & Chris!
DTE Energy Music Theatre
With special guest(s): Pepper
Date & Time: Wednesday, July 7 at 7:00 PM
Price: $45 and $29.50 pavilion and $29.50 lawn
Doors: 5:30 PM
More Info: Special lawn ticket four-packs at $80 are also available.
311
“311’s fusion of reggae and rap-metal was created in Omaha, NE, where singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, DJ/singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton, and the bassist known only as P-Nut launched the group in 1990. Taking their name from the Omaha Police Department’s code for indecent exposure, the quintet began gigging locally and soon moved to Los Angeles, signing with Capricorn Records in 1991. 311 then translated their regional success into national recognition with several key albums, including 1992’s Music, 1993’s Grassroots, and 1995’s eponymous 311 (aka The Blue Album), the latter of which reached number 12 on the album chart, sold three million copies in the U.S., and sported the hit tracks “All Mixed Up” and “Down.”
In 1996, following a nonstop year of touring in support of 311, the band released Enlarged to Show Detail, a home video of live performances taken from amphitheater shows in Kansas City and Denver. Transistor, a double album of new songs sandwiched onto one CD, arrived one year later and prompted the group’s most ambitious tour yet. The album soon achieved platinum status, and the resulting show dates provided ample material for Live, which was released in 1998 and captured the band’s strength in concert. A year later, 311 returned with Soundsystem before jumping to the Volcano label for the release of From Chaos, which appeared in summer 2001. Evolver appeared two years later; unlike its predecessors, however, the album failed to go gold or platinum.
By now, 311 had been together over ten years, and the band celebrated its decade-plus existence with the Greatest Hits compilation. Released in July 2004, the album included all of 311’s hit singles, several new tracks, and the band’s reggae-tinged cover of the Cure’s “Love Song,” which had originally appeared on the soundtrack to the Adam Sandler film 50 First Dates. 311 presented new material in August 2005 with the Don’t Tread on Me LP, followed by an additional round of touring. Upon its completion, the road-weary musicians took a hiatus, their first break in nearly ten years. 311 soon returned to the studio, however, this time partnering with mega-producer Bob Rock. Heralded by frontman Nick Hexum as “the heaviest 311 has ever been,” the resulting Uplifter arrived in 2009″.
The Offspring
The Offspring were played on both alternative and album rock stations, confirming their broad-based appeal. “Self Esteem,” the second single, followed the same soft verse/loud chorus formula and stayed on the charts nearly twice as long as “Come Out and Play.” The group got offers from major labels, yet chose to stay with Epitaph. While they were able to play arenas in the U.S., their success didn’t translate in foreign countries. Nevertheless, the band’s popularity continued to grow in America, as “Gotta Get Away” became another radio/MTV hit in the beginning of 1995. The Offspring recorded a version of the Damned’s “Smash It Up” for the Batman Forever soundtrack in the summer of that year; it kept the group on the charts as the bandmembers worked on their third album.
Following a prolonged bidding war and much soul-searching, the Offspring decided to leave Epitaph Records in 1996 for Columbia Records. The move was particularly controversial within the punk community, and many artists on the Epitaph roster, including Pennywise and owner Brett Gurewitz, criticized the band. After much delay, the Offspring finally released their Columbia debut, Ixnay on the Hombre, in February of 1997. Expectations for the record were high and it did receive good reviews, but Ixnay on the Hombre failed to become a crossover hit on the level of Smash, and the group also lost a significant portion of its hardcore punk audience due to the album’s major-label status. Americana followed in 1998, scoring the hit “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy).” In mid-2000, the Offspring made controversial headlines with their decision to offer Conspiracy of One free of charge via the Internet prior to the initial November release date. Sony Music did not adhere to such a move and threatened a lawsuit; therefore, the band nixed plans to release the album in such a manner. Individual singles, however, were made available on the band’s official website and other music-related sites such as /MTV Online.
The Offspring returned in 2003 with Splinter. The album was released through Columbia, proving the band’s flouting of the record biz hadn’t soured the major labels. It also featured the single “Hit That,” which returned to the smarmy, pop-referential feel of “Pretty Fly.” The Offspring toured the world in support of Splinter, and in the process they hit nearly every continent at least once. They returned in June 2005 with a greatest-hits set; in addition to their major hits, it included the new track “Can’t Repeat.” In 2008, after several delays, the band returned with its first studio release in four and a half years, releasing the highly anticipated Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace.
Listen all this week, and have the chance to win tickets to see 311 & The Offspring live in concert with 99.1 FM CKXS.
