311 @ BB&T Pavilion, New Jersey (21.08.21)

For many of us die-hard live music lovers that were forced to be entertained with everything else other than live music, live shows have certainly made a huge come back with many of our beloved musical artists that have kept many or most of us scrolling through YouTube videos or virtual concerts to pass the time. The reintroduction of live gigs has certainly paid off with, once again, a full spectrum of a great show like it’s your first live show in decades and for many of us, myself included, it was just that.

Music has given us many different choices especially when it comes to a great live concert performance and living in a typical busy music market with various venues all going at once with five different bands made it difficult to choose leaving it to just one band I haven’t seen in more than 20+ years. It made it fun all over again even in the current state we are still under. Sitting centre stage to watch not one but two stellar reggae-rock acts from the shores of California, Iya Terra and Iration, warming up the stage for 311’s headliner set.

For a few thousand that packed the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, NJ, we all enjoyed a great show from 311 performing a mixture of new and old favourites including ‘All Mixed Up’, ‘Amber’, ‘Don’t Stay Home’ and ‘Down’ which were huge monster hits from the earlier 90s. They kept fans on their toes and out of their seats the entire time with new songs I never heard which were all great. In fact, it made me think of getting copies from their catalogues to discover more than just a handful of songs that made them a famous band all those years ago.

It was absolutely refreshing to be a part of one of my first shows after being locked up in a silent world. Since their days on Capricorn Records, 311 has blossomed into one of rock’s greatest bands and never disappoints as a live band as many of us have seen in their recent concerts.

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All photographs are credited to Steve Trager.