311 mix reggae, rock, funk into a tight blend

By Scott Iwasaki
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 12:17 a.m. MDT
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311, SNOOP DOGG and FICTION PLANE, USANA Amphitheatre, Monday

Summer nights were made for a 311 concert. And the band mixed a little reggae, rock and funk together in a tight package Monday.

The word of the night was energy. Some of it was from the stage but a lot of it was in the audience.

When the lights went out, 311 — guitarist/vocalist Nick Hexum, vocalist SA Martinez, drummer Chad Sexton, guitarist Tim Mahoney and bassist P-Nut — stepped to the stage and launched into "Beautiful Disaster."

The band also cranked out "Come Original," "Champaigne" and a reggae version of the Cure's "Lovesong."

With an array of spot and strobe lights, highlighted by a colorful splashing background, 311 pleased the audience not only with songs and audience participation, but with Sexton's blistering drum solo. During which, the rest of the band added their own percussive dynamics on extra tom toms and cymbals.

"All Mixed Up" and "Down," the latter which was dedicated to"old-school 311 fans," sounded as current as they did 10 years ago.

Speaking of old-school. The original gangster Snoop Dogg primed the audience for the funk of 311 with his explosive brand of rap and hip-hop.

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His trademark "Gin & Juice" and more current works "Chronic" and "Drop It Like It's Hot" were highlights of his hourlong set. Monologues and freestyle pieces were salted with rap-star profanity as Snoop (born Calvin Broadus) cruised through his set that also included "Ups and Downs" and "Sexual Eruption."

Snoop Dogg's set was preceded by reggae trio Fiction Plane. Although the three sounded more like the Police, only unpolished, the band did get the audience in the mood for the rest of the night.

E-mail: scott@desnews.com

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