Three-eleven brought their funk drenched rap infused rock sounds to the Ventura Fairgrounds for the Concerts In Your Car series on November 14th. The boys from Omaha played two distinctive back-to-back shows drawing material from their thirteen studio albums and more. Since last June, when CBF Productions launched the first drive-in live music experience in California at the Ventura Fairgrounds, there has been a rebirth of live music events on the south coast. Many diverse acts have taken the stage at the venue, including Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Fitz, and The Tantrums, Los Lobos, Tower of Power, and Sublime. Three-eleven can now be added to the impressive list of seasoned performers. The band exploded onstage in a sound and lighting extravaganza for the first of two shows just after sunset. The band opened their 16 song setlist with one of their biggest hits, “Beautiful Disaster," which inspired some in the car audience to honk their horns and others to dance on the hoods of their cars.
The band had just come off a nine-month break because of COVID-19, the most extended break the band has had since 1990. In addition to the two shows in Ventura, the band also played a live performance at the Concerts In Your Car series in Phoenix last week. The band is also treating fans to a trio of Livestream shows where they’ll be performing their first three albums in their entirety. The first one took place on November 11th, when they performed "Music." On December 11th, they’ll perform "Grassroots," and on January 11th, they’ll perform the "Blue Album."
But fans in Ventura were incredibly happy to see the band playing live in front of them again. Lead singer and guitarist Nick Hexum led the band at a frantic pace, jumping all about the stage to engage the 360-degree audience surrounding him in their cars. Guitarist Tim Mahoney and bassist Aaron Wills kept a steady searing rhythm throughout the night. Lead vocal duties switched up on the more rap-centric “What The?!” when rapper/backup singer Doug “SA” Martinez took over. The set’s percussion highlight came during 1994’s “Applied Science,” when the jam paused for drummer Chad Sexton’s elaborate and melodic solo. That segued into a full-band drum circle with Hexum, Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, and bassist Aaron Wills all sharing two stand-up kits, thrashing them all while tossing drum sticks back and forth to each other. The song was one of the few that the band performed in both the early and late show. Hardcore fans who attended both shows were treated to almost entirely different sets drawing from the band's rich catalog.
Concerts In Your Car series continues in Ventura with a show by local Santa Barbara Reggae heroes Iration on December 4th. The band also plays the San Diego version of Concerts In Your Car on December 5th.
