311’s Unity Tour hits Huber Heights, Ohio

The Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, Ohio was filled with loyal “Excitable Ones” Wednesday evening for the fourth stop (and revival) of 311’s 2024 Unity Tour. 311’s perfect blend of rock, reggae, hip hop, and funk has historically brought along openers from the Cali Reggae scene, but the band diverged this year, opting for alternative bands Neon Trees and AWOLNATION. 

Neon Trees — hailing from Provo, Utah — kicked off the evening with their unique brand of pop rock.

Frontman Tyler Glenn’s charismatic stage presence was energy-packed. Despite a shorter set, Neon Trees delivered hits like “Sleeping With A Friend”, “Everybody Talks”, and “Animal”, as well as some new songs from their upcoming album Sink Your Teeth releasing September 20th.

Los Angeles natives, AWOLNATION followed, bringing their signature blend of alternative rock and electro. Lead singer Aaron Bruno’s powerful vocals, outfit, and flamboyant stage presence was reminiscent of David Byrne, dancing across the stage with his mic stand in “Stop Making Sense”. The band bolstered this performance with their dynamic instrumentation in tracks like “Sail”, “Run”, a raucous cover of “Song 2” by Blur, and their newest single “Panoramic View” off of their upcoming album release The Phantom Five, coming August 30th.

As the night progressed, the crowd’s energy continued to grow in anticipation for 311’s set to begin.

The audience cathartically erupted to the first notes of “Beautiful Disaster”. Originally formed in 1988 in Omaha, Nebraska, the iconic reggae rock amalgam that is 311 immediately transported everyone into a state of euphoria. For 36 years, the band has perfected their ability to entertain, providing ethereal visuals to support their deep catalog in recent years.

From the hard rock rhythms of “Down”, “What Was I Thinking”, and the 30th anniversary of “Homebrew” to the melodic sounds of “Amber”, “Champagne”, and “Beyond the Grey Sky”, 311 delivered a setlist that catered to both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Highlights of the evening included their new single “You’re Gonna Get it” and an extended bass solo by P-Nut (which included a snippet of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name Of”).

However, I personally feel there was a missed opportunity to perform “Sunset in July” as they were performing on July 24th during a beautiful sunset. 

The always fan-favorite drumline during “Applied Science” consistently delivers, too. Chad Sexton’s drum and bass — almost EDM — solo was one of the best I have witnessed, including what sounded like a didgeridoo that everyone was bobbing their heads along to. This rendition was my personal favorite from all of the years I have attended 311 shows.

The Unity Tour definitely lived up to its name!

Photography by Ryan Jacquot

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