311 Opens Season At Park

311 stands out in an industry populated by self-serving, self-important, egomaniacal rock artistes.

These boys are polite. They say please. And thank you.

They celebrate originality and, heaven forbid, happiness in their blend of reggae, funk and hard rock.

“It’s very easy to go the other way and just be negative,” says singer/DJ S.A. Martinez. “It’s such an easy crutch … We get a lot of responses from kids who say our music has helped them deal with tough situations. It’s really cool.”

The band, named after an Omaha police code for indecent exposure, got its start in 1991.

All five members grew up in Omaha. Singer Nick Hexum, drummer Chad Sexton and guitarist Tim Mahoney went to high school together on the city’s west side, while Martinez and bass player P-Nut went to school on the south side.

They released two CDs before 1995’s self-titled album rocketed up the charts. The first single, “Down,” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Radio list, and the follow-up, “All Mixed Up,” went to No. 2. The album is now triple-platinum.

“If you’d asked me when I was in high school, I don’t think I would’ve envisioned this,” Martinez says.

311’s latest album, “Soundsystem,” features the single “Come Original,” a reggae-rap salute to originality.

Band members have been vocal in their support of legalizing marijuana, with P-Nut even working to free people in jail on drug charges, Martinez says.

“We’re always down for the cause,” he says. “We don’t promote it per se … As a unit, we endorse free thinking. As long as people are not hurting each other, we see nothing wrong with people lighting up.”

The band is working on lyrics for a new album, to come out early next year, Martinez says.

“We’ll probably do some more drum-and-bass type of rock, keep messing with the idea that we planted a long time ago, and that’s just mixing it up,” he says.

Opening for 311 is Calabasas, Calif.-based funk-metal band Incubus. The band’s latest release, “Make Yourself,” has sold more than a half-million copies, and the single, “Pardon Me,” is at No. 6 on Billboard’s modern rock chart.

This sidebar appeared with the story: 311 and Incubus

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Riverfront Park.

Tickets: $25, available through G&B.