Article & Photos by Ommar Ortuvia

Houston, TX — To think of Houston without NASA is like thinking of Italian food without pasta. NASA’s Mission Control and space exploration are so deeply woven into the city’s DNA that “Space City” has become more than a nickname – it’s an identity that extends from the ill-quoted “Houston, we have a problem” to the names of its sports teams. At Space Center Houston (NASA’s public visitor center and museum) the Moon 2 Mars festival (whose full official name is Moon 2 Mars Festival presented by Wellby Financial) took place on the weekend of March 13-14, where visitors could get hands on with many STEM and space exploration activities and displays during the day, and culminating in a high-energy outdoor concert at night. On Saturday evening, 311 closed the festival with their alternative, funky, reggae-esque brand of rock.

Since forming in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1988, 311 has built a strong connection and a fiercely loyal following through decades of constant touring and a prolific discography. Fresh off their “311 Day” celebration in Las Vegas on March 7-8, the band arrived in Houston ready to maintain that momentum.

The show began with a cinematic flourish; at 7:00 PM, the PA roared to life with Also sprach Zarathustra while the stage screen flashed iconic clips from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 futuristic space opus 2001: A Space Odyssey. This introduction provided a unique sensorial and musical experience that only Houston can provide; the band’s frequent use of space and planetary imagery and futuristic lyrics paired perfectly with the backdrop of Independence Plaza, where a replica of the space shuttle Independence sits atop its NASA 905 Boeing 747 carrier.

Once the band took the stage, they launched straight into the opener “Beautiful Disaster,” followed quickly by “Freeze Time” and the fan-favorite “All Mixed Up.” Afterwards, lead singer Nick Hexum addressed the crowd stating they wanted to play space-themed songs and introduced Starshines. The band continued moving through a hit-heavy catalog including their groovy reggae-flavored cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong,” “Come Original,” “Beyond the Gray Sky,” and the mellow vibrations of “Champagne” and “Amber.” They ensured long-time fans got exactly what they came for: bassist P-Nut’s signature solo featuring his glowing fret markers, and drummer Chad Sexton’s thunderous solo that segued into the band’s iconic Batucada-style of collective drumming.

After closing the main set with “Creatures (For a While),” the band returned for a high-energy encore. They reached back to their 1993 major release debut Music for “Feels So Good,” touched on their 2019 album Voyager with “Don’t You Worry,” and finally closed the night with their massive hit, “Down.”

Over the course of 90 minutes, 311 bridged 36 years of musical history. While the setlist leaned heavily on their mid-90s to mid-00s prime, they did play a few tracks from their recent releases but most notably songs their 2024 release Full Bloom were absent. All in all, the band put on a great show, and the Moon 2 Mars Festival offered a one-of-a-kind experience where hardcore fans and families alike could celebrate this great band under the stars, spaceships, and rockets. By the time the final note rang out, one thing was certain: Houston, we have no problems.

You can access Houston Space Center’s Moon 2 Mars website for more information at https://spacecenter.org/moon2marsfestival