Consider your contacts. A relative or close friend in the music biz could save you plenty of time in your search for a backstage pass. For example, if your cousin's lawyer's neighbor is 311's tour manager, you're probably good to go. You just have to start asking to find out. A select group of backstage visitors end up there only because of who they know. They've called in a favor to a friend or a friend-of-a-friend in the entertainment industry. Don't forget that 311 got started in Omaha, Nebraska. Any friends or relatives who hail from the Cornhusker State's largest city might be a great place to start.
Listen to local radio for backstage pass contests. Listening all day to local radio programming might not be possible, so contact the marketing department of any local radio station that advertises for the 311 concert you wish to attend, and ask about any 311 backstage pass contests they might be having. Contact through email works best in these situations, but don't send more than one follow-up email a week, and keep them short and sweet.
Contact 311's official fan club. Specifically, contact Joan O'Reilly, a.k.a. P-Nut's mother, at [email protected]. She is co-founder of 311's official fan club, "The Hive," and might just have the inside scoop on ways you could meet her baby boy backstage at your local venue. There is no telling how many emails she receives on this topic, so don't be surprised if you receive a standard form letter in response, but who knows, if you write to her respectfully she may personally answer you back -- she is a mother after all.
Purchase a VIP package. VIP packages that include backstage passes can be purchased occasionally through well-known online ticket vendors like Ticketmaster and Stub Hub and possibly through the Artist Arena website, which sells tickets to members of The Hive only and not the general public. The only drawback is that these packages can put a major dent in your debit card, so it might be time to accept that second paper route.
Acquire a job at the nearest tour stop. Download 311's concert tour calendar, find the nearest venue to your house, and apply for whatever jobs they have available. Dishwashers, janitors and maintenance staff usually have to pass backstage to clean up and empty the trash. If the venue serves alcohol, bar backs have to stock that green room with ice and will therefore carry an identification badge letting security know they belong there. It's similar to being a dealer at a casino. Dealers get to hold a bunch of chips whenever they want. It's called a "perk of the job." If you don't like the job, just quit the morning after 311 plays, or stay on and make "getting backstage" a lifestyle.