The Russ Liquid Experiment had the Purple Hatters Ball crowd at the Spirit Of The Suwannee Music Park united in a dance floor rampage at the end of their set on Friday night. The band was clearly feeding off the crowd and feeling the love passed back and forth from stage to fan and back again. It was a beautiful sight to see. With the heart of the Purple Hatters Ball being a memorial to a fallen friend, any band that can tap that call and response level of love deserves a spot on the lineup dedicated to that very emotion.
Multi-instrumentalist Russel Scott, AKA Russ Liquid, has found the perfect blend of talents to back him as he takes charge of the stage in a way few can. Razor sharp drumming from Deven Trusclair showed why no machine could hope to capture the human element on the stool. And on guitar, the unassuming Andrew Block, whose tame demeanor belies a rock and roll fire that is almost to passionate at times. One worries about flashes of temporary insanity in the audience at the sound and fury Block releases from seemingly nowhere.
After a lengthy set that had the packed Amphitheater locked in full-on boogie mode, Russ made the sad announcement that the clock on the wall was telling it’s same old sad story. The sadness quickly disappeared when Russ asked the audience, “You guys wanna hear a new song?” The wild jams subsequently put down, especially by Block on his tortured guitar, kicked the rage factor up to eleven.
Russ Liquid is a fierce performer and an insightful visionary when it comes to balancing his many fills and jams with the work his band mates are doing. But at the very end, as the stage lights started to come on and the workers began to clear the gear, he did something of note. He picks up a trumpet and blows out one last blast of jams for the fans begging for an encore. That burst of whimsy showed an artist more than happy to do all he can to make the world a better place.
Watch the new Russ Liquid Test tune debut below, filmed by our own Rex Thomson, and keep an eye out for his ensuing video review. It is certain to have more on this special set of seriously fun songs. Enjoy!
“The Russ Liquid Test”