November 13, 1997

I had seen the band Fluid at the Go Lounge Local Music Fest, and they impressed the hell out of me, so I went to catch them in a full gig at the Sapphire. My thirst was immediately quenched with a spoken word reading by local poet Elton Bracey. Then the four seasoned and multi-dimensional forces of Fluid took over the stage. They submersed us into a phat, thumpin' melodical mayhem with strong technical merit. The band's diversity shows a wide range of powerful influences, such as Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jaco Pastorias, and Chester Thompson.

The anticipation following an elongated sound check was eased away when Fluid exploded into "Getaway", featuring Gerry (pronounced with a hard 'G") Williams on keyboards and lead vocals. Another song, "Red Headed Lover", tells the story of the one we really want, but we can't connect with because she doesn't know who she is. "Blackbird" was a favorite of mine, exuding a crunching bottom with a tenacious high end and blending the two until we were wet.

Left hander David Sheehan - on drums - provided an ample pocket to give the band many channels to grow from. At stage right, Don Morgan on electric bass (he also plays stand up) added even flow to an already gravitating groove. Errol Windham on guitar flavored the rhythm section with tasteful leads. He's also a passionate writer, which adds texture to the band's songs. What's coolest about this band is the team spirit. Regardless of any adversity, I get the feeling that they will always prevail.

Matt Gibbons 33 going on 21, I've been writing poetry for 6 years, Percussionist - 15 years, Recovery from Sci C-6, Enjoy bicycling, mopeding, reading, Into jazz and anything with a Gruve, The Subleties that life has to offer, Slow dancing in the rain, The wonderment of white-out, Single! Other Articles I've Written