An intense melody perked up the audience's energy. Suddenly, no one could sit still; fans were crying for more. The music crept its way into the heads of the listeners as they rose from their seats and began to groove, keeping in beat with the song.
Shea Marshall, the saxophonist of Soaking Fused, hopped off the stage, strolled through the dance floor and gingerly leaned against a wall as he unraveled his soul.
Marshall, 19, began his musical exploration with the organ when he was five years old. He picked up the sax when he was nine and began playing at jam sessions, finding an interest in the Blues when he was about 12.
He joined Soaking Fused one year ago and leads the band through baritone, alto, tenor or soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet, and other instruments of the moment.
The quartet, also comprised of a drummer, guitarist and bassist, create a truly unique sound and incorporate any and every fashion of music from Jazz to Emo. Their goal is "to make a new cohesive experimental sound and vibe," says drummer Mike Bell, 23. And they do just that.
Their sound deviates from the norm of the ever-prominent pop music. They take it to another level and find their grooves in anything but conventional styles. It is complex and in depth and it engages the listeners' minds.
"The central driving force behind the creation of this 'new music' is the bands' sense of communication within the band, between the band and audience, and as an expression of the conflict within each musician," explains Marshall.
Back on the stage, the music began to settle in anticipation for one of the members to take the lead. They spoke with each other briefly, fans hollered and some continued to move to the persistent beat, though it had calmed down to recover for a moment.
Guitarist, Steve Himmelstein, 22, jammed a few chords as he went into a fervid solo, acquiring loud compliments from fans in the back of the bar as everyone got their groove back and started dancing.
Himmelstein began playing the guitar when he was 15 years old in his high school's jazz band. He joined Soaking Fused in 2002 and began to tour Arizona and California with the group playing the five songs they had all ready composed and improvising the rest.
The most important aspect of the group is that all members are equally passionate about their instruments and their music. They connect with each other on a deep level and are able to in turn connect with the audience.
"I play the music I play because I love it," says bassist Ben, 23. "It is meditative in that it is so consuming that I can't think about anything."
Soaking Fused originally had its roots over eight years ago when Ben and Bell first began jamming together. Since then they have grown both numerically and musically and eventually hope to go back on tour, but in the mean time they aspire to create fresh music for their fans and themselves.
As their set came to an end and the bar lights flashed on, the audience stood motionless, pondering the chaos that had just happened. Some screamed for more, others approached the members in congratulations, and some remained in shock, lost in the moment. The expressions on the members' faces were those of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Overall, it had been a great night for Soaking Fused; they vibed well with each other and their jams were in sync but most importantly, they had reached out and connected with their audience.
Soaking Fused play Tuesday nights at the Sail Inn or check them out at their Web site www.soakingfused.com.
Reach the reporter at Shaina.Levee@asu.edu
