Story and photos by:
Spc. Marshall Thompson
358th MPAD
For the average male soldier in Kosovo, it doesn't get much
better than good rock and roll and beautiful women. Perhaps this
is why many soldiers who attended the Liquid Blue concert at
Camp Bondsteel said it was the best band they had seen.
"It's the best show yet," said Sgt. Michael
Jarrell, a postal sergeant with the 554th
Postal Unit. "[Liquid Blue] got more response than
anybody."
The key to the success of Liquid Blue came in a three-part
combination guaranteed to rock any crowd. Liquid Blue first and
foremost is an excellent band that performs a panoramic
assortment of the finest songs. If the music wasn't enough by
itself, the Blue Girls, providing vocals and dancing, were
stunning. On top of all that, the audience participation was
unprecedented.
"I have to admit how multitalented they were," said
Pfc. Ryan Smith, a telecommunications computer
operator/maintainer, with G-6 from Headquarters and Headquarters
Company of Task Force Falcon. "They played instruments,
they sang, and the women were beautiful."
Liquid Blue has to be multitalented to be able to play all
sorts of pop music from rock and roll classics by Lynard Skynard,
to selections from Destiny's Child, Madonna, and Three Doors
Down.
"They played a lot of stuff that everybody knows.
Everybody was really familiar with the music," Jarrell
said.
To be able to play music that everybody knows, Liquid Blue
has mastered over 600 songs. A feat that Liquid Blue front man
Scott Stephens said requires excellent musicians.
"The audience here is really diverse. We wanted to do
something for everybody," said Stephens.
Liquid Blue did have something for everybody, and that was a
chance to participate.
"I think they were really motivated and they kept the
crowd motivated with their performance," said Sgt. David
Finkelstein, an information systems operator/analyst with B
Company of the 501st
Signal Battalion. "They got themselves involved with the
crowd."
Sgt. Josh Colburn, an aviation power plant repair specialist
with A Company of the 8th Battalion of the 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault), was invited up to sing "I'm
Proud to Be An American" with Liquid Blue. He
counterbalanced his tone-deafness with his sheer enthusiasm, dancing
with the Blue Girls and jumping around with a beach ball given
by Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR). If soldiers have learned
anything from the past major MWR events like the Dallas Cowboy
Cheerleaders and the Redskinettes, it's that it's good to be
having your birthday that day. Liquid Blue was no exception.
Sgt. Joseph LeBron, the noncommissioned officer in charge of
the G-3 drivers pool for HHC of TFF, was invited to come up on
stage and receive his 25th
birthday spankings from the Blue Girls.
"They really knew how to milk a crowd," said Smith
whose favorite part of the show was when Liquid Blue started
stage diving. "I think it was the most interactive band
ever here. It's good to see that stuff like this is being done
for soldiers."
Stephens said that Liquid Blue was interested in doing Armed
Forces Entertainment (AFE) shows because the whole band feels
that everybody should serve their country in one aspect or
another.
"We play a lot and have a lot of fun, but we also like
to give a lot back. This is an opportunity and an honor,"
Stephens said.
Stephens said that this tour was an eye-opener for the band
because they were able to see how people enjoyed their shows
without the effects of alcohol.
"They party just as hard as people that are drinking.
When they look you right in the eye and tell you how much they
liked the show, it's more sincere," Stephens said.
Liquid Blue has already toured the Middle East and Africa and
is currently doing a European tour with AFE. After this, they
plan to go to the Caribbean.
"We want to go to every base that we possibly can,"
Stephens said.
The show was an amazing boost to morale for the soldiers of
Task Force Falcon.
"I think it gives people something to look forward to,
and gets them out of the routine. I wish they would come back
and give [the next rotation] a taste of their talent,"
Finkelstein said.
