Rusty "Yoda" Simon Electric Bass, Vocals Born April 2, 1976 in New Brunswick, NJ, Russell began his musical exploration when he was enrolled in piano lessons at he age of seven. For the next few years he studied piano and guitar and developed a true love for music, rhythm, and performance. Throughuot high school he began to further develop his musical skills and classical repetiore by singing with various acapella groups and chiors. In 1994 Russell moved to St. Louis, MO and bought his first bass. It was the functional combination of melody and rythym that initially brought Russell to the bass, and with a new interest in funk, r&b, and motown, his four-string p-bass was a perfect means for expression. Russell is a graduate of the Bass Institute of Technology, where he studied with Alexis Sklarevski, Ernest Tibbs, and David Kief. He also earned a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Peformance from San Francisco State University, where he studied with David Motto. Bands Played With: Five Star and the Inhalations, Mike Robinson, Wig Salad, Cowspace, Damien Masterson, Funklogic. Msusician's opened for: Pharcyde, Leo Nocentelli, Melvin Sparks, ALO, Robert Walter, Vinyl. Festivals: High Sierra Music Fest, Whole Earth Festival, Marin Music Fest, Los Angeles Gem Faire, Sauailito Chilli Festival. Gear: 5-String Modulus Genesis David Eden 430 Watt Traveler David Eden 2x10 cabinet. Soft Hands. To email him please do so rusty@pushsf.com