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Whether you classify them as “jamtronica”, “livetronica”, or some other sub-genre of music,
Sound Tribe Sector 9's live performances have a sound and vibe of their own. Warriors of the road
and festival mainstay, Sound Tribe Sector 9 aka STS9, hit The Fillmore Detroit
on Saturday night to play to a packed audience. The 5 piece Atlanta “jamtronica”
outfit played a slick, two-part, 2 hour 45 and minute set with an 8 piece band,
complete with a 3 piece horn section, and an immersive light show. STS9 have
been honing their sound and spectacle for well over a decade now, playing at
pretty much every festival and venue imaginable. In fact, their last Michigan
area performance was a 2 night stint at 2012’s Electric Forest Festival. The
energy throughout the Fillmore on Saturday night was all about the positive
vibes and good sounds. Sound Tribe Sector 9 showcased the versatility of their
musicianship thoughout their performance. They continuously changed up the musical
styles from funk and jazz, to hip hop and psychedelica, and mostly from jam and
electronic oriented sounds.
One thing that makes a STS9 show so spectacular and
interesting is the diversity of the crowd. There are ravers, hippies, old
school and the new school, the “bro’s” in neon rage-wear and those in hemp and
tie-dye; yet, everybody is meshing together, having a great time taking in the
rhythms. After seeing STS9 live, the reason for their vast success is quite apparent;
nobody puts on a show quite the way that they do.
Sound Tribe Sector 9 played their set with a giant LED
pyramid behind them displaying trippy graphics and ever-changing shapes. The
light sequencing and display rivaled some of the best that I’ve seen from masters
of the electronic lightshow like Daft Punk, Amon Tobin and Deadmau5. One thing
to note about the lighting was the fact that the LED pyramid wasn’t overused; there were many moments where only the non-LED lighting on the stage was
utilized, creating a beautiful balance in presentation. The
band effortlessly bridge a multimedia-filled electronic music performance with
a jam band oriented sentiment. I would urge any electronic music fan who is
considering seeing STS9, but wary of their “jam-iness”, not to be discouraged
by their jam band style. Their music has many elements that every music fan can appreciate,
get into, and dance along with. For many Detroiters, this memorable show will be one of the highlights of their 2013.
SETLIST
SpottieOttieDopaliscious
Shock Doctrine
Abcees
Tap-In
Metameme
Tooth
March
Kamuy
Vapors
Scheme
Simulator
Kabuki
F. Word
Arigato
Vibyl
Biggs
Inspire Strikes Back
Galactic Earth Zoom
When The Dust Settles
Be Nice
F. Word
Arigato
Vibyl
Biggs
Inspire Strikes Back
Galactic Earth Zoom
When The Dust Settles
Be Nice