Photos by Sam Heller // Written by Mike Frash //
STS9 with Tycho //
Fox Theater Oakland – Oakland
March 1st, 2013 //
STS9 flowed through the Fox Theater Oakland last Friday, delivering a couple of sets that were heavy on newer material off their 2011 EP When the Dust Settles. The second set began with an unexpected treat: a horn section joined the electronic jam band for the first four songs.
More than any other live act, the quintet originally from Athens, Ga., that now calls Santa Cruz, Calif., home straddles the line between jam band and electronic music despite usually deferring to its more traditional instrumentation via guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and percussion. However, most members have a laptop nearby and the second layer of the band sits on an elevated platform while onstage just like most major DJs do these days.
There was a duality to the show with rising SF-based electronic musician Tycho (born Scott Hansen) having plenty of his own fans in attendance as the evening’s opening act. It seemed like the ambient-techno project would be a perfect opener for STS9 based on both groups’ musical output and sonic similarities, but the bridge was never finished and a surprising amount of concertgoers left the Fox before STS9 ever took the stage.
This only gave more room for the Sound Tribe faithful to get down and celebrate a two-set performance that culminated with “By the Morning Sun” and Scheme” during the encore.
Set 1: This, Us!, When The Dust Settles > Arigato, Beyond Right Now, T.W.E.L.V.E > Warrior, Metameme, Simulator
Set 2: Revolutions 1993*, End Titles*, Be Nice*, Firewall*, Golden Gate, Rent, Biggs >New Song, What is Love, Awesome, The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature
Encore: By the Morning Sun, Scheme
*with horns
Cool stuff!!!!