f aliens ever made a jam band, they would probably sound a lot like STS9. Sound Tribe Sector Nine (STS9) has been mesmerizing loyal fans with electronic-inspired jam music for 27 years and continued their tradition of mind-melting on a two-night run in Chicago featuring Lettuce as an opener.
If you've been attending any shows in the electronic or jam band scenes since 1997, it would be pretty hard to avoid running into STS9. Their unique live shows have inspired fans to see them anywhere from 50 to 300 times and keep them coming back. Seeing STS9 is like entering a deep musical trance where all parts of your brain are engaged. Their combination of tight, uptempo percussion, interstellar piano melodies, trippy guitar riffs and powerful bass creates an immersive soundscape that makes you wonder what planet you're on. The band must have listened to bunch of Pink Floyd and Terrapin Station recordings because they've mastered the art of creating experimental jams enhanced by electronic sounds.
STS9 was formed in 1997 outside of Atlanta but they've turned into a national phenomenon. They've played 35 shows at Red Rocks (earning them a spot in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame) and every top-tier festival from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza. They've also become a mainstay for electronic festivals like Sonic Bloom, Camp Bisco, Resonate, and more. Aside from extensive touring and delivering sought after sets at festivals, the band puts a lot of effort shining light on up & coming DJs and bands.
Sound Tribe has invited acts like Tycho, Eprom, Shpongle, OTT, and more to open for them. This sort of expert curation shows how tapped in the band is to the new sounds of the electronic scene and creates a party that spans generations. Their record label, 1320 records, has also released records by Big Gigantic, The Polish Ambassador, Future Rock and more. Sound Tribe not only shows a lot of love to aspiring acts, but they also use their events to donate to charity and make a positive impact on the communities they visit.
STS9 has been partnering with Conscious Alliance for the past decade to provide food and donations for impoverished communities. If you brought 20 non-perishable items to the recent Chicago show you would have received an exclusive show poster for free. But they also do bigger charity projects. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the band raised $20,000 with a benefit concert to support the victims. They are doing something super similar for Asheville as well. The band was supposed to play in Asheville for New Year's Eve but had to cancel the event after Helene destroyed many parts of the town. They moved the NYE show to New Orleans but will be donating a portion of all ticket sales to assist the relief efforts in WNC.
The combination of their charity efforts, memorable live shows, and extensive discography that includes over 11 full-length albums has made STS9 a cornerstone of the intersection between electronic and jam music. Their loyal fans are known as the "Tribe" and they've developed a strong community over the years. The Tribe is known forr being extremely friendly amidst many fanbases that are known for gatekeeping. This was clear at the Chicago show as fans were eager for heartfelt conversation and more than willing to share a cigarette or mushroom chocolates. This genuine community may have been sparked by the initial inspiration for the STS9 name. Sector 9 was a period of the Mayan calendar that celebrated boundless creativity and this is the ethos they capture with their live shows.
Although their mission of creating immersive space jams has always stayed the same, the band has evolved a ton since their inception. The band's original lineup included Hunter Brown on guitars & keyboards, David Phipps on keyboards & synthesizers, Zach Velmer on drums & electronic percussion, Jeffree Lerner on percussion & keyboards, programming, and David Murphy on bass guitar & keyboard. Murphy left the band in 2014 for no official reason but many fans speculate that there was some idealogical differences. Murphy was replaced by Alana Rocklin who has a degree in jazz improvisation from the University of Michigan and studied under Victor Wooten. There are some that will say the band lost an aspect of their heady electronic explorations with Murphy's departure but everyone seems to agree that Rocklin's mastery of the bass has elevated the music overall.
If you ever wanted to travel to another universe and possibly enter the stratosphere, just go to a STS9 show. You can catch them playing in Austin, Oakland, and New Orleans before the year ends.
