STS9 And TAUK Prove Themselves As Live-tronica Titans, Together In Wisconsin

With the Wisconsin fall slowly becoming more evident in temperatures, leaf color, and the abundance of apple cider donuts, STS9 came into the capital city, last Friday night, October 23rd. The sold out show had everything: a great opener, old classics, new material, and plenty of jamming.

New York progressive-based group TAUK kicked things off at the Orpheum Theater. The band originally had a tour date planned in Texas for this same night, but did some rescheduling just so they could perform with STS9. A ton of people had entered by the time they started their set, and with their excellent playing, they easily could have been headlining the show. They mixed things up with covers, such as The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”, and originals like “Mindshift”, which closed out their very short but very sweet opening set.

However, the main show was only about to begin. A lot of people have been talking about the new direction that STS9 is heading, with the newest member Alana Rocklin on bass. Many concertgoers were overheard stating how they hadn’t seen STS9 since the “Murph days.” In store for them, and everyone else, was a great Tribe set that distinctly marked their new direction.

The first set opened with some newer tunes, and “Only the Light Remains” was definitely one of the more danceable songs of the night. It had a hooking groove that ensured everyone was moving with the beat. “By the Morning Sun” was beautifully played, and when they played another old gem, “Pianoir”, the whole crowd simultaneously danced harder than before and followed each and every note that was hit by keyboardist David Phipps.

The second set continued where they left off in the first set. Some of the best jamming came in “Crystal Instrument”, a tune that was incredibly crunchy during the flute part. “Shock Doctrine” also veered from its normal course and Tribe took it to different levels it doesn’t normally reach. The juxtaposition of old and new couldn’t have been more apparent when the older classic “1103” was sandwiched on both ends by the newer song, “Scheme”. It was a great combination. The encore was easily the best part of the night. With Rocklin subtly laying down some beautiful bass lines, some in the crowd realized that it was actually the introduction to “Baraka”. One of their most popular ballads, being able to listen to the powerful build-up to the final chorus is one of the reasons you absolutely have to see this band live.

It was a great show featuring one up-and-coming band and another well-established juggernaut in the electronica jam scene. STS9 has been heading in a new direction and they are locked in right now. With the fall tour only beginning, do yourself a favor when they come to a town near you. Don’t miss them when they hit PlayStation Theater in New York, NY this November. Details here.

Setlist: STS9 at Orpheum Theater, Madison, WI – 10/23/15

Set I: Vapors, Only Light Remains > Grow, By The Morning Sun > Move My Peeps, Pianoir, The Rabble, Click Lang Echo

Set II: Moon Socket > Crystal Instrument > Water Song, Shock Doctrine, Scheme > 1103 > Scheme, Totem, Frequencies Peace 2 > Frequencies Peace 3