STS9 Red Rocks Amphitheater 2011
This past weekend, Sound Tribe Sector 9 and all of their fans invaded Red Rocks Amphitheater for two nights. Every year, the Georgia based band brings their guitar, bass, keyboards, drumsets, and of course their laptops to create a unique one of a kind electronic rock show to the beautiful outdoor amphitheater.
Friday night, legendary rapper Snoop Dogg opened the show. Even though Snoop and STS9 could not be further apart in terms of genre, everyone went wild. It’s hard not to enjoy Snoop and his posse and how bedazzled microphone.
But after Snoop’s set, fans were stoked when STS9 opened up with Artifact, which blended into Arigato. They also played crowd favorites such as Be Nice, Empires, Breath In, and Instantly during their first set. After a short breather, the band came back strong with an amazing drum solo that led into their hot new song Scheme off of their latest album When The Dust Settles. Included in the second set were the always-loved Beyond Right Now and everybody’s absolute favorite EHM. The lights and LED screens were a spectacular addition to their amazing music.
On the second night electronic artist SAVOY opened. Savoy is a one of a kind electronic experience. They fuse heavy beats with popular songs like Damien Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock, or their newest single Dancing In The Dark. But along with their heavy bass, they put on the CRAZIEST laser show anyone has ever seen.
It was unbelievable to think that anyone could come on after Savoy and put on a better performance, but leave it to STS9 to blow everyone’s expectations out of the water. They came out playing a cover of Nine Inch Nails CLOSER, which got everyone jamming just as hard as they were during the laser show. During their first set they played Moonsocket, a brand new song called Return of the Roots, ABCees, and ended with the title track off of their new album When the Dust Settles, which included a sample from Sly and the Family Stone’s It’s A Family Affair. After a quick set break, they opened up their second set strong with Atlas, next playing Shock Doctrine, Wika Chikana, 20-12, Inspire Strikes Back, and ending with The Unquestionable Supremacy of Nature. But the band just couldn’t end there. They came back out with an incredible encore of Grizzlywhich is their rendition of Grizzly Bear’s It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop. The crowd went wild, and everyone was dancing their hearts out all night…both nights. It was such an incredible experience.
If you have a chance to go see STS9, do NOT pass it up. And if you find yourself near Red Rocks when they play next summer, make sure you get your ticket early. It is definitely worth it.