STS9 Lights up First Avenue on a Sunday

Last updated on July 20th, 2018 at 12:07 pm

Some say Sundays are for rest. Some say Sundays are for football. Many regard Sundays as a sacred religious day. It seems as if everybody has their own specific rituals and practices for the weekend’s (occasionally) underrated second day. I would bet, however, that if you were to take a poll of a large group of people, very few would say that they spend their Sundays at concerts of the electronic variety. This was the way I spent last sunday, in the comfy confines of the legendary First Avenue. Headlining the night would be electronic jam band STS9, a perennial favorite of many from both the EDM and Jam scenes.

@sts9 celebrated the 10th anniversary of Peaceblaster last night in Minneapolis with a show that was heavy on tracks from the classic album including a couple rarities. What was your highlight of the weekend and who is hitting up Indianapolis tomorrow night? • • • 7.8.18 // First Avenue // Minneapolis MN Set 1: Golden Gate > Arigato, Squishface, Balancing (ft. Armanni Reign) > Kamuy > The Fog > The Spectacle, Enceladus, Sun Moon & Stars Set 2: March > You Don’t Say > Monkey Music > Ramone & Emiglio, Peaceblaster ‘68 > Peaceblaster ‘08, Scheme, The Rabble E: Beyond Right Now > Metameme ?: @tcmdotnet ?: https://www.phantasytour.com/bands/sts9/shows/43899 • • • #PhantasyTour #PhantasySTS9 #PT #SoundTribeSector9 #STS9 #Tribe #FirstAvenue #FirstAve #Minneapolis #Minnesota #MN #TwinCities #Peaceblaster #10thAnniversary #JamBand #Electronic #Music #LiveMusic #LiveForLiveMusic #PicOfTheDay

A post shared by Phantasy Tour: STS9 (@phantasy_sts9) on Jul 9, 2018 at 12:33pm PDT

Opening the night was a one man band from Brooklyn named White Cliffs. A slick guitar player with interesting arrangements, he faced a bit of an uphill battle in the form of a near empty room. This was unfortunate, because he had real talent, and his set could’ve benefitted from the energy that a fuller room would’ve provided. Nevertheless, he soldiered on, mixing originals with live remixes. By the end of his set, the crowd expanded, which helped set the tone for the rest of the night.

All sounds! All light! ❤️ Insane weekend run. Let’s do it again next week, yahhh? ? @sts9 @zachsts9 @aaaarocks @phippssts9 @jeffreests9 . . . . . #sts9 #ramoneandemiglio #minneapolis #firstave #scififunkrock #yearof9 #summertribe

A post shared by *Jason Myers (@jasonjasonnn) on Jul 9, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

Fortunately for all, the house was nearly full by the time STS9’s first set started. The set proved to be an engaging one, from the opener “Golden gate” (a personal and fan favorite) onward. Perhaps my biggest takeaway from the show was the sonic diversity of the set. At various times during the show, there were mellow synths, jazzy progressions, and remixed hip hop tracks. At other points, more electronic vibes took center stage. The peaks were high and the lows were few, with the crowd dancing throughout. The set ended on a strong “Sun, Mon, & Stars.”

The second set saw more of the same, though with more intensity. The grooves rocked harder, the drops dropped deeper, the segues segued smoother. and the band tore furiously through “March,” “You don’t say,” and more. The first set was strong, but the second sent the room into the stratosphere. A special treat came in the form of a run of songs from their beloved “Peaceblaseter” release, which turned ten on this evening. For a band that leans on such heavily on improvisation, they were tight, grooving together freely and locked in all at once. The set, and the show itself, were undeniably triumphant. A victory on any night, especially on a Sunday