Who: SoundTribe Sector 9
Where: Boot Pub
When: Friday, March 28
When you’ve had a hard day at work or a bad stack on the hill, where do you escape to? Mentally that is. A pristine beach on a deserted tropical island perhaps? Or the floor of a deep, dark jungle brimming with colour and life? Do you dream of lying in a vast open field of long grass, watching a thunderstorm brew in the distance? Wherever it is you go, the music of SoundTribe Sector 9 is known to take people there.
Using a sensory overload of lights, decorations, projected images, atmospheric sounds and musicianship, STS9 have built a loyal following behind a reputation for being incredible instrumental improvisers who push their audience’s imaginations into whole new realms.
"We’re really open sonically and rely quite heavily on free form," explained guitarist Hunter Brown. "If there’s a group of kids raging at the side of the stage, we’re going to run with that for a while. That way we’re really connecting with what’s going on in the room. We’re not trying to hit people over the head with what we can do, we’re just trying to create a fun atmosphere and elevate it as far as we can to make it a special night to remember for all involved. We’re into shaping the show to how the crowd reacts because it’s as much an experience for us as it is for them."
The San Francisco-based but Atlanta-raised musicians took their name from the golden age of the Mayan civilization, known as Sector 9. It was a time of great mysticism and imagery, just like the band’s performances.
Along for the ride with Brown are Zach Velmer on drums, David Murphy on bass, Jeffree Lerner on percussion and David Phipps on keyboards. Together with their chosen instruments and several computers they take the audience on a trip of seamless musical crescendos, keeping everyone dancing and wondering for the entire two to three hour set.
"With the laptops on stage we can trigger sequences, samples and field recordings to bring a more spiritual and emotional experience to our show. We record noises from cities we go to, street musicians and even little kids, incorporating it into the band’s ultimate sound," said Brown.
Because of this amalgamation of genres and sounds, the STS9 audience is usually a diverse one. They’ve managed to take the live jam band style into the dance and rave music category. The dance floor grooves along to soothing soundscapes blended with jazz, hip-hop, reggae, jungle and funk. The live jam lovers therefore get off on the fusion of sounds and instruments, while the club-going dance crowd move their bodies to a beat that is unusual and uplifting all at once.
"We kind of fit into that melting pot of music that’s coming to the forefront these days," said Brown. "People are becoming more musically rounded. Most record collections nowadays contain as many hip hop CDs, as jazz, rock and even classical albums so if you enjoy music at all, you’re going to dig us I think."
Brown described the natural evolution of electronica into live acts as an organic process that was only a matter of time.
"Electronic music when it started was coming from drum machines and synthesizers but as time went by, live musicians started incorporating these machines into their repertoire. That’s what happened to us. We all grew up on traditional instruments but had an interest in electronica and then it just became part of our set. We see it as another outlet, another source of inspiration for us."
An amazing array of different lights and effects are signature additions to the STS9 atmosphere. Colours and strobes wash over the stage and the crowd from all directions. Behind the band, there is normally some kind of psychedelic image projected onto a screen. Add an artist who creates a striking canvas onstage during the show, and you have one unique artistic approach. Brown is not sure how they are going to work all their effects onto the Boot Pub’s small stage, but he said they will give it their best shot.
"We love playing the Boot, it’s by far the most intimate place that we play, but we’ll make it work no matter what," he promised.
STS9 will bring multiple copies of their phenomenal albums to Whistler, of which I highly recommend Seasons 01. It is their latest album, a double disc set compiled from live material taken on their last major North American tour. Every time I put it on it takes me back to a concert of theirs I caught at the famous Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.
Another unique attachment to STS9’s shows, is their association with Conscience Alliance, collecting canned food for the down and displaced. So far on this tour fans have brought in over 3,500 lbs of donations. Participants who bring a minimum of 10 cans will receive an honorary collector’s poster featuring the band’s signature trippy artwork. See their Web site, www.sts9.com for more details and take in some amazing photos from past live shows.
Supporting STS9 are the infectious trance troupe, Medicine Drum, blending the latest cutting edge styles of progressive electronic music with foundations of deep tribal rhythms and live vocals. They’ve played every free-love festival you can think of, from Burning Man to EarthDance to Glastonbury.
Advance tickets to STS9 and Medicine Drum are $25 from www.upstreamentertainment.com or the Boot Pub. Call: 604-932-3338.
