PHOTOS / SETLIST: STS9 @ House of Blues – 11/3/2011

STS9 @ House of Blues New Orleans || 11/3/2011 || Photo © Wesley Hodges

Continue to the bottom for a full photo gallery from the show

STS9′s evolution is never complete and although they’ve gone in directions over the past few years that weren’t to my particular liking, they were able to acquire a massive, more diverse fan base and introduce their sounds to hordes of new fans who otherwise probably would’ve missed the boat on this band. From my now more casual fan perspective, it seems that in 2011, the band is taking a holistic approach to their entire catalog (at least last night), evaluating their career output with a more modern, experienced perspective from when the songs were created (a natural observation that should apply to any veteran band, but often doesn’t when complacency sets in).

STS9 @ House of Blues New Orleans || 11/3/2011 || Photo © Wesley Hodges

The current sound seems more intricate and focused on the music itself, evidenced from the get go on the hyper-sped “Evasive,” and the relatively-stripped down, but still perfectly en-tuned visual display (sans LED, which can oftentimes be distracting in my opinion). The canyon-esque lunar grooves like “Move My Peeps” are still being built in the organic fashion that this live force was founded on in earlier years, set out upon by the quintet without much idea of what the end point will be and how they will ultimately arrive on the other side. STS9′s hi-fi wizardry is at once boundless and contained, their deftness at weaving multilayered sonics through harmonious electronic tones, all while surging across drummer Zach Velmer’s airtight rhythmic landscapes, produces a complex tapestry of sound you can’t find elsewhere on the electronic scene. It was great to see an old favorite still completely captivate their audience, delivering a classy, semi-old school set at the New Orleans House of Blues on Night 1 of the November run.

To download this show from 1320 Records, go here.

Set I:
ReEmergence > EB, Evasive Manuevers > ReEmergence, Inspire Strikes Back, Arigato, Circus > Move My Peeps, Aimlessly

Set II:
Really Wut? > Rent, Golden Gate, Orbital, What Is Love?, Simulator, Atlas, EHM

Encore:
Music, Us

ReMergence and Inspire Strikes Back