Text by Katrina Valentine
Photos by Maxx Mcinerney
STS9 returned to Florida this past weekend for a three-night run that brought us to another sector.
The first night kicked off to an exuberant Orlando crowd as Tribe opened with “MOD” and continued to jam the heavy hitters all night including “Arigato” and “Golden Gate.” Fans from near and far got straight tribal in the O-town get-down.
The Beacham was equipped with disco balls that made the show feel as if we had gone back in a time warp to a funky disco party in the 70’s. Who knows… maybe we did.
The energy was so high in Orlando that they even played a double encore! Ending first with “Scheme” and then “Grow.”
Round 2 was in Ft. Lauderdale at Revolution. The smallest venue out of all three shows in Florida made for a very and showcased the epic quality of Saxton’s lighting that filled the entire dance floor.
They came out hot with “Really What?” but the night would only go up from there. The entire set was back-to-back eminent songs that Tribe fans go crazy for. A couple personal favorites being “What is Love?,” “Monkey Music,” “Instantly,” and “Gogli.” They really hit me in my soft spot at this show and took me on an unforgettable musical journey.
During the second set, bass-slappin’ front-man David Murphy pulled out some awesome dance moves and dare I say “dropped it like its hot” from behind the synth. He knows how to get the crowd (or me anyways…) hyped up and was clearly having the most amazing time on stage himself getting all sorts of funky. I had the pleasure of meeting the band backstage after the show and they were the most polite, humble and down to earth musicians. We discussed music, upcoming shows, “the dirty south” and Publix Subs? Yummm!
St Petersburg was the last stop for Florida, as well as the entire Spring Tour. They brought out their LED production and played at Jannus Landing, a premium outdoor located in downtown St. Pete. “The Rabble” turned it up early in the first set and brought the funkadelic mood for the evening. Following was an epic hand percussion solo from Jeffery in the song “Kamuy” that got everybody grooving. The second set gave a “Circus” into “Hubble” combo that amplified the beauty that STS9 is known for.
Overall, the three nights were magical. Tribe’s long-awaited return to Florida (5 years!) was a phenomenal success and I am so grateful to have hit all three gigs. Keep it coming Sound Tribe Sector 9, we love getting down with the dirty south!