STS9 Kicks Off 20th Anniversary Run At Red Rocks On This Date In 2017

On September 8, 2017, STS9 played Red Rocks for the 23rd time. The band made their debut at the venue on September 6, 2003 and returned at least once each year since including a two-night stand on September 6 and 7, 2019. As noted above, STS9 had a special show in store to begin their 20th anniversary run on this date in 2017, as they performed Artifact in its entirety.

The band played the tracks from Artifact in the order they appear on the LP, split between two sets. Bassist Alana Rocklin utilized an upright bass on the “Tonight The Ocean Swallowed The Moon” to close out the first frame. For the encore, STS9 treated fans to “Real & Imagined” and “Breathe In.” The former is a song debuted just a few days earlier at the North Coast Music Festival in Chicago, while the latter is a beloved staple that dates back to September 5, 2002 as per STS9 Stats.

STS9’s second night of the 2017 run at Red Rocks was the lone show of the three-night stand without any specific theme incorporated. The September 9, 2017 concert was pure Tribe featuring a first set heavy on classic material. “You Don’t Say” served as the opener before the quintet fit “Potamus” within “Kamuy.” An extended “When The Dust Settles Reprise” came next complete with a modular jam. STS9 continued to focus on improvisation as a 12-minute “Rent” was followed by an expansive “Worry No More.” The band closed out the first set by pairing “Golden Gate” and “Arigato.”

The five-piece began their second set on night two of the run with “Rise Above, Get Loud,” a song debuted just five months prior. It was back to oldies for “ABCees” and “Hidden Hand, Hidden Fist” before STS9 treated fans to another tune premiered in 2017 — “Enceladus.” A rare cover came next as Tribe delivered their take on Lorde’s “Green Light.” Then, a run of “Vapors,” “Be Pulse” and “Inspire Strikes Back” ended the frame. STS9 went with one of their oldest songs as the evening’s encore, “Tap In.”

In 2009, STS9 put the focus on their instruments sans electronic gear such as laptops for their first ever Axe The Cables concert. Axe The Cables performances have been few and far between since, so fans were excited the final night of Tribe’s 20th anniversary celebration at Red Rocks would start with an Axe The Cables set. The 10-song frame saw Rocklin alternate between an upright and acoustic bass, while David Phipps played a grand piano. Highlights from the Axe The Cables set at Red Rocks include a lengthy “The Rabble,” a perfectly placed pairing of “Surreality” and “EB” and the run of “Frequencies Peace 2” into “Frequencies Peace 3.”

The stage was reset during intermission with STS9 returning to close out their 20th anniversary celebration, the three-night stand and 25th show at Red Rocks with an electric set. “New Dawn New Day” began the frame and displayed the contrast between Tribe axing the cables and using their full setup. “Move My Peeps” followed before “F. Word” bled into “Hi-Key.” The career-spanning set continued with extended versions of “Equinox” and “Shock Doctrine.” Next up was “Sun Moon & Stars,” a song STS9 debuted during their 2016 Red Rocks run. The “Get Loud” that ended the set included a modular jam and Tribe said farewell with another oldie as the encore, “Orbital.”