Photos and story by: Sterling Martin (@sterfrii)

Sound Tribe Sector Nine, the electronic/instrumental band abbreviated simply as STS9, played to a sold out crowd in October at the historic Tennessee Theatre. Fans and newcomers of all ages packed into the venue for a taste of what ‘the tribe’ has to offer for their “Autumn Tour 2014.”

An opening set from Colorado producer Late Night Radio started the night in proper fashion. His funk infused, groovin’ beats eventually grabbed the attention of Michal Menert, who without hesitation signed LNR to his recently developed Super Best Records.

Next, STS9 took the stage for two hourlong sets separated by a short intermission. The audience’s deafening roar at the end of the night brought about the final encore, which still yet left the crowd begging for more.

Since the band’s formation in the late 90’s, STS9 has played festivals, concerts, and venues around the world. Needless to say, they are no strangers to wrecking dance floors wherever they play.

After a falling out in January of this year, it was announced that founding member and bassist David Murphy would no longer be part of the band. This caused criticism and speculation from their devoted fan-base and music lovers alike because of a tour they were forced to cancel. With the future of the band in question, many rumors surfaced regarding the band’s sustainability.

Only two months later, however, the group reappeared on stage with current bass player Alana Rocklin. The newly added female presence on stage has been widely accepted, and is now even preferred by some over the original five members.