4 Stars
Sound Tribe Sector 9 is not your classic jam band. Forging ahead with jam elements and techno, the band produces a sound unlike any other.
To accompany its unusual style, the band also presented a different stage setup. Crystals and rocks were displayed center stage, with bassist David Murphy and guitarist Hunter Brown behind them. Keyboard player David Phipps was on the left, while percussionist Jeffree Lerner banged away behind the guitars. Finally, the band came full circle with drummer Zack Velmer displaying his talent in the front right.
Drums were often the keystone to the songs, creating a beat that was followed and accentuated by the other instruments. Velmer's rapid delivery often sounded like a drum roll, but flowed into the mixture of bass, bongos, keyboard and guitar.
In a few songs, the intense drumming gave way to soaring guitar jams that fit the crowd's emotions, while the pounding drums and bass matched their heart rates.
The only way to tell a song had ended was by applause and a brief break before the music returned. Even though the songs did vary in tempo, most melted into one textured jam.
