This fall, California's own STS9 will be packing premier indoor theaters from Los Angeles down to New Orleans, up to Washington D.C. and all points in between. The tour, which includes 22-dates in all, ices an incredible year for the rising electronic heroes, a period that included their acclaimed July release Peaceblaster and the surging popularity of their self-owned music label, 1320 Records.
STS9's fall tour dates are as follows:
October 22 The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA w/ Alex Botwin of Pnuma Trio (DJ Set)
October 23 House of Blues Anaheim CA w/ Pnuma Trio
October 24 Marquee Theatre Tempe AZ w/ Pnuma Trio
October 25 The Joint @ Hard Rock Las Vegas NV w/ Pnuma Trio
October 26 Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff AZ w/ Pnuma Trio
October 29 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa OK w/ Pnuma Trio
October 30 Warehouse Live Houston TX w/ Pnuma Trio
October 31 Stubb's Austin TX w/ Pnuma Trio
November 1 House of Blues Dallas TX w/ Count Bass D
November 2 House of Blues New Orleans LA w/ Count Bass D
November 5 Lyric Theatre Oxford MS w/ Count Bass D
November 6 War Memorial Nashville TN w/ Count Bass D
November 7 Alabama Theatre Birmingham AL w/ Count Bass D
November 8 Tennessee Theatre Knoxville TN w/ Count Bass D
November 9 Headliner's Music Hall Louisville KY w/ Count Bass D
November 12 Charleston Music Hall Charleston SC w/ Count Bass D
November 13 Amos' Southend Charlotte NC w/ Count Bass D
November 14 The NorVa Norfolk VA w/ Eliot Lipp
November 15 9:30 Club Washington DC w/ Eliot Lipp
November 16 9:30 Club Washington DC w/ Eliot Lipp
November 19 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale PA w/ Eliot Lipp
November 20 House of Blues Cleveland OH w/ Eliot Lipp
November 21 The Rave Milwaukee WI w/ Eliot Lipp
November 22 First Avenue Minneapolis MN w/ Eliot Lipp
December 28 The Tabernacle Atlanta GA
December 29 The Tabernacle Atlanta GA
December 30 The Tabernacle Atlanta GA
December 31 The Tabernacle Atlanta GA
STS9 has turned into one of modern rock's most entertaining acts, reaching #29 on Pollstar's "PULSE Charts" of the country's top touring artists and sharing the stage with a diverse array of top live acts including Digable Planets, James Brown, Jurassic 5, Talib Kweli, Ghostland Observatory, Prefuse 73, Tortoise, Soulive, Cut Chemist, and many others. They've hit the festival circuit hard, playing the Austin City Limits Festival, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Winter Music Conference, ROTHBURY, and Vegoose. On their 2008 Summer Tour, STS9 moved an average of over 3,000 tickets a night, selling out venues including two nights at Atlanta's Masquerade Music Park (over 8,000 tickets) and NYC's Roseland Ballroom, among others. Also on their summer tour, STS9 headlined Berkeley's Greek Theatre and sold over 15,000 tickets for a two night run headlining Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Saturday night sold out!).
Peaceblaster, released on the band's 1320 imprint, has provided electronic music with one of the highlights of the year, and the charts bear that out. The disc, their fourth, reached #10 on Billboard's Electronic chart, #27 on Billboard's Heatseeker chart, #2 on iTunes Electronic chart, and #63 on CMJ's Top 200.
Illustrated by its evocative title, Peaceblaster is simultaneously serene and invigorating, electronic but with an oh-so-human heart. Released a full three years since the band's last works, 2005's Artifact and Artifact: Perspectives-both of which topped iTunes list of Top Albums of that year-Peaceblaster is melodic, yet pumped up with enough pounding beats to rattle the rafters, as chords and samples float atop pulsating drum and bass. The recording, STS9's most accessible, has already set fire under their tremendous fan base, all of which has come to expect nothing but the best in electronic grooves from the band.
Like the band, their 1320 label is also ascendant, with current releases by Count Bass D and Pnuma Trio already generating serious buzz. One of indie hip hop's most respected and talented DJs, Count Bass D flies on his upcoming L7 and STS9, fans of his for years, are honored to release his new album. As STS9's Hunter Brown explains, "Count Bass D has been in our headphones for years. He's by far one of the most creative and authentic voices in hip-hop today".
Pnuma Trio's Character, released this summer on 1320 and more in keeping with STS9 itself, has done quite well, and acclaim for the label's fresh new compilation, Eliot Lipp Presents: Way Pavers Volume One is considerable. Without question, STS9's broad musical tastes, earned in large part from its vast and colorful experiences on the road, are in full view on both Peaceblaster and on the dazzling work it produces for its 1320 label.
