STS9 Debuts New Songs & Covers With Guests In Alpharetta

On Saturday night STS9 held a concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia. The show near their original hometown of Atlanta was a special three set affair that included an opening acoustic Axe The Cables set, as well as the debut of a number of originals and covers with the help at times from special guests.

The opening Axe The Cables set featured the debut of “Common Descent” and “The Universe Inside” with special guest vocalist Maureen Murphy joining the quintet. The two songs were recorded with Murphy on the STS9 studio album The Universe Inside coming out on Friday. The opening set ended with a choir composed of Kevian Bateman, Tiffany White, Kara Grier, Callas Dozier, Pierre Sanders and Kendra Chantelle onstage for a debut cover of “Masigiye’bo.”

The electric second set saw a performance of the new LP track “New Dawn, New Day” and closed with the debut live rendition of the LP cut “Give & Take” with Murphy returning to supply vocals. The singer came back at the start of the third set that kicked off with the first STS9 performance of “Get Loud” which is also on The Universe Inside. The closing set also featured Murphy on a cover of Earth Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove.”

The encore was a debut cover of the David Bowie/Queen collaboration “Under Pressure” that saw the choir and Murphy back to handle the vocals. Watch audience-shot footage of the show here:

[Love Don’t Terrorize > Let’s Groove | Captured by Heady Flair]

[Axe The Cables Set | Captured by J Mar]

[Under Pressure | Captured by J Mar]

Setlist (via STS9 FB)

Set One: (Axe The Cables): Golden Gate, The Paint, …And Some Are Angels, Itzamana, 118, Scheme Reprise, Aimlessly, Common Descent* (!) > The Universe Inside* (!) > Masigiye’bo* (!) (#)

Set Two: Rent, Wika Chikana, Shock Doctrine, New Dawn New Day, Vapors, Moon Socket, Give & Take* (!)

Set Three: Get Loud* (!), Kamuy, GLOgli, Love Don’t Terrorize > Let’s Groove (Earth Wind & Fire) (!), World Go Round, Scheme, Inspire Strikes Back

Encore: Under Pressure* (Queen / David Bowie) (!) (#)

• ! = Vocals – Maureen Murphy
• # = Choir – Kevian Bateman, Tiffany White, Kara Grier, Callas Dozier, Pierre Sanders, Kendra Chantelle
• * = first time played