North Coast Music Festival was jam packed with hot after parties this year. Alongside Umphrey’s McGee, STS9 was one of the most anticipated ones, especially being at the infamous House of Blues. The band has lately been "funking" up their original tracks, and after seeing them play 4 times in the past three months, I must say....they are doing it right. Although the set list for this late night was not one that STS9 fans would call "ideal", the band definitely still brought the heat. With improvisation and up-tempo beats, they took many of their more popular, sometimes overplayed songs, and really mixed all of them up, to a point where these tracks somewhat sounded like new ones all together.

The opener was a remix of one of their new tracks titled "Scheme" called "Scheme Reprise." This started the night off right, with a slow tempo beginning, and a crazy, bumping up-beat ending. In the mix of the first set, we saw fan favorites such as "Abcees," "Equinox," "Be Nice," and "EHM." One of the more surprising tracks from the first set was "The Rabble." This is one that they haven't really tossed in the mix lately, and it was good to see it back in the rotation. 

The second set started off with one of my favorites "Evasive Maneuvers." Other highlights of the set were "Grow," "What Is Love?" and "Inspire Strikes Back." Per usual, the best part of the whole weekend for the band, in my mind, was the solo encore beneath the roof of the HOB. "Breathe In" was the track, and boy did they tear it up on this one with a 12 minute and 40 second version of it. A great way to end the second day of NCMF.

Check out the unreal pictures from the show, taken by my boy Oren Amzaleg. Also, check out the video of the song "March," as STS9's light master Saxton Waller tears it up. Enjoy!