By: Margaux Galligan

From the moment the dual-layered, pyramid LED screen lit up with a welcoming message echoed by a computerized female voice, and David “Murph” Murphy strummed the opening strains to “Vapors,” STS9 ushered in a fresh start to the year in the sparkling city of Denver.

Gracing the crowd with two sold out shows at the Fillmore Auditorium on the 13th and 14th of January, Sound Tribe opened The Great Cycle Spectacles 2012 tour with a bang. From beginning to end, Saxton Waller unfolded his unique talent upon the stage as he lit the band in ROYGBIV style. Displaying a whirlwind of images from flowers blooming to rocket ships taking off, and our swirling solar system practically popping out of the screen, the psychedelic visuals gleamed upon the sardine-stuffed dance floor all night with reminders that although planet Earth and its creations are small, life upon Earth is filled with never ending beauty.

But the visual production was not the only aspect of the show that made the crowd go crazy. It was the first set of the first night when Tribe burst into an unexpected “Circus,” followed by “Rabble;” making the audience absolutely lose themselves and even made some die-hard tribe fans question their expectations for the night. As the set continued, Jeffree Lerner and Zach Velmer took the reins in an extended drum solo, stealing the audience’s collective breath in order for them to scream it all out as the band took off into “The Fog.”

As the night progressed from one set to the next, the promises of more breathtaking tunes were made as STS9 kicked off “Scheme,” a slower tune geared toward pulling the audience back onto the dance floor.

As people made their way back inside from the wintery chill, arms were flying, dresses were spinning, and feet were becoming one with the air floating beneath them as the dancing never stopped. From “The Spectacle” to the popular “Moonsocket,” the songs unceasingly filled the air with reverberating beats and trippy side strums. Finishing with encores “F word” and “Aimlessly,” Tribe gave the spectators something to look forward to, as the second night of “The Great Spectacles” was less than 24 hours away.

As fans piled into the auditorium for another out-of-body adventure, they were again welcomed by a computerized voice with a new message explaining the likelihood of life on other planets. Once the greeting commenced, the crowd could hold their excitement in no longer, as they crammed The Fillmore to show Sound Tribe Sector 9 how Colorado gets down. From start to finish, STS9 gave Coloradans a reason to dance by opening with “Hidden Hand Hidden Fist” and breaking out into fan favorites such as “Golden Gate,” “When the Dust Settles,” and “Peaceblaster.”

Throughout the night, the crowd was blessed with more outstanding bass and guitar solos by Murph and Hunter Brown, which created an intimate setting in a jam-packed auditorium. Eventually leading into the encore “What is Love,” and capping off the night by recapturing the mood of the entire weekend with the “Scheme” reprise from the first night. As a whole, the shows tribe put on were out of this world and the beauty it left behind will continue to linger until they bless us with their presence for another sold out weekend.