Summer is here, and with it comes festival season. This year’s lineup included the re-emergence of an old favorite: the All Good Now Music Festival. After a ten-year break, the festival returned with Sound Tribe Sector 9 headlining and Lotus opening the pre-party at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. These two old-school jamtronica outfits were the perfect kickoff for this retro festival reboot. STS9 delivered a balanced mix of new and classic tunes while conveying their timeless message of peace and unity.

The Anthem sits in downtown D.C., within walking distance of the National Mall, the White House, and other iconic landmarks. Perched on the Washington Channel waterfront in The Wharf shopping district, the venue holds about six thousand people and offers three viewing levels. Ample parking, proximity to the D.C. Metro, and a wealth of nearby restaurants made it an ideal spot for the All Good Now pre-party.

The evening began with Lotus, the four-piece featuring brothers Jesse (bass/mod synth) and Luke Miller (keyboards/guitar), drummer Mike Greenfield, and guitar virtuoso Tim Palmieri. Wasting no time, they dove into the vintage “Wax,” from their 2007 album Escaping Sargasso Sea. A tasty jam sandwich followed—”Spaghetti” > “Ebm” > “Reed,” the last track hailing from their 2024 release How to Dream in Color.

One more How to Dream in Color tune proceeded with “Electric Orange,” which took a turn into the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll.” The band did not let up as they moved into “Flower Sermon,” which is another Escaping Sargasso Sea song. This included a vibrant xylophone jam courtesy of Greenfield that was layered on top of spacey effects. The set ended with a disco funk fueled “Shimmer And Out.” Palmeri closed out the set strong with a raging blues guitar jam that was superimposed over a deep house base.

After a short break, STS9 took the stage and began their set with the melodic “Surge,” which got the crowd dancing. A stellar transition into “Searchlight” followed, which is from their 2024 release Chromalight. Drummer Zack Velmer was off to the races early, as he laid down intense beats early to drive this dynamic song, as keyboardist David Phipps decorated on synth.

The band moved into “EHM” next. Bassist Alana Rocklin crushed this bass heavy tune, which included a brilliant segue into “The Rabble.” The crowd was loving these two recognizable tunes from the late 2000’s. Another pivot found the band back in “EHM,” from their 2009 album Ad Explorata. This fast paced song included prolific percussion from percussionist Jeffree Lerner.

The band decided to turn back time, and dispatch “Frequencies Peace 2” > “Frequencies Peace 3.” Phipps was once again stand out on the keyboards as the band hopped into another dirty jam segment that featured jungle beats from Velmer. Guitarist Hunter Brown tied the music together perfectly with the well known melody. The first tune from their latest album, Human Dream 1, followed with “Strange Games.” This bubbly song featured a nice texture weave from all five band members. 

The tempo slowed slightly during “Year Infinity,” another Human Dream 1 song. The band settled into a thick groove, before mellowing out. Velmer took a moment to thank the crowd as the band continued to smoothly flow into the glitch heavy “Shock Doctrine.” The crowd loved this dance friendly tune. Brown brought his A game on the funk guitar, while Velmer continued to demonstrate why he is one of the best drummers on the jam scene.

New tune “Peachtree” stepped into the mix next, followed by a ten minute heater of their beloved, most played tune, “Kamuy.” During the belly of the tune, Velmer and Lerner joined forces for a dynamic and groovy drum solo. “Balancing” included hip hops beats along with a lyrical overdub. A percussion build up followed into an upbeat “Life’s a Symphony in Unity, It’s Alright,” which is also from Human Dream 1. Phipps brought some serious heat, while Rocklin dazzled on bass. We admittedly love this new tune, and hope everyone gives this version a listen. 

A fuego “Orbital” brought fans back to the early days, followed by more hip hop inspired goodness with “Shakey Ground” that featured intense drum beats. The music dialed down slightly into “Brace Yourself Jason” before heating back up with more “Shakey Ground” goodness. The set ended with the classic “Open E.” The band returned to encore with a banging “World Go Round.” Phipps solidified his nomination for show MVP during this delicious rendition, as the whole band came together to bring this fiery tune home.

STS9 is on fire, and back for more in July, starting with a performance in Portland, OR on July 10th. They head to Bellingham, WA next on July 11th, followed by a two night stand in Seattle on July 12-13th. Head on over to their tour page for more details on upcoming shows in your region.

Check out more photos from the show!

Date: June 13, 2025
Venue: The Anthem
Location: Washington, D.C.
Event: All Good Pre-Party
Band: Lotus
Set: Set: Wax, Spaghetti > Ebm > Reed, Electric Orange > Heads Will Roll[1] > Flower Sermon > Shimmer And Out
Notes: 1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs (A-Trak Remix)

Band: Sound Tribe Sector 9
Set: Surge > Searchlight, EHM > The Rabble > EHM, Frequencies Peace 2 > Frequencies Peace 3, Strange Games, Year Infinity > Shock Doctrine, Peachtree, Kamuy > Balancing, Life’s a Symphony in Unity, It’s Alright, Orbital, Shakey Ground > Brace Yourself Jason > Shakey Ground > Open E
Encore: World Go Round

STS9 set list via https://soundtribe.us/