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Recently Posted Reviews
February 19, 2024
This is now one of my favorite shows at a very nice venue in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Highlights for me were No Diablo, Mail Package and Al Di Meola's Señor Mouse. Second set With a Baby You're a Rich Man- Beatles contained in a flawless Remind me and Orfeo, Puppet String Encore. My favorite part was getting dumped on in the end of the second set.
January 6, 2024
I remember buying 6 Tickets to this show and telling everyone in the crew to grab their own and we would rangle the straglers on the hope and promise that the whole crew (two car loads) would head down together. (Guelph/Toronto Ont.) to Buffalo. Fact: The Town Ballroom is one of the best venues in the world. In the world. Everyone got their own tickets and I ended up with 5 extra as we headed down in 1 car. I figured I would offer them up for somewhere between free and face when we got down to the venue. I remember walking the alley way towards the venue and it was crowded. This dude came up and said 'ticekts' I just said I have some extras (cause I thougt he was selling/scalping' but his eyes lit up and he said how many do you have theres 6 of us and it sold out today. I said, 'Oh wow, I have 5' He said fuck ya, we found 1 already how much do you want? I said 'face' he couldn't believe it, he yelled for all his buddies. They were so stoked. Fast forward to the open w/ National Anthem. Ryan knew exactly what the fuck he was doing rocking that bassline to start the show. Confusing everyone into thinking 'Who does this, what the fuck? This is awesome' What a moment. I cleary remmeber the backlit white strobe lights during Mulches to close the first set. Jake, Ryan and Brendan were more or less perched on the monitors like a bunch of preying Mantis' flying x-wings. FUck ya !
January 6, 2024
12 years later I remember this show vividly. (Currently Jan. 6 2024) Brendan came out on stage, Sunday afternoon 2 ish pm, SUN beating down on the crowd>almost all the boys have sunglasses on and you can tell its been a hell of a weekend of hardwork and a shitload of fun. > I can't remember if it was before they started or after a song or two but I clearly remember Brendan looking out at the crowd and just saying "Its hot as balls out here" I don't think he said anything like 'drink water' or anything else, it was just the straight truth that it was the hottest part of the day nearing the end of a fucking awesome weekend. He just acknowldged the moment. It was beautiful. I got to share this show with one of my best friends, maybe the the smartest person I've known who was my peer, A genius, he passed in August 2020. We had so much fun at this show, we witnessed the debut of Crucial Taunt, introduced along the lines of "Can we play a new song for you?" (Ya go for it) Tom and I looked at eachother after that song and we just fucking locked in on agreement that this band is special, we knew in that moment that they could/would push forward while being true to themselves and having fun. (bUt they didn't fucking around) We understood the commitment to quality, if this was a new song and it was this tight, then we're dealing with a band that we thought was the fucking best but they're giving us new reasons, more evidence of why. It was hot as balls and we'd been after it all weekend with the best of em. I love this memory. Cheers to Tommy G. RIP
June 27, 2023
Fantastic show, first UM show for my 2 boys who had a great time. Beautiful venue with outstanding sound
Watching the boats sailing behind the stage during the show adds a wonderful scenery...
Umphrey's played another stunner for the Colorado fans, can hardly wait for next year!
February 21, 2022
Greatest Umphreys show I've seen. Nothing too fancy is a beast but every song is done very well and the moe. parts are fun. Moe came out one by one and took over the instruments from umphreys so umphreys could take a breather. Chuck was playing the Jameson whiskey that night and we stayed up past bed time.
October 8, 2021
The Robot World[1] > Mulche's Odyssey was incredible. they came out HAMMERING.
August 24, 2021
Left after Plunger to do Photography for Sicard Hollow. Came back at the start of the Glory/Haji sammich. No offense to UM, but I wish I stayed at Sicard. Solid mashup of music for the time slot regardless. Found a full case of beer underneath the bleachers. We asked all the people around us if it was theirs. No luck. So we passed out beer and took some for ourselves and left the rest for other weary travelers. If you found the case with tape label reading FREE BEER, you're welcome. Cheers!
PlungerEverything Sicard Hollow Played
August 24, 2021
Filmed show from FOH for Southern Entertainment Broadcasting. 50th show! My first Nether! (second time played) To be honest, when filming it isn't easy to move n groove but man, I had the best seat in the house looking through my viewfinder.
Notables:Hurt Bird Bath (Solid jam)Ocean BillyOnce in a Lifetime Silent Type (Decent jam)
May 10, 2021
Great energy tonight. For many of us, this is the first time seeing live music since the beginning of the pandemic. Highlights were the band pretending to walk off stage after the first intro to Get in The Van, 2x2, Cem Walk I > Cem Walk 2, Dump City and of course the entire 2nd set Mantis Sandwich. What a way to welcome us all back. mm/
March 13, 2021
The first set is one of the best sets of 2010. The Crooked One has a great melodic uplifting jam. It was a treat to see them play the end of the song, since Crooked One typically goes unfinished. Jam of the night and some of the best improv of 2010 happens in Resolution, twice. An industrial slow build up that leads to a sped up peak for the first jam transitions back into Resolution, then leading to a Stasik led funk groove. Bright Lights tease at the end of the jam transition into Alex's House. A must listen.
March 12, 2021
This is the strangest Umphrey's McGee show I have attended. Late night Jazz Fest show, with Stevie Wonder performing earlier in the evening at the Fair Grounds.
The opening Jazz Odyssey starts off with a cool e-drum patch by Meyers, then picking up speed with a cool transition into Tinkle's, which has a bouncy jam section that is reminiscent of The Police. This is the only time I have seen Pay the Snucka broken up into three separate parts, since Pt. I & Pt. II are usually played sequentially. Ringo and Higgins both have extended jams that deliver. During the first set, I noticed someone dressed up as Andy Kaufman's Tony Clifton character. I thought that was strange, but didn't think much of it.
The second set is where it got strange. Instead of a jam out of Bridgeless, Joel introduces Tony Clifton, who then comes out and roasts the band and the crowd. The energy in the room changed instantly with some of the audience laughing along, others booing and the rest just in disbelief. The band then starts a generic funk groove while some scantily dressed women join Tony. More weirdness ensues, one of the women attempts a striptease and then Wade comes out from backstage and carries her off.
Finally, the music resumes. The dub Breathe gets spacey and gets the crowd lifted off into another galaxy. Reintroduced into their live shows at the end of 2007, Wappy Sprayberry keeps the dance groove going. This is a fun early reworked version. There is a nice synth led groove by Joel in the jam with Brendan teasing the Triple Wide before transitioning into GYMRH out of nowhere.
A fun show to listen to. Don't skip the Tony Clifton banter.
March 12, 2021
This show smokes from start to finish. All original songs, no covers, with multiple jams throughout.
Improv Highlights:
-Rocker Pt. II - first time opening a show. A great, fluid jam.
-Intentions Clear
-Example 1
-In the Kitchen (my favorite jam of the show)
-End of the Road - first time this original has a "Jimmy Stewartâ€. A really cool Joel led synth melody.
Other notes:
-Vocals on Divisions are rough
-Someone farted during Syncopated Strangers and Stasik points it out.
September 15, 2020
Fripp it and Rip it was my choice and it came first pick from the bowl. So lucky to have Umphrey's in my life!! UmVIP all day everyday I say. Frame by frame we Rage, Rest, Repeat. mm/
August 18, 2020
They did a whole verse of Rock n Roll ain't noise pollution at the beginning of Blue Echo...
just sayin
July 9, 2020
This setlist is missing the first song of the first set - "Water".
Someone should fix that..... Is there a way to submit a setlist correction somehow?
May 17, 2020
It's no coincidence that I'm writing this immediately after watching the incredible Prince and the Revolution Live '85 limited-time stream on Youtube for a COVID-19 fundraiser. Guitarist Wendy Melvoin's first performance with Prince was right here at First Avenue in the city where The Revolution began.
You might be a little disappointed to scan the setlist and find no mention of the bloused one, but something greater began the night prior 2/8 and lasted through 2/11 - all Umphrey's original tunes without a single repeat, seemingly in response to the criticism they were a glorified cover band lacking a deep catalog. The "No Repeats No Covers ter" (in the parlance of the times) was not announced (never even officially acknowledged in any way that I'm aware of), the "cover band" slander was well known to fans, and by the end of this night in Minneapolis the opening notes of every original song became an FU to anyone who failed to consider that perhaps the real Revolution was the one we made whilst gettin' in the van.
Aside from what the other reviewer mentioned, also check out Kabump (here or any other show where it appears).
PS - releasing all four nights of this run would be a pretty swell idea.
September 27, 2019
I'm pretty new to UM. Got into them after seeing the Soundstage video on AXS TV. So I started watching and listening to them on Music-You Tube and bought a couple of albums on iTunes. So I'm a mature fan of 65 and I really wanted to see them in concert, so I bought my brother-in-law a ticket so he'd go to the show with me. Got there early and was almost in the front row.
The music was awesome, although I only recognized 7 of the 17 songs. The thing that made the concert was when they played Ocean Billy, my favorite UM song in the second set. I later found out that I could actually buy the concert. I've been listening to it constantly and am more impressed with it every day. They are an amazing group. I was so lucky to hear Hajimemashite, Draconian, Miss Tinkle's Overture to expand my familiarity with UM's songs. While I originally thought their cover of Layla was OK, listening over and over again...it was a great song to set up Gulf Stream for the finale.
I loved this concert... it was the highlight of my summer. I will definitely be looking for the opportunity to see UM again.
September 11, 2019
This show was as hot as it was in the venue. First set was absolutely insane to watch. When i relisten to it I am still blown away from how solid and seamless the playing is. Top show of mine.
September 6, 2019
B section of Proverbial pre Pop-Tart aka (-what is now known as No Comment -) LS. Another one to hang your hat on. Happy 10 year anniversary to this one!
August 16, 2019
4th show in 3 years at a great venue. The band really seemed pumped that the house was full and brought the heat! The 'Draconian' opener meandered about for nearly 20 minutes, 'Where is my mind?' surprised and thrilled the crowd, 'Attachments' was amazing and after 10 years I finally caught a 'Nemo'.
February 18, 2019
Resolution featuring Vinnie and Al from MOE.
Apparently there is a minimum character limit so I'm writing a little extra now
January 28, 2019
I hear a 46 & 2 (Tool) tease around 9:10 in Hindsight.
Great show, especially the second set. I hope for more 5 songs sets this year.
January 23, 2019
Dear Mr Admin,
They played Maybe Someday and not Remind Me in the encore.
A Concerned Fan
October 10, 2018
Fun show! I enjoyed the new rendition of Bright Lights. Also during the encore they jammed the end of "It's about that time" from Miles Davis
October 1, 2018
Absolute gem of a first set, one of the more underrated of 2008. This Eat/GYM(RH) is one hell of a ride, 36 minutes between two 3 minute songs is no joke.
September 27, 2018
This was my first show. A non smoking rock show in 2007 was unheard of so I assumed they were squares, my how times have changed. Had no idea who I was seeing. Went to catch a buzz and try to get laid. There was about 400dudes and 9 women. PW into Nemo it was the beginning of a new addiction. Got thrown out about set break for firing up a jib in the joint but ive got it on cd. It was cold as hell that night for Charlotte.
September 20, 2018
GOAT Phil's, top 3 Fir. Show started a run of about two weeks that saw some of the most lengthy/exploratory UM improv ever seen culminating in 6/5 and 6/6.
September 4, 2018
Excellent OTD review of this show on Umphreak Parents Podcast:
Nice (and rare these days) Snake Juice opener. Purportedly one of the best-ever Wappys. Why haven't they been back to play this venue?!
May 29, 2018
Nigel Hall from Lettuce guested on Synth (and Keys?) during Den as well. and he totally killed it. make sure he gets credit.
March 14, 2018
This show was on fire from the beginning with lots of really fun jams. It seemed like the band was really loose and that they were just really excited to be back on the road together. Opening the show with a Jimmy Stewart is a nice bonus and it really set the tone!
February 1, 2018
This was my first UM show. A buddy told me I had to come with him and his crew. He had introduced me to UM previously and I had seen a few couch tour shows, but to be honest I wasn't totally sold...that was soon to change. At the time I was a 90s hip-hop fan so when they busted out a Regulate during the encore I instantly know that this was the band for me! I'll never forget my first Phil's Farm, Wappy, and Kitchen.
January 25, 2018
This show had some of the most dark and fire jams I've ever heard from UM. They brought out the Snarky Puppy horn players for Attachments and Call to Arms and ripped em. Would definitely recommend this show as the best of the three night run. However, all three were great.
January 22, 2018
Fuckin' legendary.
I've only been listening to/going to UM shows for about 6 years, so, obviously, I'm fairly new to the band in the grand scheme of things. Also my first time being able to see the band 3 nights in a row, and in my hometown. Friday night was sick, Saturday (my 10th UM show) was somehow even crazier than that, and then we got hit with this.
When they announced the theme at the beginning of the night it opened up a new world of possibilities. Since they limited themselves to playing one debut from each year, the band must have had to go through a lengthy process choosing which songs to play. The setlist that came out of that process reads like a 'Greatest Hits' album (no pun intended). Heavy hitters the entire show, but still with unique moments where you could tell the band was, as they always are, pushing themselves into new territory within their well established material. I've always loved Umphrey's ability to 'rage, rest, repeat' during their shows, they give their audience time to re-energize before hitting their next shot out of the park, but this show was a very, VERY cool change of pace from the band's 'typical' spiel. No rest, no repeats. Only raging.
If you're an Umphrey's McGee fan you absolutely MUST listen to this show. Absolutely fucking incredible.
December 22, 2017
Not really sure how a top 2/3 show of all time has zero reviews. Intentions Clear>Syncopated Strangers is still the best piece of improv UM has played, bar none. Robot World is up there with the best versions as well. MAKE 4 SONG SETS GREAT AGAIN!
December 22, 2017
Review by graceofbordan, posted 05 October 2017 8:55 pm EDT
Such an amazing set but it doesnt show above how Eat is :Eat>Draconian>Eat: i just love these hidden mashup/transitions soo sick
That's because it's not. This Eat contained one of the building blocks that became Draconian. It's just a "Jimmy Stewart", much like 4/11/08 DBK isn't DBK>Cut The Cables>DBK or 9/4/05 3x isn't 3x>Spires>3x. The songs didn't exist yet.
November 2, 2017
Great Show! Too bad you can't stream on a Roku with the Cleeng service. It took my whole Sunday to get a refund. I'm still getting e-mails from them. They keep telling me that they only take money and "protect" the stream. Not once do they take any responsibility. They say they are not the organizer, nor responsible. What BS!!! When the Roku channel has their name on it, and their name on the bill. The band needs to break away from this shady Cleeng. Whats funny is the band did their job, the streaming crew did their job( It works on a laptop), but yet the Cleeng channel doesn't work. A device built for streaming doesn't work. I guess they think my laptop is the best way to view and listen to music, not my T.V. and high end audio equipment. I can't wait until the band drops this client and moves to a platform like Nugs that actually works.
October 5, 2017
Such an amazing set but it doesnt show above how Eat is :Eat>Draconian>Eat: i just love these hidden mashup/transitions soo sick
September 25, 2017
One hell of a show.
Posted setlist is missing "Hold Me Now (cover by Thompson Twins) " between Triple Wide and Mantis.
September 18, 2017
Great show! The set list doesn't do this show justice. The rendition of Night Nurse is the best version I've personally heard. An incredible Visions > Ain't proud to beg(1,241 show gap) > Red Tape to close the first. Soul Food I, II and just the second Soul Food III ever played and what a great and fun way to open the 2nd set red hot. I always love a decent Conduit followed by Comfortably Numb which is covered in solid UM fashion. 15+ min JaJunk to close the second! Kimble is one of my all time favorites and is always welcomed especially for an encore. Gulf Stream ends the show perfectly! One of the better shows of Winter Tour 2017.
September 18, 2017
Great show! The set list doesn't do this show justice. The rendition of Night Nurse is the best version I've personally heard. An incredible Visions > Ain't proud to beg(1,241 show gap) > Red Tape to close the first. Soul Food I, II and just the second Soul Food III ever played and what a great and fun way to open the 2nd set red hot. I always love a decent Conduit followed by Comfortably Numb which is covered in solid UM fashion. 15+ min JaJunk to close the second! Kimble is one of my all time favorites and is always welcomed especially for an encore. Gulf Stream ends the show perfectly! One of the better shows of Winter Tour 2017.
September 5, 2017
Drove down from Chicago just for this bad boy and then drove back up the next morning for North Coast Festival. Love this venue immediately. Great sound, great crowd, excellent beer section, clean bathrooms, plenty of room to move around.
What a burner. A Bridgeless for the ages. The Utopian > Night Nurse > Utopian > Kashmir is peak Umphrey's for me. Cap it off with a spirited Gulf Stream and the end of Bridgeless was a perfect encore.
Overall just a really fantastic show. Really glad I decided to go for it. Brought 2 virgins to the show and they both loved it and said they'd absolutely go back next time they come around.
August 16, 2017
Amazing show. Rain held up and pretty cool venue as well. Ocean Billy was highlight of the night.
There is also a "Cant You Hear me Knockin'" Rolling Stones tease in Blue Echo.
August 13, 2017
Theres a Safety Dance (Men Without Hats) tease in Ocean Billy that isnt note. Excellent show through and through though.
August 11, 2017
Great show. First set was real magic. Second set was a heater. Ringo was on point, jam started off slow and teased so hard....then they just let it rip. Highlight of the show for me for sure. . Partyin peeps was a nice surprise. And the 40s encore was pure sex.
Also on another note....city of tiny lites is part of the life during exodus mashup. So it's on there bubba
August 11, 2017
OK, 1st off, this show was fantastic. One highlight for me was playing a song by one of my all time favorites - FRANK ZAPPA -yeah im an old man :). UM played a great version of City of Tiny Lites. However, when I look at the setlist here, it is not listed at all. Also, in the Song archives, it is stated that it was only played by UM one time -- 12 years ago! Now, no one believes me when I tell them that they played it (that was not at the show) - please get these facts updated on the site - Thank You!!!!
July 26, 2017
I know as of this review that Eat doesn't show that they teased Footsteps by Pearl Jam, but they did from about 1:30-3:30. I know that guitar riff anywhere.
Fantastic show. The guys were locked in and ready to play. Absolutely worth the drive back and forth from Chicago and the lack of sleep that resulted. Cant believe I got to see them cover COCHISE! One of my favorite songs ever by any band. Onward & Upward, All Things Ninja, Kula, and the fantastic Out of Order closer were my highlights.
July 24, 2017
I was hoping for Attachments, and they opened with it. Who picked this set list? It was as if the guys were anticipating a lot of people who hadn't seen them before and decided to give them a potpourri- Puppet String, Nemo, Ringo, Higgins, AIT (of course!), Glory, 1348 and Baba O'Reilly? Quite something. And some of the most creative phrasing I've heard from Brendan. Is he getting better? Scary thought... Threatening skies, but not a drop of rain until they left the stage- as if Heaven were on their side...
July 24, 2017
This was my second of 11 shows so far, and I urge all to listen to it, for musically it is the best show I've seen. A ?Mild Sedative> The Crooked One with what is a truly moving jam; Loose Ends with the best solo technique and phrasing-wide I have ever heard from Jake. Really! Then Tribute to the Spinal Shaft> Resolution> Cemetery Walk> Ocean Billy with an old version Cut the Cable stuck in the middle. At the end of the 2nd set, Much Obliged with another special jam into an inspired Glory. Truly amazing- I listen to it over and over again.
July 20, 2017
one of my favorites. the band seems as relaxed as ever based on song choice. also its an april fools day show, this shit is fire, divisions with jake on vocals needs to be relived again one of these days. the jimmys in this are off the chainwax
June 5, 2017
Gloria Estefan's "Conga" teased during All In Time (05:58 - 07:00)
Hilarious. Great show. Perfect setlist.
June 1, 2017
They won me over. Long time Dead/Phish head here and this was my first UM show...hard to believe after all these years of hearing about them, and even listening to a few shows here and there. But here we are...at Pier Six on a chill night that saw a break in the weather.
My wife and I rolled in and had an awesome time. First set had me hooked. The searing guitar work got me. That Higgins was awesome with the Thunderstruck jam. Then they sink into the Beatles' tune. Grand stuff.
The 2nd set was a dance party through and through. We moved seats at set break and by mid-set found ourselves surrounded by a bunch of younger UM fans, clearly in step with each other. They were having a blast.
Not knowing the songs and the music was a blessing. We had no expectations and left awestruck. Sick show for my money; not sure how it stacks up to seasoned fans' opinions. Met some awesome folks though and look forward to more UM every chance I get.
May 31, 2017
For the church show, water was not played. It was Morning Song > Blue Echo.
The reggae Jessica jam in cut off is absolutely beautiful.
April 20, 2017
Standing in front of me is a girl in a tank top and an Umphrey's McGee hat. She keeps flirting with her boyfriend and and egging on her two sisters with a very attractive level of spunk that perfectly represents the ballrooms atmosphere. Every breath I inhale smells of weed and every visage of the crowd full is smiles. As I watch I see rock bulls made of hands shoot bolts of energy straight into the band. They are 15 feet away. Close enough to catch their eye and close for them to catch mine. Another moment of eyes locked and I'm not just an observer; my level of the enjoyment feeds right back into the music and powers the ballroom. Everyone here is a a part of a larger organism that seeps into the soul. Lights blaze and colorful angel-rays pour through the mist. Who knew heaven was full of rainbows. The music gets louder and the bassist looks as if he's been reborn. I feel his music in my chest and wonder what it would be like to have two hearts beating, pounding at my ribs, and telling me it's time to move, but I think I already know.
April 5, 2017
The Peter Gunn has a long Myxamotsis (Radiohead) tease and the ending of Slipknot! (Grateful Dead). definitely check it out.
April 3, 2017
This was my first UM show. I am still blown away by the night we had. Such positive energy from the crowd and the band. If you're looking for technical info about the songs, sorry. As it was my first show I can't compare it to anything. It felt like full throttle all night to me. I guess the rumors are true. UM are good. I enjoyed #5 a lot and pretty much the second set in it's entirety was madness. It felt like eating a bowl of asparagus tips. No stalks to chew through.
March 27, 2017
The Sandpoint shows were special, but this one in particular fulfilled all expectations, and then some.
An 18-minute opening Conduit with not one but two extended yams? Check. A five-song first set? Check. A songlist show? Check. An incredibly small, intimate venue with superb sound in a breathtakingly beautiful corner of this troubled planet? Check.
By set break, I was already satiated up to my eyeballs. And yet as such things go, I was still jonesing for more (never enough Umph!).
And as amazing as the first set was, the best was somehow still to come.
The second set is an amazing creation of perfect symmetry. The first three songs flow seamlessly (with Jake playing none other than Jerry Garcia's infamous Travis Bean 500 guitar!) into a long sought after Search 4 hinging into another continuous three-song tryptic of sonic wonder, and possibly my favorite combined moment of this show -- which already runneth over with riches. Which is to say that ITK- > No Comment > Rock the Casbah is the Real Deal. One heck of a party that.
And for good measure, the Plunger/ITK/Plunger sandwich encore sent us spinning out into the snowy night still dancing a perma-grin jig.
All in all, this show has it all. Perfect on-the-fly song selection, execution, and exploration. Could not have asked for more.
February 9, 2017
1st show as well and have enjoyed every moment since then. So many people at this tent dancing their asses off in the unforgiving heat that day. Best band around. They were great at what they did back then and just keep getting better. Thank you for all the memories past, present, and future.
January 11, 2017
First off, great show, just wish it was longer. Lettuce was a cool opening act, however, not many were there to enjoy it unfortunately.
Because of the co-headline, they got a shorter set but they got right to work. Junk was solid right out of the gate, and the bottom>anchor>linear>non-compliance was great. They have not played non-compliance alot, which is a shame cause it has a sweet riff and a top 5 stew song for me. Plunger was a weird kinda funky different jam, and clearly pretty good as it landed on the HOF 2015. The rest of the set was great too, nothing crazy, but great songs with solid jams throughout. The encore for me, made the show. Booth Love with the Eminence jam into DBK was so cool. Haji is always great and the back half of DBK finished off a truly solid night for the guys. Cheers.
September 11, 2016
First set was fire. Check out Slacker and the Linear. Higgins jam and Haunt jam worth a listen as well.
August 27, 2016
First time UM concert goer impressions.
First impressions. I don't know HOW they remember how all their songs go. It's like Homer telling the Odyssey. Super impressive. Brendan and Jake. You are the dynamic fulcrum of the band. Jake is the unapproachable guitar wizard and Brendan is the friendly, compassionate frontman. They are the heart and soul of the band. and enhance each other. Big tumbs up to Ryan (nice Celtics jersey), Kris (nice vocal on I Got Love), Joel (beautiful keyboard break, esp during Gents) and Andy (or was it you on I Got Love). It's one thing for one performer to be able to do it, but to have all 6 locked in, plus the Shady Horns (nice breakdown on Bad Friday), is unique.
1 Best song of the night for me was Gents, the opener. As a newbie this was sort of the pu pu platter of the UM experience. Everyone gets a little light under the sun.
2 I Got Love - which i didn't know at the time (Nate Dogg) was a good inclusion. And it makes me think, their covers are pretty much gonna be confined to songs by acts that are no longer really doing it. I like that. So who else did west coast rap in Boston in 2016? I like that.
3 Bad Friday - Yes we all watch Around the horn, so you couldn't go wrong. And it was a hot nasty Friday in Boston in front of a wilted, lackluster audience. The Shady Horns got to stretch out during this one too.
4 The guy who yelled "Free Tom Brady†right before Wizard Burial Ground.
1 Sorry but I was REALLY hoping for Glory. It had been 6 shows, and I thought it was due. But that's just me. High hopes low expectations. Having said that…Glory is nothing short of a 21st century classic rock CLASSIC. The whole world should get to hear this song. Truly remarkable and truly one of a KIND.
2 The weather was horrible and sticky and like I said, and it was the end of a long Augist week. The audience seemed pretty wilted. And the band seemed a bit frustrated with that. Or maybe I'm projecting. And they took it out on the music. Hard and heavy all night. Very few light moments. Not a lot of smiling.
Fun to be Happy - Love Tractor. Listen to it, learn it, play it live. It's perfect for UM.
PS Brown Sabbath was GREAT for the 18 or 19 of us who were there in time to see them.
August 17, 2016
The opening Front Porch sandwich is absolutely must-hear Umphrey's. Just when you think you've heard the last of it, it just keeps comin'.
April 8, 2016
I just finished listening to this show, two days after the fact, in three different sittings. But wow, even remotely, audio only, with interruptions, this show shines. Liquid velvety smoothness throughout. They were locked in from note one and feeling good. The first five songs (of a six song first set) flow effortlessly into one other, with Mad Love tacked on for good measure. I'm always a sucker for Miami Virtue, as it so often lends itself as a pliable launching pad, and this excursion is top notch. Set 2 keeps the flow going with many high water marks. Everything in it's right place. Their playing this night is inspired and relaxed. Great start to this year's Southern run.
April 2, 2016
Its been near 12 and a half years later . . . and I still listen to this show for the great lead off into a classic, gritty Phil's Farm and the intimacy of the venue. The Witz End was a small bar/supper club in the middle of nowhere that couldn't fit more than 75 people, tops. The show was the day AFTER the famed "Steve Bartman" game, and prior to the show a group of us UW-Pointers went early for pre-show beers, and were fortunate enough to imbibe and visit with the band and watch the Cubs playoff game. They were not happy about the previous day's Bartman game, and went into the show even more downtrodden due to a Cubs Game 7 loss immediately before the show began. Yet, a fantastic and intimate show in a great, classic Wisconsin atmosphere. Sadly, the Witz End later burned to the ground.
April 1, 2016
Great show on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (my alma mater). A great time, and notably Set 2 was incredible. Kinda a strange venue, but this show will always hold a place in my heart, if only because (at the time) it was home.
April 1, 2016
Amazing show in a small venue in Northern Wisconsin. Hard to believe it happened over 11 years ago. Lots of firsts in this show for me personally - a great Africa, and an absolutely ripping NTF and Jimmy Stewart. A personal favorite. This show remains in my listening rotation 11 years later!
March 29, 2016
Among this particular west coast run, from Sandpoint, IDaHO, to The City of Angels: purring galore went down, catnip was fresh and organic, and -- (this night!) -- to my furry ears, was the cat's meow. First set, contender for favorite of the 10; set two is strong throughout but somewhat front loaded. Minor quibble for such high caliber executions unfolding as a single point of boundary dissolving music.
March 28, 2016
This show is incredible. Both first and second sets have character. I was stoked to hear In The Black live for the first time, I think this song is one of their best yet and can't wait to hear it recorded in the studio. 2nd Self and
Utopian Fir
are both Hall of Fame worthy. I've never seen an UM crowd so fired up than during the Utopian Fir jam -- the entire place was bouncing like it was a god damned rave... it was a beautiful thing to be a part of.
The second set Cemetery Walk sandwich is delicious. It really pulls the whole thing together and the CW II ending is one of the most incredible musicial moments I've ever seen live -- Waful deserves some credit here too because the synchronicity between the band and the lighting at the end of that song was surreal.
Farag singing Dirty Love was fun and perhaps a foreshadowing of the Arthur Barrow sit-in that took place two days later at the Wiltern in LA.
Encore was meaty and satisfying, Andy's Last Beer being the spinner.
Nothing short of an amazing show here. Tahoe represent!
March 28, 2016
Playing in a casion's hotel is always going to be a bit of a trip, but despite what was going on outside, inside the South Shore Room was a RAWK SHOW!
The cemetery walk sandwhich was a personal favorite of mine, and the Reso and first set Utopian are HoF worthy
March 28, 2016
The fifth Fox appearance in 5 years, the band has loved coming back to the Bay Area and throwing down.
The OG Cable sandwich in Ocean Billy hit the spot and the Banana Bron-Yr-Aur was classic!
Check out the Grateful Web review a full gallery of photos here
March 28, 2016
This was the 2016 Winter tour closer and 3rd night in a row of UM's California run this year.
Bayliss took over on plenty of solid jams and the Arthur Barrow sit-in was incredible - Treacherous Cretins wasn't written on the set list.
Read more and check out pictures here!
March 27, 2016
First set is great, Arthur Barrow sit-in is amazing. Second set is a bit lackluster. Wizard Burial Ground is a throw down.
March 4, 2016
This is the best Speak Up you're going to hear. Example 1, Push the Pig, Space Funk Booty are great with horns.
March 4, 2016
Solid show, but the first night of Beacon was far superior in every way. Auf>HBB was perfect. Speak Up is a funky new tune. Ocean Billy>Gents>1348 is a great way to end a set.
Bad Friday is ok, but the jam it leads to is excellent. Same with ITK, not my favorite tune, but great jam. This seems to be the case with these songs live. Haj - speaker blows, don't download by itself. Tom Sawyer fucking rocks. BB is a god.
March 4, 2016
This was a pretty kick ass show. Phil's Farm has a great jam and then Great American has a sweet jam that kind of sounds like an alternate version of the jam on Phil's. 2x2 is always a treat. They slayed both parts of N2F, as usual, and the Stewart with vocals on Plunger will make a cool song someday. It doesn't rage but Jake shows off some of his finesse on the strings taking some beautiful solos. HBB is a beast to end it with a Joel heavy atmospheric jam.
February 9, 2016
Of the top 5 list of my favorite UM shows are both times I've seen these guys at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Something about the small stretch of coastline we got in NH seems to bring out the best in people there, for the crowd and band. The Ratdog and Jim Gaffigan shows I saw had performers and crowd alike having a ball. Keeping coming to the beach fellas and bring back Proverbial! Thanks for that, John Scofield and some of the most fun I ever had in my home state that night
February 9, 2016
This is as good as an Umphrey's show gets. Every song was incredible. Song placement kept everyone excited, and the improvisation was well done and heavily inspired. Everything got pretty heavy, and nothing was aimless. Perfect score.
January 28, 2016
All in Time pt. 1 lets Jake show off his chops. The chops are tight. They really rip the first part of AIT. Pony rides on Mulche's, and Kimble is always a beaut.
January 28, 2016
#5, ridiculously good. Wormbog stole the show "I think they just made a baby" is what Brendan says after Joel praises Redman and Jake just crushing the Prof. Ringo is great, and the N2F encore will melt your face. It rips.
January 28, 2016
Best DBK you'll hear. Josh Redman adds a lot to the tunes he performs on. Miss Tinkle's Mind Left Body jam is straight fire. This is a very nice Blue Echo, as well.
January 27, 2016
Auf Wiedersehen great opener especially for the transition into Hurt Bird Bath; which was high intensity and a great start. The 2nd self was solid. My favourite version so far. Speak Up- new song great song! Won't be surprised if they bust that out more often. 1348>Ocean Billy was absolutely nuts! I was amazed. The Billy was only enhanced when Andy and Kris took it into Drums then back into Billy!!! AAAAAH! 2nd time live best version I've heard. The boys knocked this show out of the park. They broke out Gents and BOOSH back into 1348 End set.
Set 2- What the hell are they gonna blow my mind with now? Usually comes to mind
Bad Friday- great song, nice groove, a good call. The Floor always solid. Gotta love Ryan for what came next: Wappy Sprayberry... Yes! then into a JaJunk!!! 1st time I remember seeing this one live so great to be a part of. The crowd was fully into the show by this point. It was attention grabbing. The Similar Skin was a great follow up! The In The Kitchen was amazeballs! The Rhiannon jam back into In The Kitchen!!! So epic! Great call guys! The Hajii was my 1st Blown Speaker Hajii so that was unforgettable. Encore Tom Sawyer only RUSH does it better but I mean Come On! It was so fuckin' SICK!!
My favourite Facebook Message after the show: Fuck you! U fucking fuck!
January 27, 2016
10th show 18th B-Day Show for Umph. Goonville was cool. I never know where the created openers lead but to have it drop into Plunger was awesome. I will give nothing away but, the Banter in this show between the band and the crowd is priceless. 40's was good as usual. "Pick up a couple a New York City 40s" In the Black was solid. Better than Athens I thought. Roulette was totally a highlight. Unexpected and always welcome; but to have that go into Kimble!! SO SICK. My buddy wants to dick punch me for that one. Attachments newer song, great song. 1st time I've heard it live. The Rocker Part 2 filled out the monster and as always a great way to end set. Irreplaceable.
All in Time- Having heard it broken up in Athens; to hear it start to finish was just what the doctor ordered. Crowd. Hyped. Knew something got teased wasn't sure what but to find out Kris pulled out the end... Very cool. Booth Love I heard this home in Toronto in 2011 when they played the MOD Club. This one was waaay better! Plus the you belong to the city tease and priceless banter from Jake. Wicked. I'm thinking push the tempo up and the next song they pull out is Bridgeless! Yes! Unfinished jammed into Remind Me. Nicely done boys! The tribute to spinal shaft was just rockin' best one yet. It had the Xxplosive tease and Jake played around a bit with the strumming but it wasn't Still Dre like a few dudes in front of me thought. Rather than educate I felt they would figure it out later. BOOSH back into Bridgeless, Ryan was killing it. End set.
Encore Space Oddity >Fame. I thought wicked Bowie tribute and the mashup was unexpected and awesome! So happy to have been apart of UM history.
January 27, 2016
Roulette highlighted the first set. Attachments is a pretty cool new one and Rocker 2 brought it's typical crushing beauty. The second set caught fire with the Bridgeless sandwich of all sandwiches. This thing could feed Africa, it was so tasty.
January 23, 2016
Solid show all around; Myers's Drums & Waful's Lights (particularly his transition of colors) were the standout performances of the night. And that was all capped off with a great rendition of "Tom Sawyer" – I'm assuming in response to the fan who kept posting requests for a RUSH cover.
January 6, 2016
this closer show of the run absolutely blew the lid off the place. a couple of added footnotes for Front Porch:
Last played in Colorado in 2004
Resolution tease 2.5 minutes in
what a rawwwk show mm/
December 3, 2015
I can't remember exactly when I first heard this show, but I believe it was my freshman year of college, so let's say early 2005. I had just heard about this Humphrey's band and was looking to check them out. Somehow, I came into possession of this gem of a live concert, and soon enough, I would have a new favorite band.
The first set is gold. A standard Mulche's opener led to an OG version Haunt, followed by one of my favorite Jazz Odyssey's. Patient jazzy 2004 UM at their best. Sociable and 40's are both standard versions, followed by the Pequod/Ahab sandwich, a simple composition but one that is among my favorites. A blazing Senor Mouse cover sets the tone for FF and the peaking jam out of it. The improv starts out a bit reminiscent of Fire on the Mountain, before evolving into a blistering peak much like the 2/21/2004 FF. Robot World and a tasty Black Water cover round out set 1.
The second set picks up where the first leaves off; luckily for the listener, we don't have to sit through the 1 hour fire marshall-induced set break like the show's attendees! The band came out with a vengeance, as Much Obliged gets some nice treatment before making way for Haji and a 20 minute version of HBB. Fairly ordinary versions of Bottom Half and Crooked One sandwich a briefly extended Triple Wide. The unique dichotomy of Kat's Tune and the Metallica cover round out the set; the 20 minute FP encore with a verse of Kashmir melded in is a great close to a classic setlist.
There have been shows with more improv, and higher quality improv, but the smattering of jams throughout, the excellent flow and song selection, and some tight-ass playing of the compositions make this show an all-timer for me. It definitely does not hurt that this was also my first introduction to the band, along with 2/7/2004.
October 29, 2015
You'll have to forgive the spelling mistakes in my review of night one. Seems I can't edit it. Night 2. Any consecutive show we should all remember 3 simple rules. Rage. Rest. Repeat. I mean REPEAT night 2 was just more enjoyable. Found company with people I met night one and when you make new friends its always a better show.
Didn't know what to expect given what was done to my brain night 1. Shout out to Brendan Joel Chris Andy Ryan and Jake who didn't get enough love. One weird thing I realized no Joel Chant night 1... The slack was picked up night 2 but lets start with the Preamble. Nice! 1st time seeing it but you always know that Mantis is going to follow. But we got the Mantis Ghets, Mantis 2/3rds. But it was the greatest 2/3rds I've heard and experienced. I saw them playing it all singing and I was singing along, although not as well. All I can say is when you remember what a Song is like after seeing it live you develop a deeper connection with that song. I have a new appreciation for mantis. Moving on. Alexs House... everyone was groovin'out to the light show I'm pretty sure that its rare. So I felt lucky. But it went into 40's! JAKE THREW IT DOWN that was hype. ABSOULUTELY NO ONE IN THIS BAND IS A SLOUCH Brendan was solid, Joel was steady. Chris is always mystifying to me. He's the hardest working guy and the quietest, well him and Andy. Andy is the essential percussive support that really helps fill the gaps. Ryan's usally good for 1 thing to the crowd. Night 1 was I think you guys are the loudest crowd ever. Wicked version. Moving on Example 1 with Demolition Man tease(so cool) was not only good transition musically in my opinion kept the vibe going. I remember that Brendan and Jake brought out the 2 custom really block looking guitars for this they seemed to have fun playing them and the sound was good but, not as good as their regular guitars. I had no clue what to expect next. Then, Room To Breathe AAAHH so good. Only to be followed up by a No Diablo that really hit home with the crowd and took the vibe to 11. The In the Black was super impressive because it went straight into Mantis end set 1. I had to pee since Mantis so I booked it to the bathroom and then bought more beer.
Set 2 You see what happens when you chant Joel.
Divisions opener. Divisions is a great song. One of my favourites. But I was honestly glad it was played right away. The Roundabout tease was unexpected and 100% awesome. Dump City was SO GOOD but people kept asking me what song it was and that sucked. Little Gift never heard before it was a beautifully written song. INTO SLACKER What! Boosh! Totally into it. I think this was when the Joel Chant happened then Conduit. It might have been after Conduit but I remember the chant and partaking in its glory. JOEL, JOEL JOEL JOEL JOEL JOEL JOEL I also remember Brendan saying Do you see what happens when you chant Joel. LIFE DURING EXODUS IS WHAT HAPPENS with a wicked Fleetwood Mac tease(Riannon )and a 1348 encore is what happens! So epic. I hope I never lose my memories of these 2 nights at the Georgia Theatre.
October 29, 2015
Let me start by saying that I flew from Toronto, Ontario Canada to see both nights at the Georgia Theatre. The extra money I spent to fly in was so worth it!
The Gurgle opener was a perfect call in my opinion. The anticipation you could feel in the crowd reached its peak. House Lights came off and BAM! They came out like yeah WHAT'S UP!
The Push the Pig had all the fatness of Waa and bass you may have come to expect. They get better every time. The lights added to the enjoyment of the song and then with very little pause Jake starts a solo (masterfully precise as per usual) that lead into a wicked Soul Food I could not believe what was going to come up. The Similar Skin to follow got everybody in the place jumping. It was packed! Everybody was having a good time, rocking out sharing smokeables in various forms. The energy you feel when you see them perform the songs that just connect with you is whats unforgettable about the live show. When you hear the studio tracks and think How? TO SEE IT ALL HAPPEN mind blowing. These guys are just super tight. Have set up hand signals for changes and always listen to each other. The crowd was cheering so much I have to download the live shows to hear what Joel Brendan Jake and Ryan were saying because I cant be sure. The ALL THINGS NINJA fucking loved it. I did hear Brendan say it was someones 250th show and you that you dont always give them what they want you gotta give em what they need. Man did I need to hear that track. After that show I realized there was a hole in my All Things Ninja T-Shirt but I wore it. So that was awesome. The All in Time>Mad Love was unexpected, amazing , beautiful, awesome.... Again shout out to the light show because it really added to the amazingness of the composition of their songs. Set break must beer and more smokeables exchanged.
Set 2
The Floor best version I've heard but that was like the 4th time for me so although very good I was hoping for an epic tease that never came.
2x2-What YES! That's all I had to say. Took me minute to recognize the part of No More Tears that was teased. RESPECT. Cannot say enough about the talent that is possessed in every member of this band. Just when you think there might be one that overshadows another in the band they show you how well they play as a hole. Every member is essential to their consistently mind blowing shows.
The Bad Friday was sick! Loved it. Nuff said. The Haji was amazing> All in time again. A bit of Georgia Love I guess reaching back to the Tabernackle run... but I liked it better because I was there for this one. Again seeing it live 100x better than blasting it in your headphones. If memory serves the Hangover had a little Break Out The Booty Wags (ITS MONDAY NIGHT!) Epic.
Tickles-5th time best time. Come Closer not seen since encore night 2 summercamp '08. That gave me flashbacks.
Masterful Show.
October 13, 2015
The set list for this on umlive.net doesn't include "Tomorrow Never Knows" in the track listing, but this set is a fire classic 2009 set :)
October 3, 2015
It kind of blows my mind how only a trickle of people gush digital hyperboles after UM shows, considering how they bring It to every single one of their multitudinous appearances. Picking this particular outing to reveal a highly acute (or obvious, depending on which side you fall on) insight could almost be arbitrary. But this show is anything but hyperbole or arbitrary, at least in the ways it bounces around between my ears. And I wasn't even there! Something about the song selection all by its partial and lonely self, tickles my pleasure-gizzard, not to say mum about all the other scratched surfaces and pushed buttons. Where's the love?
September 2, 2015
This was the last time "August" was played in full (with composed ending, a la GHV3). Certainly a strange place for a UM show but those were the early days for you...photos of this gig survive...
August 22, 2015
Kick ass rock show. The jam on Bad Friday, The Higgins and Wizard Brothers, Night Nurse, and the jam on Bridgeless are the highlights for me. #5, WMM, Puppet, Bright Lights always a pleasure.
August 21, 2015
Chris Mitchel's 500th show and he was the set list writer this night. The show starts strong and just gets stronger to the end. The show is along Umphrey's harder, heavier, darker side, with a little bit of dance party added in for good measure. Songs ranging from the early umph catalog to the most current.
five stars or how ever you want to rate it.
It melts your face.
August 14, 2015
Man, where to start... First set while rather a "slow start" was still an amazing group of tunes. The power outage sucked, but i think the band made up for it with the stew that made a rather boring Educated Guesses a monumental rawk piece. The second set started off with a bang and failed to slow down. If that tinkles doesn't get at least an honorable mention for HOF, then I don't know what does. This show is worth a listen or two, check it out, overall would give it a 7.5-8/10
August 14, 2015
My first UM show, also. Incredible show. They played for what seemed like the whole night and it didn't stop because moe. takes over one by one during "Jam" and filled the intermission with a few moe. originals before turning it back over to the boys.
August 14, 2015
Pretty amazing show here. Don't miss this Gents and bass heavy Wappy. The Ringo is 20+ minutes of brilliance. Huge energy from Educated Guess all the way though the second set.
July 20, 2015
I'll attempt a full review later, after some sleep from this epic weekend (just got back to NYC from Baltimore).
But I will say that there was a Bulls On Parade jam during Conduit, about 6:30 they begin to tease it for a minute until Kris comes in with the vocals and the full out jam, until 9:12 when they come back into Conduit.
April 29, 2015
Great show, saw them Friday too, and this was my first time seeing them this year.
Great rapport with crowd and very high energy, they also played a fantastic mix for veteran fans as well as newbies.
Saw my first Moccasin!!!
Another great set of shows that solidified my belief that this band gives you a show truly unlike any other!
April 18, 2015
Maybe not at quiet the same level of energy and magic as the night before, but this was still one heck of a dance party and good time. A juicy Mantis sandwich in the second set containing the most unforgettable, accurate, and powerful cover of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" I have ever encountered (Patrick rocked the Casbah!). Then to top it off, the Radiohead/Beck/Phil Collins mash-up for an encore had to be seen/heard to believe. I can no longer resist the momentum of this music.
April 18, 2015
Right up front, this was my first Umphrey's McGee show. Holy guacamole. Most likely you know the rest of the story. First set was offdahook. Miami Virtue, Ja Junk>...>...>JA Junk sandwich. Followed by a scorching second set without nary a throwaway either. These guys are the real shiznit.
March 17, 2015
The first set was stellar. When they played Wappy so early, I knew we were in for a great night of straight UMPHunk! The Bottom Half and Syncopated Strangers were the highlights of the first set even though Led Boots > Mulche's was a great way to end the set.
The second set was priceless! Hands down one of the best sets of music ive ever seen. It wasn't even fair. Every song was perfectly placed. The Dump city and crooked one were of premium quality. Perfect night for a flawless show.
The encore took me back to my childhood and i couldnt help but boot scoot boogie. Best UMPH show yet for me!
March 5, 2015
Enjoyed the show (both TAUK and UM), and was blown away by Jefferson Waful's lighting.
To find the Front Row Focus review and photos of this show, please click this link: http://www.frontrowfocus.com/blog/2015/2/concert-review-umphreys-mcgee-february-7-2015
February 24, 2015
Second set was one of the heaviest sets ive ever witnessed! That WBG is amazing, (Joel solo of the winter tour in it i think)
February 20, 2015
After weeks of being snowed in, we made the ride to Portland. Word was the Couch Tour stream unable to happen, there was a full blown snow squall at doors open with near white-out conditions that made it an adventure right up to the gate.. and the room energy was certainly high as the audience trickled in from the cold wind and snow. Tauk opened. My first time hearing those guys live and it was a great experience that drew in those cold feet for the first round of dancing. I'll focus on UM here though.
Set I. While the room sound is not the greatest at the State, a little boomy at best, the music was excellent. Most of first set was spent in the balcony. All of second set was spent grooving on the Goldside. Listening back to the umlive version now, it starts out very energetic. A nice Drink My Drank into The Floor. Divisions takes off, drops a mad drum jam in the midst and finds it way off to a smooth Stanton (2nd time played). After dancing around that theme they return back to Divisions for a good wrap-up with some nice belts from Brendan.
My personal feeling at this point is the band feels like the eyes of the world are off them a bit. Stream is cut off, no one but us is watching. They aren't rushing and its very electrified. The band is beaming. I like it. Mulche's Odyssey kicks off with some tight energy and is another example of some of the wild execution they nail tonight. Yet again, frenetic pace but patiently done. The mid-song groove is heavy and dirty, gives way to the main theme, and drops into a pleasant funk zone that is peppered with some nice spacey, padded out jams. Doesn't take long for the night's abundant energy to come back either! Back on the Mulche's theme proper, and I'd just say listen. This speaks for itself. Umphrey's is doing exactly what they do best and it is certainly a stand out moment of the first set for me. Short breather, and we get to the nights first Similar Skin offerings.
The Linear starts out strong, solid version. Vocals are on point, Jake peppers the lines with some fun guitar work throughout. The bottom drops out, we fall into a very ambient zone. Getting that sensation again that we're a cut off from the world. Guitar gently teases the chords to Cut The Cable and there it is. Tight playing, great vocals. Really dug this! Short and to the point. Another pretty decent pause. Again not feeling any sense of being rushed in this! They pull out October Rain and it is thoughtful and precise from the get go. I haven't heard this song live, and was impressed with its styling. Quick breath and we drop into Live and Let Live. Solid version, strong playing throughout. Nice way to end a strong set with some familiar tunes and some I'd never seen played live before. Notable songs for me were Mulche's, October Rain, Live and Let live.
Set II begins with Bridgeless and is a solid rocking opener for the later night. Vocals are good, playing tight as well. There is no sense they lost that pace from first set. A punctuated jam space gives way to Hang Up Your Hang Ups another second time played offering. Nothing lacking in this song either, and the band plays on through a few iterations with an intense Joel driven segment near the end. Feel like getting in the van? Yes Brendan, we do. Get in the Van is solid, executed flawlessly. After a ride around Portland in the van, we park ourselves back under the Bridgeless. The intense high-speed chase that is the end of Bridgeless runs wonderfully and well.
"This one's for you, Joel." Counterpoint to the set start in pocket, FF rises from the mid-set fire - a gift from Brendan to Joel - which is wrapped to suit in execution that's defined the show overall. Tight, energetic, and very fun to dance to. Darker themes begin to play the end of FF with a return to some deep ambiance. We drop into Made to Measure. This song follows the trend of an night full of great offerings. Some really cool guitar work accompany the stomping piano lines, with vocals from the band on par with the music. We're never ever slowing down, and when we hit groove time it's unique and rhythmically piano driven. I'm beginning to really dig the prominent Joel tonight. Lose yourself teases and a smooth hip hop element round out the end of Made to Measure before rocketing off into 40's Theme back to an absolutely electric pace. 40's Theme never fails to deliver for me, and this is no different. Well done, and totally jammin'. The texture turns smooth and funky as the song progresses. Bit of a breather again, compared to the rest of set II!
The band introductions go 'round and a little Game of Thrones theme comes out before we hit the End of the Road. Sweetly played, with some arrangement much unlike the studio version. Definitely a cool space presented here that rolls nicely into Roulette. Roulette carries on with the nice execution of the night. Good vocal harmonies over the verses. "Question is, are you guys read to rock?" Slacker jumps and jams its way to the close of set II. Great version, and very lively! It builds to an excellent crescendo that doesn't want to quit. Now they've played a few great gigs in Portland in past years though this may well be an example of the best they've given us so far in my opinion. A combination of a very choice set list and top notch execution throughout. Notable songs for set II were Made To Measure, 40's Theme, and Slacker.
Encore: The Triple Wide. A favorite of mine, and what can be said that hasn't already been said about this one. Just as good as the rest of the show, and a fitting close to a great night.
February 19, 2015
Outstanding show last night. I guess that is to be expected as UM is batting 1.000 at The Calvin. Some of my friends were sort of "meh" on the first set, but I disagree. Set one was bookended by two great pieces of improv in Fir and The Haunt. I was ecstatic to get both of those tunes in the same set. Admittedly the middle of the set (while well played) didn't pack the punch that the rest of the show did. The Nemo/AD sandwich was well executed but most of us diehard fans would have preferred a jam in Nemo in place of Anchor Drops, c'est la vie. I don't love Deeper, but the ethereal jam that came out of it was nice. A standard Billy was cut short by Bayliss on the talkback mics. This was a great move IMO as it allowed for The Haunt to really have room to stretch its legs. Jake was all over the Haunt jam conducting the band and being the mad stork that he can be up on stage. Truly a frenetic and awesome Haunt jam, I hope that it holds up on tape.
While set one was "good solid Umphrey's," set two was the stuff that makes me keep seeing these guys and makes it easy to provide an answer when asked: "who is your favorite band?" The Preamble fakeout into JaJunk was a nice twist and the JaJunk jam absolutely crushed. We were in for a real throwdown in set two as something clicked onstage and we were to treated incredibly compelling improv over the rest of the set. JaJunk, MO, LMS, BLBC and Sociable Jimmy ALL had great jams in them. I need a relisten to opine on Brendan's lyrical stew out of Much Obliged but every jam in set two delivered. There was a"middle eastern metal" (a section played during a past UMBowl S2 quarter) jam coming out of Last Man Swerving that was one of several highights in the set. I have been fortunate over the past few years to catch some 99th percentile UM shows (10/29/14, 8/8/14, 10/18/12 and 4/28/12 are good examples) and honestly I am not sure I have seen a better and more interesting set than set two last night. I should probably wait for the afterglow to wear off or to at least have a relisten via the UMlive app, but frankly I don't need it. What an awesome set of music. The Soul Food II>Soul Food I>end of Mantis encore was just icing on the proverbial cake (I also thought I head some Bad Poker teases from Jake in SFI but will need to confirm). There aren't enough superlatives to describe just how great last night's show (with emphasis on the second set) was. The song selection was also incredible. To get two highly sought after rarities like The Haunt and Last Man Swerving in the same show is enough of a treat in and of itself. One thing that is notable is that there weren't any tunes from Similar Skin played (this also happened on 10/29/14) and that was somewhat refreshing. While I love the SS material, gettting a "rest" from some of the songs that have been in heavy rotation since the album dropped helped to enhance the flow of the setlist/show. This is not a critique of SS or the frequency with which some of those tunes are played, just an observation. Folks who are looking for a sterling example of what UM is capable of would do well to check this show out. It was special.
February 9, 2015
If only there were words to describe this night. Easily the best setlist I have ever seen or heard live, Puppet String and Rocker 2 are some of the best jams I've heard possibly ever. Not to mention the 6 first set rarities.
I Want You (She's So Heavy) nearly caused the Ryman to crumble to do the energy in the room. The crowd was into it from note one. Not to mention the first ever and absolutely incredible Rocker, Rocker 2 combo.
Second set is near perfection, whether it's improv or standard songs the placement and execution of everything is seriously A+ stuff. All In Time encore featured the latest "Cigarette Cables" lyrical stew.
This was seriously one of the best shows I have ever seen, the room was insane and the energy was indescribable. Very thankful to have been in attendance.
January 31, 2015
This show was a high-energy jam fest right from the start. Fir, Divisions, August, and Dump City were particularly inspired. The Puppet String freak out > the end of Bridgeless brought the house down, and Bayliss absolutely nailed "Sledgehammer." I give it a 9.2 out of 10.
January 24, 2015
check out the The Crooked One[1] > Utopian Fir > Big Heart > Utopian Fir segment for some top-notch UM.
Phil's Farm and FF > Tomorrow Never Knows are worth listening to as well. Intimate Sunday night throwdown in Portland, Maine!
December 11, 2014
Stellar show from first note to the very end of Gulf Stream. After the night before with the incredible mashups of Halloween, I was not sure what to expect after hearing stuff like All in Time, Ocean Billy, N2F, and the insane opener of 1348/Kitchen. Cut the Cable got things going fast and then they laid into some of the best jams I have ever heard with The Floor, Higgins and Slacker both awesome highlights of the first set.
The Second set started with an unbelievable bridgeless, den, and bridgeless, which was the first 30mins of the set and left the audience stunned. Kashmir and Pay the Snucka were really strong to end the set and Kashmir in particular were very impressive. The band was super tight throughout the whole night and after a night of great mashups it was awesome to see them lay into a really strong show full of improv. This night I also stood a bit further back to appreciate the lights (night before I was rail) and the lights as always are an amazing part of the band. Waful always does an incredible job and this night was no different.
The encore was incredible and choosing Gulf Stream to close out the weekend was awesome. After two incredible nights of music and hanging out with the band as part of UmVip, capping off the weekend with Gulf was the best choice they could have made. It was my first time experiencing Halloween with UM and I look forward to many more shows with them in the near future!! mm/.
November 18, 2014
I was sort of skeptical of this show's prospects when the band neglected to jam out of the opening JaJunk, dropping right into Booth Love from JaJunk part I. Luckily, the gift of hindsight allows me to feel foolish for doubting a winter ter 2011 show. Turn & Dub is a contender for best version ever; excellent second jam in this one. Improv was also neglected in the PtP > Deeper > PtP sammich, with a drop right into the second half of JaJunk to close a pretty pedestrian first set.
The second set is where shit took off: huge standalone Mulche's, standalone B1/2 with a nice lyrical, Bombtrack with Ilya for the br0z (should've been Sludge & Death!), and a CWII that eschewed the usual 4 on the floor thump for a more atypical, jazzy jam built over two Jake progressions. Sociable, Andy's, and National Anthem is a run of songs I'd be happy to catch at any show. The encore Bird Bath was short, but the Imperial March jam was super choice.
November 14, 2014
Setlist orgasm. At the time, I remember leaving the show wondering what the hell they would play the next few nights. It seemed like they were unloading all of their heavy hitter songs in one go. Standalone Kitchen and Bridgeless are the highlights of the first set. Kitchen started with some uplifting JC/BB riffs and kept that progression going for a bit, allowing Joel a nice little Rhodes solo. BB cleaned the slate, and the band (particularly Joel and his synth) turned the vibe towards an extremely dance-friendly feel after a pretty heavily teased return to the composition. The eventual return to Kitchen from the second theme of 'prov was very patient and nicely done. Bridgeless's jam really took off over an ominous, plodding bassline from Stasik, doubled by Joel on synth, and the playing stayed loose, covering a fair amount of ground. Catching a Haunt was a treat and the jam leading out of it was enjoyable but a step below the Kitchen and Bridgeless jams, for my taste. Divisions was a fairly concise version.
Conduit had a nice jam to start the second set strong, but I can't recall anything else being particularly noteworthy. When they fired up N2F for the encore, I got excited, with visions of a standalone encore monster a la 10/17/2007 dancing in my head, so it was a bit disappointing to have the lyricless covers take the place of any improv.
November 14, 2014
Really enjoyed this show live...classic 2011 UM shit. The opening AIT had a nice jam. Never can catch the Red Tape teases but the Life During Wartime tease was very apparent live and on tape. Butter smooth segue into PS. The Water > Day Nurse > August section felt a little disjointed with the juxtaposition of Water's tight composition, the electro-dance of Nurse, followed by a soaring August. The August jam would eventually become the opening riff of Similar Skin. Deeper jam was decent but not particularly noteworthy.
The AIT drop out of Prowler kind of caught me off guard. I thought for sure that would be saved until the end of the second set. 1348 seemed like it was about to take off when they segued to 2x2. I wish they had milked that jam a bit more. 2x2 is always a pleasure to catch. The band really liked the Tink's/Masoka Tanga pairing in 2011. I recall it happening a couple times. If they really did play Billie Jean off the cuff for the encore, that's fucking sweet. The crowd ate it up and it provided a nice transition into the second half of 1348.
TL; DR - All In Time, August, and 1348 are the highlights. Solid show all around.
August 19, 2014
One of the best shows I have seen in 120+. The energy in that room was off the charts and the band was really feeding off of it. Such a great setlist of rarities and "non-standard" stuff for a Friday night show. The improv (particularly the sandwiches that opened each set) is outstanding. This one holds up well on tape but also has a strong "you had to be there" vibe because of the raucous energy. One of the most fun live experiences I have had at a show and a soundboard with plenty of replay value. This is the leader in my clubhouse for show of the year, 2014...
July 23, 2014
With the Heat and the fireworks this show was one for the books. Great versions of Rocker pt duex and Water (seems legit playing right next to a river.) Then somewhere around the merge into Syncopated Strangers from Tribute things got explosive. Fireworks from the Cubs farm club stadium went off...it was quite the treat but not the only one...As Walking on the moon started getting deep...the Des Moines pops go the fourth fireworks went off...if you DL the show you can hear the fireworks going off and how the band especially Jake played into them making for one memorable first set. 2nd Set was fire from the start into a miami vice vibe twords the end. Best All in Time sandwich ever! Africa also seemed fitting once again due to the heat. Which was brought by mother nature and our friends our pals....Umphrey's McGee.
July 21, 2014
This was a very intimate show, probably 60 of us in the audience, and most all from the US. The guys were on rented amps, and drums and limited effects so the sould was different. Cool venue. Another interesting fact, the Eagles were in the o2 arena next door.
July 19, 2014
Umphrey's first sell out show at Red Rocks never disappointed throughout the entire evening. A debut opener was to be expected from such a magical venue and the first sell out which will hopefully bring two nights at the rocks next year. Melded perfectly into conduit which has a great rock/psychedelic jam to it that reaches a good level and dumps off into a standard version of cut the cable. Jajunk gets the treatment and ends up being one of my favorite jams of the night. Joel takes it to another level with the dance infused funk keys, but the entire band is on point and brings jajunk to a place like I've never heard before... Seamless transition into an always welcomed Ocean Billy which set the tone for the first set and let you know that it was going to be a rager of an evening. Awesome placement and choice on putting Gents in the jam portion of ocean billy. Originally an in the kitchen jam which has gotten the Umbowl treatment but I believe was first at the Belly Up in aspen last year. It has an in and out jam which keeps dumping back and forth and has a great tone. This is one cranked up All in Time next that has instant classic rocker written all over it. Midway through the jam in All in Time I can remember thinking that the first set was already nuts and they would be wrapping up the first set after that. But then we got the always gorgeous notes from Jake playing Jerry's 74 guitar to end of the road. Educated Guess was an awesome treat to get debuted and was playing in my head throughout the next morning. Set 2 opens with Jake calling out Kris Myers on the kit and getting right down to it with the second Little Gift which has some good rock qualities that get you in the UM frame of mind. Bridgeless is where the band starts to jump off and take us into a jam filled evening with fresh takes on everything being played. Very rock/funk oriented bridgeless that no one wanted to ever end which moves into the funky dance groove of Bad Friday. Dominic Lalli blows up on Bad Friday and there wasn't a person not dancing in that place. My second favorite jam of the night came with Dump City... I went absolutely nuts when I heard the first notes of dump city, and I feel this song should get the treatment way more often! Very dark oriented space groove that allows the listener to dance but also blast off into a little weirder space. Slacker has a good jam on it that has Joel offering some really fresh licks on the piano and a good old nostalgic rock and roll feel to it. Wappy sprayberry offers its typically awesome dance party and it never ceases to amaze me how many different jams they keep putting into this song. A fitting back side of Jajunk to close out the night and let everyone know how far UM has come as a band and being one of the tightest, if not the tightest, band today. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect encore being a gigantic Band fan...Ophelia invites some horns out to take a classic look at this classic cover. Haji has always been a fan favorite and gave me gigantic chills and goosebumps with Brendan's lyrics echoing throughout the rocks. If that wasn't enough then they made sure to seal a perfect night with the raucous back side of bridgeless that left no one in doubt of how powerful a show this really is.
July 17, 2014
There's a lot of love for Set 1. I like Words. Bird Bath was strong. Girlfriend was a monster closer. But Set 2 had a crazy intensity to it, especially the first half.
There were thunderstorms all around the venue and everyone would agree it wasn't a matter of *if* the show would be cut short for weather, it was *when*. So the band took a minimal (10 min?) setbreak and came out with the intention of playing as long as they could. What resulted was a Set 2 where each of the first 4 songs was played as if it was the show closer. Great peaks, huge solos, major intensity. All with Waful's lights playing hand-in-hand with the lightning backdrop.
April 25, 2014
I think the atmosphere is whats helping us push this a little higher in our minds. It was a late night, and one in Chicago at that, and at a venue of this size it had all the makings of a great night. the question was, would they deliver? They did. It was a blast inside of there, and the band played with a lot of energy. The crowd fed off of it, and they gave the energy right back. I was all over the venue last night and there was no drop off in intensity in that whole venue. The balcony peeps were getting down just as hard as the soundboard peeps who were getting down just as hard as everyone riding the rail.
The opening threesome of the Floor, Wappy > Wife Soup showed they meant business from the get go. The floor had an some jamming going on before intro, not that long, but they opened it up a little bit before they moved into the actual song. The Wappy reminded me of a bright lights jam; fat heavy synths, patient, dark, but with a rocking edge bc its wappy, it moved along nicely. Nothing super memorable, but it was a treat to listen to. I dont know how accurate my notes are, but I had that between the floor and wappy were were already ~30 minutes into the set. Wife Soup was sweet, and it was received very well, I was center balcony at that point and I felt it sway/wobble underneath me. No coincidence, people love their soup.
Resolution > Booth love was another strong segment of music. Sets like this are why I love segue heavy shows/sets, the music comes in chunks and it allows the sets to progress more fluidly, seems like the improv ventures 'out there' a bit more as well. Reso had a nice spacey, funky, layered first jam that I dug it alot. Second jam was built around the zsa zsa gabor theme and some of the licks from it, but they changed it up a bit. Nice to see them bust that out, as I was bummed it got cut from the UMBowl. Per my tastes, anything built around that riff is money, so I was really happy with how this Reso played out. They did one of those stop on a dime transitions into Booth. Booth had a timing jam come out of it that took a little while to find its groove. But they locked into something at the end and it peaked HEAVY. Most interesting BL Ive heard in awhile.
Comma Later and Hangover were a fun way to end the set, nothing to write home. I enjoy the funk/jazz of these tunes so I was digging it, seemed liek Comma took the energy down a little. kind of a nice breather after the heat the opened the set with, and the energy in the room picked up with Hangover.
Snucka is a fun way to open a set, I actually enjoy parts I and II more than part III, so I'm always happy to hear the intro pop up. I dont think they did anything out of Pt I besides take it into Triple Wide. Most people on here complain about songs following them around; I think Ive seen triple wide more than any other song, and I couldnt be happier about it. This version was great, it was atypical and it got dark and to the point quickly. Waful claims that OB is his favorite song to light up, but he always impresses me most when he's doing the lights during 3x. He uses similar techniques every time and it blows me away every time. He also started to paint the walls with the Mac III's and once he uses those big patterns on the wall EVERYONE goes crazy. Waful owned the room for the whole triple wide jam.
Once I heard the intro to deeper I headed towards the lobby because I hadnt eaten since breakfast and figured early in the second set the lobby would be empty. Whilst the crowd got Palmer Square'd, I got a hot dog and took a piss. I consider that a win. I walked back into the room right as we learned about the things that matter most, or what could make us old . . LIKE JOEL. ITK had a fun jam. Really high energy, no real theme, but it didnt suck, which is nice. I made a note about the energy it created in the room, so Im assuming there was a nice peak, but probably a forced one seeing as how I dont really remember anything too specific about it.
Conduit > Haji > Conduit, Rosanna -> Hurt Bird Bath was a whole lot of fun. The first conduit jam before the went into haji had a really nice proggy bounceback jam. Some people bitched about conduits placement, I think its justified bc the jam they played there needed to come out of a prog song, and it worked perfectly coming out of conduit. Haji was sweet, and the jam out of it and back into conduit was just CRUSHED by baylor.
Rosanna -> Hurt Bird Bath was so so so so cool!! They jammed the outro out of Rosanna and then noodled around a little bit. Eventually they work their way to a riff that sounds similar to one of the HBB riffs. They then do a lap and come back and straight up play the riff but at a bit of a slower tempo than they do during HBB played regularly. So were getting what I believe is the bridge of HBB played to us in what I called a tease at the time. They double back and then pick up the pace and the volume a little bit, this is no longer a tease, theyre working their way into A HBB but doing so by playing the middle section of the song first! I think they repeated it a few more time, until they pause and you hear Kris' intro and then they launch into the beginning of the song. When they got to the portion of HBB that they had teased previous to actually playing the song, I felt like they played it at a quicker tempo than normal it was pure adrenaline. This HBB is one Ill never forget.
Encore was decent.
Id give the show an A.
April 23, 2014
Great close to the spring 2014 tour and what proved to be a heavy handed pimp slap follower to a strong Dallas appetizer. Not surprisingly, given it was Austin, Joel Cummins and the Frequent Fliers were ready to build a house with the bricks that would be shit this night.
Set I:
The party started with one of the more ominous, bass heavy openers (Le Blitz) in rotation transitioning into the ever dependable 40's. Improve was sexy and smooth, but, like my penis, short. After we all rock n' reveled in the quantities of beer we were consuming and anticipated the painful anal outpourings of tomorrow, Xanadu Farag windchimed us off into an OoO. As drums pounded and strings reverberated, I tried to tell my lame Cheese fan friends for the treat they were in for. Too fucking late, that riff split them accompanied Baylor's lyrical introspections, tearing across the expanses of their synapses with reckless abandon.
The neural carnage was far from over but, alas, respite: The ever reliable Much Obliged. Dependable for both improvisational consistency and to put a little pep in your step, dare I say funk in your trunk. If you don't catch a groove on this, you seriously should be evaluated by a doctor to determine whether you are an emotionless replicant android. Started strong building around a nice Pony Bass line, the funky improv was strong with this one. Couple beat drops later, the crowd was rabid. It didn't stop there, so begin the strongest three song series of the show.
Recently introduced Final Word has people reaching for the nearest kleenex box under the Waful whites. Great song I've really enjoyed since I first saw it at this past year's scamp and fit perfectly between the MO and, oh look, fucking 2x2. And you thought it was over, sike motherfucker, time to deep some even deeper personal relationship reflection. Metallesque jam section with some great guitar collaboration.
Standard dance party for BLBC to close a notably impressive trifectum down. I missed most of this as I was still collecting most of my viscera and appendages off the Stubb's ground post the first set stunner series.
Set II:
The party refused to stop. N2F right off the bat with strong improvisation about 13+ minutes, gradually becomes bluesy before the reprise. Do recommend. Mentholated logs were being scorched to calm the souls of the unrepentant, but soon, despite their misdeeds, vindication was assured (see NOT deeper & ait).
Deeper is a lame song anyway despite this particular one being particularly uninspiring. If you take issue with that, please contact my proctologist, schedule an appointment, and check your ass for a dildo. Standard AIT to follow, which was amazing regardless. Crowd was really into it and Waful was on point with his light cues.
Then came the concert magnus opus. What all the hitch hiking, ticket scalping, and moon rocks were done for: August. The transcendent lyrical stew that accompanied this song cannot be described effectively with words, only half experienced through sound board quality MP3 turned up to 11 (and by 11, I mean until it feels like there is an F22 flying by your face). The beat from the opening August gradually fades, then those keys, MAN, those keys. Joel starts building this melodic casserole that just turns into a monstrosity of uplifting jamsandwich. The guitars come in and we start soaring toward the heavens, riding that improv powered bus known as Umphrey's McGreat.
Suddenly a BB angel starts augmenting the ascension with choice improv lyrics. I am crying at this point. Every sane person is straight up weeping. The crescendo peaks and he simply croons out: "It's not the view that's complicated." Take that and put in your third eye, Phish fan. The lift begins to fade and boom:
"And what I'm trying to say
Is its nothing but the view that changes
And if I could see above the trees, I wouldn't disagree
But I'm not the one who made it complicated."
Then the shreds of your existence are melted away by some godly rifts and pounding of the keys. I'm no man of God but, given that we were literally minutes from Easter morning, this would have been the moment Jesus would have stepped out from behind Chris playing a goddamn keytar if the fucker had any sense. Or perhaps even better, emerged from Brandon's mouth, bursting through at the highest note of the stew, climbing out like a stripper at a bachelor party. He'd just straight split out of the inhumanely outstretched mouth and be like, "Helluva stew guys, thought I'd say what's up." Of course, BB's mouth would magically restore and we'd all have a mega laugh, until Jesus got hold of our rocks, because you know he's a mooch, man. Or fuck, maybe Andy would just tear off the pubic shag and it turns out he was Jesus the whole time.
Standard Floor. Great funky Miles Davis company alongside the trombonist from the Mike Dillion Band. She was fantastic, great energy, and a complete smoke show.
Patrick Bateman said it best: "Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor."
And by cynical, I mean Heart & Soul is beyond the cat's meow: its the cat's vagina. Fuck yes.
Bad Friday, sense its debute 12.31.13, has been growing on me, this being my favorite so far. Fun song with tremendous upside, would bang again.
End tour. Easter. 4/20. Austin. Great show, wish you were all there.
Must Listens:
MO > FW > 2x2
August, August, AUGUST
March 20, 2014
I had no idea what this venue was like, because I travelled from Washington State in order to attend this show with friends. We got in line early enough to position ourselves right up front. This small venue was like that of a high school dance. I found this incredible. Once the band started with Conduit, it was a big thrill. The sound definition was great, and the guitars started out with clean sound. When the music got more aggressive, the sound man put the pedal to the metal. I could hear the clipping in the mix, and feel my auditor sensors wither... "I'm going to pay dearly for this!" My ears were ringing for 3 days after. I would say that 30% of the songs were ones I had never heard, which thrilled me. The familiar ones were epic. The Pink Floyd medley was a massively good surprise. I especially liked the fact that they did not play "Leave those kids alone." Joels intro vocal for the medley was super. I was told by one of the fans that Umphrey's was on fire on this tour. She was right. This was the best concert I'd ever been to, any group, any time. The audience was great as well. The band members interact very well with the audience, through eye contact and comments. The only drawback was that during the show, my rental car was broken into, and all luggage but my guitar were stolen. The classic California "welcome." Through the generosity of friends and family, the rest of my visit was great. In conclusion, where else can you be up front, close to the stage, and feel like... there are my buddies up there, playing their asses off!
February 27, 2014
This show was sort of strange for my tastes in UM...lots of ups and downs in the first set. The Olympic walkout and opening Wappy portended a strong Saturday night show, but following it up with standard versions of Peeps and CWI seemed to bring the energy in the room way down. Snucka was initially welcomed, but I found the sit-in jam to be a bit noodly for my tastes. #5 and Sociable are two of my favourite compositions, and closing with two brand new tunes and Snucka III was an excellent move. Booth Love definitely got the room moving, and I remember wondering if the Linear was an obscure Police cover (first time played with lyrics, so I was totally in the dark.)
Set II started very strong, just like the first set, but managed to keep it's momentum rolling throughout. An unfinished Divisions with a nice funky MJ jam juxtaposed nicely with the powerful darkness of The Floor. I would have liked some improv in the Ringo, but this was the first Glory I had caught since my first show four years earlier at the E-Factory, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Abbey Road medley was another great rarity to catch, featuring vox from BB, Jake, and Joel on the various songs. 2x2 is a fantastic f*cking song; I was ecstatic to see this one drop late in the second set. A quick Mantis Ghetts into a full-on Baylor singalong Divisions ending was a great ending to the set. MP is perhaps my favourite Jake song (right up there with Bad Poker and Synco); a quirky tune with a strong dose of Zappa-ish humour and musicality. I expected Package's dueling guitar coda to end the show, so a focused CWII was a bonus that sent me out the door dancing.
February 18, 2014
the band walked onstage to the theme music from House of Cards, which was appropriate considering its Season Two debut the night before. energy was high throughout the first set - resolution>conduit was relentless and the liquid>den jam was just awesome.
despite rocking out really hard, the band seemed very laid back during the second set which made it very enjoyable. push the pig contained a tease of "Let Me Blow Your Mind" by Eve and had a cool jam with Joel and Jake on keys.
February 16, 2014
I remember hearing JaJunk at this show (for the first time) and I was hooked! The musicianship and talent going on was an instant attraction. Then 2x2 and Bridgeless? What the what?!?!?
February 11, 2014
By the final day of the Halloween run, most of my crew was hurting. Too much bourbon and beer had our hotel room smelling like the bathroom of a Wisconsin dive bar. Saturday's show was sold out but I ended up getting a wristband for the floor, which ended up being completely packed with people. I was forced to stand behind a guy wearing a huge mushroom head hat and next to a girl that decided to conserve space by grinding on my leg like a dog humping its favorite teddy bear.
As far as Umphrey's goes, this was definitely their most animated show of the weekend. Jake and Ryan were all over the place, both musically and physically. The first set contained an unfinished version of The Police's "The Bed's Too Big Without Youâ€, which made me realize that I will probably never get a chance to hear Umphrey's cover "Walking on the Moon†live. Also, it's about time for Umph to tackle â€Man in a Suitcaseâ€.
The final mash-up of the weekend was "Push the Booth Deeper†and it was confusing as hell! Most of us had no clue what was going on, which song was being played or whether all three originals were being played at the same time. A friend was able to get a hold of the song's notes and confirmed the cluster of confusion from which this mash-up was birthed. To be honest, I am still trying to wrap my head around it.
Umphrey's McGee finally ended the second set on Saturday night by busting out the Metallica rager, "…And Justice for Allâ€, which hadn't been performed live in over five years. But the real highlight of the evening was the relentless "Bridgeless†encore. As the tune progressed, one particular audience member could no longer contain his excitement. This very dirty looking man ran across the stage without shoes on, only to be tackled by the stage crew in front of the sold out crowd. It was then rumored that the same wook ended up outside the venue about an hour later going absolutely insane without a single piece of clothing on his body. And thus, a Halloween weekend full of mash-ups and debauchery came to an end.
February 11, 2014
For Friday night, I signed up for Headphones and Snowcones. It basically cost me $40 for a pair of headphones that streamed a live audio mix directly from the soundboard to my tympanic membranes. This was the first time I tried the experience for an entire show and now I'm afraid live music will never sound the same. These headphones allowed me to tune out the rest of the world so I could get completely lost in the moment. This type of experience is the reason I am so in love with live music and now I don't know how I will be able to fully enjoy a show without a set of headphones on. So it goes.
The second set on Friday opened with a DBK club sandwich and contained the night's only debut mash-up: "The Final Teen Spiritâ€. Dramatic synths from Europe's "The Final Countdown†directly clashed with Nirvana's grunge classic "Smells Like Teen Spiritâ€. The simplicity of mashing only two songs into one seamless tune made this one of the most successful, straightforward mash-up of the weekend.
Brother's Rage played a smoking after party show on Friday night that featured one of my favorite sit-ins to date. Jake Cinninger, the other worldly guitarist from Umphrey's McGee, joined the late night act for a cover of The Grateful Dead's "Estimated Profit†followed by some spacey improv. The jam eventually slammed into the sweaty disco tune, "You Should be Dancing†originally by the Bee Gee's and featured Mr. Barry Brown on vocals. Needless to say, a legendary dance party erupted among all who attended and continued into the early morning hours.
Originally posted: summercampfestival.com/2013/11/04/mashup/
February 11, 2014
Halloween is a BIG weekend for the infamous Umphrey's McGee. These novelty shows usually follow a tradition of busting out a handful of debut covers in a variety of ways, including combining them together into one beastly monster called a 'mash-up'. I knew I couldn't miss a single night of this year's mash-up run, so I took up residence at a hotel suite directly across from the Milwaukee's Riverside Theater along with ten of my closest friends. The first night of the run was actually on Halloween, plus all three shows were being streamed and taped for later release. I guess it goes without saying that this weekend was destined to be mashed to another level.
I spent the first half of Halloween day sewing together my Hell's Belle costume, which was a mash-up of the devil and Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I was definitely ready to rock and roll in my AC/DC get up and, needless to say, the members of Umphrey's were also dressed to impress for this special holiday. Brendan Bayliss was HeisenBert Reynolds, Jake Cinninger was Silent Bob Seger, Kris Myers was Dr. Phil Spector, and Andy Farag was Paul Ryan Braun, to which the Milwaukee crowd boo'd and hissed as he was introduced. But the best costume had to of been Joel Cummins dressed as Uncle Jesse Pinkman.
The first mash-up song of the night came at the end of the first set. It featured "When Doves Cry†by Prince, blended with Umph original "Pay the Snucka†and Blue Oyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaperâ€. While â€Don't Fear the Doves, Snucka†was fairly well mashed, I felt like it didn't have quite enough cow bell to really pull it off.
Halloween night's second set contained the next mash-up; "Papa Can Change a Blurred Stoneâ€. This was probably my least favorite debut of the weekend, mostly because Umphrey's covered Robin Thicke's "Blurred Linesâ€. This pop song has haunted me at every wedding, club, and dive bar I patronized over the past six months and the fact that I had to endure it once again while watching my favorite band was the ultimate Halloween trick. Not only that, but it completely overpowered The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and LCD Soundsystem in the process. I am not sure whose idea it was to cover that specific song but I have a feeling bassist Ryan Stasik was involved, especially since his mash-up costume was Batman & Robin Thicke.
The final mash-up of the night stayed true to the yearly Halloween Mash-up Show tradition of saving the best for last. "Highway to Electric Avenue†was probably the most well mashed song of the Halloween show and seemed deliberately put aside for the show's encore. Umphrey's original "The Triple Wide†helped set off the mash-up's pace which eventually evolved into a game of double-dutch between AC/DC's "Highway to Hell†and Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenueâ€.
I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that this mash-up contained a song by the same band that inspired my Hell's Belle costume. Besides the three mash-ups, the setlist from Halloween contained heavy hitter after heavy hitter without a single song from the albums Mantis or Anchor Drops thrown in the mix. Fancy that.
Originally posted: summercampfestival.com/2013/11/04/mashup/
February 11, 2014
Denver was a busy city on New Year's Eve. The String Cheese Incident was playing their 20th anniversary show just outside the city while Pretty Lights was headlining EDM extravaganza, Decadence in the heart of downtown. Umphrey's McGee, on the other hand, was wrapping up a four night New Year's run at Fillmore Auditorium. I hadn't caught an Umphrey's NYE show in over two years and there was truly no place I'd rather be.
I arrived at the venue just before the show started. My road beverage turned to liquid gold as I waited in a line that wrapped around the Fillmore and into a quaint Denver neighborhood. Luckily it wasn't too cold outside, or maybe it was the alcohol, but everyone was feeling pretty good, until we heard the crowd roar from within the venue.
Frustration and panic washed over my face. With each note that followed, the pain burrowed deeper into the pit of my stomach. I realized that this was probably my version of hell; being stuck in a line outside a venue only to hear the empty echoes of my favorite songs being played inside while energetic lights escape from a securely guarded door.
The line moved slower than expected and I ended up missing the first forty minutes of the show, which included "Le Blitz > Phil's Farm > Ocean Billyâ€. Therefore, the first official song on my New Year's Eve setlist was a sassy "Mail Package†that Jake Cinninger soulfully delivered. It was followed by a thrashing "Wizard Burial Ground†that Brendan Bayliss comically dedicated "to all the lovers out there.â€
Umphrey's ended the first set of NYE with a debut of a never before played original, "Bad Fridayâ€. This song was probably the highlight of the show. With the help of Mad Dog's Filthy Secret on horns, Jake's familiar soul riff finally took flight. A catchy backbeat turned this new Umph tune into straight-up pop music. From the first notes, a disco dance party formed under glimmering crystal chandeliers, which seemed to float above the crowd.
I love being present when an original song is played for the first time because it puts everyone on the same level. From the most avid fan to the kid experiencing their first show, no one knows what will happen next. It made me recollect the first time Umphrey's played "Puppet Strings†at Summer Camp and my visceral reaction to hear it over and over again. I predict "Bad Friday†will be Umphrey's bust out song of the 2014; much like "Puppet Strings†was in 2011.
Second set was much stranger than the first. A horn section, appropriately labeled Mad Dog's Filthy Secret, added a deeper level of weird to Umphrey's musical landscapes. The sounds engulfed me since I was wearing a pair of headphones that streamed live soundboard audio. My previous experiences with Headphones and Snowcones convinced me that this was the best way completely submerge myself in the live music experience. So why not rock them at Umphrey's biggest show of the year? The headphones demanded my focus be on the music throughout the first set so I chose to venture through the crowd alone during the second to get a better view of the stage.
I felt like an island surrounded by people, something that further enhanced my response to Umphrey's debut cover of "Twilight Zoneâ€, which also included teases of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Trainâ€. I zoned into the way Jake commanded his guitar while Brendan attempted to catch the rhythm. It all felt like it wasn't adding up so I started making friends with the strangers around me and eventually found myself covered in Umphlove stickers.
Songs like "40′s Theme†and "Booth Love†were done justice by the addition of horns, while â€No Diablo†finally got a chance to dig deeper into its Motown roots. Umphrey's ended the set on a high note with the most unforgettable cover of the night, Phil Collins' "Sussudioâ€. Once again, the strangeness crept in as I recalled American Psycho's analysis of Phil's work. At this point I began to realize that maybe this weird feeling was strictly subjective.
Third set began just before midnight with an insane version of "Hurt Bird Bathâ€. In keeping with tradition, Umphrey's had never played this song into the New Year. Jeff Coffin, along with the rest of Mad Dog's Secrets, amped up the energy of "Hurt Bird Bath†like I had never seen it before. The insane build up of the song made me appreciate the true meaning of "rage†in how it relates to the actions of a raving maniac.
By now I had found most of my friends standing right in front of the sound board in the center of the ballroom. This spot provided the best view I experienced all night. Light designer Jefferson Waful was perched on a tall platform just behind us and his devotion to symmetry made the room's visual landscape just as stimulating as the audio coming from the headphones.
But when the countdown started, I removed my headphones. This was not a time when I wished to block out the rest of the room. Umphrey's provided all the elements necessary to engrave this moment in my head for the rest of my life. Balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling. My focus switched from the stage to the people around me. Smiling from ear to ear, I hugged my friends and wished them the best in 2014.
Whimsical swirls of energy surrounded us as the band ventured into the New Year's classic "Auld Lang Syneâ€. After spending a handful of past New Year's Eves with Umphrey's, I knew this was coming. I even looked up a few verses of the song before the show in preparation, so when I heard those first few notes I belted out the lyrics as loud as I could, greeting 2014 with a song.
It was all so intoxicating; the music, energy of the room, glow of the lights, and smell of weed becoming legal. At midnight Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana, something I never thought I'd experience in my lifetime. It made me feel like I was part of something BIG just by being there. New Year's always offers a fresh start with limitless possibilities, and this was no exception.
The rest of the third set was pure perfection. "Hit It and Quit Itâ€, a debut Funkadelic cover, provided just enough raunchiness to everyone's juices flowing. I turned my headphones over to some friends so I could share the experience. The look on their faces was of pure ecstasy.
The night ended with an appropriate "Resolution†encore that jammed out the New Year's classic, "Auld Lang Syne†and eventually segued into Kool & the Gang's "Funky Stuffâ€. Umphrey's was once again joined by Mad Dog's Filthy Secrets to conclude the long night of music on a high note.
While strange, the night felt perfect in every way.
Original post: http://summercampfestival.com/2014/01/15/show-review-umphreys-mcgee-nye-denver/
January 30, 2014
2011 was a year that featured one or two really good pieces of improv in almost every show, and this one did not disappoint. The standard Eat followed by Words was really the only slow part of the show. FF and 1348 were easily the highlights of set 1, as both contained quality improv and approached the 15 minute mark. FF had a very patient jam, beginning as spacey dub before shifting into more driving territory and closing with a Stranglehold jam before Anchor Drops started on a dime. 1348's jam started out with a heavy BB riff complimented by nice Rhodes work by Joel. The B section was uplifting, with a nice soaring Jake riff. The return to 1348 was very patient; they really eased into it, almost like they do with the intro. Slacker had a brief jam and brought a satisfying first set to a close.
Set 2 started very strong, with a Bloodline of Merlin sampled quote leading into WBG. The Hey 19 through Phil's Farm segment is undoubtedly the show highlight, with about 40 minutes of uninterrupted playing including several strong improv sections. Hey 19 featured a Midnight Hour jam with vox by Jake. My girlfriend presciently observed that it sounded a lot like Funkytown, which I scoffed at, only to be shocked and served when the band snuck in a brief Funkytown jam next! The Linear featured a spacey jam that followed FF's template and picked up in pace, highlighted by Jake's fingertapping that recalled PF's On the Run. For my money, Linear was the jam of the night. Linear dissolved into Phil's, which quickly took a turn into the space-dance sort of improv featured in this show. The ALS theme begins early on in the improv out of Phil's and led smoothly into Blue Echo. A hauntingly beautiful jam after the Echo section featured a Joel piano progression and very restrained but powerful playing from all band members. This stew was very similar to a 2006 version of Blue Echo (4/19/2006 possibly? The date escapes me at the moment.) Echo did not return to the "Techo" section, but rather dropped back into the second half of Phil's before a BLBC set closer. BLBC featured some funk jamming around the main theme, a solid version but rather ordinary when compared to the best versions of the song from 2011 (year of the massive Bright Lights?) 40's encore was welcomed but not particularly notable.
January 20, 2014
This could very easily be my favorite second set ever. Maybe because I'm a local, or maybe it was 80's night happening downstairs and spilling up to the show, I don't know. Was it just me or was that a Things Can Only Get Better (Howard Jones) tease by Myers at the end of the first Snucka? Can't wait to do it all again in a couple months.
January 10, 2014
Another amazing show. What can I say they tore it up. The place went bonkers when they referenced the Red Sox being in the playoffs, when the sox won the game and Jefferson wrote sox on the wall in lights it was off the chain. The band was having as much fun as we were and that was evident. The encore of Wizard Burial ground still has my nipples hard.
January 10, 2014
This was an amazing show. I was right up front and the band was amazing. The interaction with the crowd was awesome. Ryan an I even had a moment together. The crowd erupted when they went from cinnamon girl back into pay the snucka and they teased with bulls on parade. The second set was amazing and I had to go back the next day to scrape my face off the floor. When they did Dr Feelgood the place was hopping great show.
January 10, 2014
The Joshua Redman set is a fine example of people describing him as the "7th member of the band." (We all know that Waful is the 7th member, just like Kuroda is the 5th member, but I'm talking music). Just ridiculous musicianship. Joshua Redman on DBK alone is worth the money paid to buy this show.
Speaking of DBK 2nd set opener, Jaden Carlson's sit-in on DBK is a standout, very incredible 12-year-old gal from Boulder holding her own with UM, awe-inspiring to say the least! Listen to Jake yell out "OH YEAH!" at the end of her sit-in!
I effing loved the Plunger Jimmy Stewart, just real raw UM!
River People is one of the sexiest and funkiest things I've heard this band do onstage. I've listened to the first 4 minutes of this song about 30 times now, and I play it for my gal friends to great effect! River People can and should somehow make it into rotation.
Most of my favorite moments of the this NYE run are on this show.
December 1, 2013
the All In Time and its Jimmy Stewart is superb. while the 2nd set is very, very good i just love the 1st set's flow and consistently find myself listening to it alone
November 26, 2013
Cold November nights in Wisconsin and Umphrey's McGee have always had the ingredients for a magical show. Dating back to 2006 and even further back if you include October the band is always on point this time of year. Add a great theater that Waful crushed and this night was another one of those nights. I was beyond excited driving up last minute since my last two set Umphrey's show had been the Bill Graham private show way back in April.
The show opened up with silky smooth Plunger > Much Obliged > Plunger Sammy giving us a nice treat of some older tunes. The drop into M.O. was spot on where the transition in Plunger normally is which lead to funky jam with a raging peak before bouncing back into the end of M.O. and then fading beautifully into the end of Plunger with a Joel lead piano solo. Everything about this sandwiched screamed Umphrey's McGee, the precisions and execution was flawless.
Next came Higgins with an exceptional jam, Stasik stepped up and leads the way with an infectious groove that everyone built around. Once again the flow in and out of Higgins was superb. This dance party Higgins got followed up by a rare treat in another old tune Sweetness. This leads some very uplifting, graceful improv landing on a rock riff that Jake ends up teasing Rebubula briefly before he shreds his way into funky riffs everyone picks up on and then BOOM! It drops into Comma Later.
No Diablo came next, a song debut at UMBowl earlier this year and only played 5 times prior. I really dig the Supertramp vibe and I'm glad it's getting played. Finally, the highlight of the show for me closed out the first set with an extended 40's Theme that included a verse of The Police's "The Bed's Too Big Without Youâ€. Once again the MVP of the night, Ryan Stasik stepped up with some Sublime bass effects that had the place going ape shit until it fizzled into The Police which lead to equal excitement from the crowd. The band then slowly grooved back into the end of 40's and walk off stage leaving us eager with anticipation for set two.
The second started off with another monster rock sandwich in Mantis > Mulche's Odyssey > Mantis. Mantis is a tune I really wish would get improv all the time but not tonight, however the powerful first verse had the energy flowing from the start and that spilled over into an insanely powerful Mulche's. Jake was toying with the Who Knows? riff in the rock breakdown but never went into it. Once again they kept a sold out crowd going full force before finishing the tune and ever so carefully segueing back into Mantis.
Following up this huge sandwich was Miami Virtue, the highlight of set two without a doubt. This version clocks in just under 15 minutes, 10 of which is improv and it is really something special. It has a slow intro where Jake walks over and joins Joel on keys and then they proceed to lay down some very tasty layers together. This dark jam is a great example of where everyone comes together and is doing just enough to mesh together something great. As the tempo picks up everything seems to take form and a masterful team effort unfolds. Bayliss really lays down some licks as this builds up before cutting out into some keys and synthesizer where this dark jam sees the light and transpires into a glorious uplifting jam. This jam then quietly fades into the night with a slow segue into a standard JaJunk where yet again Stasik stepped up and laid down some bubbly bass. The band closed out the second with a crowd favorite cover of Metallica's "…And Justice For All†which hadn't seen the light of night in 577 shows. They encored with a standard Bridgeless which I consider a treat since it seems rare to catch a standalone Bridgeless these days, even if it normally creates great improv. A great choice by the band to close out a show that rocked from start to finish.
October 9, 2013
I only captured one video of this show (Hajimemashite) but here it is if anyone wants to check it out:
September 22, 2013
After the two night Burlington run, I had three days to go back to school and relax. This was my second Toad's Place show in 2006 and I did the exact same thing as before. Took the Bonanza bus down to my buddy's dorm in New London, and drank pre-show.
This show starts off with a 20 min unfinished N2F, which is basically unheard of nowadays. After the composed part, the jam morphs into a percussion laced jam. Lot of Kris and Andy going on. It ends up going into kind of a spacey-untz jam, but nothing special. Even though this version is long, it's not mind blowing.
There is a nice -> into a standard Walletsworth. Get in the Van is next with some nice banter after the intro. This Van actually features about 2 minutes of improv in the middle. Didn't even realize this until listening to it again.
Resolution featured two decent jams with a great drop into the Rock Fuzz.
The Visions > N2F reprise is 25 minutes of spacy sonic bliss. If you want to listen to this show, listen to that segment.
September 10, 2013
Great show, posted a bunch of HD videos, check them out here:
September 7, 2013
This was my birthday show for 2013. I made the trip out from Colorado for this show and St. Louis the next night.
The venue was alright, smaller then what I was expecting from the photos. I was able to link up with some fellow Umphfreaks via Facebook groups and managed to secure a few spots on the SkyDeck. The SkyDeck is this venue's VIP viewing balcony w/ private bathrooms & bar. One of my friends had also secured the Headphones & Snowcones for the night so we got to the venue right as the opener started. After getting the headphones & a few pins from the merch table we settled into a nice spot about 10 ft. in front of the sound board in middle of the stage.
Umphrey's took the stage as the sun was setting and kicked off the set with a delicious ITK > Wellwishers sandwich. The jams from ITK where a sold way to start the show. Next came Mail Package, which seems to be popping up more frequently in 2013 set lists. A much enjoyed tune, and Jake seemed to get loose with some fun vocals. Dump City also has some great moments of improve and gets pretty spacey at parts. At thus point in the show I had only been able to listen to snippets of the opening tracks with the headphones on, since my friend was the one that reserved and paid for them.
Once Example 1 dropped she let me put them on for most of the song and oh boy was that something special. If you every have a chance to do this [u]I HIGHLY recommend it[u]!! You are able to feel the bass and low ends while also being able to isolate each band members instruments with extreme ease. There was a part during this song Joel was laying down a peaceful piano section over Jake's soloing; this was a very powerful experience at a live show for me.
I loved being able to look at each member and be able to hear exactly what they were contributing to each of the jams. The band transitioned out of the example 1 jam into only my second OOO in 32 shows. Out of Order was a much welcomed older tune, which Bayliss nailed the vocals on. The nights highlights for me start with the next song, Phil's Farm, and run to the end of the show with Pay the Snucka.
Phil's Farm has one of the best jams that I have experienced at an Umphrey's show in my 32 show career. A very long an enjoyable jam with a soaring peak! Syncopated also has some very strong moments and got very dark before they finished the song with the blissful doo doo doo dooooo part. The Come Closer mash-up was something no one saw coming and really sent the crowd into a frenzy! The inexperienced girls next to us had a look of sheer confusion at what was happening in front of their eyes and ears. This took me back to the first time I heard this song at my [b]2nd EVER UM show[b] during Wakarusa of 2010. It reminded me of that night and the night before when I had my first live experiences with this band and community and made me very happy.
Pay the Snucka was the perfect way to end the set and one of the songs that I had requested from Joel on twitter. I don't know for sure if this is why they played Snucka at this show, but it sure made the night for me. I had such a blast RAGING this set in a unfamiliar town at a new venue with some of the best friends and family a guy could ask for. Thanks to Umphrey's amazing performance this night I will have some amazing pictures & memories from an outstanding 27th Birthday!!
mm/ Rage.Rest.Repeat
August 27, 2013
Though we don't have a setlist for this show (it was accidentally deleted from the original UM setlist file years ago), I remember specifically seeing the boys at MOB on the Friday night after finals at ND, fall semester 1998. A nice pre-party with some friends off campus made for a very fun night at good ol' MOB.
August 25, 2013
Phenomenal show with fantastic jamming. I could be wrong but wasn't that a Jimmy Stewart in the middle of August? Sounded nothing like the song proper. Even if it was just a jam it was definitely my favorite moment of the night. Glad I decided to catch this show and not just Alpharetta.
August 19, 2013
UM brought the ruckus at this show for sure...Lot of tight improv and jamming going on throughout.
Le Blitz set the tone right off the bat, but the bridgless with jimmy took off to amazing places.
Dear Lord being stuck in between the plunger was a nice twist, and I've never seen this before....(Dear Lord is an amazing song)
Really into the feel and lyrics on No Diablo, and the interplay between Jake and Brendan has a good supertramp-esque feel..
Tribute to the spinal shaft got busted open big time with lots of psychedelic jam, and it's followed with serious versions of conduit and the linear.
Let's Dance had so much sound with both bands being on stage and the horn players too...I think it was about 15 people on stage jammin out some Bowie...Pretty cool stuff!
Any show with 4 Jimmy Stewart's in it is worth listening to in my opinion, and this show packs a punch...
July 4, 2013
One set never sounds all that great anymore before you go, but they always treat summerfest really well and this was no exception.
Big fan of "Le Blitz" as an opener, really gets the UM vibe and crunchy guitar jams rolling....
It's been a long time since we've gotten turn and dub, and this ones jam goes all over the place...its really sick. Robot world's jimmy takes a darker turn and ends up being some pretty heavy jam.
Out of order is such a great tune and I personally think it should get more play because it is one of those classic UM sounding tunes...Let's dance of course brought the funk vibe and Sinclair on the sax was a nice treat!
Rest of show is awesome as well, but the dear lord in the encore with sprinkling rain really had an impact on the crowd and was one of those beautiful moments.
P.S. Joel announced before the encore that Milwaukee would be treated to year 2 of Halloween at the Riverside, and this year is 3 nights: 10-31 thru 11-2!!! Thank you UM! Wisco loves you!
July 1, 2013
This show is seriously under rated and never talked about. But when it's a general admission $10 summerfest ticket and UM plays like this, WOW!
Opener of resolution with two seperate jams wrapped around the tune, first jam is a rocker, and second jam is funky...
Pretty standard versions of PW, S4, and then an always wonderful zeppelin cover to get the party goin.
Nothin too fancy can be heard on UM-Hall of Fame and is one of the greatest ambient UM grooves I've heard to date..its tasty.
Push the pig has a good healthy jam, and Milwaukee was diggin the harder groove that "in bloom" brought...
One of the coolest Fuzz jams I've ever heard, its like bar room rockin jamboree shit..really is quite killer...
Encore embodied some hendrix teases and ended the night in serious fashion! UM always rocks out at summerfest
June 23, 2013
First Show. Gateway drug. Need to buy this again. The Resolution with Snoop/Warren G jam destroyed my brain. I didn't know that a band could be this awesome before this set.
June 21, 2013
Quick note- during the Bottom Half, the band jams on Jeff Coffin's tune "Lucky 13", which is the third track on Coffin's most recent studio album "Into the Air"
June 2, 2013
Here's a link to a write up I did about this show:
I rolled VIP, bought the hotel package 4 days before the show. I drove out from western Colorado by myself. Worth all the time and treasure! If you enjoy Umphrey's McGee in any capacity UMBowl is a beautiful thing if you can get in.
Here's my "Choose Your Own Adventure" votes.
1348 > Lenny > 40s Theme > Miss Gradenko > Smell the Mitten > Bad Poker > Puppet String
And I was a little baffled by "Lenny" losing to "Higgins." Hey UMPhreaks, the band has played "Higgins" a bunch, they hardly ever play "Lenny," one of the most beautiful rock songs ever composed. That's my one gripe about the show. Which is trivial because the whole damn evening was one of the best rock 'n' roll experiences I've been a part of.
May 27, 2013
Not really posting a review but I wish the Up North Festival stayed alive longer than the ONE YEAR it did. This show featured 4 of the BIG GUN songs in UM's repertoire including Utopian, HBB, DBK, and N2F with Floyd in the encore slot.
They were headlining this night so played a 2 hour set. The encore was roughly 30 minutes long.
A little known fact amongst Umphreaks is that THIS SHOW WAS JEFFERSON WAFUL'S FIRST TIME RUNNING THE LIGHT RIG IN A LIVE SETTING FOR UMPHREY'S!!!
May 26, 2013
It was a great show- think the song teased in ITK was 'Wanna Be Startin' Something' by Michael Jackson
May 10, 2013
i was in ny working on hurricane sandy. my last day of work was the same day as this show. dropped some cash on a front row ticket to reward myself for 3 months of lonely, crappy work... wound up meeting my now-boyfriend, who was in the second row.
in two weeks, i'm moving to new york to be with him. but first! he's coming to my hometown for the hangout, where we're going to get a prefest um show.. then we're driving to new york together, but stopping into summercamp on the way.
tl;dr this show changed my life.
May 7, 2013
The Jimmy Stewart during Much Obliged is now known as No Comment. This show was quite amazing. The band really was tight.
May 7, 2013
The Jimmy Stewart during Much Obliged is now known as No Comment. This show was quite amazing. The band really was tight.
April 30, 2013
Alright, this was a blast, definitely on my agenda for next year. Hoping for this to be the very of many umbowls.
Quarter 1 might have been my favorite. Really enjoyed the stews, gonna have to give it a listen again, can't remember which was my favorite. Really fun way to start out the show and brought out a lot of good dancing on my part, would keep this in this placement next year. Also, second time getting the cables cut after last new years, really enjoyed the down tempo version, probably more than the other. Was surprised at choices, would have preferred more older stews, felt like a lot were really recent, oh well, still a good time.
Quarter 2 was fun too, loved the Orion opener, but I admit a deep love for metal umphs. Cantina band was straight dance party, really glad this got picked too. Would love to see both of those enter rotation for their covers. No Diablo and Porch were fun if nothing else. I love Bullhead City, but it felt like it would have been much better if naturally placed in an acoustic set, still glad to have seen one, beautiful song if you ask me. I don't know who voted on 2x2 acoustic, but that just seemed awful to me, like a giant condom wrapped around an otherwise great song. Will have to give it another listen, it all looked so awkward with the big light show that usually accompanies the electric piece. Not as good as Quarter 1, but still fun. Next year I might suggest putting up some choices we've had in past Umbowls, I realize IVOY has already been voted in, but who wouldn't want another one after three years? As Quarter 1, great placement, fun to see all the bust outs and debuts right before halftime and right after the raw stewage.
Quarter 3 had some serious jamming go on, but it felt a little underwhelming for most of the time. 70s disco, hillbilly hoedown, jazz metal fusion and sinister evil untz were the highlights for me. Didn't much care at all for gin and juice, beach boogie or tribal drum jam. And the simply ambient music seemed like anything but, too much going on, too much energy on stage for that to take proper form it seemed. Again, relistens will provide some insight. I know this is one of the premier quarters, but I would consider dropping this next year if it's going to have as many stale moments as this year. Obviously if nothing else better can be thought up then don't, but I feel like if they kicked around enough ideas they could think of something better, or at the very least mix it up somehow to make it more fresh.
Quarter 4 was really fun, definitely best as the final quarter in my opinion. Decent song selection, but I have to wander why Miss Gradenko wasn't picked. And Higgins over Lenny OR Eat? Really? Also glad Miss Tinkles was picked over Hangover, still don't understand all the hate that song gets. Really enjoyed how they let every song have a good 5 to 10 minutes to breath and get fleshed out. Were you allowed to vote over and over? For some reason I thought everyone got one vote and everyone kept switching their votes. If not then I feel bad for the people that sat there texting over and over again, because after I voted once I was getting down to all those tastey jams they tacked onto every song. Really like the way this was handled, and the placement at the end seemed the most natural and was the best way to end the show if you ask me. It's either this or the first quarter that was my favorite, gonna have to get my hands on the soundboard to properly compare.
Overall great show, definitely worth the price. I think the quarter placement was spot on, particularly putting the raw stewage first to get the room moving and the choose your own adventure last to get everyone involved at the end, particularly with every song getting decent treatment. I cannot stress enough how awesome it was that they let everyone have time to vote and opened everything up that quarter. Next year put up some better options for the mail in ballots. I realize a lot of the best songs have been picked before or used on the ballots before, but they're going to have to put them up again eventually if they keep doing this year after year, might as well do it for the fifth time since that's generally considered a big number to hit. Would consider either dropping stewart event or modifying it in someway, was the low point of the show for me easily sans a few dancey moments.
April 25, 2013
Let me tell you why this is the best UM show of 2013, in my opinion. I consider nipple trix my favorite intro. Ive seen it thrice, Chicago, Stl new years, and the first one at summer camp. Love the energy of it and loved the transition into Resolution. Resolution contained a solid amount of improv for a 2013 reso, thoroughly enjoyed it. Pretty much the one lull came during hourglass (it usually does). A nice full 1348 was a treat mid set, as you usually see it ending a set. Morning song was emotional and perfect. Got goosebumps. Rosanna>Conduit was great! Bayliss was feelin himself during Rosanna. A nice mulche's with a jazzy mid jam was a perfect way to end an emotional roller coaster of a set. Set 2 kinda speaks for itself. 5 songs, 6 including the second part of AIT. All in time contained a great jam that sorta sounded like Phish's first tube to me. Day Nurse in between was nice. I like day nurse because it brings a weird funky energy into the room every time. I expected them to continue the set into a new song, but out of nowhere Bayliss began to sing All in Time part 2. Another treat because every other time i've seen all in time it's ended a set. The highlight of the night, the Higgins, clocking in at 22 minutes, contained a "Talking in your sleep" jam (By the Romantics) which was weird and fun. There was also a vocal jimmy stewart about 15:00 through. Didn't recognize the lyrics. This was the best higgins i've ever heard. Slacker was solid and contained some stasik gold. Can't you hear me knockin closed out a STELLAR second set with it's usually fun energy. Everyone always appreciates the Stones covers. The encore was freaking perfect. Partyin Peeps>Haji. Ahh. Speaks for itself, i think.
April 23, 2013
Fun, funky show. Rosanna > Conduit was alot of fun.
Stasik got a little too loose during CYHMK, but thats ok considering the amount of jamming throughout the second set. Judging from the written setlist, it looks like that 30+ minute second set opener took a little extra time. I think they cut out Miami Virtue and one other song.
PP > Haji is a classic encore. Doesn't get much better.
April 23, 2013
Of the two Texas shows this was by far the best, and that is not to discount how good Dallas was. But, I have a feeling that the boys selling out their first Texas gig gave them a warm happy feeling they just couldn't help but show with the music.
The setlist speaks for itself.
LE>Deeper>UF>Jessica was a great combo to round out the middle of the 1st set.
The entire second set was on point. Encore, just as good.
Not alot of real off the cuff jammming, but solid structured jamming throughout. AND A MOTHER EFFING Daft Punk Cover...
April 23, 2013
I wasn't at this show but the song selection is epic! All the jams are very tight and exploratory. Covering the new Daft Punk song is pretty awesome too.
Anyone know what stew/jam/song they are teasing about 7:30 into In The Kitchen? I've definitely heard it before...
April 22, 2013
First off, this was one hell of an umph experience. My friends and i traveled south from PA to see two shows back to back. This being the first out of the two. Starting off a concert to "Drink My Drank" is a great way to grab the crowd's attention. Then transitioning into "Tribute to the Spinal Shaft" which was up beat and funky as fuck. Joel had his time for a keys solo. Good for him! "Conduit" was next and ill always enjoy that badass tune. "Cemetery Walk" was dropped on the Olando crowd, which dropped my jaw. Never thought i would see it live and not only that but to have it swing right into "Slacker" which is a personal favorite. So at this point...Im flipping out. "Miss Tinkles Overture" was played next and thats just up lifting shredding and a solid jam that gets the crowd involved towards the end. A cover slides right into the setlist and it just happens to be Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb". Damn. The room's energy was magical. Everybody was in the spirit now. Then ending the set with "Cemetery Walk II", as expected. GREAT first set.
Starting off the second set with "Der Bluten Kat" > "Miami Virtue" > "Der Bluten Kat" was big. During the Inprov of DBK, Waful flips the lights back on the curtains and really bring out the art in his occupation. The dance moves were just pouring out. "In the Kitchen" was next in line. It was not long in duration, but thats fine. Just hearing the tune is good enough for me. Stasik took a nice bass solo after kitchen which was quite impressive. Then they slammed a solid 18 minute "2x2" which was fucking awesome. Great tune :). "1348" was the perfect way to end the set and it was spot on. Drunk singing and hard raging, just the way i like it.
Encore left me speechless. No one can ever deny and well played "Ringo" and well played it was. For the final stretch of the night, the band was getting real funky. Towards the middle of the song they bring back ringo and leave a Kris Myer's signature drum beat playing on where the crowd begins an up roaring WE WANT THE UMPHS chant. the band then reacts and slaps a "Soul Food II" jam and that was so much more than i could ever ask for. My favorite show so far. Give it a listen when you can. Thank you Umphrey's.
April 1, 2013
^Yep! Gotta agree with the above reviewer about the Talking Heads cover. In fact, that whole first set was so spot on, I was caught off guard when they walked off for set break. Seemed like they had just started. Great show from front to back.
Watched the first set from the rail, but got caught by the short set break, and watched the 2nd set from the top of the hill.
March 29, 2013
The House of Blues on sunset strip is actually really cool on the inside and has pretty amazing sound too! This night was a serious rager and is my favorite show of 2013 thus far.
This was my 49th show and my first time to ever do the UMVIP, which was really sick... Got a signed poster included, laminates, soundcheck on Saturday, and a meet and greet with the BAND!!!
Got pic's with all the different band members and everyone was soooooo cool....
As for the second night of Hollywood nights, well their was no shortage of pure unadultered jammin going on!
My first live "there's no crying in mexico" which always gets you in the mood for some dancy fun...And a super jammy bridgeless that goes to a nice place.
Wappy sprayberry was it's usual dance party with a great MJ tease that was funky as hell with a beautiful backside to brigeless.
Wife soup doesn't get played alot anymore and was really nice to see on the west coast, since we are from Madison WI. The Der bluten kat takes the cake for the first set though...
Both Jake and Brendan taking turns on keys in DBK and also a first time ever great hip hop tune!
Mulche's got taken to a much higher level than normal and had Jake and Brendan facing in on each other battling out sick guitar riffs
Anytime you get DBK and then Divisions in a show you know it'll be a special night. Divisions has a serious Jimmy Stewart that gives goosebumps, and then followed by a plunger (which usually I dont care for too much) but the plunger contains one of the funkiest grooves I've heard to date....
Hangover gets seriously elevated to an insane jam level and then the triple wide into divisions to end!?!?! Wow, this is one of those shows....
Good encore with some California lyrics in "the song remains the same" to really let people know why UM is the best out there!
February 27, 2013
Coming off an incredible show from the night before, everyone in our hotel room slept in pretty late. We all walked around Burlington during the late morning/early afternoon, then made our way back to the hotel for the pre-game.
The show started off with an extended Plunger jam into MITA, which I had heard at the Hampton show 2 months earlier. 2x2 was standard, then during the Utopian jam, Brendan and Jake switched to their acoustic guitars. This was my first experience with acoustic UM and it was definitely a fitting time to do it as well. Nothing else worth notating, but the last 3 songs of the first set were really fun and different than the UM that I was used to.
Pay the Snucka 2nd set opener was nice, but No More Tears was definitely out of nowhere and I still listen to that version to this day. In the silent breakdown part, they sing a verse of Total Eclipse of the Heart in homage to Old School which was released about 3 years prior. The big jam of the set was The Triple Wide. During the jam, they busted into a lyrical stew and I remember Grover standing next to me screaming out something like "Skyline Stew, Skyline Stew!" I just laughed as he was like a kid in a candy store. I guess this was the jam that turned into Spires? IIRC. Anyways the rest of the set (Words, ITK) were standard. However, Rosanna was a really cool cover choice to finish it off, and after the finishing chorus they went into a jam. No other than Mrs Robinson's Strut. This is one of my favorite repeated stews and it was great to get it after my real first big run with Umph.
Overall it was a great weekend and I will never forget it.
February 25, 2013
It's hard to believe no one has posted a review of this show. The setlist says it all. This was a barn burner. If you want to make a fan out of anyone - download and play this show. It's full of superhuman music.
You guys fucking rock and Grand Rapids loves you.
February 20, 2013
Yes, I'll have two sandwiches. I need an "All in Time" with a "There's No Crying in Mexico" on top, and an extra large "Jajunk". Thanks
February 20, 2013
For some reason this NYE show always stick out in my mind as one of the most memorable nights of mine...This was my second NYE show and it delivered on all fronts.
The first set is a real treat with Cemetery Walk 1 getting ppl in the mood early for a rager, which was followed by a short but great triple wide.
This was my first headphones and snowcones which is always welcomed and should be played more! The whole second set is gold, and the tower of power cover takes the cake! Kris Myers is truly amazing, vocals and drums.
Set 3 contains alot of good jamming, starting with the much obliged that gets super funky to bring in the new year. Phils farm still may be my favorite version, good bass wapping fun...
Of course turn and dub is always welcomed, but I'll never forget stasik in his shiny pink shirt singing cant take my eyes off of you! Hilarious!!!
Reelin in the years was jsut ppl having fun and enjoying being at somehting as special as an UM NYE!
February 20, 2013
Ahhhhh, my first UM show! Young and at Bonnaroo to see all my favorite jam bands! This set of UM opened my eyes to appreciate UM as one of the top bands coming up...
When moe came on and then Michael Travis too I didnt even know what was going on, it blew my mind!
Highlights were definitely the jam in resolution which is long and tasty, along with a nothin too fancy and bright lights that has made me do 48 shows to date!
This whole set though is just pure UM energy and if you've never heard the download I would strongly suggest it!
February 19, 2013
One of the greatest first sets I've ever heard! The floor is pretty traditional but then 2X2 has this sick asian sounding jam in it...
Turn and Dub is like 18 minutes of good phsychedelic jam followed by a great american with 2 big dance jams in it...Sweet sunglasses is a great cover and a good set closer.
Still one of my favorite Tribute's to start out set 2 which had a Law and order intro with stasik slappin the bass.
Highlights in set 2 for me was Raymond and Fool in the rain. Madison is a great setting for UM.
February 19, 2013
This could be one of the funnest nights of summercamp that I've ever experienced...and the fact that they released it on DVD is just sick!
The jam in 1348 is pure energy and really gets you moving...Once I heard Red Tape bust out I knew it was gonna be twenty minutes of heaven. It seems like every year UM takes a tune and just rages it 20 mins every time they play it but in different ways..(ocean billy, 1348, red tape, etc...)
Their is two distinct sides to the red tape, one being super trancie electronica and one being an uplifter...The pay the snucka with bulls on parade got everyone ragin.
My first senor mouse and I love this cover!!!!
Second set is classic....I absolutely love the miss tinkles higgins twister! In and out and in and out of both tunes...EPIC!
Rocker Pt 2 is of course a legendary builder and this was my first Day Nurse. I kept thinking by this point that this was one of the greatest nights ever!
Hourglass is a great mellow tune with solid lyrics and national anthem brought the heat big time.
Encore of triple wide in where joel's part is absolute fire...such great musicianship....
Summercamp is the shit...
February 19, 2013
UM had a lot to prove to make this show better than the last time they were at the Orpheum and they did not dissapoint.
Nippletrix into 2nd Self was a nice touch to get the show started with a good vibe. The puppet string has some really good improv and good length. Not quite as funky as some versions I've heard but original and good in its own way.
My fiance called the Mantis on this show and is always a nice treat these days to get that, especially the backside of it.
Triple wide is a great version, taking you through peaks and valleys of electronic grooves...All night long had more thump than normal with 3 ppl playing percussion including Jake.
It was my second time getting headphones and snowcones (once before on NYE with Mirro) and its a great jazzy riff.
I love when they put two jams into Resolution and both of them had a reggae - ish theme which was great!!!
Set two was a rager, dancy jajunk, rocker of a slacker, and the set never let go....
Hollywood nights I went absolutely nuts because me and my fiance will be going to do VIP HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS on 3-22 and 3-23 in Hollywood....Its as if they knew we were going by playing it in our hometown of madtown!
Great show...UM in madison never dissapoints!
February 19, 2013
This show is easily in my top 5.
Seeing headphones and snocones was a huge surprise. The guys were on fire all nite long! Love madtown!
February 16, 2013
Morgantown, WV...what an environment for an UMPH's show in mid Feb. Valentine's Day gave all Umphrey's McGee fans a reason for their minds to race of what possibly they could play. Further more
Set I: Catshot was a good way to start off the night, into an always welcomed Miss Tinkle's Overture that jammed hard. Walletsworth was a good fit for an emotional crowd. Domino Theory was pretty sick, really went at it. Intentions Clear really set a good mood for the 1st set. Push the Pig wasn't expected at all, but you'll never turn it down. Wasn't the best version but was very fun. The Floor jammed hard as shit once again..not a surprise. A lot of improve and grooviness/rave feel the show was as an overall.
Set II: The Fussy Dutchman, wow...not a single person was not dancing. Joel was pumped up. Not a Red Tape guy but if i had to see one live I suppose it'd be this one. In The Kitchen was a good up lifting mood after a long Red Tape. Good jams, Thin Air was fucking sick. Haven't seen that one yet until now. I Want You was a great cover.. good sing along for a Valentines Day show. Kabump was tiiiiiiiight. 20 minutes or so. Great Home jam.
Encore: Girlfriend is Better was a pretty cool start to an encore, really went hard and was one of the spacier versions of that they play. Booth Love was expected but not as an encore, heard it up at The Beacon a month prior as an encore so that kind of threw me off. But in the end who is going to turn down a Booth Love on such a great Valentines day down in Morgantown?
Great show all in all, very awesome crowd. Pissed they didnt let me down to the main floor but the 2nd level was hectic and went so hard. Worth leaving my girlfriend at home on valentines day for some umph love, FUCK YEA! Thank you everyone for such an amazing show.
February 15, 2013
Wow. This was a great show at a great little venue. There was mass confusion about what time the band was actually going on. Initially it was listed as 8:30, then someone said their was an opener, and then someone said they'd go on at 8:00. To be safe, we made sure we were in the venue by 8:00, which was great since the band went on pretty promptly at 8:15.
The Theatre was TINY. Not a bad seat in the whole place, and the balcony looked like it raged hard. It was also a dry venue, which was a first for me, but no one seemed to mind since security was really chill.
Miss Tinkle's opened really, really strong and kicked off the night in pretty rockin' fashion. Walletsworth was well done, but I thought the Domino Theory jam stalled a bit and they ended up pulling out of it, thankfully. Intentions Clear was a jaw dropper with the band taking things down to a trickle while Waful killed all of the lights. This led into an okay Push the Pig and, as always, a rager of The Floor to close Set I.
Set II opened with a nice Fussy Dutchman and led to an okay Red Tape. In the Kitchen really got the crowd moving, but I thought the jam was uninspired. Thin Air was fantastic--maybe the best I've ever heard Joel play. The Beatles cover was a nice breather and raged the venue pretty good. Kabump was a TREAT. The rode the jam for a long time until Stasik finally unplugged and the band ended gently to close a nice Set II.
The Talking Heads cover for an encore was nice, and the Booth Love jam was nasty.
Highlights: Miss Tinkle's, Intentions Clear, Thin Air, Kabump.
If you get a chance, see the band at this venue. They did not disappoint.
February 14, 2013
This was my first Valentine's Day show and it was one that never dissapoints. First and second sets both deliver big time.
The August opener is huge and goes into really good dance grooves.
Syncopated Strangers is 18 mins long and the jimmy stewart inside of it had the whole place dancing!!!
Sociable Jimmy is huge too, with the Xxplosive jam just started this show out with pure energy.....
Probably my favorite All in time I've still ever heard (its now 2013) and the mullet over is always a treat.
Great four night run! Thanks UM, Madison loves you!
February 9, 2013
This was my 6th year in a row at First Ave and UM. I was a bit bummed they werent playing more than one night, but I knew that the show would not disappoint... And that was for sure the case! I have been an Umphrey's fan for about 7 years now, and I am only in the 30ish range for shows. So I am no veteran by any means, but they are my favorite band. So I was really hoping for a Wizard Burial Ground, I have yet to see it live. I didnt get WBG, but I got 2 of my other favorite songs that I hadnt heard yet... Division! and Miss Tinkle's Overture. I was in awe after both of those were played. Not to mention Nemo was crazy good, as was All In Time and the Triple Wide to close the night out. I hadnt heard UM cover Bowie before, so that was also a highlight for me. I think I say this every time I see Umphrey's, but this was seriously the best show I have seen of them. If not best, easily in my top 3. Great work of you Gents!
February 7, 2013
This was my first UM experience. It was my introduction into "jam" culture. Those lights were the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I can not believe I have not been going to festivals my entire life. I have a feeling that this was the perfect venue. It wasn't over crowded and I had the time of my life. I just wish UM was playing the Electric Forest but I am just as excited to see all these other amazing jam bands I have been missing out on. Thank you for such a life changing experience, for reals.
February 6, 2013
This was UM first time playing at First Ave. Before this they had only played The Cabooze on the west.
Set 1-
Tons of great energy in the room that night. Energy peaked in the first set during the Glory jam.
1st set ended with a massive Ja Junk. Deep groove from Stasik. wow.
2nd Set Notes
Bayliss guitar was not turned up loud enough in the mix so the 2x2 suffers a bit. I personally enjoy this song more when it is in the first set.
Robot World was the stand out of the whole show. Great dance untz stew with great Moog work from Joel.
February 4, 2013
Let me start out by saying that this is a pretty underated show. It's definitely pretty proggy and out there at times but a great show.
The Miss Tinkle's Overture is still by far the best version I've ever heard to date and I've been to 50 plus UM shows and have downloaded tons tons more. It is pure energy and pumps you up with a sort of metal dance party.
The visions with the blues for los angeles jam is down right nasty....deep trancy, jazzy, jam that is super tasty and not a usual sound for the band.
Set 2 Highlights were of course the nice beatles cover, but the Crooked one into Utopian is big and bad. The crooked one gets a little dark but very jammy and the Utopian fir gets dark as well but has a really nice tail end of reggae that's a bit longer and extended than normal.
Hot for teacher was real appropriate since the teachers were all striking up at the capitol and made for a great end.
Night 2 of this run was the bee's knee's though....
February 4, 2013
I would have to completely disagree with the final comment on the first review of this show about the other covers slowing down the show.
I can say that this was my 5th NYE show with UM and my 35th show of UM all together and thought ALL of the cover choices were spot on.
The Demolition Man cover was excellent, UM has covered a ton of Police over the years and this one was a real treat off of "ghost in the machine" album.
And then the Beck cover of Mixed Bizness to bring in the new year was some great funk with fun lyrics!
Definitely highlights of this show are the whole first set being a free flowing complete piece of music that was quite beatiful. Also Kris Myers putting on his soul shoes and doing James Brown right in set 2 was a real treat!
The All in time of this show will be forever in my mind of how far UM can take it, in all different facets and forms of music. And dont forget about how badass it gets wheen cody dickinson does washboard on the slacker. Jake and Cody get dark and heavy and wonderful.
Great show!
February 1, 2013
Easily the most intimate setting I've seen UM to date. The venue was small, packed, and had excellent energy. Unfortunately, I feel this night was a recovery and intermission between Beacon and Brooklyn Bowl for the band. The set wasn't nearly as fast paced or rocking as I'd have liked. However, this isn't to dissuade you from checking it, easily some of the BEST banter of the year no doubt.
Not a Domino Theory fan or Strangers, but both were typical good stuff. BB opened the Girlfriend's Better as a tribute to Manti T'eo and substituted the lyrics for "I have a girlfriend who doesn't exist." Absolutely hilarious and had the crowd really digging it. This made the night. Loved the Dump City then a nice jazz/rock Mulche's to close her out.
The Floyd cover really killed it and the Jimmy had some great improv. Although Visions of Parin isn't one of my favorites, I really thought they were about to cover Hall & Oates, really cool key teases by Joella.
Unfortunately, big mishap during an otherwise great Higgins: Stasik's bass amp was thrown into stand by because of power issues. They managed to recover. JaJunk made for a great encore: real happy to see they played it for us instead of saving it for Brooklyn!
Highlight: Girlfriend is Better (tribute to Manti T'eo)
February 1, 2013
I can commiserate with danoc, missed the intro and most of 40's due to tough travels from Boston.
N2F > Ocean Billy was monstrous and well overdue in the past few shows. There is a great Jake solo to close it out. Although I'm not a tremendous Radiohead fan, those who like them will really enjoy the rare Weird Fishes cover. Plunger was a great heavy hitter to close the first set.
22 minutes of domination to start the second set with Strings. The entire follow up was a continual rager. Wormborg, Wappy, Ex1 w/ sax were wonderful. Wappy jam was more smooth than too metal. Finally, the Life During Exodus had the crowd going absolute NUTS! Loved the Heads tribute in NY and first replay since it's intro at Milwaukee. Not a huge Booth Love fan myself, but I enjoyed it. The reprise of Strings was expected and welcomed, great close to their first performance at the Beacon.
Personal Highlights: Wappy > Ex1, LDE
January 31, 2013
This was also my second show, after seeing them at Bonnaroo on 6/16. I loved them the first time because I had been listening to Anchor Drops on loop in my car for about a year before I got a chance to see them. But I would have to say that this was the first show where I 'got it,' in the sense that the music moved me in a way I'd never had a band do before. Might sound trite, but it's the truth.
I also have a fond place in my heart for this show, because it was the first show I ever saw at the Tabernacle. Wow. A bunch of Tabby memories later, I can honestly say that there is no place I would rather see an Umphrey's McGee concert than that venue. The energy was off the hook that night, as it always is in Atlanta, regardless of venue.
The musical moments that stood out to me were the Walletsworth>N2F. I could see those songs at every show from here on out and be happy as hell. In the Kitchen was great as well.
In the second set, it's hard for me to think about anything other than the Hendrix Jam on Power of Soul to kick it off. Talk about fire to start off a ridiculous second set, both in terms of the band being on top of their game and a kick ass set list. And the 2nd Self, Dirty Love > God Gave Rock encore was amazing.
January 29, 2013
Wasn't able to catch Leave Me Las Vegas due to the fact that NYC cab drivers are idiots, further more...40's Theme immediately grabbed everyones attention to make it clear there was no messing around in the Beacon. Conduit jammed hard got the energy flowing through what was a slow crowd for the most part. Roulette was a good in between song for conduit and NTF. Ocean Billy was fucking killer. 20 minutes or so, Weird Fishes was pretty cool considering they've only played it 4 other times. Good cover, plunger was good way to end the set i prefer the one from the Fillmore on Halloween more. 2nd Set: Puppet String which rocked the house down(unfinished, saw it coming form a while away), the linear put it back together and professor wormbog was really cool, big fan of that. wappy sprayberry was killer, 1st time seeing that and the light show was unreal. Example 1 with the sax was awesome, huge fan of that song. easily the best of the night. Exodus had a ton of energy and really had the beacon freaking out. Booth Love was expected but was very well played, finished by Puppet String. Great show overall...the crowd was sleeping in NYC. not a philly crowd thats for sure UM.
January 29, 2013
Umphrey's McGee @ Penn's Peak is by far the most beautiful thing these two eyes have ever witnessed. Coming out to Nipple Trix is always a treat to start off a show. Grabbed everyone attention from the start...right into an original but yet wonderful Wife Soup. RtB was good for the venue right into a Floyd cover(Breathe) with a dub theme which was pretty bad ass. Much Obliged was awesome, very funky..very very funky. big fan of that. Uncommon and eat were accepted by me. 2x2 is a great way to end the 1st set and get us real pumped up for the 2nd. 2nd Set: Robot World was kick ass, jammed hard for a long ass time, into an attention grabbing higgins to bring people back to real life. DBK was perfect, give that a listen if u can. Into a No Comment that made people get down, back into DBK. Exodus was a dance party and really had people enjoying the moment. Didn't see that one coming, a perfect ALT left people nearly crying as the set came to a finish. Encore: came out to a WBG into Joel's favorite Orfeo back into WBG to end the show. Great show everyone who was there was given a kick ass show and after that halloween run left people begging UM to come back to the east coast. UM
January 29, 2013
Maybe it was just me but I thought the crowd was amazing at this show, everyone was vibing and really getting into it. I had no idea who DJ Williams was before this show...he can really kill it!
January 27, 2013
This venue is new and extremely intimate. Holds only 750 people and even that is split between the main floor and a small balcony. The created a very cool vibe that ended up exploding with energy throughout the show.
From the second Umphrey's stepped on the stage you knew it was going to be a special night. They skipped the intro, which seems to be how every show has been starting the past few tours. First set was filled with special moments but the highlights were definitely the jams during Girlfriend is Better and Dump City (Finally got this song! only took 48 shows to hear it). Syncopated, morning song, and ending the set with mulches was a nice touch too.
The 2nd set was monstrous. Straight out the gates, In the flesh through 2nd self is action packed and extremely tight. You could look around the room and just see minds being blown left and right. The jams were incredible! Another brick int he wall, sociable jimmy, and visions, bahhh it was just insane. You will just have to hear to show to understand. Not sure if i've seen them close a show with higgins, but worked out beautifully with a nice dubby jam in the middle.
Jajunk is always great as an encore. It really encompasses everything that is umphreys. On top of that the jam in this version is epic. Stasik goes wild, as does the crowd.
Shenanigans, thats all I can say about this show.
January 27, 2013
Hands down the best show of 2011 and one of the best shows UM has ever played. This show is packed to the gills with quality improv. From the GA, to the Reso, to the August there is something for everybody here. If you haven't heard this show or don't have it in your UM collection, stop reading and download it now. Guaranteed to please!
January 25, 2013
Do also wanna add Got Your Milk amazing and kinda surprisingly so in my eyes. What a treat tough love this fucking band.
January 25, 2013
Another amazing night in Charlotte. I almost missed this gem but was convinced to go last minute and do not regret it a bit. This show was top notch from the opener, Crooked One, a personal favorite, onwards I knew this was a night to remember. Best 2x2 I've heard in a minute. Oh and a bit of 2 Tickets to Paradise just for fun. Hbb raged hardcore to open second set. Skeptical initially of 40's to close set but was very pleasantly surprised by both that and 3x wide encore. Regulate was a first for me and another just for fun tune that was a blast for both band and fans.
January 25, 2013
Incredible night. The energy was through the roof. Was happy to see my friends in UM Nation get down to my boys moon taxi first off. Then Umph blew the tabernacle apart. Rocker was a very special moment in which I was glad to be a part. Whole acoustic "set" very good with great song selections. Second set was hot from the start with bright lights> cocaine> bright lights being a highlight of the weekend. Domino> sine on> domino was a surprising sandwich although it thoroughly delighted this fan.
January 19, 2013
Ive seen my fare share of UM shows and this one could possibly be the best show Ive seen them play. As far as consistency, patient playing, segues and song selection this is a barn burner for sure. Not being bias at all since it was my best friend Robs b-day Gradenko! We kind of helped make this happen. As long as you request ahead of time and it makes since they will deliver. And this show def delivers, the most listened UM show in my collection after seeing them since 03 says a lot.
January 8, 2013
For an earlier version of Cut the Cable, check out the Ringo from 2011/11/05 in Milwaukee. Has a little more of a spacey/psychedelic feel to it.
January 7, 2013
This show was Toastastic from the opening bell right thru the finish line!
"Hi Fives Save Lives Save Live...I Have Proof!"
January 5, 2013
Amazing cap to a 4 night run. The 30th and 31st were my favorite shows but all were amazing. There was also a blackbird tease at the beginning of glory that you can hear the crowd to react to.
January 4, 2013
I was so happy to hear thats Umphrey's was playing at North Coast again since I wasn't old enough to go the first year. Me and my buddy were at Atmosphere so we missed the first little bit of gurgle, but then we came in for Ocean Billy and the boys brought the thunder it was amazing Brendan sounded beautiful on this and Miami Virtue. Then hearing Mantis Ghetts was awesome since they play it so rarely. Crucial Taunt pumps everyone up just so they can smooth it all out into a sexy Daft Punk cover with Voyager. After they tore it up with Push The Pig they segued into JaJunk which was so delightfully jamtastic. Finally for the much wanted encore Brendan starts in with Puppet String which is followed by Jake so wonderfully going in on Eminence Front and then a strong finish with Puppet String again.
This is the fourth Umphrey's McGee show i've been to and they have yet to dissapoint.
January 2, 2013
This show was nothing short of amazing. This was my first chance at seeing a New Years show (Thanks Couch Tour!) and this just hit home for me.
There were parts of this show that I connected with emotionally in my life, and I have a whole new perspective on things, including my past, current, and future experiences. What a way to start a much needed New Year for me.
Thanks Umphs and keep up the great work!!! See you in GR and Detroit!
December 28, 2012
Shortened set due to Furthur playing passed their allotted time, apparently Phil got lost during set break. x_x
Despite that, the boys skipped all filler and pumped out the jams
This is still my favorite Puppet and I was super surprised at how well they did Tom Sawyer
Encore kinda disappointed me with a cover and the horns in jajunk were quite lackluster but nevertheless it was a great show
December 28, 2012
I was still not familiar with the whole catalog at this time and thought #5 was just a SICK jam in AIT, turned into one of my favorite songs after that.
13 days is always a treat and everyone was boogieing down to reelin in the years
As was stated, the ringo jam is prob the highlight of the show
I felt the AIT reprise should have closed the second set and it was a weird flow to end with thin air after a rocker
December 28, 2012
There were technical difficulties for the first 20 seconds or so of booth love until the full sound system kicked in.
Highlights were the miles Davis cover and the divisions> I'm on fire > divisions
Pretty sure this was the second time I'm on fire was played and I was lucky enough to catch the first one in Cleveland.
No one seems to mention the ZZ Top jam in Made To Measure, Waitin on the Bus!
It fits so perfectly and I wish they'd do it again sometime
December 19, 2012
Also my first show, the 42 minute All in Time > Wappy changed the way i looked at music forever. CW>CWII is quality dance party material. As was stated, the Shine On was magical, and the best one i've heard them do. A classic epic encore (that reso has everything in it!) My (bias) personal favorite show.
December 12, 2012
Much of this show is a little bit hazy for me, but it was probably the trippiest UM show I've ever seen. Check out the Push the Pig (the guitar sound
out of the amps in a most psychedelic way.
Reelin' in the Years was a crowd favorite, and the Ringo jam is worth a listen, as well.
All in all a very fun show in a very awesome little venue.
December 12, 2012
This might have been some of the best UM I've seen to date. The place was packed. While I'm not a huge fan of this venue overall, the energy was good.
Eat and Got Your Milk made for a nice beginning to the show, and the Turn & Dub was excellent.
Second set was really what made this show, though. August was nice and the JJ>WW>JJ was top notch. The WW jam is a must listen.
This encore was perhaps the best UM encore I've seen. Nemo was a treat that I hope I see again soon, and the King Crimson sandwich was nice. Red was SUPER dark, and Waful absolutely crushed it with the lights. If you can find video, do it. I wish that the band had finished with the vocal harmony left hanging, though, rather than coming back in for the final chord. All in all a very solid show.
December 12, 2012
My first UM show. I walked/stumbled in completely unaware of the band or what I was about to see.
Though I certainly don't think this is the best UM I've ever seen, the set list placement for this show is spectacular and offered an extremely cohesive, fluid experience from beginning to end.
Highlights: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (I will never forget that spacey intro. My god.) and the entire encore, which just brought down the house. Definitely worth your time to listen.
December 6, 2012
One of my favorite versions of Visions (of Parin) ever. The break down with Stasik on the pedals is such an awesome moment. Very glad that this was posted on the youtube channel for visual reference of this great musical moment.
December 4, 2012
First off, I have to say that I think this is the best show from 2011, and those who attended this show were truly blessed to have seen this.
Set 1 kicks off with Example 1. The Example 1 is pretty standard until they get to the jam section of the song. The jam in this is a mid tempo rocking jam with tons of solos going all over the place, and it is this jam that pretty much sets the mood for the remainder of the show. They get into a high-energy version of Got Your Milk that, again, has a hard rocking stew with plenty of guitar fireworks from Jake and Brendan. It's probably the best Milk I've heard these guys do. Milk segues quite nicely into #5. #5 rocks pretty hard as well and has a sweet heavy stew in it as well. Milk -> #5 clocks in at over 25 minutes in length. They do a nice cover of Fool In The Rain, and although Brendan is no Robert Plant vocally, his vocals are adequate in this version. While this version isn't bad at all, it is probably the weakest link in this show (I use the term "weakest" in the loosest sense of the word). Search 4 comes out just as hard rocking as the Death By Stereo studio version and fits in perfectly with the rest of the hard rock in this set. The set finishes off with Last Man Swerving > Believe The Lie. Last Man Swerving is an 18+ minute treat, and has a nice long jam that can only be best described as 70's prog-disco. Not funky and not hard rock either. Imagine Animals-era Pink Floyd with some disco elements and you get the picture. Believe The Lie rocks harder than what you normally hear in this song live and has some nice 70's prog that seems to be somewhat inspired by Kansas, but is done in UM's unique way. Check out the guitar solos that kick in at the 7:12 point of the song - Jake and Brendan do some serious (but short) shredding!
Set 2 kicks off with a nearly 31 minute long DBK. Again, keeping in the hard rock/prog theme of the show, this is one of the hardest rocking DBKs they've done. If you don't catch yourself playing air guitar during the first 8 minutes of DBK, then you need to check your pulse. At around the 8:05 mark, the band throws down some of the same style of 70's prog-disco that was done on Last Man Swerving without repeating what was done during Last Man Swerving (I hope that sentence made sense). Between 8:05 and the 21 minute mark, there's a lot going on with this jam as this jam conjures up Animals-era Pink Floyd, jazzy interludes and even some Metallica-like shredding at around the 20:30 mark. The jam changes into a jazzy section at the 21 minute mark that lasts until the 26:40 mark. At 26:40, the jam gets heavy with seriously fast rhythm guitar that puts Metallica to shame and then goes back to the jazzy section. The last minute is the outro riff of DBK. Next comes a hard rocking I Am The Walrus that is quite stellar with some kick-ass Jake solos throughout. Even The Bottom Half rocks harder than usual and UM takes the song into a slightly different direction than usual with the Simple Gifts jam, and contains a hard rock ending. Slacker, like every other song here, is a harder version with a bluesy section at about 2:40 that sounds like ZZ Top experimenting with jazz styles. And then if you hadn't had enough, they bring down the house with an insane Wizard Burial Ground that will just leave your jaw on the ground.
Even Bright Lights as the encore is a hard rocking version as well.
Overall, this show is completely worth the purchase! As I stated in the beginning, this is the best show of 2011. Unfortunately, it's also overlooked as this show was sandwiched in between the 10/29 Hauntlanta and 11/5 Milwaukee shows. This is a 13 song show, which is very reminiscient of the 2006-2008 era, plus the 5 song 2nd set is a throwback to that era as well. It displays the harder side of UM and is a consistent theme throughout the show.
You can check out this show on youtube. Just type in umphrey's mcgee clifton park and watch the videos of this show that were put up by axanodus.
Enjoy this show! Well worth the $$.
December 2, 2012
My first umphreys show.
This is a first set that features almost no improv outside of the opening JO. This opening JO is a dark, bass driven theme that offers some nice keyboard support from Jake early on with dueling guitar riffs toward the end. I always hoped for this JO to pop up again, but it hasn't yet so far. Alex's house replaces both segments of improv usually associated with DBK. I think this works nicely, the outro of alex's house drops nicely into the end of DBK. I frequently revisit this opening 40 min segment.
The second set picks up some steam with N2F. During the lengthy jam (track length is about 23 mins for the first half), Allen from the biscuits replaces Kris on the drums (for his birthday jam!). The first half of the jam is kind of lackluster, not much going on, then Allen kicks up the tempo and the jam starts to take off. FF was a treat at my first show, it was and always has been a favorite of mine. The improv out of FF is downtempo and showcases some soaring guitar riffs from jake and a nice jam that leads back into the ending of N2F. Brendan breaks out the booty wax for the hangover reprise and gets the crowd involved with the set 2 closer.
Standard snucka encore. During jakes solo section, I remember he was playing with this massive novelty size pick. This thing was the size of a dinner plate. It was kinda cool to watch and hear him rip it up as bras and panties were thrown on stage. Snucka ends as the boys wish us safely on our way home and warn us in the distorted voice not to let strange people touch us in any weird way.
A fun show, nothing too mindblowing, but we all have to start somewhere
November 29, 2012
This was the first time I "really" traveled for an UM show. All of my previous shows were less than a 90 drive away. For this one, me and 3 kids from Providence (who were Noodles' roommates) drove from PC to Burlington. My plan was to catch 9/29 and 9/30, then go back to school. Then hit up the bus to New Haven and stay with my buddy at Conn College and do 10/4. Go back to school, then catch the bus again and stay with my buddy at WPI and do 10/6. Luckily everything fell into place and worked.
What can I say about this show that hasn't already been said. This is definitely one of my top 5 seen shows out of 69, and maybe even number 1. (It's so hard to pick a favorite.)
It was something about the monster jams, and it was really one of the first shows, where there were a ton of members from the OG bort all chilling together. I remember we had a hotel room at the Holiday Inn and there were probably 15 or 20 of us from the bort.
This show is all about the Dump City, Tribute, TINKLES, PIG, Porch, and Senor Mouse. All of these songs are top 10 versions of all time, and I would know considering I've listened to countless shows.
After the show I remember we all went back to one hotel room, and we looked at each other being like "Holy Fuck was that show good." I was in the room with people like Noodles, DanRad, Grover, and pick, guys who had seen tons of shows up to that point. And we all agreed that it was one of the greatest shows we had seen from UM.
November 21, 2012
My first time spent in LA just with friends, this venue was right on the edge of Hollywood... with like, strange vibes, really superficial people. And they came out starting with Syncopated Strangers, which was like a perfect complement... and the
of this show fits really well, acoustics and what not.
At the end of Sync, when you're expecting that finishing major resolution, it comes straight in with a punch from an abstract intro to Hurt Bird Bath, that turns you inside out. Great 1st improv, and after the heavy hits, goes into this eerie slow composition, turning really heavy, it's giving me pins and needles writing about it. To me, it seemed like a perfect reaction to the environment.
Check it out, at least those two songs!
November 18, 2012
this show was sick the DBK had a golden years (david bowie) jam in it with lyrics soo so much fun. the chill was a perfect place to see the boys great atmosphere and crowd plenty of space and an awesome set!
November 17, 2012
i stumbled across the video that 40sThemeWI mentioned on youtube in 2006 and was blown away. i had heard umphrey's on college radio before but never anything live. listening to this show got me hooked on them and i've been a huge fan ever since.
the stewart before walletsworth is a stand-out version, but the 2nd set / encore is FANTASTIC.
November 12, 2012
The energy was through the roof for this show! Started off right away with nipples>Wife Soup which was a treat and got the flow of the night going. This was a great show for rarities(for me anyways). Got my first Robots world which I think was the jam of the night, my second no comment, wife soup, WBG, Orfeo and uncommon all of them btw were welcomed by me. RtB had a nice jam solid jam in it and went into a reggae/funky PF cover. MO had the best jam for the first set that took a little bit to develop but took off than dropped right into Uncommon which was great! Eat was its standard self but 2x2 was a great way to finish the set and got everyone extremely pumped for the second set.
Robot world opener was insane. Have not listened back to it yet but was around 15 minutes long and contained a heavy dance party/industrial jam in it that was real legit. Highlight right there for me. Higgins is a good song that always contains excellent jams/guitar dueling and did not disappoint! DBK>NC>DBK is beautiful. Love DBK and the jams that it produces! No comment did let the energy subside some what but the last part of DBK always picks up the energy no matter what precedes it. Life During Exodus was an excellent mash up and loved how they were able to combine Marley/Talking Heads/Zappa into one fluid sick ass song. Some of my favorite bands/musicians mashed into one song, no complaints from me here! Ended the set with a standard AIT. Seemed rushed but I do love this song though it needs room to breathe and defiantly is not a good choice with only 10 minutes left in the set.
Encore was awesome. Took me seeing WBG live to really appreciate the song and I really enjoyed this version with Orfeo breaking up the heaviness that ensues during WBG.
Excellent show all around. They always throw down at JT so if you are within driving distance dont miss the next time they are in the area!
November 11, 2012
awesome show,great comedy from the band. brendan mentioned after padgetts that stasik triple dog dared him to talk like a cowboy all night,and there were times when i thought he would slip but he was blazin saddles for the whole show. there were some jokes about there being a lack of "senoritas" at this show. best part for me was running into 3 of my best friends from junior high back in mass, only at an umphreys show
November 10, 2012
I am not sure why the site won't post the next part of my review..I am going to try one more time: Set 2! Way to bring the heat back with Puppet String. Guys, this song is incredible. The harmonics sparkle and then we are entranced with Ryan's BEST base line, hands down. Then Brendan lays it down, WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW? Oh tiny humans made of star dust, what is truth?
November 10, 2012
Here is my 2nd set review, my long wind got cut off
November 10, 2012
Last night my love was playing mandolin for our 8 week old son. For the first time I could see his bright eyes following his Dad's hands across the frets. He was entirely captivated and it was amazing to witness his mind being blown open. That's how I am feeling as I listen to the 3-9-12 show in Denver, CO.
What an incredible show!!! Cheers to the kind fan who pieced together videos along with the soundboard, then posted it on youtube so that I can rock out in my living room with my little guy. He was listening intently but our dancing rocked him asleep in the first set. :)
Now.. where to begin.. ah yes, the primal beginning...
*Gurgle* is such a delicious and juicy way to begin an Umphrey's McGee show. I got to catch one @ the Filmore in Charlotte a month or so earlier than this show.. This song is very earthy and primal.. Like an orange harvest moon rising over the horizon.. there's no way to hide from its magnetizing pull.. to the front row. :)
...And we are tossed into a *40's theme*.. A lighthearted song that sparks comaraderie among the new & old fans alike..Once we enter the jam, it's obvious that the boys are on fire... i n c r e d i b l e ..
Naturally things get steamy as we are dipped into the *Ocean Billy*..mmm yes.. This song has been and will forever be a treasure in the hearts of UM fans across the planet, right? So smooth, majestic, and powerful..Reminded me of Halloween last year in Atlanta. I had driven down from the Mountains.. just in time.. well 5 minutes late..I was driving to the Tabby and felt like I was floating down the highway escorted by angels. I was supposed to be there. I had my I-pod on Shuffle and Ocean Billy came on probably at the same exact time as you guys were playing it. I made it upstairs and found my friend, the LOVELY Kevin Cassels during the second song! Lucky for me you went back into Billy later in the show. My very close friend who I would often sing and perform with had just taken his life days before. Very unexpectedly. Coming to this show was a spiritual journey for me. VERY healing, I sang my heart out, in honor of him. (The Let it Be/No Woman No Cry mash up was medicine to my spirit) THANK YOU...
I will never forget how I felt the first time I heard *Miami Virtue*..It was the album version. It grabbed me right away; my mind devoured the punchy verses. It's such a fun song to sing. The harmonies during the chorus are outstanding but when I first saw it performed live in Charlotte 2012, I was disappointed! I couldn't believe how weak the chorus felt/sounded live. This was good for me though, it reminded me that you guys are human...The 'perfection' I heard you create in the studio will come in time to your performance. Only a month after the Charlotte show and this *Miami Virtue* already sounds more unified..the jam you've been jumping right into is fresh and fast, carrying the energy into a new realm. I like how this particular realm is emotional and spiritual..
*Morning Song*. Perfect. There's an uneasy feeling that is ultimately resolved. Love and heartache go hand and hand with the human condition.. Everybody can relate to this song with such powerful emotions and memories, adding to the collective energy. Let's mourn together! How about, *In the Kitchen*?
Old School *Kitchen* but where are they going to take it? *GLORY*! Glory is so0000 delightful.. everything DOES happen for a reason. We learn and grow from our sorrows. Glory, Glory, Hallelujah. The boys bring us back into the Kitchen with a new confidence.. sweet dance party 'jam' at the end!
"Ryan Stasik & The Rat Tails!" haha.. You guys are hilarious. Set break! (I love how the person who posted the video of this show gives viewers a set break.. I had a chance to take my little Odin out of the sling and swaddle him up in his crib for the night.. sweet dreams, Mama will be melting her face in the living room if you need her!)
Set 2! Way to bring the heat back with Puppet String. Guys, this song is incredible. The harmonics sparkle and then we are entranced with Ryan's BEST base line, hands down. Then Brendan lays it down, WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW? Oh tiny humans made of star dust, what is truth?
November 6, 2012
Pure Fire & Toast.... Comfortably Numb blew the house down & Bridgeless scrambled all the remains.....
November 5, 2012
this Tribute to the Spinal Spinal Shaft>Hajimemashite>WMM is a fantastic progression of music and jams. the Jimmy stewart in Spinal Shaft is so awesome and i love the segue into Haji
November 5, 2012
another one set mystery. damn tribe. but it was lovely chillin out by the beach jamming umph wish theyd play this venue again. north coast keeps taking chicago late summer/ begin fall dates
November 5, 2012
one set. it was weird. but still a good show. i remember this skinny white dude sprinting around the park like he was devin hester for a good 30 minutes
November 4, 2012
After the almost broken toe incident of the prior night, I almost didn't make it to this show. I went back home and got my foot wrapped up, and then made the drive out with my friend Scott.
The venue was absolute beautiful and I hope the band makes it out here again. The place was empty, as in it holds probably 2,000 people and there were probably 200 people here.
Out of Order has a 3 minute jam coming out of it and Soul Food has one of the hardest peaking jams I have ever heard.
Set break was really cool as the entire band hung out with the crowd, including Joel and Andy tossing the frisbee around in the park. I met Myers for the first time and he said that the place had a "Stephen King vibe" which I thought was pretty funny.
This show featured the debut of the Rock Fuzz which was awesome, and had a sick transition into Tinkles. Walking on the Moon was a great cover for the venue and Mail Package stew was cool to see as an encore.
I really hope they come back to this place this summer, as they would definitely fill it up a lot more than they did that beautiful night in July.
November 4, 2012
This would be 2nd of many shows at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. I've seen moe here a bunch of times too, and although a lot of people hate it, I just have a thing for this place. I always chill on the beach all afternoon and then hang out at the parking lot next to the police station and party with all of the other concert goers.
I, like an idiot, was wearing birkenstock sandels to this show and nailed my big toe against the curb walking in. I was convinced I broke my toe and was pissed off, but it turned out it was just severely bruised.
The Utopian through the rest of the set it some of the best UM I have ever heard. The Liquid jam is one of my most listened to segments ever and if you haven't heard it, you need to now.
This was also the first times I actually kept a notebook setlist for a show, and was pretty fun doing it at the time.
The second set is nothing to really write home about, except for the WWS, and my first AIT. But the first set is one of the best first set's you will here.
Definitely check out the Liquid because you will love it forever.
November 4, 2012
This was one of the weirder shows that I have been to. So the old Avalon (which is now the House of Blues) used to have a club night, like a lot of venues do. This show started at exactly 7PM, and at that time, there were probably 200 people still outside in line. It was one of only two shows, that I wasn't inside for the beginning of the show (the other being 9/8/11.) I was outside until the end of GYMRH, and I tried to get in with my fake ID. No luck and I got it swiped, so I wasn't in a good mood when I got in because that was my baby haha.
The Blue Echo will go down in history as one of the best jams the band has ever done, and I still stick by that to this day. It also had the debut of Words which I didn't realize hadn't been played to this point.
The Jajunk opener was fire and I got one of my many Rocker's of 06. Good Ol Boys and the piano piece were good rarities to cross off.
The show was over at 10 PM but it feature the 2 new songs that I had not heard, so it was nice to hear them.
Overall it was a weird show but they packed a punch in what was probably my shortest UM show ever.
November 4, 2012
This was the first show where I really got IT. It was a random rainy night in Providence and I remember taking the RIPTA down to Lupo's while everybody else was taking it to the Dunkin Donuts Center to watch our shitty basketball team get crushed by another Big East opponent. I went to this show by myself and did not know anyone else there, it was just me and the band. The Visions > Phil's Farm was what sealed it for me. I hadn't felt that type of intensity from a band before. I wasn't around in the mid-90's to get all the incredible Phish shows. This was our generation's jam band. The second set was all a blur for me at this point, but that end of the first set was the reason I am still seeing them today.
November 4, 2012
This show was probably the drunkest I have ever been, and the loosest I have ever seen the band (rivaled by only the acoustic 4/5/09 show at Toad's 3 years later.) I took the Peter Pan bus down from Providence for this, and me and my buddies at Conn College got absolutely blasted for this show.
The jam in the Last Man Swerving is definitely worth checking out as the rest of the set isn't very noteworthy.
At set break, my friend got kicked out of the venue 3 separate times, but got let in again each time. He ran into Jen Hartswick at some point and went up to her and said "Will you sign my ticket stub saying 'I played with Trey?'" She looked at him and just gave him a flat out "No."
The 2nd set an encore are noteworthy for the amount of between song banter that was going on. The show was on Valentine's Day, and considering that UM show's are about 85% men, the band was kind of poking fun that almost everyone there didn't have dates. The jam before Tinkle's had Myer's on Guitar and Brendan on Drums and was in the feel of Brendan is gay and what not. You could tell the band was just going all out cause they knew the crowd was rowdy and loose.
On tape it's not one of my favorite shows, but the experience as a hammered 20 year old single college student was one to be remembered for a lifetime.
November 4, 2012
This was my first "real show" after my first being the Big Summer Classic at Mansfield. I was a Sophomore at Providence College and was very excited to see Umphrey's play at our college town Lupo's venue.
The first 2 songs that they played, ended up being on my "boring list" for about 3 years, and now they have turned into UM's biggest jam vehicles. From what I remember, this Ocean Billy was pretty solid, and the Water was standard at best.
WMM and Nemo were two songs that I had heard and like before, so those were good to hear.
The ending segment of this first set is what you want to listen to if you pick up this show. At the time I didn't realize how rare SFB and Sweetness were, but there is an awesome jam out of these songs, that you should definitely hear.
The Jessica closer was awesome, as it was another cover that everybody knew and got the crowd rocking going into setbreak.
Roulette was a weird 2nd set opener, but The Triple Wide followed and this was a turning point for me in my UM career, because up to this point, I had never heard them do a "Dance Party" jam. And this was a great one that included the disco ball at the top of the venue.
Divisions followed which I had seen in Mansfield, so that was great to hear again. The 2nd half of this set and the encore are all standard straight forward tunes, but it was a great show to have as a first "real show."
November 4, 2012
This was my first of (as of now) 69 shows. I first found out about UM after they did the "Molester Medley" for Halloween 2004. Phish had just broken up and I needed a new band to fill the void. I listened to the song Anchor Drops, and absolutely loved it, so I got the album for Christmas that year. This show was the first one in the NE region for that year, and it's kind of crazy to think that now, as they have played here in the winter ever since.
As soon as this show was announced, me and my buddy Rob grabbed tickets. Umphrey's, String Cheese, and Keller Williams was definitely a nice draw for us. We also wanted to see this band New Monsoon, but their set time was like 1 PM, so we said screw it.
Mulche's Odyssey featured a pause during the peaking jam to let the crowd know that KB was getting married. And they had an impromptu acapella "Kevin's Getting Married" tune. Divisions was an amazing song to see as my first "big" UM song. There wasn't any improv, just a straight stand-alone Divisions. Push The Pig had Franti come out and do some raps and stuff. Kinda cool for the 19 year old that I was at the time, but whatever. Wife Soup was a song I knew and was pumped to hear. Next was the only time I got a "I've Got A Feeling." 69 shows and still not another one haha. But I just remember being pumped to hear Bayliss nail the vocals for one of my favorite bands of all time. Finally came JaJunk which was another song I knew and was happy to hear.
All in all, it was a great introduction to a band that I would be following around for the next 7 years of my life.
November 4, 2012
Kickass Show. Kickass setlist. Bayliss dedicated Mulche's to some kid for his birthday which was sweet. Kris came out after and talk with some of us as well as Brendan. Best band out there. I had to scoop up my face with a cup.
November 4, 2012
Ever since me and a few of my buddies made the trip from Auburn, AL up to Asheville, NC for this one it has been known amongst us as "The Show". It was a fantastic atmosphere as well as a kick ass setlist.
The first set was killer with a dance party in red tape. sweet home alabama teases in bad poker. and epic tinkle. the burning down the house cover was awesome. the moog theremin plus jake makes for a trippy and mesmerizing jam.
The plunger after the set break was classic with an intricate and deep jam that jake and BB rocked. Last man swerving had a badass progressive jam.ROUNDABOUT!!!!! enough said. all of that goes back into plunger all perfectly executed.
Then the encore was completely opposite sides of the spectrum. A great show! i recommend it to a new found UM fan or a seasoned vet.
November 3, 2012
This show was bloody fantastic start to finish. With a Wife Soup opener you know you are in for a treat. The Much Obliged jam was dirty, had a couple different sections worth listening to. If you're looking for a metal, in your face, rock show look no further. Wizard into a full band Orfeo was beautiful, and the return to wizard flawlessly segued into Joel's piano solo.
Personal highlights: Wife soup, MO> Uncommon, 2x2, Robot World> Higgins, Wizard> Orfeo> Wizard
**Just have more fun than everyone around you**
November 3, 2012
I saw UM for my first time at Penn's Peak last time they played there. I was really excited to go back, and expected a heater. The band delivered!
Set 1 started of strong with Wife Soup, but then I got a little down because of RtB and breathe goin down. The MO started to pick things up and then BAM! Uncommon! Was this the bustout Joel tweeted about earlier? BAM Eat! 2x2 had a little bit of nice improv and Bayliss was tearing it up.
Set 2 started off with a bang with Robot World. It got real heavy real fast. Like dark industrial style.
The Segue into Higgins was executed well and this quickly became the jam of the night IMO. I was really hoping for a big DBK and we got it! the first part at least. It was real strong and then they threw in No Comment which wasn't a disappointment because its such a fun song. It seemed like a strange song to throw into an otherwise heavy portion of the set but it wasn't awkward in the least. That's why I love this band so much.
I wasn't a huge fan of the mashup, and the AIT was standard. When the encore was WBG I was starting to get ready to leave and then what? FULL BAND ORFEO?!?! It was a real treat to see so many gems at one show.
After the show on Wednesday at the Fillmore it was REALLY nice to have a lot more room in this venue.
I love Penn's Peak and I love UM! Please come back next year!
November 3, 2012
Loved the Phil's sandwich, Example 1 was funky, sick jam in Domino Theory. Thin Air with In the Hall of the Mountain King ending! Sunglasses at Night in the Triple Wide was epic! 22min DBK?! Awesome show overall, my third, second time at House of Blues. I have to say though, I really dislike this venue. Security guards are very rude, the bar offers no craft beers at all, and its like $8 for a tall yuengling.
November 3, 2012
went to halloween and this show and I don't know really which was better. bayliss and stasik killed it last night that one thing is for sure
November 3, 2012
UMazing! My first Floyd cover, which I have been chasing, and I needed that All In Time, thank you Umphrey's! This setlist and this venue result in an umphreaking dream come true. Can't wait til they come back.
November 3, 2012
WOW!!! Great Venue, Great Show. If you have never been to Penns Peak you are missing out, what a nice place to see UM !!! The show was bursting with energy from start to finish. The Wife Soup was out of control with jamming peaks that will make your hair stand up. A+++++
November 2, 2012
First off, if you're seeing Umph at HOB Boston in the future, get there plenty early. A February line next to Fenway isn't all that pleasant. We managed to get in during JaJunk, after waiting at least 30-40 minutes in line, and there was still a looooong line behind us.
I loved the Stew. I loved the Walking on the Moon, for the flashback to my younger days. I loved Puppet String. I really loved the Divisions (as the political nonsense was just starting to get fun, Waful did an excellent red v. blue lighting concept during the soulful last part of the song; "All my...divided" had the stage split with blue and red, up to the "until it fades," where the lights went all white--thanks, Waful!).
I loved the Domino. I always love me some Wappy, and to keep the dance vibe alive through Booth Love, followed by the always beautiful Haj. Delicious show.
November 2, 2012
Amazing show. More amazing than the music though was the set break entertainment. In the second row of (or maybe third) of seats there was a dude peaking hard. He was out of his mind and everyone was enjoying the show. The moment security came by he decided it was good time to drop his pants. Not wanting to touch naked man junk the security and cops actually just let him be for a good while. However, once the second set started I am pretty sure they took him out.
November 2, 2012
When you look at the amount of songs on the setlists, you can tell that this is not an improv-heavy show by any means. That is not to say that this is a bad show. In fact, this show is just pure fire, in my opinion.
Set 1 kicks off with Catshot that segues nicely into Mantis. Taking no break in-between, UM adds a little funk into the mix and goes directly into Space Funk Booty. Slacker pops up next and has some nice dance-rock improv in it. Then, UM gets laid back a bit with Anchor Drops before turning up the heaviness on Go to Hell. UM then goes into chill mode with Great American > Susanah > Great American. UM then rocks again with Turn & Run with Mantis as the set closer.
Set 2 opens with a nice DBK sandwich with Floyd filling. Great improv in DBK, by the way. FF, as always, is solid, seguing into Wappy, which again, has a great slab of improv. Plunger > Synco > Plunger, while looking weird on paper, is actually really cool. They close out set 2 with Dutchman.
Come Closer is my favorite UM mashup song, so it was really cool to hear this as an encore.
In a nutshell, outside of Slacker, DBK and Wappy, you will not find much in the way of improv, but what UM lacks in improv, they more than make up with a high energy performance. While I did not attend this show, I was told by those who attended that it was a pretty wild crowd and that UM fed off of that energy.
If you're not hung up on the amount of improv, this is a great show to pick up!
November 1, 2012
One of my favorite shows:
one of the best Robot Worlds I have ever heard and a very large Pony led Phil's that goes from Dance > One slow verse of Peeps > Dance > RAWK
Also some great improv in Tribute, Water, Bottom 1/2, and a haunting lyrical stew in Sweetness
November 1, 2012
When it comes to UM at Summercamp, I think this is THE show that Umphreaks would agree is the top dog. Up to 2008, UM had slowly been usurping their dominance over Summercamp leading up to this show. 2006 saw the 1st time that UM got a headlining set/show on the 'main stage' and that began the ascension up the SC throne. 2007 also gave UM a headlining show, but 2008 set the stage for SC to be UM's festie to dominate, if ya ask me.
1st set began with ideal weather. Cool and sunny.
Strong Floor out of the gates that segued nicely into Mitten rife with Jetson's teases. Nothing super noteworthy here, but solid nonetheless. The real fireworks came with what quite possibly may be the best Utopian ever. Super lengthy jam that gets super dancey with Kris nailing on the e-drums. There are 3 distinct sections to the improv, each one topping the other culminating to an amazing peak. Killer soundbites from Big Lebowski and GoodFellas sprinkled throughout. Top Shelf UM at its finest!!!
In between sets the temperature dropped a good 10 degrees, and the start of the set saw the boys in hoodies and long sleeves.
Strong intro>Mulche's was fast and furious but the real fireworks began with the Divisions>Phil's>Divisions. GREAT segue into Phil's (super slinky) and this Phil's is not to be missed. They deviate so far from the theme that it goes unfinished>>>Divisions.
DBK>Wappy>DBK is a super strong combo as well. Once the DBK finishes, there was no doubt that UM had played their best set to date at Summercamp.
Shine On encore just seemed to fit perfectly.
After this show is where we met Nickmo! Great night indeed!!
October 30, 2012
Hurricane Ike epicness.
Main stage rained out, practice gear set up in the coverd Harvest Tent.
Rain like I've never seen before; mud above my ankles, tent and many other things destroyed/blown away.
Next morning, all roads leaving the Mountain were closed (downed trees).
Most insane show I have seen to date.
October 30, 2012
This was my first UM show. Came right before they started AIT. The entire performance of AIT made me an instant fan. ten years later, they are still my favorite band. Thanks UM, its been better than I ever could have imagined.
October 29, 2012
Finally got an Intentions Clear, Morning Song, a Padgett's, the list goes on and on. This was the pop up set of all pop up sets. White Pickle and Den are fourth quarter UM Bowl jams so its neat to see those out on tour after witnessing them once before. Throw a second Mail Package and a Slacker on top of that as well? Shit. Bridgeless>Cherub Rock was insane, and Kris tearing it up with Mother? Dopest of dope. At first we thought this night was going to be the warm up for Saturday but holy god were we wrong. Excellent Halloween run.
October 29, 2012
This night rivals night 2 at the Riverside in my opinion....both were phenomenal but this night is silly good. Intentions clear gets really funky and jammy and then I went absolutely bolistic when I got white pickle into den...anyone who went to UMbowl 3 should have a deep appreciation for how insanely great these two tunes really are! I called the Padgett's profile before the show and was going nuts when they ended set 1 with it. UM was really going for it in the new venue and the sound was AWESOME downstairs! Set 2 continues with a bunch of stuff we havent gotten in a while....Mail Package, resolution wiht great jam from previous halloween, and morning song was beautiful! Kris Myers was in rock star mode for Mother where he sang and ran all over the stage....awesome start to the weekend!
October 29, 2012
This mash-up weekend was a blast! Anyone from Wisco has been wishing and hoping for UM to start rocking the Riverside instead of the horrible sounding Rave across town. I was super excited to hear smell the mitten which has a nice dance party jam on it....I havent gotten that one in many years now. All the mashups are spot on but my favorite was Life During Exodus. Rocker Pt. 2 is an epic uplifter and the Kabump was a gem to get as well...5 out of 5....great rager!
October 29, 2012
I saw them in Cleveland two or three days before this at the House of Blues and I must say I agree with the last post that the energy in Kalamazoo was ridiculous in comparison.
October 28, 2012
2nd time at Cleveland HOB. Gotta agree, heavy on the security. (Those poor hot body surfers being groped by the crowd, then escorted out by the heavies.) Solid show, BB tore it up, killer cover of Temple of the Dog tune. Jake played back a bit. I like that he can do that comfortably & still rock us. Great show.
October 27, 2012
Actually I think the fight was at the end of the Booth Love Jam. Which sounds a lot like No Crying In Mexico btw.
October 27, 2012
This was my 4th show. It was a wild show filled with samples, awesome banter, and really unique jams and fun covers. Well basically what every UM show is. Plus, it was quite an adventure to get there to say the least. Let's begin.
After my flight got delayed multiple times a 45 minutes flight from Cleveland to Chicago ended up to be super duper stressful and if you know my concert anxiety I was a nervous wreck.I am pretty sure I could have driven to Chicago for as long as I was at the airport.
Finally I arrived Chicago. My buddy picked me up and then it was off to Urbana. I think it was snowed and it took forever to drive there. I was ready to rage.
As we walked in the venue Joel& Pony started "August." We had made itI It was a mad house in there. It was like new years in April. People were hammered and wanted to rage. I was not too familiar with the band at this point so we watched Budney's light show for a while. Then moved to Bayliss' side, then Jake's. The August jam was awesome. Each section cooler than the next.
The whole first set was one seamless transition. There was a really cool wah-wah Jake led solo to made it's way into "Utopian Fir." There were really raunchy funky jams in this version. Each section was drastically different than the next. This "Fir" I compare every "Fir" I've ever heard to.
The "Passing" was great. It had a graceful transition from Fir. Great segue led from the Wizard led to "Andy's Last Beer."
"Have you guy's been boozin?" BB
"This sounds really Fucked up" Jaco
"Sounds like a wash" BB
The "13 days" mixed up the rager. This calmed down the audience. Not really.
"All right Champaign!" Kris yelled as he channeled Diamond Dave prior to "Running with the Devil."
I though what can't these guys do? and that drummer can fucking sing. Next up was "All In Time."
People hooted and hollered. It was a great version. Jaco went crazy. The percussion was off the wall. I was more than hooked.
What a first set!
Set 2.
The "Miss Tinkles Overture" started things off. Kris pounded the snare. The dual guitar attack took off. A great jam led by Jaco. The first jam got weird. Then branched out and incorperated Rockwell's "Somebody's watching Me" teases. Who does that? It went multiple mind bending places prior to resurfacing and ending the overture.
This "Resolution" scarred me for life with the "Welcome" sample in the beginning portion of the song.
Thanks Farag!
The jams were fun. Over all over the place. The Wizard had a great organ solo. They were jams that made me think about the potential of the band.
"Sociable Jimmy" had perfect placement. Bayliss altered the lyrics. Joel had a killer Rhodes solo.
"Joel Cummins on the keys"
Bayliss mentioned it was Steve & Bebop's birthday as well Budney's. I think every night UM played in '05 it was Budney's birthday or at to the shows I attended or bought. He must be as old as Joel now.
Amsterdam & Ozzy jokes galore.
"Ozzy" led to a cool beatbox intro for "Atmosfarag." Some how they pulled off a transition that was very 'Jim-Morrison-in-the-desert' sounding jam into "Blackwater." Jake & Bayliss added Badunkadunk at the end.
Kris had some great commentary after this song.
"America! Fuck yea" Kris
"You tend to bitch and moan" Jaco
I loved what they teased in "Prowler" and that led to "Glory." Jaco went ballistic.
"This next song is about getting drunk" was the intro to "Last Man Swerving" a lot of Umspeak in this one. Then Bam! They didn't hold back at all went right into the "Dump City."
The banter is funny before "Mulche's." The "Welcome" re appeared and then there was paradigm & chicken banter.
Stasik was "Wastic" and started the song. The jam was intense for all intents and purposes.
The encore was "A 5th of Beethoven." Bayliss smoked a square on stage and he made fun of Joel. It was a great way to end the show. The 5th rocked.
And I was thought about where my 5 UM show was going to be.
The More You Know
October 27, 2012
I cannot rave about this weekend enough! Maybe the best weekend of college I had. Three great shows in three nights. This show was a straight up rocking dance party. I love a good horn section and they brought it this night. Umphreys usually brings the party the when they come to higher ground, but something about this three night set was magically. The crowd was having fun and the band was particularly funny. get all three nights if you can!
October 27, 2012
What an incredible show this was! To follow up Red Rocks with this night was beyond amazing. It was a life changing show for me. I liked Umphrey's before this show, but now I can't get enough of them. I couldn't stop moving or feeling the music. From Joel's incredibly succinct keyboard work, Brendan's focus and yet relaxed performance, Jake's insane picking, Chris's and Andy's rhythm setting the pace, and Ryan's vibing on the bass --- I was definitely beyond in love, wet, and creamed when I left this show... I got Umph Love!
October 26, 2012
one of the best crowds and a great show! crazy echo and deeper>eat bridgeless>#5>bridgeless?? insane.. soul food had the crowd going crazy and the band loved it
October 26, 2012
Last night's show had an incredible amount of energy, twice that of when I last saw them at The Interlochen Center for the Arts. It had a nice heavy metal feel to last night's show which is always awesome. The Booth Love with a little Eminem jam was sweet, but the
"Young Lust" filling in the "Hangover" was an unexpected treat after they already killed "Kashmir" in the first set. It was also a nice time for "White Man's Moccasins", haven't heard that live in a couple of years since the Orbit Room in '09. Also, I love the way they are starting to mess around with "Mantis" a little more this time adding the Rage jam in there. I second that request for a second night next year here in the Zoo and if not that then at least a Grand Rapids show and a K-Zoo show on back to back nights. Umphrey's, WE LOVE YOU!
October 26, 2012
Perhaps the greatest Umphrey's show I've been to since 2008. SOO much energy, due in part from the band having played Toronto last night and a Kalamazoo crowd that always come out to support the local band.
The light show accompanying Booth Love was the craziest display of lights that I've ever seen, from any band. That wasn't just a concert; it was a full-fledged performance, showmanship, an entire experience.
Thanks for the classics mixed in with a few new songs. WMM and Ringo set the tone in set I, making way for Mullet and Hangover in II. Plus some of the new songs, which have already become staples, like Mantis, Booth Love (not exactly new).
AND THE COVERS. Kashmir, Young Lust, BULLS ON PARADE.
All around, an incredible show. next october give the peoples a few nights in the zoo, we'll come out I can promise you that.
October 24, 2012
Umphreys should play with Zach more often
Let's get it on with him is so sick he has a good voice for that song to
October 24, 2012
204-03-12 Park West, Chicago, IL
This show holds a special place in my heart as it was the first show I saw as a fan. I had seen the band once before in 2002 but it didn't quite take. Two years later, the same lovely couple (veteran fans) hadn't given up on me and took me to this show… and it clicked. I was already semi-familiar at this point, but seeing them live again felt completely different and ingrained an opinion that this was the best thing happening in live music.
Set I:
First set is notable because of all the mood changes. A truly impressive ADD set that touches on nearly every style that Umphrey's plays. I think the set lacks a bit of fluidity in return, but as a fan just learning the scope what these guys could do, it was eye opening. We start off with a nice warm-up intro jam. Bright Lights is standard (new), but an upbeat start. Quick-drop into original OB beginning and things start to heat up.
[Side Note: early OB renditions show just how far Bayliss' vocal abilities have come in the last decade]
OB ventures into improv for the first time of the night with a funk jam (I Ran teases). Trench Town Rock turns the whole mood upside down… happiness is unavoidable during this song and so was the case on this night. Full stop before N2F spins the mood of the room yet again (I Ran teases). There's a quick drop into Bad Poker and just as rapidly as the song appears, we drop back into a jam that could have easily spawned from the preceding N2F - a jam which knocks that country taste right out your mouth. The dual guitars harmonize triplet riffs while Pony provides a nice theme as foundation. The jam fills out nicely as guitars/keys adapt Pony's idea and then expand on it getting a bit more aggressive with each run through. A small bounce-back develops about halfway through before Joel moves front and center for a C section with a mellow watery effect that winds it down. Next, we get well played but fairly standard run of Wife Soup (small metal jam pulling riffs from Metallica's One), Mail Package and Prowler (more I Ran teases). The later segues into the ending of OB, in which Bayliss stretches his final note to a place I've yet to hear in another version of the song; A truly wonderful end to the set.
Set II:
Begins fairly standard, but the final run of songs is crafted incredibly and left me with a very positive impression walking out. Stand-alone versions of Mulches and a new song Nemo start things off. Next up is the quirky multi-sectioned In Violation of Yes featuring Jake on bass and Pony on Rhodes. As a fledgling fan, I was blown away by Jake's ability to pick up another instrument and not only play well, but absolutely destroy it. From here on out the set gains momentum, taking us on a fantastic musical journey through the end of the show. Starting with the powerful Divisions sandwiched around the bands first unleashing of the double time Blue Echo (originally referred to as Techno Echo). The Blue Echo contains a nice little improvisational bit that just sort of floats along eventually leading back to the final portion of Divisions. The most memorable moment for me was All Things Ninja. It was the first time I'd ever heard the song -- 15 minutes of wonderful dark ugliness that had me by the throat for its entirety. A pause for band introductions before launching into the debut cover of Flock of Seagulls' I Ran which we all should have seen coming from the many teases in the first set (I missed them somehow). The cover is performed very well, and segues perfectly into the Fancy Reprise -- yet another wonderful way to end a set. Bridgeless Encore seemed like the bands attempt to wring every last bit of rage out of the crowd. It worked. A great high-energy encore.
I was obviously excited by my new-found incredible band. I can remember the walk out to a friend's house on Orchard like it were yesterday -- and the excited conversation that ensued peppered with many "We told you so's" from the couple who brought me and had championed the band for so long. I joined the Bort the next week and posted about how great this show was... and was immediately smacked down as a newbie over-fluffing a standard show. Re-addressing this show years later, I can see how it lacks the improvisational jaunts that I've grown to love and also require out of any "great" UM show. The obvious highlight being the N2F jam out of Bad Poker. …but then again, for a first show, it was everything I needed to get me started on the obsession. Something the jaded vets of today should keep in mind. The stylistic variety, technical ability and musicianship displayed, and most importantly the capability to take me to the place that the run from Divisions on did… is something that has stuck with me all these years.
sbd mtx here:
2004-03-12 Park West
October 24, 2012
My second show and first two-setter is still a favorite of mine. I just dug out the UMlive last week to give it a relisten. First set highlights are the Push the Pig, N2F>Thin Air with Sam Holt and the acoustic ITK.
It's the second set and encore though that put this show in the must hear category. Opening with Jimi, then good ole Ringo set the room on fire. I had one of those It experiences during Words. Tears were spilled and I was left with nothing but love for this band who could craft such a beautiful song. I was pretty much butter by the time they finished the N2F so it didn't really matter what they played thereafter. Encore is really fun. Zappa > Kiss!!! WTF indeed.
October 24, 2012
After a rather pedestrian set at Koka Booth Amphitheathre opening for STS9 earlier in the day, I kind of expected to get our asses handed to us at the late night Lincoln show. After waiting and waiting and waiting, the show finally began I believe a little after midnight. This set was a complete about face from the daytime set. The band seemed about as amped as I'd ever seen them. Could've been the tiny stage they were playing on or the rowdiness of the crowd, but I don't think I've ever seen them this loose before. Check out the skullfuckery in the first Voices Inside My Head/Snake Juice jam. I also think this is the best encore I've ever seen by any band.
Great night of Umphrey's McGee.
October 23, 2012
UMbowl 3 may be the greatest umphreys performance to date...its simply amazing how they completely get better and better year after year...I can recall after umbowl 2 thinking you couldnt play a concert that compares with it, but sure enough umbowl 3 crushed it. It was nice to see my people vote in a little GD and we all enjoyed that a ton. Too many high points to recap but set 2 and 4 are statements in how much better this band is than anyone!
October 23, 2012
Highlights in this night was the 1348 and especially Haji with Allie Kral crushing on fiddle. Also all the choir parts are just amazing with a perfect closer of you cant always get what you want...epic two night stand.
October 23, 2012
These two Thanksgiving shows will always have a special place in my heart! Epic sets both nights and UM truly was destroying all there jams on these nights. Red tape is unusually "steely dan" jam esque and I really dig where it ends up. Wappy sprayberry is hands down the best version I've ever heard in 45 plus live shows and listening to hundreds...
October 23, 2012
This show is for improv whores like myself. The 1st set is something else, with only 4 songs! Fantastic jams in every song sans Water, which is THE perfect 'breather' song.
The OB has so many amazing themes and the ->into Syncopated is flawless.
DBK has a beautiful melodic jam that is a go to for me.
2nd set starts off something fierce with a killer N2F (they just don't play it like this anymore) into an improv laden Nemo.
A killer jam in Ringo 2 excellent song selections in WMM and MFF. The segue from MFF->N2F is the bee's knees too.
The now super rare King Crimson cover Red is a nifty finish to this kick ass show.
October 23, 2012
I had a blast at this show in my hometown on Saturday night! Took a bunch of Umphreys virgins who were blown away... I absolutely loved the 2nd set, but could have used another encore... Then again, I could always use another umphreys encore!! First time hearing the Triple Wide in person, it was the sheeeet! PS: Hate this venue, too many rules (HOUSE OF RULES!)
October 23, 2012
This is fantastic show that really shows off what Umphrey's is all about. It opens up with a hard hitting The Floor and moves into a nice version of Wappy Sprayberry. My jaw then dropped as I got two of my favorites in a row with Wife Soup and Resolution. At this point I need to take a minute to talk about this version of Resolution. IT IS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. Period. Possibly one of the best Umphrey's jams I've ever heard. Booth Love is always a dance party and the set ending Hangover is great with the crowd really getting in to the "All Night Long!" section. The second is equally as impressive with a dark version of The Triple Wide and a version of Haji that makes you want to throw your arms around your best friends at the show and sing at the top of your lungs. Hurt Bird Bath is switched up a bit from its normal progression but moves really quickly. The encore was great with the Bulls on Parade jam to end the show with lots of energy
October 23, 2012
After I heard the news of my then favorite band was going to play one last festival(August 14 & 15 2004) and then break up or go hiatus or whatever disturbing term they wanted to use. I was heart broken. I needed live music therapy.
In July 2004 I was working in retail music store and in the cd reel this band's album 'Round Room.' I am pretty sure the song "Waves" was playing when a cute little blonde girl charged up to the counter and said "who choose to play this..." It was obvious it was me...I was wearing a '99 tour shirt.
I said it was me...and how may I help you. I was direct and charming. She demanded that I was to go to the Odeon that Friday to check out this Midwestern Irish band called Umphreys Mcgee, and that I won't regret it.
As a young knower I had high expectations. I went to the show... and loved it.
My highlights were probably the whole show.
Ocean Billy- Duel face Melting Finger tapping
Tribute- Jaco going nuts the entire time.
Dump City>DBK- I didn't know what going on...and my face was started to melt off in certain areas.
Second set I was even more blown away...though I was pretty clueless.
Plunger- Loved all the different sections.
Triplewide>Mail Package -visions of Zappa were floating in my head.
I remember loving "In the Kitchen," and was confused on "Last Man Swerving" but went along with it and head bobbed throughout the song.
Miss Gradenko- I was fascinated by it.
The Encore: MO>M(O) spoke for itself.
I ended up working the next day ordering The Police's 'Synchronicity.' A few days later I bought the show off disclogic.com,and saw in the paper that they were coming back in November ordered the ticket & Anchor Drops.
The More You Know.
October 23, 2012
first set was all jams got heavier in the second set but ended with a weak encore cutting a cover before the floor
October 22, 2012
Wow, where do I start with this show? I wasn't actually at this one, but I bought this one a couple of months ago, and I'm here to tell you that this EASILY an all-time top 3 UM show!
The show kicks off with some hip-hop on the PA (I'm not hip to hip-hop so I couldn't even begin to tell what was being played over the PA) that gets warped sounding, almost as if Pink Floyd's Ummagumma got mixed into the PA, and then segues into Eat. The minute or so long intro of Eat segues into a 15 minute Bottom Half and seguing back into Eat. Next comes an excellent version of Example 1. Tribute is hands down the funkiest Tribute I've ever heard, but then again the theme of set 1 is pretty much spaced-out heavy funk. Really tripped out stuff in this first set.
The 2nd set kicks off with a 32 minute Crooked, and holy smokes, is it fantastic! The setlist only notes a Paint It Black tease, which occurs towards the end, but the epic jam in here is pretty much metal. In this jam is War Pigs and riffs that sound like what was the origins of "The Devil's In The Details" from the OHMphrey CD, Posthaste. This is the best Crooked that these ears have heard! Next comes Intentions, which again has a nice long jam to it as well. They close Set 2 with Kitchen and Mullet, which are also outstanding. Plus, it's a 4 song 2nd set, and you can't complain about that.
The encore is nice, too - a Synco sandwich with a Hey 19 filling. Hey 19 is one of my fave covers that UM performs and I love Synco anyways, so the encore was pure WIN.
If you haven't heard this show, then drop what you're doing and get this show ASAP! Trust me, you won't regret it at all. Can't say enough good about this show. Seriously.
October 22, 2012
I turned 17 on the day of this show and subsequently got a surprise "Happy Birthday" shout out from Brendan at the commencement of the behemoth N2F>divisions>N2F>divisions sandwich. Forever, this will be the moment I remember in terms of magical concert experiences. Thank you Umphrey's from the deepest fathoms of my soul! Sincerely, your life long rawker.
October 22, 2012
My second show after a huge gap from not going since '06. I got deeper into UM after my friend gave me a huge stash of free '09 UM tracks. I then bought Mantis, I then bought Anchor Drops, I then was hooked for life and went to my second show...THIS show.
The most memorable part of this show involves a story.
Since me and my wife were UM newbs. We didn't understand there was a VIP section. We got to the show early and sat in the balcony. As the rows filled-up, a security person stood in the aisle next to where you come into our row.
The show starts and a waitress comes and asks if we want a drink. I'm thinking, "Wow, this is some service at a concert." We order drinks and get them. Midway through the first set, a guy in a Homer Simpson shirt comes to sit next to us. He asks if he can, and we say yes. He says cool and smokes us up. He then gives me something else...a nugget of something green. I say, "Oh, sorry man. I have anything on me to smoke that with." He says, "No that's for your ride home for letting me sit here." We are stunned and he leaves the seat after the song is over.
At the beginning of set two, someone in front of us gets kicked out. I notice it's because they don't have a ticket or something. I ask the people near us what happened and they say that the people didn't have VIP passes. I turn white and realize that me and my wife ALSO don't have these passes. We did it on accident since we got there before security showed-up. We laid-low for the rest of the show and had a blast. But now it all made sense, the waitress, meeting Joel's parents, people with bottles of champagne, the guy giving us a free nug to just stand there. WE WERE ACCIDENTALLY IN THE VIP SECTION THE WHOLE SHOW!
3.5-4 of five. The opener was great. I love when the opening of a show kills. It really sets-up the show to be a great one throughout. The debut of Deeper -> N2F started that track off in a memorable way. The Bright Lights sax jam was very underrated. The National Anthem debut was out of the park. As well as the James Brown tracks. Nice job, Kris!
The other cover choices really slowed the pace of the show. If you take them away, you're left with a great UM show. Which just shows that sometimes UM doesn't need their covers to make a complete show.
October 22, 2012
My second favorite show of the year behind 11.5.11. The first set was perfectly executed. The opener into a Jimmy Stewart with Lyrics Intentions Clear was the right way to open a show. It was like a book with an engaging chapter one.
The Haunt and Divisions jams don't get talked-up as much as Intentions Clear (which, by the way, is now the UM tune, Teresa), but they should be lauded as highly. The Haunt peaks well and has a great structure that can be used in a future song. The Divisions is MONSTROUS. Over 24 minutes of epic UM performance.
The DBK was great, but then the set starts to drift a little bit, imo. I'm just not a fan of Mullet, standard Deeper (newer versions have been terrific though), and It's So Easy. It was almost as if Dutchman -> DBK was SOOOOOO rocking that UM lost their mojo right at the end. It's what I feel holds this show back from being in discussion as the best of the year, but it comes ever so close.
October 22, 2012
Many people said UM was "killing it" in 2011. This show is the finest example of UM's ability to commit musical homicide on our brains and melted faces.
Arguably the best non-festival/special show of 2011, it contains two of the most highly rated jams of the year, The Haunt (OG version) and Ringo (Jimmy Stewart with Lyrics). The peak in that Haunt jam had the entire ballroom going nuts. It was as if we all knew we were witnessing a top-notch jam.
For UM newbies, this is the show for you. It contains a little of everything the band has to offer as far as what modern-UM sounds like. An intro song (best one IMO), several jammed-out versions of songs, a Jimmy Stewart (w/ lyrics...much more rare), a couple covers, and even a mash-up in the encore.
This show is a must own and will stand the test of time.
October 21, 2012
This show is INCREDIBLE! I met Thor!! Cant go wrong with a 40's Theme, than Miami Virtue got the crowd dancing! Kris tells some silly jokes after Push the Pig in his Pamela Anderson Cooper costume. More energy with Mulches witch goes into an OG Haunt. First mash ,Addicted to Kiss, was hilarious with the dancing women on stage to end the first set! Second set opens with what was Kids at first but than Come as You Are mashes in to get the crowd raging! Mulche's comes back from the first set which made me thrash! One of my favorite All In Time jams, than a Day Nurse to chill the crowd out. Some very classic songs mashed to end the set. The first encore really left me with enough when In the Puppet Kitchen came out, but than an N2F for a second encore is absurd!! This whole concert is absurd!!! Really exemplifies Umph's creativity and characteristics. Nothing better than Umphrey's McGee!!
October 21, 2012
A silly free show to enlighten the ignorant Knoxvillians of the Umphrey's power!! The people didnt know what hit them when Plunger opened, and Conduit with improv really showed what Umph is about. Im sure Umphrey's thought they were appealing to the South with WWS even making jokes about fried bacon or something like that. The sun went down and Booth Love gave a nice groove accompanied by the lights of Jeff. The encore gave a lot of energy to end the show!
October 21, 2012
Fantastic show! Going from Words to Got Your Milk set the feel for the concert. The experimental 20 minute Robot World is a highlight which cuts into Uncommon (a personal favorite). Keller Williams gets the crowd groovin with and appearance on Partyin Peeps and 1348 was a perfect end. The second set N2F than Cant You See than Sociable Jimmy was epic!
October 21, 2012
My first Umph show!! A great mix of songs and lots of energy! The WWS build into All in Time gives me shivers to this day. Jeff Coffin blew my mind, and the Mantis/Haj sandwhich was great! Definitely a solid Umphrey's show!
October 21, 2012
My first um show and it was certainly memorable. Hot hot improve in SF1, a beatles cover, phils, and hendrix. Set 2 bridgeless and the Zappa encore stand out for me. I partied and talked with Jake in the basement of Peoples "Lumpys" that served as a back stage for the band.It was a fun night and turned me on to Umphreys proper.
October 21, 2012
at 1 minute into N2F reprise, there is a stairway to heaven tease if you listen close.
This was one of the coolest venues ive been to in a long time. Really interesting setup, and perfect for the umph. Brought 2 UM virgins who werent sure they would like it. 25 seconds into the Rocker part 2 they both looked at me and apologized for everything they previously said. Flawless performance, unbelievable and super interesting jams, and an amazing setlist. They just returned from a short break from playing shows, and it showed. They seemed relaxed, and totally set on destroying everything in their path. The umlive recording is going to be the only thing in my car cd player for weeks.
October 20, 2012
This was first (and only, so far) UM show. While this isn't the best show of 2012, it is a pretty damned solid show! The show kicks off with Cummins that segues nicely into Crooked (which possesses a nice, but standard jam). Intentions is great and has a great jam (vocals are a bit weak compared to other live versions). Glory is pretty standard. RtB is probably the best live RtB I've heard out of the other live versions I've heard. Deeper sandwiched by Nemo is pretty sweet. Now to the jam of the night - Smell The Mitten! Clocking in at 15 minutes, Mitten has some sweet improv that includes a snippet of Steve Miller Band's "Abracadabra", and the last 5 minutes is just a dance party!
Set 2 kicks off with Tinkles, which was a nice set opener. Virtue is the 2nd best jam of the night with a nice stew thrown in there. Walletsworth is standard, but very good. Let's Dance is quite faithful to the Bowie original. Day Nurse is just a nice dance party, Conduit was OK. The drum duel between Kris and Andy is way cool, haven't seen that on a lot of setlists. 1348 and The Floor end the 2nd set with a strong finish. The Prowler > 1348 encore is OK, but way too short (probably due to the 12:30am curfew UM had to deal with). All in all, pretty solid show. Not 2012's best, but definitely not 2012's worst either. It is better than the 3/23 show in Portland, IMO.
October 20, 2012
On this, the 12th anniversary of my first show, I thought I'd share what little I remember about it. They had been hyped up to me by a few friends, including one who'd been seeing them at Notre Dame since the start.
they were really talented...I couldn't tell when one song ended and the next one began.
The Hair Band Medley was *AWFUL*. There was some random girl on-stage singing a song or two, and the band clearly regretted that decision.
but really, my strongest memories about this show don't stem from the music, but my impressions of the band and organization, and how seriously they take the music.
leaving the show, I wasn't sure to think. I taped the show (no idea where the tape actually wound up), and when I went to retrieve my deck, KB told me to throw the tape away or tape over it...that the show was terrible. Vince, an acquaintance of my friend who encouraged me to attend the show, also said something similar, he apologized for a poor show. Weird, right? I didn't think it was that bad...I was entertained and impressed enough to give them another shot at some point (and living in Illinois, those were rather frequent)
The following week, I met Brendan at a Disco Biscuits show in Chicago. He was informed that this had been my first show. He profusely apologized, declaring that I shouldn't judge the band based upon that performance, and hoped I would give them another shot.
Fast-forward 3 years later, a show at the Canopy, I bring up how this was my first show to Pony, sure enough, he had a vivid memory of the show was and expressed shock that I ever returned.
12 years later...they're going strong as ever, playing as consistently as they ever have at any point in their career. So glad I was able to overcome a poor first impression of the music (but a great first impression of everyone involved)
strangely, the All Things Ninja from this show made it onto One Fat Sucka.
October 20, 2012
Mirro's last night of tour brought the goods. I'm not sure if this show is on people's radar but it is straight fire.
My favorite Example One of all time. This has to be one of the best encores of all time in a note perfect Fifth of Beethoven and then Last Call.
October 19, 2012
This was a very unique show in my opinion. Highlights galore... ITK> tribute to Stone Pony legends Bruce and Joel> ITK, Kula (with Kula tease?), Blue> Keefer> Echo... great night on the boardwalk!
October 19, 2012
Peaking at The Peak! One more my favorite local venues. It was cool catching Water and LMS. Intentions Clear had a great jam that came outta nowhere.
October 19, 2012
Great day setter. My brother and I caught Jake and Pony standing next to us grooving to Femi Kuti earlier in the day. I told 'em to "play that funky Booth Lovin'" knowing it was one they had been polishing. The Miles Davis cover took me by surprise, very cool to hear. Divisions> I'm on Fire> Divisions was so nice.
The sweet little old lady mayor of Masontown introduced the band as a light rain broke the Mountaintop heat. I believe she flubbed on the name.
October 19, 2012
Drove up from WVU on a "school night". I'm glad we did... Show Biz Kids, Andy's Last Beer and Kimble were highlights.
October 19, 2012
Definitely a Top 5 show in my book. All Gooders were talking about the Shine On You Crazy Diamond for the rest of of fest.
The encore... oh the encore!
October 19, 2012
This show was so different from the night before. Very uneven. Just as the night before, second set was killer.
*personal note- I had my first legal alcoholic beverage at this show, as my 21st struck at midnight. Birthday show? I like to say so...
October 19, 2012
This might be a Top 5 show for me. This show brought the Soul!
Dear Lord/Amazing Grace mashup? Tease makes more sense to me, but hey, I'm not the pro here.
Second set did not let up.
October 19, 2012
Night time is the right time! Farag came around to the front to rap Regulate. Push the Pig with Murphy stick out in my mind. Kabump> Gulf Stream... when will that ever happen again!?
October 19, 2012
My first UM and tBD (and only) show. Utopian> All in Time hooked me. The Biscuits put up a stronger show as the closer, but UM ultimately won me over.
October 19, 2012
To say the least THIS SHOW WAS FIRE! This was my first real full 2 set over a year after my first exposure at Warren Haynes Xmas Jam and Ive heard maybe 2 or 3 other 2012 shows so far that can compare. The yams are incredible. The covers are SICK. And the segues are groovy.
This room is awesome by the way. Stasik's grooves could be felt bumping through the floor and walls throughout the venue.
The debut of Gurgle sent the energy through the roof and Reso let it swim around the crowd like phantom ecstacy, melting every face in its path. This Reso jam was on the ballot for Raw Stewage and with good reason. The rest of the 1st set speaks for itself. The seque into WMM was sharp and unexpected, Gradenko was an amazing surprise, the Stew in MV was sweet as can be, and I dont think I've ever heard the Floor played with such emotion as it was that night.
Set 2 didnt disappoint. Tribute>Mulche's was every bit as crazy as it sounds. Prudence was heaven. 3X>1348 featured very energetic jams lead by Stasik. Then the Soul Food Medley> Puppet string put the nails in the coffin. Last but not least, Syncopated>Waiting Room left everyone wanting more. I dont think Ive ever been so dumbfouned by a night of music. Listen to this show!
October 19, 2012
First off, there is nothing like Warren Haynes' Xmas Jam. I've been the past 3 years and have seen talents from William Bell, Ani Difranco, and Counting Crows to Moe., Umph, and Mule and it never disappoints. GO! SCI is coming this year and tix just went on sell. Now on to the review.
This being my first UM show I had no idea what was going on. It was a venue full of Warren Haynes fans and Spread Heads (me being both) and Umphreys was first up to play. Deh energy was LOW in the room, but the band was definitely excited to melt some new faces. The short set fired up pretty quick with a grooving Conduit, but when John Bell walked out for Aint No Sunshine I knew I was seeing something special. Then Tinkles and All in Time to wrap it up.
Its also worth mentioning that Steve Miller was hanging with Jeff throughout the show and had him light up his performance later that evening.
Looking back it was an okay show in front of an unusual crowd. Short and sweet. Check it out for the John Bell sit-in.
October 19, 2012
Only UM show ever in Delaware! I would love for them to return; the venue was great and the elderly ushers seemed very confused by UM. This is an underrated show. The jam out of Ocean Billy was pretty unique. It was a 2-part jam that evolved out of what sounded like some prerecorded beats and samples and featured a nice BB riff. Spires included the outro, which was a treat, and Jake slayed the WMM solo per usual. Nice jam in LMS which may have been the best improv of the night. Toto cover and the Crazy Fingers excerpt were much appreciated. PtP also had an interesting jam with some samples of a baby's laugh and Jake mimicking it with some guitaromatopoeia. Bob tease before the encore.
October 19, 2012
In my opinion, the early show at Festival Pier was the better show in terms of playing, but the energy in the TLA for the latenight was ridiculous. The jam between Snucka parts I and II got the party started. The rap medley following Regulate was also a highlight.
October 19, 2012
Probably the best UM show I've seen in person, and the closest thing I get to a hometown show taboot. Roulette was extended, with a nice linear jam based on a BB riff. Mulche's had a nice jam as well, including a dub section, and the transition back into N2F before ending the set was very well done. Phil's was easily the jam of the night, but both halves of Ringo had some good jamming, with a Voodoo Child jam in the first section and Slacker and Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty jams in the second segment. Nice rarities too with Roulette, Uncommon, BtL, 13 Days, and Prophecy Now.
October 19, 2012
It goes without saying that this show is a must listen - Stanley Jordan cannot be human... just can't be.
I over heard one of the guys from the band say after the show that Stanley chose Liquid himself. They played a great version of the song with a great solo by Stanley then as the song ended UM stepped aside and let Stanley do his thing on his own. It was amazing, to watch the band members look at Stanley the way we look at them, in complete and utter AW... Making Flippy Floppy is epic, the jam is straight fire. I don't know if I've ever seen the guys having that much fun on stage.
Another note on Stanley Jordan - He is the most spiritual musician I've ever had the honor to meet. Most of the people at sUMmer school got to talk to him and all the conversations were truly inspiring. After the show we all broke out into open jams and Stanley showed up and jammed with us for many hours into the night. sUMmer school was by far the most amazing, beneficial, and inspirational musical event I've ever attended.
October 19, 2012
This may have been "The show" from sUMmer school. Each night was special in its own way, but this show was especially memorable. The Phils Farm and DBK sandwiches were definitely the highlights, but pretty much all the jams were extremely tight and the more elaborate rehearsed parts in songs like Go to Hell and Mantis were played perfectly.
A little background on the debut of Weird Fishes...
At summer school we had the amazing opportunity to have one on one sessions with members of the band. My good friend Kyle Michaud had a lesson with Jake the afternoon of this show. During the session Jake started messing around with some chords and Kyle noticed he was dancing around the chords of Weird Fishes, but was missing a few. Kyle pointed this out, played the song with the missing chords... and that night Jake busted it out during the show. This is a great way to exemplify the amazing experience that was sUMmer school. By the end of the weekend it was hard to look at UM on stage as the epic Godlike musicians that I normally see them as, because we all felt more like a bunch of friends hanging out and appreciating good music.
Also... it was that much more epic when I saw them play weird fishes at red rocks...
October 19, 2012
Some nights will live forever, the fourth and final night of the run with Joshua Redman will remain with me in perpetuity.
link. Well worth the effort of converting from FLAC.
First set was fairly standard, a nice subtle Kat's Tune seemed an innocuous intro after a rowdy Saturday night in NYC the night before. A reasonable Much Obliged > Crooked couldn't really prepare for what happened next, though.
FF and the ensuing jam would contain one of those monumental pieces of improv that you chase all over the country for. It started with one of those ascending chord progressions that lends itself to a slow-building crescendo, and that's what the band delivered. A fun little Bayliss pull-off riff sets the melody and off they go. I've listened to this probably over 100 times, and it's really funny to hear that the band doesn't quite know how to play it. Jake is struggling to play the "right" notes, Brendan seems to keep slightly modifying his riff because it doesn't sound "100% right"...but they keep plowing through, and they keep taking it higher and higher. Of course, none of that actually matters. The build itself, basking in the sound, is life-affirming. This would be attempted a couple more times (most notably on 12/3/04), but I contest that none would ever equal this one.
Rest of the set is standard fare. After that FF, everyone was looking at each other..."did you just see that?"...a shared moment that everyone was still buzzing about through setbreak.
This Joshua Redman cat, he's got a future. He had really managed to gel by this fourth night. On this evening, the band had no fear of stretching songs far beyond their boundaries and Redman was gladly along for the ride. It was difficult to contain my giddiness when World's Running Down started...it seemed clear this set was going to be different, they took off as a 7-piece unit with no looking back...then the drop into Blue Echo was unexpected and I knew it would be another opportunity for them to stretch things out...again...they did not disappoint.
All Things Ninja...it's impressive that of the songs in the UM repertoire, UM would choose this as a song option for him to learn, and he would choose to learn it. I suppose it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise after seeing how well they played Der Bluten Kat together...but still...Ninja? Yes, please.
And finally, we come to Wife Soup... This is the ultimate Wife Soup for me, featuring a Redman contribution that become referred to as The Note. If you're not familiar...I implore you to check out this show if only for The Note. Of course, I'd think you'd be ludicrous to not enjoy the rest of it...but this, again, was one of those moments...to be lucky enough to be there...The Note was like a shot of endorphins, adrenaline, dopamine...all of those chemicals your body produces that make you feel good from natural stimuli? This was that stimulus.
Unfortunately, as the second set ran long (due to the lengthy improv), the DBK encore had to be cut, but hey...Waiting Room is always a great encore/set closer.
October 18, 2012
I was pumped when I saw Umphrey's was playing a free show at the Super Bowl Village. My buddy and I left from Columbus and picked up one more friend in Dayton. When we got near the stadium in Indianapolis, the whole area of wild but somehow we managed to find a miracle open parking spot a block from the action. The village is basically a giant party formed by many independent parties:bars, stages, private tents, etc. I had this fantasy that Umphrey's was going to fall under people's radar at an event like this and I would get up close....I was pleasantly surprised to find a massive crowd backed up the street to see UM. The kids we ended up next to were from Indiana, but they had been in Columbus seeing the Werks at the same new years show as us just a month before.
Kris kicked it off wit the drum into Conduit, and they smoked this one as usual. In the Kitchen went into a great dance groove before giving birth to Glory, truly a glorious choice this night or any night. i remember looking around and seeing peoples faces with a look like "WHAT?! Is it legal to rock this hard?! and in public?" when jake was doing his thing. Out of push the pig also a miss tinkles that reached serious intensity during the peak...Baba O-Riley was well-recieved by the crowd. For one set, Umphrey's still satisfied me until the 17th and surely made a slew of new fans.
October 18, 2012
All you need to know is that this second set/encore has to be some of the best UM I've ever witnessed! Hammer after hammer was laid until the lights went out and they dropped the sickest Pink Floyd cover! It was played about as well as any band that is not Pink Floyd could ever play it! The sax was also a nice touch. Double encores are always bitchin' as well. This show is easily in my top 3! 5/5
umvideo of Glory:
October 18, 2012
Well....for starters the HBB sandwich in the first set is disgusting and there's umvideo on YouTube to prove it. Got my first Spinal Shaft (4th UM concert at the time) and let me say it's a doozy. The Jimmy Stewart turned into what is known as Red Tape I believe. But it's the Stew out of Groove Holmes that told me this was going to be a good 2 nights in Madison!!! A must hear for any fan! 5/5
October 18, 2012
Solid show. This was probably the first time I saw UM and left without really feeling the high that they normally give me, but it was not without its moments. The first set started off great with nice jams in Bottom Half and Higgins, but never really picked back up. Always nice to see Uncle Wally pop up, but the In The Kitchen and Push the Pig sit ins were very disappointing and never really took off. The second set was definitely a different story. I love Mantis, so that was a great start and Ocean Billy was strong with a nice -> into 2nd Self. The DBK/Zep segment was great with the exception of a bit of an awkward segue into the cover. The Triple Wide was above average and a nice set ender. The encore was also a bit standard, but a solid way to leave a show. Overall, the show was just a bit lacking. The band never really fully hit their stride I feel, but still a good time.
October 18, 2012
Can't say enough about how much I love this show. One of my favorite concert going experiences. Higher Ground is such a cool, tiny little venue, and the band was just on fire after two nights of throwing down. There was a loose, party-like atmosphere to the show, but the playing was very precise and focused. Great lyrical stew in Bottom Half, and an awesome Fuzz into N2F reprise were the highlights of Set 1. Where this show really took off for me was with Set 2 though. Cemetery Walk with horns and an ending coda was a revelation. It's still my favorite version. The MJ cover had the place getting down and they even jammed out the theme for a good while after the song proper. A peaking CW2 kept the energy up before a run through the classics Slacker and DBK. Then Baby Honey Sugar Darling just comes out of nowhere! Great bustout! Having the horns out for the last two songs added a lot and kept a great vibe up. Finally, when they began playing Baracuda I couldn't help but wonder how they'd pull off the vocals. Then right as they'd normally kick in, Jen Hartswick just flies out on the stage and belted it out. It was magical. Absolutely top notch show all around.
October 18, 2012
This was a really great show. Getting to see a full on acoustic show is something that was a big treat for me. As much as the band shreds electrically, I've always been impressed with the beauty and subtlety of their acoustic style. This can be seen here in the great first set run of Water > Sweetness > Fearless. The cover selections were on point; Floyd, Blind Faith, Wings, Seger...can't beat that. Really enjoyed the Nemo jam, hearing a rare Never Cease, an energetic Peeps, and the debut of Ride On Pony. Great vibe and energy from the band (they were especially tipsy for much of the show for Kris' birthday) and excellent playing. A great view of a different side of UM.
October 18, 2012
This was my first UM show. Looking back it may not have been the best I've seen but I can't help but remember how blown away I was by their playing. A 20+ minute HBB to start off was a great way to break me in. Not a ton of jams in the show, but everything was played very well and the GnR cover was a nice unexpected twist. The encore was certainly "uncommon", but had me leaving with a big smile on my face. Overall, it was a great way to be introduced to this band in the live setting for me.
October 18, 2012
Another one of those crazy Canopy nights...like the previous December, something must have been in the air and they busted out a unique one this evening.
The show opens with a 14 minute Mulche's, the first time it was ever given the treatment. There's not one but two worthwhile improvisational sections. I still wish that the song's improvisational future would have tailored more to this version.
Fussy > Tomorrow Never Knows is still the best segue in the UM repertoire...when that first crash of TNK hits...straight butter.
Gotta love the XRT Xmas Medley...debuted the night before and played once more this evening. punk jingle bells > country deck the halls > reggae grandma got run over by a reindeer > carol of the bells. another example of the humor, creativity and chops pervasive in UM. some pretty funny 'fuck yeah'-ing at the end, too.
A rather solid version of Water that sees jake and brendan slowly drifting away from the middle section into some great dissonant territory with Kris leading the charge behind them.
Phil's > Glory > Phil's > 14 min stew > middle section of N2F > Phil's...just listen to this one.
The rare Pork Chop Pie, 9 years later, is still a song I request over and over. Such a great carryover from the Ali Baba's Tahini oeuvre.
some silliness with Hysteria > In Violation of Yes.
then the 26 minute Nothing Too Fancy > Ocean Billy > Nothing Too Fancy encore is about as strong a finish as you can get.
Listen to it on the
October 18, 2012
A Minnesota Vikings bar in Louisville, KY on a Tuesday night. Even back in 2003, one of those instances where you knew the band could kick back and be loose. The opening "DCI jam" (which was meant to poke fun at the DCI instructional videos that involve the musicians soloing in rounds) turned into a 14 minute monster with a glorious peak...yet further proof in the first two weeks of the Myers era that these guys weren't going to be slowing down. The riff that Jake starts 11:08...and then him and bb trade back and forth and build off of for the next 3 minutes is what St. Peter should have playing at the pearly gates...
Soul Food I was playful with a bunch of teases
The last appearance of the Thelonius Monk tune, Well You Needn't is noteworthy...another of those early jazz tunes that slowly faded into oblivion.
The Pure Imagination tease during Padgett's is pretty damn cool, but the Anchor Drops is my highlight of the second set. A lengthy, across the board, multi-sectional stewart that found its way into The Breeders' Cannonball, but then settled into a reggae groove that I still can't get out of my head, commonly referred to as "Ragamuffin." I don't know of any earlier appearances of Ragamuffin, it did pop up again on 4/1/03 (which was included in the Raw Stewage) and 4/22/03, and then again at UMBowl III during the S2 set. If you know of any other version, please let me know!
sometimes you got to be a ragamuffin
and a mine mine mine mine mine
stand tall/firm with two feet on the ground
with two feet on the ground
lord have mercy
Glory > Snucka III encore is classic UMnanigans
other than that, fairly solid playing...but it's the intro jam, Soul Food I and Anchor Drops for which you should check out this show over at
October 18, 2012
First of all, it's wonderful to see the venue listed as Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY. The refurbished theater is amazing. Did everybody notice the faces in the wallpaper?
The first set was solid, but not spectacular, although the closing Bright Lights really took off. The second set was intense from start to end. The notes say it was a tease, but Dump City contained a fully-articulated "It's About That Time." The 2x2 jam quickly gave way to Glory, and when it came back around to 2x2 we were treated to a soaring Bayliss solo. The segue from Walrus to N2F was fire, and at that point the light projections on the walls and ceiling took over. Somewhere in there was a second Bayliss solo and the surprise Willie the Pimp. I wasn't sure what to expect for an encore, but Divisions with the sweet Pequod tease fit the bill.
Waful was in his glory with with the house rig and his new MAC Viper instruments. Sunglasses are advised. The only thing that could make this experience better would be if AbovetheDave from PT would write a review.
October 18, 2012
This show was originally scheduled to be on the Peoria Riverfront but it was super cold all that week so the show was moved indoors. I was a little bummed about the move but was happy about a hometown UM show. The venue at Expo Gardens looked like an old high school gym or cafeteria; the bathrooms like high school locker rooms. The first set was solid but nothing really outstanding. The Fuzz had the slower funky feel and I believe was a nod to the Peoria Police Dept. who lined the walls, Blues Brothers style. The set closed with the short-lived Cold Smoke, which is just Go To Hell with lyrics. I was on a Beatles kick during the time so I Want You was a nice addition.
The second set was a little more interesting. If you have not done so, LISTEN TO THIS MUCH OBLIGED! It may be the best MO of all time. N2F>Bottom Half was pretty good. Red Tape was nothing special, like most Red Tapes during this time. A Rush cover is always ok in my book. Encore was a lot of fun. Who doesn't like Wife Soup? And the transition back into N2F is pretty darn good. Overall it was a pretty solid show but a total shit show when it came to the crowd and venue. I saw girls dropping like flies from being too drunk and the men's bathroom became a swamp of urine and overflowed toilet water. With the cops there, it just made it feel like an old school rock show. Fun times.
October 18, 2012
This show was short, but very much to the point. Every song featured pretty extensive jams, most of which were pretty spacy and electronic in nature since this event was celebrating Bob Moog.
There was a recording of the Prison Shank set that took place before Umphrey's played. Prison Shank consisted of, if I get this right, Jake and Stasik on guitar and bass, both Jamie Shieleds (The New Deal) and Aaron Magner (The Disco Biscuits) on keys, and Joe Russo (Furthur, many other projects) on drums.... The set was pretty much all improve and was amazing start to finish.
October 18, 2012
A historic show for so many reasons. I implore all serious Umphreaks to check this one out over at
the show opened with a funny Get in the Van gag...they played the false start of the song...and then walked back off stage.
The 40's Theme with Jamie Janover on toy guitar has to be heard to be believed. It remains one of the most mindblowing "how the hell did they do that so well" moments. They way the band traded licks with the toy guitar is hilarious and musically impressive at the same time. This then turned into the oft repeated Zsa Zsa Gabore jam, and then a fantastic full-fledged stwart after it before returning to 40's.
The Zsa Zsa jam would make it's glorious return on 4/28/12 after many years in hibernation...but the coolest part is that they also brought back the 2nd part of the 40's stew and made it a vocal stewart.
Second set opens with a 24 minute triple wide that features a lot of patient, ambient jamming. a must hear.
The other historic aspect is the stewart out of Mulche's that features the first appearance of instrumental sections from both Ocean Billy and Wife Soup.
Push the Pig with November Rain ending was also hilarious.
October 18, 2012
My First Umphrey's show. What a special night. The August from this show still gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.
October 18, 2012
Unfortunately wasn't at this show, but its still one of my go-to shows. The show is pretty much fire start to finish (which I find is usually the case with Boston shows...).
- Ringo jam (1st part). One of my favorite jams to ever come out of a Ringo.
- Turn & Run
- EPIC All in time jam... the teases are great but the jam itself is so funky and tight!
October 18, 2012
Show was awesome, best small venue I've ever been to, and the lights were awesome, as always. Staff and security were cool as well. First set highlights were definitely Visions and Bright Lights, two killer versions right here. Second set was awesome the whole way through. I'll definitely be buying the SBD when it's released, this was one of the best shows I've seen all summer. Also, the upstairs seating at the Cap gives you an awesome view with the 360 degree projections that go all around you enhancing Waful's always sick lighting wizardry. Also it was awesome news to hear that UM will be playing the Beacon Theater for the first time in January.
October 18, 2012
It was a sultry night on the Boston wharf made even more infernal by the UM face meltage beneath the Pavilion lights. Marked the 2nd performance of Crucial Taunt (Wayne's World tribute) and the 5th of Comma Later. My first for both of these tunes made it a memorable night. Unfortunately, it was only a one set performance. Still made for an awesome time. The Resolution > 2x2 was by and far the best part of the show. Check it out.
October 18, 2012
This for me also marked my deflowering at the hand's of UM.
The Jaws theme was played as the band took the stage and set up. Added an erie effect coupled by Waful's reds on stage. The jump into JaJunk was set up perfectly with this. MO > 1348 was a major highlight for me. The Wife Soup transition back to JaJunk was seamless and definitely deserves some attention. A lot of heavy hitters (Bridgeless, Wappy, Cem2) and the crowd made it a really high octane show. Morning Song was probably the slowest moment of the show and was still masterfully performed.
Little did I know until a handful of shows later and the DVD release, how special of an experience it truly was. Remains one of my favorite shows to date! 9/10
October 18, 2012
I've been to 45 UM shows, and these three higher ground shows are hands down my favorites, with this night being the highlight. It was Pony's birthday and everyone in the crowd and the band were going ape shit.
-The mulches jam is an epic dance party
-Stasiks's bass line during sociable jimmy jam!
-Mike's Kitchen... one of the best jams I've ever heard. The communication is amazing, and they really take you on a musical adventure with multiple different sections, each segued perfectly.
October 18, 2012
first time seeing UM!!!.. also first festival! so i had a lot of learning to do in pacing myself. to much to fast and didn't quite get what was going on with the music. I listened to the show later and couldn't believe how amazing it was and that i was there! since then i have figured things out a little more and can balance myself to enjoy the music fully. Fortunately there would be many more shows and festivals in the future to redeem myself. Still an amazing time with my best friends, we all learned together. Love you marvins mtn. top! and Umphreys Mcgee!
October 18, 2012
Another all time UM show and a Mirro classic. I couldn't make it to this show but I was there the next night and even on tape this performance blew the next night away. Listen to how Mirro takes such an ego-less approach to drumming and just lets Jake and Brendan sit on his beats.
October 18, 2012
UM and the new deal! amazing.. missed most of the new deal but its just nice seeing they both played together. a rare occasion. well this show was just incredible from start to finish, they played my favorite songs and surprised us with awesome first time mash-ups. we had a crazy trip getting there.. that almost didnt happen a few times but it did and the show changed lives!!!!!! Go umph.. keep it goin fellas!
October 18, 2012
This was my favorite UM show! danced with my favorite pillar in the E-factory.. never let go. from start to finish brought so much joy! just reading over it brings back those great memories
October 18, 2012
This show is phenomenal. It's as good as anything they have ever played. There was a special vibe during the Mirro era and I think a lot of people like myself left the VIC that night wondering if we could talk Mirro out of leaving.
October 18, 2012
i left (essentially) the same review on the bort (and can't be bothered to write a different one). this show was SOLID. first set didn't do anything TOO noteworthy until visions and bright lights...but those were BOTH pretty over the top. this band always impresses me but now having listened to them SOOO much and seen them a good handful of times (i think i'm up around 30 shows...need to get an accurate count) over the past 5 years i don't usually get as floored as i did at the end of this first set. i was pretty speechless. i'm curious to give it a listen again and see if it does the same for me as it did last night or if i wasn't somewhat blurred/biased a little by the "being there" factor. waful was totally on point last night. dear lord he is good at what he does. such a pro. i actually feel the opposite of the reviewer below (although i respect his opinion)...in that i LOVED being totally immersed in the lights. yes...the smoke effects were very dense, obviously so as to enhance the lights and give them more depth and richness, but it definitely didn't impede my vision of the band (then again, i was on the floor, mid-center and wasn't looking through them as much as being in them/under them). sorry your experience wasn't enhanced by the lights. the second set was pretty damn tasty start to finish. mulches, dump, the 2x2/glory sandwich, a well placed (and good choice) walrus cover, a better than average N2F w/willie the pimp and then a divisions enc taboot??...i can not see a DAMN thing to bitch about with ANYTHING in this set. i will let the endorphins diffuse for a few days and then give this a close listen to see if what i'm about to say is actually accurate...but this show (for me) fell into the top 20%, and probably even 10% of all the shows i've seem by them. very impressed...and once again baffled by how this band is not selling out venues like MSG etc. ANYONE who digs TRUE rawk and phenomenal musicianship will go to great lengths to see these guys whenever possible. i haven't seen a thread about this, but can anyone propose even one credible theory as to why these guys are not selling out every fucking show they play and subsequently being FORCED to play larger venues? i don't get it. and lastly may i just add...kris myers is a fucking BEAST. holy christ. total animal. A+ for effort 100% of the time. soo soo soo good.
October 18, 2012
My First show...... I had seen some Umphrey's tapes on some tape trees and decided to check them out while I was living in St. Louis. Anyone who's been to Cicero's knows how small the venue is, 250 max. There were probably less than 50 people there. I remember seeing the band hanging out among the crowd and hoped they were making ends meet so they could keep playing live because they put on one of the most inspired performances I've ever seen from a band. Looking back, it's a fantasy setlist. If Nachos for Two isn't enough to prove it, how about My favorite Things. Sick show from an unbelievable Oct. 2001 tour.
October 18, 2012
Great show IMO. I had an absolute blast raging in the balcony. During 1348 I remember a fight breaking out down on the floor. The band kinda mellowed out a bit till security straightened things out then the jammed into Baba O'Riley. "I don't need to fight, to prove I'm right!" It was pretty much slathered in awesome sauce.
There are a lot of highlights in this show, hell the whole thing shouldn't be missed. I thin March '12 may be the best single month of UM ever? Certainly in the running.
October 18, 2012
one of my most memorable um moments is this show! It was my first new years with the band! Haven't missed one since....this is where I found my family
October 18, 2012
Show was great! Loved the setlist and the re-worked theater! Sorry this was your first UM show and you hated the lights, but they are an integral part of the experience dude. Waful is a master behind that board and the lights help feed the energy the band is putting out there! Plus, the new additions to the walls on the sides of the stage were pretty tight as well. They did mention on twitter that the new venue had the biggest light rigging they had ever seen, so that also may have added to the feeling of being overwhelmed. I, for one, loved it!
October 18, 2012
I can understand how you feel about the intense light show. You need to get yourself a pair of official UM sunnies to protect your eyes from the madness. The lights are very intense and the music is equally intense. The whole UM experience pushes your brain to the limit of what it can handle. I begun describing it as assault music to first timers. I compare it to seeing Ween play live. Ween and Umphrey's play a super hard, "in your face" style of show and it makes SOME people want to leave and never come back. Those who stay are the true fans and will continue to get blasted by some of the best music you'll get a chance to hear. Don't give up on UM after seeing just one show. Every show is different and your experiences will change!
WILLIE THE PIMP! Wish I was able to hear that, one of my favorite Zappa tunes.
P.S I love allthingsumphreys!
October 18, 2012
1st ever UM show. Hooked from the first note of Jaws Theme... Then the finisher Eminence Front > The Floor. The parts in between I don't even want to talk about... Too much face melting action for a newbie
October 18, 2012
This was my first Umphrey's show — and a real sizzler. The boys came on after my first few Pork Slaps at the bar and proceeded to melt face with a tight and intimate club show. World>Nemo>Prolwer is my pick with some great Chinese intervals. Billy Jean is an obvious fit to sandwich with Regulate. Miss Tinkles brought the house down before a rock-solid Floor encore.
Being it was my first show, and having only heard a few Umphrey's songs on Jam On and YouTube, I didn't quite get what was going on in front of me. We picked up the soundboard on the way out and cranked it the whole way home. It was then that "I got it," and I've been a Umphrey's fan ever since.
I'd keep this recording within arms reach.
A special show for me and an awesome venue where I've had some good memories. Too bad Rev Hall stopped hosting shows ...
October 18, 2012
Great show. Great band. My first UM show. Loved the music and sound. HATED the lighting. I was in the balcony and flat out could not see the band through the intense beams of light focused on the audience that pulsed to the music. I beliive I might have seen the band 10% of the show, only when the light show wasn't going. Moved to the floor and then the light beams were going directly into my eyes. I had to close them or hold my hand across my forehead. I love seeing the band play, but I could not see. If every show is going to be lit that way, it doesn't make sense to see them live. I don't know if this is a new show enhancement or all shows feature the same light show. I truly believe this needs to be re-thought. I understand that artists look to enhance the experience visually. Bands like Rush and Pink Floyd are masters of this. I feel this choice of lighting immensely detracted from the experience. I hope the band loses this light show and tries something else.
October 17, 2012
First White river shows..kept me coming back the past 3 years. This place is amazing. And that --Girlfriend is better is dope as shit mm/mm/
October 17, 2012
this was one of my first umphreys concerts ever
cherub rock was pretty fantastic.
YYZ was too... memories lol
October 17, 2012
Both of these shows were great, but the second set of night 2 was rawking. The newer Miami Virtue into an ever-emotional Glory was a great start, and then it was hammer to the floor right up til the end of the set. Bridgeless is a personal fav and Hollywood Nights was a nice treat that had everyone jumping and singing along. They came out for encore and Jen performed an amazing rendition of At Last. Which was so good, my friend (whom also was at this show)just used this version of the song as his first dance at his wedding. Anyways, I digress... JaJunk, classic Umph's, i need say no more! UM Rawks!! mm/
October 17, 2012
This was the first of over a hundred shows attended personally, it's easy to say i was sold right away. I can still picture Bayliss in his hoodie and Jake with his stash. Now looking back, i must say it was hearing Divisions and Front Porch in the first set that really must have grabbed me. Their cover of Fool in the Rain was the icing on the cake, especially when it was reprised for the final song.
The Park West was a perfect place to catch these guys for the first time seeing that it still holds a special place in the hearts of the band and the phreaks. I look to this day quite often while listening to Umphrey's for it led me on a journey that eventually took me to Europe, my first cruise and my first show at Red Rocks. Even though Jake was reasonably new as a full time member, you could see the magic on stage. Thanks Fellas!
October 17, 2012
What really can you say about this show that you can't say about other Halloween MashUp shows?! It was amazing. From the first note of Tango Mike (my favorite band intro) to the last note of the 2ND ENCORE, it was flawless. My ears were left happily ringing that night. I'd say the only downer of the show was when some douche nozzle launched a beer from the audience and it hit Ryan right in the chest. Besides the MashUps, I'd say my faves of the night were Push the Pig, The Haunt & All In Time. Overall though you can't beat this show as evident with all the tracks from it included in the Hall of Fame album from this year.... Awesome awesome awesome. mm/
October 17, 2012
There was a very relaxed, fluid feel to this show. The band was at the end of tour and happy to have a long summer of fests and shows behind them. It almost seemed like this was the show they were waiting for to leave it all on the table. Conduit>Glory>Conduit was very perfectly inspired and Kimble was a treat. Jake was his usually sassy self in Synco and the jam with Magner was straight fire. Lots of teases throughout mixed with a little ghetts and lil old skewl flavor made for a very encompassing show.
October 17, 2012
Somebody throws something at Bayliss during Utopian Fir and he stops everything and yells at whoever it was. Once they start up the jam again they start playing with some attitude and it shows. Solid show.
October 17, 2012
Amazing show! Divisions was the PERFECT encore. Of course from the beginning to the end - it was the best yet! We didn't want the night to end.
THANK YOU! Come back to Nashvegas soon!
October 17, 2012
Set One:
Walletsworth is pretty straightforward. Alex's House; song gets a bad rap. This one is really patient at the end, and Joel's spiraling keyboards move seamlessly into Meeting In the Aisle. Simply perfect segue . . . Up next, Wappy Sprayberry. So far, there wasn't much improv. But the last three songs have a really good feel to them. The jam in Wappy starts with this great mix of airiness and funkiness, at the same time. Hard to describe, but it works really well. Great bit of improv before it returns to Wappy around the 14-minute mark; then enters into more improv . . . Really great tone on Jake's guitar here; very Santana-like. Or, on the other hand, Rolling Stones, as he busts into "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." Which is jammed right into Der Bluten Kat.
So, up until this point, the set was around 42 minutes in length -- the DBK is about 25 minutes. The first jam shows some patience, but not too much territory is covered. The second starts off promising with some riffing from Jake. And over a few minutes, it builds into a fast-paced jam. Impressive . . . and back into DBK. And then Kris drum solo, before speeding into the ending of DBK. Nice and driving. Great way to end the set.
Set Two:
Prowler starts things off after some playful rumblings on the Moog. Pretty standard Prowler that segues wonderfully into the end of All In Time, finishing off the version from the other night. It takes on a fun little dub vibe before the "Well endowed" section. Really great build to this reprise -- makes you wonder if it should be separated more often. Lots of energy.
Low rumblings before beginning The Crooked One. The main theme of the song slowly dissipates and leaves just Joel on piano with the guitarists making some noise. You can hear Ryan carrying a bassline. This continues for a bit as they feel each other out. As I have said on a number of occasions in these reviews, lots of patience here. Open and spacey. Kris starts to drumm with more emphasis, and the crowd begins to clap along. Building . . . Joel switches to Rhodes, some Moog, little riffing from Jake. Great to hear each band member playing something different, and how well it works together. And out pops the "Let Me Blow Your Mind" teases.
Great transition into Got Your Milk. And the song is pushed a bit, right after the "Shirt stain" line. Driving, linear, as if the normal riff just wouldn't stop. Then it opens up, as they did all run; piano work from Joel, great little riffs from Jake. Man, this is good. A must hear Got Your Milk, imo. With a perfect segue into Nothing Too Fancy. Such a great section of music right there. (Got Your Milk without the "Atkins!" yell.) Fancy is pretty tame, actually, heading into the I Am the Walrus segue. Coming out of Walrus is much more interesting, with the "Rhiannon" teases and the keyboard work for Joel pre-N2F reprise. They are really drawing this out, with one "Rhiannon" section and then another. About six-and-a-half minutes before the Fancy really starts to appear. Lots of Pony thumping away.
Intentions Clear is a bit of an odd encore choice, actually. Pretty straightforward. Just, well, a good stand alone song. Now, the last song of the run, though, was a treat. Especially with Mr. Al Di Meola in attendance. A Senor Mouse to send people home smile.
Highlights for me are the Alex's > Meeting In the Aisle > Wappy. And the All In Time ending. And most definitely the Got Your Milk jam into N2F.
October 17, 2012
Set One:
Gotta love the slinky, slow introduction to All In Time. Bluesy, patient, playful. Great start to the night. Nice rocking jam in the middle of AIT. Lot's of pace, without being too heavy. And then slowly, the jam grows into this soaring jam. Perfectly. Kris driving it, Jake soloing beautifully, Joel laying on the organ . . . Wow. Took me by surprise. And then it drops into a metal-like riff. Covering all sorts of ground in this opening (unfinished) AIT.
Say what you will, but I don't mind Gulf Stream. I do enjoy the melody and Brendan's vocals. This version changes key during the closing jam, it seems, and takes on a different feeling. And then the song dissolves into a Atmosfarag-sounding section with Jake beat boxing in the background. Oh, wait, it is Atmosfarag.
Atmosfarag dissolves out (with a tease of "Love Hurts," maybe, or some other hard rock ballad?) as Andy's Last Beer kicks in. The Andy's is pretty standard and essentially stops before the "Jimmy Stewart" kicks in -- the improv starts with Andy on bongos, alone. Until you slowly start to hear Jake jump in, following the rhythm/meter; then Kris on kick drum; then Ryan, and Brendan. Great way to start the jam -- much like with the rest of the run, everyone is patient. Has a bit of a "Se A Cabo" feel, not only because of the percussion. The jam turns a bit of a corner into something much more dance oriented. (Can't help but bob my head listening back.) The dance vibe continues until it turns into something bluesy, reminiscent of the Rolling Stones in a way -- only Umphrey's . . . Lots of runs by Joel on piano.
The "Stewart" fades away for the opening notes of Hajimemashite. The beauty of Haji is quickly disrupted by the appearance of the "Zsa Zsa Gabor" riff. And that ends the set . . .
Set Two:
The Triple Wide gets the set on the road . . . Since the run started off with a Moog Fest, one shouldn't be surprised with how many times Joel went to the Moog this run in the middle of jams. Some great spiraling guitar from Jake to match Joel's keys work. Nice example of a Triple Wide that doesn't rely on being overly dancey. Really smooth transition into "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," as they go back and forth between the song and Triple Wide. Again, patience. This happens a few times before they start singing. Then seamlessly back into The Triple Wide, with another "Reaper" tease for good measure. Before moving to The Floor -- just a perfect choice of song. It seems like so many fans talk about "flow" these days, and most of it I don't get to be honest. But to my ears, the beginning of this set has great "flow."
Pause. Breather. Jake handles some introductions as they kick into Miss Tinkle's Overture. As with a number of other songs from this run, the middle section opens up a bit. Joel on organ, and the guitarists playing off of each other. Really enjoyable, and not as heavy or standard as other Tinkle's you might hear.
Let me just say that Kula does not get played enough. Such a great drive to this song from every band member. Needs to pop up in setlists more often than it does now, that's for sure. This one slows down, to a little bit of drums, into something with a Push the Pig sort of vibe. Which actually becomes Waist Down -- interesting pairing. I haven't listened to this in some time; I kind of like the soaring nature of the chorus.
Waist Down ends with Kris f'n around with some e-drums. Until they successfully start The Fuzz. Gets a little funky. And then fades out . . . into Black Sabbath > War Pigs. Rock. (Voice crack, BB.) Bit of an anticlimactic way to send the set.
I have always been a sucker for The Fussy Dutchman. (I miss the days when it would segue into Tomorrow Never Knows, though.) Ryan is really clear on the recording. Not really a segue, Dutchman ends and Peeps begins. With "Reaper" teases in the intro.
Unique show. The Triple Reaper is worth listening to, and the Andy's "Stewart."
October 17, 2012
Set One:
Starts off with White Man's Moccasins -- a bit unique on its own -- but then stops on a dime for the beautiful The Pequod -- only to go back into Moccasins. At the end of Moccasins, rather than pausing, Joel held a chord for a minute while the rest of the band noodled around him . . . before dropping into Plunger. The Plunger featured a "Jimmy Stewart" and was over fifteen minutes in length; the jam begins starting out with Jake playing a riff similar to Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You" before building into a full-band improv with Joel all over piano. As the jam peters out, Jake starts to tease Yes's "Roundabout."
And how better to follow up a 15-minute Plunger than with a 28-minute Utopian Fir. The first jam in Fir starts with Pony repeating this riff, with Brendan soloing over top with a really compressed tone (right?). Then it grows to this great build over the course of four or so minutes, adding some organ to the mix, back to Brendan on that same solo. The music slows down after about seven minutes of the jam . . . and a drum solo appears. It is as short one what quickly evolves into some bleeps and a bit of chaos before Utopian Fir appears around 13 minutes after the start of the song. The "reggae portion" is drawn out patiently . . . until it starts to morph and stetch. The "Fir Reunion" section picks up, becomes more dubby, shifts keys and time signatures. Really great stuff, almost sounding like another song . . . until losing all resemblance of the standard reggae ending . . . then dropping back into the "re-worked" Reunion section. Only to reemerge as the standard Utopian Fir with lyrics to end the song.
The opening notes of In the Kitchen started almost immediately as Utopian ended, with a patient little intro. Kitchen quickly finds itself in this funky jam. Pony's bassline sounds like it could have been taken from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (confirmation?).
Set Two:
Keeping with the rare openers, Padgett's Profile kicks off the second set in a dark and dirty fashion. Veers only slightly off course. The Bridgeless is pretty standard as well until it just slows down after about six minutes. Becoming quite airy, with Jake adding some playful riffs here and there, mixed with these little hints of metal songs . . . like "Masters of Puppets" and "One." And then Jake just starts playing Glory -- well, the intro, dropping out to silence, and then the whole band kicks in. Nice transition. And just as Bridgeless faded into Glory, the reverse was true as Glory slowly returns to Bridegeless. Neat little ending to Bridgeless, during that build -- Joel is really laying on the Moog as the guitarists trade licks back and forth.
After a breather, a "breather" of a song is started. I have always enjoyed the laid back, slinky start to Anchor Drops. A rather standard version is made humorous with the Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses) Drum Fill to end. I am not sure if the GNR reference led them into Snake Juice, to be honest, but it worked -- I need to go back and look, but this might be the first appearance of Snake Juice as a stand-alone song. It flows into a nice breezy section with lots of Joel on piano with a slight Anchor Drops vibe in the background. A "Ring around the rosy" piece dissolves, still Joel on piano, but with the addition of e-drums. And then it fades into Rocker Part 2. Good little jam in the middle.
I so love Supertramp and Bloody Well Right. Joel nails the keys, imo, in that identifiable intro. His vocals? Not necessarily nailed, but close enough. The set-closing 40's Theme gets drawn out a bit when Rob Marscher joins Joel on keys -- as with a lot of the improv in this show, it is patient and breezy. Perfect, for me . . . Especially as Joel and Rob begin to play off each other (even Kris's e-drums here don't take away from the vibe). Although, I love Brendan's solo in 40's and this is often skipped when guests are brought out. Oh, well.
The Slacker encore works. More Moog from Joel during the slower middle section.
First set is worth a listen, for sure. And might as well skim through the second, with maybe some focus on Snake Juice.
June 15, 2012
Great show. There are lots of high points, notably the 25 or 6 to 4 cover.
This JaJunk has an incredible Stewart. Let's hope we revisit it at UMBowl 4!
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