Skip to main content

Jamband Spotlight: Umphrey’s McGee


Words by Greg Molitor (ReMIND Photography)

Fresh off kicking out two slammin’ performances in Detroit and Denver attended by myself and J-man, respectfully, Umphrey’s McGee is the perfect choice for this week’s Jamband Spotlight. The band, whose popularity has been rising steadily since its formation in 1997, has positioned itself as a fresh alternative in the jam-rock scene by taking on a relentless tour schedule year after year and providing a level of technical intensity more consistently than similar acts. Umphrey’s McGee takes its craft seriously...professional players to the highest degree, its members display a wealth of musical talent every show but also exude a silly yet confident playfulness that makes the standard Umphrey’s McGee show a special experience. Much akin to its youthful predecessor, Phish, Umphrey’s McGee is at its best when its throwing a party for its fans. For many of us live music fans, sometimes said party is all we are looking for.



I’ve selected two shows for this week’s Spotlight that feature the progressive aggressiveness Umphrey’s McGee brings to the table on the regular. These rockin’ performances are what loyal Umphrey’s fans live to see, providing a solid barometer for those who are unfamiliar with the band’s vast catalog of material. The first show was performed on April 21st, 2007, at The Vic Theater in Chicago. Labeled by many Umfreaks as one of the best shows they have heard or attended, this performance at The Vic has reached epic status throughout many circles of Umphrey’s fans. The audience recording provided is nearly flawless which thoroughly enhances the listening of any recorded show.

Umphrey's McGee Live at The Vic Theatre on April 21, 2007. <--- Direct Archive Link



The second featured show was performed at The House of Blues - Boston on January 21st, 2011. This more recent show was picked in order to highlight the band’s progression from 2007 to 2011. The improvisation is fantastic by all members, especially from keyboardist Joel Cummins. 2011 has been a year of growth for Cummins as his keyboard playing has become more focused and in-the-moment than it has been in previous years. There is also plenty of variety in the HOB show’s setlist. From old classics (“All in Time”, “Front Porch”, “Get in the Van”) to newer tunes and song mashups (“Conduit”, “Come Closer”), a vast range of Umphrey’s abilities can be heard with regards to both jamming and songwriting abilities. Enjoy this week’s selections, and until next week, have a good one!

Umphreys McGee Live at House Of Blues on January 27, 2011. <--- Direct Archive Link

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Livetronica Sampler 3.22.11

Words by Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Ozric Tentacles This British group has proven innovative throughout the years offering a space-rock meets psytrance sound that remains alive to this day. Though never having a major record label, Ozric Tentacles has produced 28 albums of diverse psychedelia throughout its career. The band met at the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1983 and truly fathered livetronica music with its use of sequencers and synthesizers. Simply put, there would be no livetronica without Ozric Tentacles. www.ozrics.com Octopus Nebula Colorado’s Octopus Nebula has certainly hit its stride as of late with its constant touring and increased festival interest. The group expands on the deep sounds of highly regarded acts such as STS9 and Shpongle but also carves a path of its own with its fresh takes on synthesizer tones and sampling in the live setting. Octopus Nebula Live at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on March 26, 2010. www.octopusnebula.com Big Gigantic Big...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buckethead: Gimmick or Guitar God?

Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) At what point does the gimmick overshadow the performance? The obvious answer is Buckethead. The man is an amazing guitarist but something is not right in this world. The idea a performer who dons a KFC chicken bucket on his head for a concert has always intrigued me, and some of his side projects such as Colonel Claypool’s Bernie Bucket of Brains have been huge successes. However his performance last weekend in Fort Collins simply left me perplexed. From his robotic dancing, to his nunchuck display, to the fact the he performed with an iPod rather than a band all added to my confusion. Going into the show I was ready to be blown away, despite rumblings of disgruntled fans from the previous night’s show at The Gothic. Buckethead had had some sound issues and some missed cues in Denver but I was still trying to be positive for the show in Fort Collins. It did go off without a hitch technically but that was the least ...
17 comments
Read more

The Origin of MusicMarauders

Words By J-man "What should I name this fucking thing?" I asked myself in the midst of a joint in my Upstate, NY apartment. "It's got to be something with just 'Music'in the title. Nothing more specific than that, as we'll be covering a wide variety of genres." One more drag on the joint yielded the memory of driving down Woodward Ave. in Detroit, listening to Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders. "MusicMarauders! That's it... It completely encompasses what we do in the sense the we are 'maraudering' or 'pillaging' for music," I thought as I stared out of the window at about three and a half feet of fresh Upstate snow. First things first, the domain had to be registered. "Do I have ten dollars in my account?" I thought to myself from a position of just scraping by. Pulling out my shiny, rarely used debit card, I put it to the test and was able to secure MusicMarauders.com. "What's next?" I ...
1 comment
Read more