Umphrey’s McGee’s five night run at The Tabernacle in Atlanta started off great and finished incredibly. We were treated to crafty covers mashed-up with UM originals, as well as improvisational language that is hard to beat. Covers included songs by: Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Back, Herbie Hancock, Ted Nugent, Traffic, James Brown, Blue Oyster Cult, Michael Jackson, and Grandmaster Flash. Also, UM didn’t repeat a song over the five nights at The Tabernacle. This stresses their ability to keep each show unique and fresh to newcomers and passionate followers alike.
If you’ve been to an Umph show before, you know good and well that any song can take on a journey of its own. Orchestrated through unique sign language, band members take turns quarterbacking the direction of songs to avoid possible confusion, allowing for maximum risk-taking as it comes to collective improvisation. By dividing songs into sections, Umphrey’s McGee smoothly, seamlessly switches directions with hand signals, body language, and talkback mics. The in-song modifications could involve changing the chord progression to teasing recognizable songs. All the while, the crowd is kept guessing what will happen next.
After five nights of songs and sets to choose from, it is hard to choose the most memorable of memorable moments—there were a lot. On night one Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss stood toe-to-toe for a face-melting showdown during, “Thin Air,” that can only be described as sword fighting with guitars as they took turns churning out soaring riffs in an epic on-stage battle.
On New Years Eve, the memorable last song of 2014 included of Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret Horns on “Bad Friday,” progressing directly into a goosebump inducing, “Auld Lang Syne,” as balloons and confetti fell ringing in the New Year on a proper note.
Night three was highlighted by a “Tribute to the Spinal Shaft,” giving plenty of time for all UM members to be heard distinctly. Rock solid percussion from Kris Meyers and Andy Farag enabled funky bass lines from Ryan Stasik backed by incredible stride piano from Joel Cummings which made way for Bayliss and Cinninger to show off their own skills down the line.
Night four featured acoustic noodlings from Bayliss and Cinninger on “Uncle Wally,” followed by “Sweetness” sandwiched in between “Nemo,” showing how much range this band truly possesses. Check out official video of this acoustic moment, released by the band:
In my opinion, night five was the most complete of the run. We got a groovy, “Wappy Sprayberry,” followed shortly by, “Syncopated Strangers,” into, “Partying Peeps,” which made way for a crunchy bass-filled “Mulche’s Odyssey” to end set one. Set two of night five began and ended with, “Bridgeless,” with a plethora of UM greats in the mix. The crowd’s echo could be felt during, “Hajimemashite,” as everyone sang along passionately. The “Dump City,” to follow would be UM’s hallmark that everyone talks about for weeks to come with definite HOF potential.
This run clearly shows UM’s dedication to their craft, and more importantly to their fan base. They delivered! We heard some of the best UM has to offer each and every night during the mammoth of a run and I still haven’t had my fill of ‘Umph love’.
(Images by Benjamin Adams Photography)
Check out all five setlists below, courtesy of All Things Umphrey’s:
12.30.2014 The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, USA
Set 1: Nipple Trix > Andy’s Last Beer, Padgett’s Profile, Thin Air, Blue Echo[1] > 40’s Theme, Preamble > Mantis > Proverbial > Miss Tinkle’s Overture
Set 2: Educated Guess, Ocean Billy[2] > Frankie Zombie, The Triple Wide[3], Pay the Snucka[4], Divisions > Ocean Billy
Encore: Much Obliged[5] > Mantis
[1] with The Linear teases
[2] with Hang Up Your Hang Ups (Herbie Hancock) teases
[3] with Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac) and Relax (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) teases
[4] with Stranglehold (Ted Nugent) and Mantis teases
[5] unfinished
Notes:
there were FOH issues with Preamble
12.31.2014 The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, USA
Set 1: Nothing Too Fancy > All In Time > Cut the Cable, Mad Love, In The Kitchen, Piranhas[1], Feelin’ Alright[2]
Set 2: Puppet String[3] -> Hang Up Your Hang Ups[4], August, 1348[5] > Day Nurse > Nothing Too Fancy, Black Messiah[3], Last Call[3], Bright Lights, Big City
Set 3: Bad Friday[6] > Auld Lang Syne[3], Honky Tonk Women[3], Ringo[3], Plunger > Puppet String, No Diablo, The Linear > All In Time
Encore: Similar Skin[3], Living In America[7]
[1] debut, original; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[2] debut, Traffic/Joe Cocker; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[3] with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[4] debut, Herbie Hancock; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[5] unfinished
[6] with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns; unfinished
[7] debut, James Brown; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
Notes:
Feelin’ Alright played for Joe Cocker
Last Call played for Mike Mirro
with (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult) tease before Plunger
last Black Messiah 12.31.2007 (779 shows)
last Last Call 12.14.2002 (1,471 shows)
01.01.2015 The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, USA
Set 1: Bathing Digits > Hindsight[1], Hangover, Domino Theory, Prowler > 2nd Self, Utopian Fir[2], Don’t You (Forget About Me), Resolution -> 1348
Set 2: Tribute to the Spinal Shaft[3] > Sociable Jimmy[4], Miami Virtue -> Lively Up Yourself, Full Frontal[1] -> Phil’s Farm, The Floor
Encore: Immigrant Song, JaJunk[5] > Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough[6] > JaJunk
[1] debut, original
[2] with The Ocean (Led Zeppelin) tease
[3] with Bridgeless teases
[4] with Jake on keys
[5] with Entrance of the Gladiators (Julius Fučík) tease
[6] with Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Michael Jackson) quotes
Notes:
1348 finished previous evening’s version
with Xxplosive (Dr. Dre) tease before Immigrant Song
last Lively Up Yourself 05.22.2003 (1,410 shows)
01.02.2015 The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, USA
Set 1: You Got the Wrong Guy > Higgins, Der Bluten Kat > The Message > Der Bluten Kat, 2×2[1], Uncle Wally[2], Nemo[2] > Sweetness[2] > Nemo[2], Southern Cross[3]
Set 2: Hurt Bird Bath[4] -> Upward > Hurt Bird Bath, Push the Pig > The Fussy Dutchman, Conduit, In the Flesh[5] > Another Brick in the Wall[5], Mail Package
Encore: Glory, Slacker[6]
[1] with (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life (Medley/Warnes) teases
[2] with Brendan and Jake on acoustics
[3] debut, Crosby Stills & Nash; with Brendan and Jake on acoustics
[4] with Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty) tease
[5] with Dave Murphy replacing Ryan on bass
[6] with Jake on keys; with The Message (Grandmaster Flash) jam
Notes:
the band came out wearing robes for the encore
01.03.2015 The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, USA
Set 1: Le Blitz > Wappy Sprayberry > The Bottom Half, Syncopated Strangers > Partyin’ Peeps, Professor Wormbog, Rocker Part 2, Led Boots[1] > Mulche’s Odyssey
Set 2: Bridgeless > Hajimemashite, Dump City, The Crooked One[2] > Women Wine and Song, Cemetery Walk, Cemetery Walk II, No Comment[3] -> Bridgeless
Encore: It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
[1] debut, Jeff Beck
[2] with Pop Goes the Weasel tease
[3] with The Woody Woodpecker Song (Tibbles/Idriss) tease