Sometimes even Mother Nature can’t stop the cycle of rage, rest, repeat that Umphrey’s McGee has come to define. The first venue designated in Peoria, IL for the Sunday night show was submerged in water from the flooded Illinois River. The second venue was another outdoor venue, but due to rainy forecasts, the show was moved indoors to the Limelight Eventplex. It sold out, and with good reason- it absolutely rocked. Keyboardist Joel Cummins summed up the night perfectly, “It’s Sunday night, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.”

“Front Porch” is always a great way to open a show, but this version came and went throughout the first part of the set as Umphrey’s interspersed it with a couple different tunes. Within it, they played “Resolution”, complete with a spot-on jam of AC/DC’s “Back in Black”. They also celebrated crew member Steve Britz’s birthday complete with a cake and a vocal rendition of “Happy Birthday”.

As they ate cake on stage, keyboardist Joel Cummins played “Root Beer Rag”, a Billy Joel tune that hadn’t been played since 2003. The song went back into “Front Porch”, this time with birthday boy Britz on percussion.

If that weren’t enough, they then jammed Led Zeppelin’s “Hey Hey What Can I Do”, before returning one last time to “Front Porch” to finish the tune. It was a monster way to open up the set. Following that, the band opened up during “2×2”, a great jam vehicle. The rare and poignant “The Peqoud” reared itself from the darkness, and they closed out the set with a great version of “Mulche’s Odyssey”.

The second set responded in kind. “Dump City”, “The Linear”, and the “Bottom Half” all had excellent improvisation as they were worthy of second set status. “FF” continued with more Led Zeppelin as there was a hefty “Fool in the Rain” jam.

They ended the set with “Roundabout”, a tribute to YES bass player Chris Squire who passed away from leukemia earlier in the day. UM definitely paid their respects by nailing their version. Cummins even donned a cape, just like the one YES keyboardist Rick Wakeman wore. Drummer Kris Myers really dug deep to be able to belt out the vocals in such a beautiful manner. It was a great tribute to a musician who passed.

Watch Umphrey’s McGee Cover ‘Roundabout’ In Honor Of Yes Bassist Chris Squire

Bringing the show back full circle, they started the encore with the “Front Porch” riff that so heavily defined the first set. They quickly went into “Thin Air”, complete with a verse of Bob Marley’s “Rainbow Country”. It was an awesome way to end the night.

Right on the rail, dead center, was a father with his adorable little daughter. It was his 100th UM show and the girl’s first show. Stasik even said to the crowd, “It’s a very special thing to see a father and a daughter experience their hundredth and first show… at the same time.” The girl had a huge smile on her face the entire night. And why wouldn’t she? She was rocking an Umphrey’s McGee concert.

All in all, Umphrey’s played an awesome show with a bit of everything- mischief of Mother Nature, great song selection, precise covers, excellent improvisation, and even a feel good story from the crowd, summarizing just how much Umphreaks love their Umphrey’s McGee!

Be sure to catch Umphrey’s on their brief mini-tour with Lettuce in July, with stops at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ on July 17th (more info here) and at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia (more info here). There’s also a great after party on the 18th featuring Break Science, so don’t miss out!

 

Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee @ Limelight Eventplex, Peoria, IL – 6/28/15

Set I: Front Porch> Resolution > Front Porch > Britches Birthday Celebration > Root Beer Rag (just Joel & Kris) > Front Porch (w/Britches on Perc) > Hey, Hey What Can I Do > Front Porch, 2×2, Little Gift, The Pequod > Mulche’s Odyssey

Set II: Dump City, The Linear > The Bottom Half, FF, Out of Order, Le Blitz > Domino Theory, Roundabout

Encore: Thin Air (Front Porch fakeout & Rainbow Country verse)