Progressive jam experts Umphrey’s McGee continued their winter tour last night, delivering another classic performance at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. The show featured Umphrey’s at the top of their game, with a number of interesting transitions, big moments of improvisation, epic covers, and two sets filled with some of the best songs from their extended catalog.
To start set one, Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss emerged with acoustic guitars strapped on, to the delight of the entire audience. They kicked the show off with a quick take on the Reel To Real soundtrack’s lead single, “Gone For Good”, before they started up “Where Is My Mind” by the Pixies. “Great American” came next, with its beautiful jazz fusion vibes acting as the perfect launchpad for improvisation. The band took their chance, stretching the song out before landing on “The Pequod”, a rarity that only gets busted out a few times each year. The band eventually transitioned back into the end of “Great American”, bringing the surprise acoustic segment to a close.
Umphrey’s then turned the energy up with perfection as they launched into the progressive rocker “Wappy Sprayberry”. “Wappy” is one of Umphrey’s biggest songs, as they constantly deliver impressive versions of the multi-sectional jam vehicle. This version was no different, moving in a few different directions before the band kicked into another progressive favorite, “Believe The Lie”. The set then ended with an impressive run from the dance-happy “Nothing Too Fancy” into the fan-favorite “Syncopated Strangers”, which eventually transformed into into the instrumental throwdown of “Dump City”.
Set two started with another huge favorite in “2×2”. One of the band’s best and most complex songs, Umphrey’s split the song into two parts, with the final portion of “Syncopated Strangers” showing up in the middle of the song. After the impressive set two opening segment, Umphrey’s started up another old favorite in the anthemic “August”. “Robot World” followed, eventually moving into “Resolution” and then finally “Bad Poker”. To close out the set, the band started up the intro to their beloved “Divisions”, but that turned out to be a fake-out, as Umphrey’s ended up performing a huge version of “All In Time”.
For the encore, the band dug deep into their catalog of covers, busting out “Miss Gradenko” by The Police for the first time since 2013, a gap of 341 shows. After running through the cover, the band leaped at the chance for some more improv, building towards an impressive peak that eventually turned into the final segment of “Nothing Too Fancy”, certainly a high energy way to end this fantastic night of music.
See below for a full setlist from the evening. Also, you’ll find a clip of “Robot World”, courtesy of 215Music‘s YouTube channel. Umphrey’s McGee continues their tour this Thursday with a show at the College Street Music Hall, where they’ll be joined by Joshua Redman and opening act Spafford.
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | Penn’s Peak | Jim Thorpe, PA | 1/22/2017
Set One: Gone For Good^, Where Is My Mind^@, Great American^ -> The Pequod^ -> Great American^, Wappy Sprayberry -> Believe The Lie, Nothing Too Fancy -> Syncopated Strangers -> Dump City
Set Two: 2×2 -> Syncopated Strangers -> 2×2, August, Robot World -> Resolution -> Bad Poker, All In Time*
Encore: Miss Gradenko# -> Nothing Too Fancy
^ with Brendan and Jake on acoustic guitars
@ by the Pixies
# by The Police
*With “Divisions” fake-out intro