Umphrey’s McGee brought Brooklyn based funk superstars Lettuce to the Meadowbrook Music Festival in Rochester Hills, MI on Saturday night for the home stretch towards the end of their summer tour.
The show marked the second time that UM has made their way through Meadowbrook. The first happened almost exactly two years ago, in 2013, as part of a three-week co-headlining tour with STS9. Unfortunately the August 18 show was the day after UM headlined Chicago, and vocalist Brendan Bayliss was unable to sing, giving the show a unique feel.
Last night, however, Bayliss more than made up for it with a crooning performance over two festival-closing sets, and he, along with the rest of Umphrey’s McGee, were on fire!
Getting things started at 6:30 PM, Lettuce warmed the crowd up with their unique brand of funk that has propelled them to the forefront of the scene. Saxophonist Ryan Zoidis’ performance in particular was on point as every note he hit lingered in successive pockets, whether in short bursts or drawn out cries.
Umphrey’s took the stage around 8:00 PM and kicked the show off with the debut of a brand new intro, “Gobbler’s Nob.” The tune sounds like a zombified version of late 1980’s NES Zelda, as if you’re wandering around a dark underground map or in an enemy castle. Once the groove was loose and the band was tight, they made their way towards outer space with “Atmosfarag,” a song that gets played only a handful of times per year.
An eerie introduction to the fan favorite “Puppet String” provided the right foundation and build up for an epic drop into “2×2.” Bayliss’ performance in particular during the middle section of “2×2” is worth the price of the download alone.
After finishing “Puppet String,” the familiar ‘da na na, banana’ of “Nemo” caused an eruption of cheers from the crowd, and Bayliss’ drenched the lawn with one of his more poetic and lyrically ambiguous classics. A warm and watery jam led to “Sweetness,” before returning to the furious climax and ending of “Nemo.”
“Example 1” had the energy to close the first set but the band weren’t finished yet. Umphrey’s was joined on stage by Lettuce guitarist Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff for the Bob Marley track “Lively Up Yourself.” Even though it is the third time this year it has been played, prior to New Year’s Day the song had been shelved for over 1,400 shows since 2003, making it a real treat to hear.
Three songs that have only been played three times this year and an original debut in the first set alone marked an incredible first set that veterans and new fans were able to appreciate. The set break was short, and it was clear that Umphrey’s was just as eager to get back to the music.
With fans as young as 5 riding the rail at the show, it was almost as if the sight of the young fans re-energized them. At one point in the second set as a young girl threw up her fists into the air, pinkies out, Bayliss said: “Having fun? Rocking out in the front row, when I grow up I want to be just like you.”
The second set started just after the sun set, and they band ripped into “The Floor” with guitarist Jake Cinninger’s relentlessly trademark fire and brimstone guitar lead attack. Things got funky with a riveting “Mail Package.” Even though they have performed “Mail Package” with horns before, the horn section from Lettuce did not join the stage for this particular rendition, or for any tracks at all for that matter.
The next 18 minutes featured a spectacular “Wappy Sprayberry > Mad Love” segment that seemed to define the evening. Even though the band played “Wappy” 6 days prior on the other side of the state in Grand Rapids, it was more than well received.
Featuring a unique and uplifting jam combined with Jefferson Waful’s masterful lighting techniques “Wappy Sprayberry” filled the entire venue with sunshine, as if it were a victorious counterpart to the video game dilemma of “Gobbler’s Nob” while “Mad Love” hosted a dueling machine gun battle between Cinninger and Bayliss on guitar.
In the middle of the next track, “Sociable Jimmy”, keyboardist Joel Cummins invited Nigel Hall to join him in an extended jam session punctuated by sweeping synths and a real nice arpeggiated scoop on the organ.
As Hall exited the stage, a very familiar jazz chord progression over a zesty hi-hat beat had many fans fooled into thinking another rarity among the ‘Nurse’ tracks was underway. In actuality, the funky jam that ensued was “Full Frontal”, a studio track available as a bonus with the digital download of the Hall of Fame 2013 last fall.
Making its debut New Year’s Day, Saturday was the fifth time “Full Frontal” made it into a live performance. It also included teases of the Modest Mouse song “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” in the segue to the show closing “40s Theme”, which featured a strangely familiar “Booth Love” esque jam, the way “White Pickle” might fool you for “In The Kitchen”, however no Jimmy Stewart was noted.
For the encore, the boys returned to the stage for “Kimble”, for its third setlist appearance this year as well before tearing out all the stops with a balls to the wall, ferocious performance of “Believe The Lie” to end the evening.
Nearly half of the setlist selections for Saturday night were rarely played bust outs that see the light of day maybe 5 times a year. For the more common tunes, “Wappy”, “The Floor”, or “Puppet String” for example, featured above average jams and stellar improv.
Umphrey’s McGee takes to the Southeast next weekend with dates in North Carolina and Florida to close their Summer Tour. If you’re heading out to see Umphrey’s in Florida, don’t miss this exciting UM after party led by “the Dr.” himself, Roosevelt Collier. Details can be found here.
[All photos from Katie Laskowska]
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee at Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester Hills, MI – 8/15/15
Set 1: Gobbler’s Knob[1] > Atmosfarag, Puppet String > 2×2 > Puppet String, Nemo > Sweetness > Nemo, Example 1, Lively Up Yourself[2]
Set 2: The Floor, Mail Package, Wappy Sprayberry > Mad Love, Sociable Jimmy[3] > Full Frontal[4], 40’s Theme
Encore: Kimble > Believe the Lie
[1] debut, original
[2] with Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff on guitar
[3] with Nigel Hall on keys
[4] with Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (Modest Mouse) teases
[Setlist via All Things Umphrey’s]
Full gallery below from photographer Katie Laskowska:
