Last night, Umphrey’s McGee returned to The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, kicking off the first of a two-night run at the historic venue and the first night of three nights in the New York area, including Sunday’s highly anticipated and sold-out Brooklyn Bowl show. The progressive jam six-piece started off last night’s show with “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, played in tribute to the late, great Tom Petty—Friday’s performance marked the Umphrey’s first show since Petty’s death as well as, remarkably, the band’s first time covering the iconic musician. Jake Cinninger took lead vocals and delivered an awesome, spot-on rendition of the song’s famous guitar solo.

“Runnin’ Down A Dream”

 

The Petty cover flowed perfectly into “JaJunk”. The drop-on-a-dime transition is one of the band’s trademarks, and they executed this one with ease. The “JaJunk” jam was huge—a great and complex piece of improvisation that allowed all six members of the band to flex their musical muscles.  The band quickly started up “Much Obliged”, offering a spot-on version of the fan-favorite. The song’s funk breakdown got the crowd moving, and some “Werewolves Of London” teases from keyboardist Joel Cummins were eventually picked up by Cinninger for a fun and playful segment.

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Continuing the opening stanza, the band flowed into “Upward”, which was as blissful and triumphant as ever. This song has become one of the band’s most reliable songs to jam into, an excellent landing pad that helps the band harness the energy they’ve created and transform it into one massive peak. The highlight of the first set was an ambitious “Intentions Clear.” This was an excellent take on the song, with a patient jam that evolved slowly, with Cinninger offering up some perfect rhythm guitar, driving the jam before Brendan Bayliss launched into some lead licks that pushed the improvisation into second gear. This was a “how did they pull that off?” bliss jam that Umphrey’s fans hope for on a nightly basis.

Coming out of “Intentions Clear”, Umphrey’s McGee launched into “Make It Right”, a new song featuring explosive dual guitars and a short-but-sweet jam with a climactic peak. To close out the first set, the band played a metal-infused “Higgins”, which contrasted the majority of set one. Umphrey’s can get pretty heavy and with “Higgins” they did just that, turning it up to eleven and delivering a “Jimmy Stewart” improv segment that, at times, sounded a bit like “Spoonman” by Soundgarden.

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The uptick in energy with “Higgins” was just a small taste of what was to come in set two. To open the second set, Umphrey’s turned to one of their most reliable set-openers, a pulsating “Wappy Sprayberry” that picked up where set one left off. The impressive jam segment was met by three-dimensional lights from Jefferson Waful, who washed the band in bold and bright colors all night long. The “Wappy” dropped directly into a giant version of “Phil’s Farm,” which should immediately enter the running for UM’s 2017 Hall of Fame release. The jam was remarkable, with the band harnessing some wild energy for an aggressive take on the genre-bending classic.

“Wappy Sprayberry” > “Phil’s Farm”

 

Continuing the trend of seamless transitions and beloved favorites, the band left “Phil’s Farm” unfinished and made a soft landing on the slow-build introduction of “2×2.” UM delivered an expert take on the Bayliss-penned favorite. “2×2” has a little bit of everything for fans, with gorgeous harmonies offset by chunky riffs, ominous rhythms, and soaring guitar solos. It is often a showcase of the variety that Umphrey’s brings to their live show, and last night’s version was another stunning example of the band’s prowess.

After a quick breather, Kris Myers and Andy Farag took an extended dual-drum solo, which ended up as a long introduction for a spot-on cover of “Africa” by Toto that had the whole audience singing along loudly. Following the fun cover, Umphrey’s busted out “Resolution”, the old favorite that dates back to Cinninger’s days in Ali Baba’s Tahini. Umphrey’s McGee busted out their speed-rock tease of “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles, and dropped a pronounced tease of “Roundabout” by Yes into the track, before segueing back into “Phil’s Farm” to complete the huge version and to bring set two to a close. For the encore, Umphrey’s turned in one more beloved classic—a raucous take on “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” that sent the Capitol Theatre crowd into a frenzy.

You can check out photos from last night’s performance below, courtesy of Andrew Blackstein.

Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | The Capitol Theatre | Port Chester, NY | 10/20/2017

Set One: Runnin’ Down A Dream > JaJunk > Much Obliged > Upward, Intentions Clear > Make It Right, Higgins

Set Two: Wappy Sprayberry > Phil’s Farm > 2×2, Drums > Africa, Resolution > Phil’s Farm

Encore: Miss Tinkle’s Overture