Umphrey’s McGee closed out another Red Rocks Amphitheatre run in grand fashion on Saturday with a showdown against opening act Andy Frasco & The U.N. The show also featured the live debut of another Asking For A Friend single, “New Wings”.
Saturday’s show started off with “Crucial Taunt” ahead of the first major improvisation of the evening on “Rocker Part 2”. Umphrey’s McGee then offered the first “Susanah” since 6/19/21, when Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger played the song “backstage” on acoustic guitars at Red Rocks, per All Things Umphrey’s. The easygoing rarity’s delicacy was then shattered by a heavier movement of “Puppet String” and “2×2”. The previous night’s “Day Nurse” then found its partner in “Night Nurse” before quick runs through “Partyin’ Peeps” and “Cut The Cable” put a cap on set one.
Umphrey’s McGee – “Crucial Taunt” [Pro-Shot] – 6/18/22
Taking the Red Rocks stage for the last set of the weekend, Umphrey’s McGee delivered the first-ever live telling of “New Wings”. The previously released single from Asking For A Friend, out July 1st, retained its breezy air in its onstage translation but received a bit of much-needed teeth from Cinninger’s guitar solo. A carrot-and-the-stick pairing, “New Wings” led into an expansive “Nothing Too Fancy” that inched toward the 20-minute mark.
Following the massive jam, Brendan took a moment to apologize on behalf of Umphrey’s McGee for the “immature, a little bit disturbing, and just gross” opening set from Andy Frasco & The U.N. At that moment, Frasco and company revealed themselves from a renegade stage set up in the middle of the audience to issue a challenge.
What ensued was a battle of fragmented classic rock riffs that would rival any junior high “jam session” of Jimmy Page, Kirk Hammett, and Tom Morello emulation. Rather than playing entire songs, Umphrey’s McGee squared off with Frasco & The U.N. to show how well they can play the central riff to an array of well-known rock songs, with The U.N. starting things off with an “Immigrant Song” featuring added expletives.
UM countered back with Rage Against The Machine‘s “Bombtrack”, before Frasco et al retorted with Grand Funk Railroad‘s “We’re An American Band” altered to “We’re In The Opening Band”. While it offered little in the way of proving the band’s musical mettle, it did display Frasco’s undeniable ability to do a proper parody song.
The duel continued as Umphrey’s offered a snippet of “Cult of Personality“, before Andy Frasco & The U.N. played the best 15 seconds of “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the “So you think you can stomp me and spit in my eye” part. This carried on as Umphrey’s played Metallica’s “Sad But True” and Frasco countered with another RATM song, “Bombtrack”, saying, “This is how you really do Rage Against The Machine”.
Brendan Bayliss finally put the altercation to bed. “You guys are making this about you,” he chided the Opening Band. “I want to make this about the people here. This is for you guys,” he said, gesturing to the audience before offering up the first verse of “Cocaine”. After the quick snippet, he declared righteously, “We win.”
Umphrey’s McGee: The Frasco Face-off at Red Rocks – 6/18/22
Following Frasco’s departure, cover-mania reached a fever pitch with “Frankie Zombie”. This marked the band’s first performance of the “Thunder Kiss ’65” (White Zombie), “Relax” (Frankie Goes to Hollywood)​, and “Have a Cigar” (Pink Floyd) mashup since 1/29/20. It was all originals from then on out, with Umphrey’s McGee performing “Higgins” and finally finishing the second set with a pairing of “Wappy Sprayberry” and “The Floor”. Coming back out for the encore, Umphrey’s McGee loaded up a “Gulf Stream” with the ending of “Puppet String” tacked on to close the Red Rocks run.
Full-show audio of Umphrey’s McGee at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Saturday is available courtesy of taper dallman. Check out a collection of fan-shot videos from Matthew Ondish. For a list of upcoming Umphrey’s McGee tour dates, head here.
Umphrey’s McGee – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – 6/18/22
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | 6/18/22
Set One: Crucial Taunt, Rocker Part 2, Susanah, Puppet String > 2×2, Night Nurse, Partyin’ Peeps, Cut the Cable
Set Two: New Wings [1] > Nothing Too Fancy, Andy Frasco Fiasco, Frankie Zombie, Higgins, Wappy Sprayberry > The Floor
Encore: Gulf Stream > Puppet String
[1] debut, original