Umphrey’s McGee and The Disco Biscuits wrapped the first leg of their co-headlining tour with a pair of weekend shows in Maine and Vermont. The concerts saw the bands trade off headlining duties at Thompson’s Point in Portland, ME and Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex, VT. Both bands used the weekend to debut new compositions and cross-pollinate each others’ sets, and they finished the run with a guest-filled Pink Floyd blowout.
The Disco Biscuits did the honors of opening Saturday’s show in Portland, marking the band’s first time at the local favorite. The trancefusion quartet started with “Caterpillar” and didn’t stop for the entirety of their 90-minute set, all of which was sandwiched within the opening “Caterpillar”. In the midst of that, the band debuted a new song, “Space Train”, which was preceded by “Lake Shore Drive“, released back in March as The Disco Biscuits’ first new studio single in ten years.
For its turn as headliners, Umphrey’s McGee delivered a program of setlist staples including “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” and “Similar Skin” alongside the new original “Small Strides”. Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner joined in on “Ringo”, departing as UM finished its set with “The Floor” and finally a movement of “Wappy Sprayberry” into “In The Kitchen”.
The touring party then traveled inland to Essex, VT for a show at Champlain Valley Exposition. Umphrey’s McGee started the evening off with “Educated Guess”, “It Doesn’t Matter”, and a pairing of “Preamble” into “Mantis”. Drummer Kris Myers took a breather during “Miami Virtue” as tDB’s Allen Aucoin filled in behind the kit. The set then wrapped with a pair of segues that included “The Linear” into “2nd Self” and “Attachments” > “JaJunk” to close the performance.
Jon “Barber” Gutwillig, Marc Brownstein, Aron Magner, and Allen Aucoin then took the stage to close out the weekend run. The band had more original compositions to share, with “Tourists (Rocket Ship)” arriving in the two-slot of yet another uninterrupted set. The performance also featured another recently released studio single, the Aron Magner-driven “M1“. Following an inverted “The Great Abyss”, the set closed with a “Space Train” that flowed into “Munchkin Invasion”.
Taking the stage one last time for the encore, The Disco Biscuits emerged with an expanded lineup that included Joel Cummins, Brendan Bayliss, and Kris Myers of Umphrey’s. The pianist, guitarist, and drummer helped The Disco Biscuits debut covers of Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” into “Eclipse”. Though this was The Disco Biscuits’ first time performing the Dark Side of the Moon pairing, Brownstein and Magner have performed the song with Bayliss and Jake Cinninger before as part of their Pink Floyd/The Beatles cover project, Brain Damaged Eggmen.
Check out some fan-shot videos of Umphrey’s McGee and The Disco Biscuits at Thompson’s Point courtesy of Beats & Streams. The two bands will link back up in August for more joint concerts in Indiana, Missouri, and Tennessee.
The Disco Biscuits – “Caterpillar” – Portland, ME – 6/11/22 – Partial
Umphrey’s McGee – “Wappy Sprayberry” > “In The Kitchen” – Portland, ME – 6/11/22
Umphrey’s McGee, Aron Magner – “Ringo” – Portland, ME – 6/11/22
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Setlist: The Disco Biscuits | Thompson’s Point | Portland, ME | 6/11/22
Set: Caterpillar > Freeze > Who’s In Charge? > Lake Shore Drive > Space Train [1] > Caterpillar
[1] New original, first time played
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | Thompson’s Point | Portland, ME | 6/11/22
Set: You Got the Wrong Guy > Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Similar Skin, Small Strides [1], Der Bluten Kat, Ringo [2], The Floor, Wappy Sprayberry > In The Kitchen
[1] Debut, original
[2] w/ Aron Magner on keys
Setlist: Umphrey’s McGee | Champlain Valley Exposition | Essex, VT | 6/12/22
Set: Educated Guess, It Doesn’t Matter, Preamble > Mantis, Miami Virtue [1], The Linear -> 2nd Self, Attachments > JaJunk
[1] with Allen Aucoin replacing Kris on drums
Setlist: The Disco Biscuits | Champlain Valley Exposition | Essex, VT | 6/12/22
Set: Munchkin Invasion > Tourists (Rocket Ship) [1] > Another Plan of Attack > M1 > The Great Abyss [2] > Space Train > Munchkin Invasion
Encore: Brain Damage [3] > Eclipse [3]
[1] New original, first time played
[2] inverted version
[3] first time played, with Joel Cummins, Kris Myers & Brendan Bayliss