Umphrey's McGee Covers "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" With Pink Floyd Saxophonist In L.A. [Photos/Audio]

Umphrey’s McGee swung through The Bellwether in Los Angeles on Saturday where the band covered the complete “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” with help from former Pink Floyd touring saxophonist Scott Page. Elsewhere in the show, Andy Frasco showed up to wish the band luck—and chug some of Brendan Bayliss‘ wine—and even lent out his drummer Andee Avila to provide percussion on the Floyd classic.

“Shine On You Crazy Diamond” formed the centerpiece of the band’s second set. Clocking in at an expansive 22 minutes, it was about on par with the some 25-minute total of all nine parts of the composition found on 1975’s Wish You Were Here. Fender Stratocaster in hand, guitarist Jake Cinninger was well-equipped to echo David Gilmour in the song’s psychedelic-drenched introduction.

Page emerged midway through the movement to lend his horn, which he contributed to the post-Roger Waters era of Pink Floyd beginning with the A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour in 1987. Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason specifically sought out Page to bring an element of showmanship to the band’s live performances. With his distinctive mullet haircut and equally distinguishing style of evocative playing, Page certainly livened up performances at the tail-end of Pink Floyd’s legendary run—just as he livened up UM’s show on Saturday.

As for Frasco’s involvement in the show, his role was merely one of support—stepping onstage only for a gulp of Bayliss’ red wine in the middle of a song. Frasco was out west getting a jump on his impending spring tour, set to kick off on Tuesday in Santa Fe, NM.

Check out some photos of Umphrey’s McGee in Los Angeles, with appearances by Scott Page and Andy Frasco, courtesy of photographer Brandon Weil. Stream the entire concert via the nugs player below, and subscribe to nugs to access the band’s full catalog of live performances dating back to 2001. [Editor’s Note: Live For Live Music is a nugs affiliate. Ordering your nugs subscription or purchasing a download via the links on this page helps support our coverage of the world of live music. Thank you for reading!]

Umphrey’s McGee — The Bellwether — Los Angeles, CA — 3/23/24 — Full Audio

Setlist: Umphprey’s McGee | The Bellwether | Los Angeles, CA | 3/23/24

Set One: You Got the Wrong Guy > Pure Saturation > Half Delayed, The Crooked One > Professor Wormbog, Wappy Sprayberry > Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Plunger > Hajimemashite

Set Two: Staircase > Pay the Snucka, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd) [1], Small Strides, Bridgeless

Encore: The Floor

Footnotes:
[1] with Scott Page on saxophone and Adele Avila on percussion