Umphrey’s McGee has a way of making you feel like the show that you experience is the only show that they are playing that week. The reality of it all is that they have the busiest schedules of any musicians I know of. The craziest thing is they all have families and lives outside of the band, but they still make time to melt our faces. They were just coming down from the high of playing seven phenomenal sets at Summer Camp Music Festival. They started to play Summer Camp back in 2003 when their friends from moe. invited them to be headliners and have played every year since. So, with Summer camp being their home turf, they always bring the heat. Umphrey’s kicked off yet another music filled weekend with a show on Thursday 5/31/18 at The Grove of Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, SC. The opener was Perpetual Groove and the after party was performed by a side project of Ryan Stasik’s called Doom Flamingo. This show was followed by four sets at Mountain Music Festival in West Virginia in which they bust out all the artistic flares.
The last time they played in Charleston, SC was for Chucktown Ball 2016. With the boys being so unpredictable, I had no idea what I was walking into. I had honestly never been so blind going into a show before. Especially since it was a more intimate setting than a music festival. There were a lot of factors to consider when trying to create my jamble guesses. Jamble is a game where you guess the songs and covers that you think the band is going to play based off past setlists. It’s like fantasy football but for jam band fiends. Since they debuted four new songs from “It’s You” at Summer Camp the weekend before, we only had the opportunity to get one out of three debuts. Charleston had the chance of getting “What We Could Get” (which was crossed off Summer Camp’s Saturday setlist), “Nether,” or “Hanging Chads.” Three pretty bitchin’ possibilities if you ask me. Two of the three songs are Jake songs and the other is Stasik’s, so you can’t go wrong either way. With Charleston being Ryan Stasik’s home town, one would guess that he had the most control over the setlist. But since Stasik has a bromantic love for Jake the setlist seemed to play in both of their favors (of course with a couple B.B. killers thrown in). But even after all my research and critical thinking, the rain had different plans for the nights events.
My tips for trying to face a concert in the rain are to grab a beer (or two), take shelter, and just accept the fact that you’re going to get wet regardless of how much gear you put on. Once you’ve mastered these steps you can start to enjoy yourself instead of focusing all your energy on the fact that it’s raining. As the show crept closer the percentage of rain declined to zero during the hours when the music was going to happen. The rain did hold off, but only until we got to the venue. Right before Perpetual Groove started to play the skies opened up and gave us wooks the shower that we had been putting off for a couple of days. Perpetual Groove only got in two songs before they had to call it quits because of the potential damage to their equipment. After the turn of events, we all took cover, hiding under pop up tents and trees to try and keep us dry. That proved to be a failure as we all inevitably got soaked. Hiding under a pop up with a bunch of other phreaks was an interesting way to spend a half an hour. I met a bunch of people who had never seen UM before and they were worried that they weren’t going to play. At my first Summer Camp in 2016 it not only rained but purple lightning painted the sky for hours before Umphey’s set. They still played. So, there was not a thought in my mind that the boys were going to throw in the towel on this show. The rain lightened up and we all ran to secure our spots for the show. The atmosphere was set up perfectly. A bunch of wet partyin’ peeps lining the stage waiting for the arrival of the band. The anticipation was building as the rain stopped. And just as I reassured everyone, the boys came onstage to play.
One of Umprhey’s more nostalgic songs is “In the Kitchen.” It’s one of those songs that never gets old. The whole crowd knows all the lyrics and sings along with Brendan Bayliss (throwing in our own words here and there). When they play it now, they usually pair it with a hall-of-fame worthy jam. It wasn’t expected to be played in Charleston because they played it the weekend before. But everyone was happy to hear it because like I said, she’s a good one. This song is also versatile, it could be placed anywhere on a setlist and fit in with the rest of the songs. It came second, after “Make it Right” (which was the perfect way to start the show). Right off the bat Ryan kicked in with a sweet bass line that was instantly recognizable, but I couldn’t pin point what it was. At first it kind of sounded like Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” which I know that they tease often, but as the jam progressed it became evident that that was not it. Around the seven-minute mark of the jam it dawned on me! They were teasing Mötley Crüe’s “Dr. Feelgood.” The last time the band played this song in full was 2/3/16. I definitely didn’t think that they were going to use any quotes from the song but just as that thought crossed my mind, Bayliss shuffled up to the mic and uttered those four syllables that made me literally jump into the air. There ain’t nothing like a little Mötley Crüe to scoop you up out of the mud and make you ready for a face melting show.
The set list contained a lot of jam-heavy songs like “Manits,” “1348,” and “Puppet String.” This of course provoked a jam-heavy show. A couple of shorter songs were present too like “You and You Alone,” and “Get in the Van.” The song that was my highlight was “Sociable Jimmy” (named after a Mark Twain cartoon). SJ was never a song that I went out of my way to listen to when I first started listening to UM. It wasn’t until after the SJ that they cranked out on their New Year’s Eve run that I started to listen to it more. I shortly realized that it’s one of the best. It hooks you in and makes you pay attention, mostly because you’re trying to catch all of Bayliss’ lyrics. The “Sociable Jimmy” that we received in Charleston was intriguing because I had gotten one in Philly, so I was interested to see what they were going to do with it this time. They caught me way off guard with the saucy improve they created. It had an Indian-like jam which sounded fluffy that paired perfectly with the serious tone of Jake’s guitar throughout the song. The jam poured out of the song like a smooth cream, fascinating the crowd. I couldn’t help but to get locked in on watching Jake tickle his strings. Then Andy Farag (the percussionist) busted out an icy percussion background for the boys to skate over. The spotlight then turned to Joel as he created a serene melody for us to smile to. The whole band came together as a whole, once again, to cradle our ears with amazing music. Right after this show stopper came “Puppet String.”
I’m not about to hate on “Puppet String” but the song is a bit over rated. It is a great song, don’t get me wrong and it has a great message. I have just heard it so many times. Its that song that gets you into Umphrey’s. You listen to it until you realize that they have much better material. I have gotten seven live “Puppet String’s” which doesn’t seem like a lot but a lot of them have fallen back to back. Since PS is so “popular,” they usually create some ground breaking improve to go along with the song to keep it interesting. I’ve seen Jake on keys for the song, Bayliss and Jake crawling on the floor whilst shredding, and many incredible jams that have come out of this song. The jams almost make up for hearing it so many times. The “Puppet String” we got in Charleston was one of the better ones. They made it sound spacey like most of the jams from 2008 which enticed some weird dance moves. Stasik was making a lot of weird yet wonderful noises come out of Fiona (what he’s named his wooden bass) and I adored every minute of it. Jake was on the top of his game for the entire show, but he especially stretched his fingers on this one. Even though Jake busted some ear drums on this song, he was only warming up.
The encore was maybe the best part of the show for me. They had planned on ending the second set with “Miss Tinkles Overture.” A song that got its name from Joel Cummins, the keyboardist, not being able to control his bladder (don’t be ashamed Joel, we’ve all been there). Due to the days events, they crossed it off the set list and wrote it in as the opener of the encore, making it a triple threat. Tinks is an upbeat song that gets the audience pumped which was perfect to spark a second wind in the crowd for the closer. The second song of the encore was the debut of “What We Could Get” off the new, new album, “It’s You.” Finally! There was our debut. They kept us on the edge of our metaphorical seats for the whole show for this one. The magic of getting a debut is something that you will only experience in the moment of a show. No one has ever heard it performed live before and you’re there to bask in the glory. I love listening to Jake sing and this song showcases the agility in his voice. But he was just wetting his whistle for the closer of the encore which was Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.” I have only ever gotten two Pink Floyd covers; “In the Flesh” and “Another Brick in the Wall” (most commonly played together). But I thoroughly enjoy listening to Jake and Bayliss sing their hearts out which they tend to do when rocking a Pink Floyd song. The dynamic of the encore was a digress from the high energy tinks to the sweet trance of “Comfortably Numb,” but in all the good ways. The entirety of the show was reflected in the three-song encore with this dynamic. There were ups and there were downs but in all the right places. They were put together to craft one of the better shows that I have been to.
One thing that I love about UM is that no matter how much I prepare for a show, they will always throw me a curveball (no pun intended). They always play what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. Many people are shocked when I say that I’ve seen Umphrey’s McGee twenty-five times. I always tell them “that’s nothing, that I know people that have seen them at least a hundred times.” But people still say, “Isn’t that enough?” Well no, it’s not enough. Umphrey’s brings something different to the table every time. Each show is unique and special, which makes YOU feel unique and special for being there. I like to call that feeling Umphrey’s magic. That’s what keeps bringing me back. If you haven’t seen Umphrey’s McGee and are considering going to a show, I say go for it! It just may be the best decision of your life.
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