Hi all! I know that it has been quite some time since you all have heard from me. Some personal stuff came up and unfortunately, I didn’t have the time or the energy to sit down and write. But with the recent, early resignation of Umphrey’s lighting designer, Jefferson Waful, I felt the need to chime in and share my thoughts and gratitude towards the situation.
Jefferson joined the band in the late fall of 2008, replacing the bands original lighting director, Adam Budney. He began to wow audiences throughout the United States as well as many other countries with his mesmerizing lights that just seemed to line up perfectly with the band’s improve. They proved to be a great fit from the start and eventually, due to Waful’s genius display, an Umphrey’s McGee show was not only a finely tuned rock and roll show, it was a full-on visual encounter. Waful provided a whole new element to the shows themselves by creating stunning light cues to accompany an already astounding musical experience.
Waful has grown with the band for over 10 years and eventually the crowd noticed; he is now considered the seventh member of the band. Chances are, if you know who Umphrey’s is, then you’ll most likely know the huge part that Jefferson plays in the production. I’ve heard Waful say in an interview that when the band first hired him, they gave him a list of songs to create lighting to for him to practice and prepare. And then on his first official show they didn’t play any of the songs they had him prepare him with. The boys put him to the test and he passed with flying colors; no pun intended.
Waful was originally set to resign with the end of the year 2019. This news alone created a subtle heart break throughout the umphreak community, leaving them to wonder who would fill the shoes of this brilliant lighting artist. But on the morning of August 29th Umphrey’s sent out a tweet that would leave the fans both upset and shocked. They announced that, due to some long, ongoing back issues, Jefferson Waful’s resignation would be immediate rather than in a few months. This would make the show in Wilmington, NC on August 18th (Jefferson’s birthday) his last show with the band. While the fanbase is very upset to hear the news, they reluctantly understand the situation.
To Jefferson Waful - I can only speak for myself, but I imagine that many umphreaks would join me in saying, thank you to all that you’ve done for Umphrey’s McGee. You will be dearly missed and I wish you a speedy recovery and luck in your future; I can’t wait to see what you do next.
And to the person to replace Waful as lighting designer - you will have some large shoes to fill.
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