All four of us needed to sleep until noon after night one. Which we all did. I was so surprised to see the time when I woke up the next morning. I hadn’t slept that late in a very long time. But I was on vacation after all! When we all woke up, we immediately started talking about the magic that went down the night before. I remember we all got the tweet with the VIP setlist at the same time. I was sad to have missed it because it looked amazing. And I’m sure that getting “The Fuzz” so soon after Dominican Holidaze was special. I was also super jealous about the “Thin Air” that was played. But I couldn’t let myself get too jealous because I was gifted an incredible night of music and still had three to go.
We were all patiently awaiting Garretts arrival. He was going to be there at five, which was about the time that we were planning on leaving to get to the venue. When he got there, I could see the excitement in his spirit which only made me more excited for him to join us for the rest of the weekend. We got to the venue to stand in line early because the first night’s crowd was pretty thick when we were trying to get in. Once we got in, we raced to the top balcony to find some good seats for the night. We had all thoroughly enjoyed having seats for the second set of the first night that we chose to do the same for the second. I liked the difference in perspectives from that high up. I could easily see all the members of the band and I could even see Joel’s fingers (something I’ve always wished I could see standing on the floor). I could see that Andy is getting a tiny bald spot on the top of his head! It was a nice change.
Tauk was opening for the show, which was a huge treat, and then after the show was the Tauking McGee after party. So, we were well prepared for the night. We had a lot of good music coming our way. Tauk went on tour with Umprhey’s back in 2016. They supported them for a large chunk of the year, with having some other openers here and there. I can only imagine that they all became close and it’s a special occurrence for both bands to be playing together again. With only minutes to go, we waited patiently in our seats. Tauk came on and played a great set to get us prepared for the night. I was predicting Umphrey’s to have high energy for the show because of all the elements that the night had to offer. And boy was my prediction right.
They came on to an intro song, but it was one of my favorites, so I didn’t mind. With them playing “Gurgle” and then going straight into “Jajunk,” we realized that they were about to blow the roof off this place. I was due for a nice “Jajunk.” I hadn’t gotten one in a while, so I was extremely happy to have it kick off the show. Ryan really brought the funk out right off the bat and Joel was hitting those chords with such power. Jake and Brendan were plucking each note so clearly and hitting me right in the soul. They were already killing it this early in the show. The jam was high-energy and definitely made me dance. They broke it up into sections and slowed down the tempo into a smoother melody so they could transition into “Upward.”
Once I heard the opening riff, I got goosebumps. This song is one of those instant goosebumps songs. You can always catch me with a smile on my face while listening to this one. When I first heard the new chord progression after they released it on It’s Not Us, I didn’t know if I liked it. But after I heard it live, I liked it better than the pre-recorded version. It gives it more of a build, which the song deserves. When I heard this, I shed the first tears of the night. The lyrics of this song are some of my favorites that Bayliss has written. The end of “Upward” led so smoothly into the beginning of “2x2” (which is another fat jam segue song). The different sections in this song really blow my mind. It goes from a soft, inviting song to a smack-in-the-face dirty get down. Your ears are for sure on overload while receiving this tune. Ryan lead them into a crazy beat. Joel and Kris then added so cream to the coffee. And while Joel was tickling the ivories, Andy got real weird on the cowbell. The jam that came out of this was incredible. Jake and Joel brought back the dance party from before and then came back in strong with the end of the song before Bayliss’ three-and-a-half-minute solo (which was just what the doctor ordered).
And then they dropped right into “Stinko’s Ascension,” another one of my favorites. This song just fucking rocks. They always shred this one to pieces. It sounds like a classic rock anthem to me. They started this low, quiet, Joel-heavy part then they slowly built up along with Kris and Andy’s thumping beat. They slowly worked their way into this filthy jam. Jake took the reins and gave the next part of the jam a slimy beat that they built up only to fall right into the second part of the song. I love when Joel hits that one synth note in the middle of Jake and Brendan playing the melody. It’s amazing that one single note can make you want to take your bra off and throw it on stage. Another set of cunning lyrics come through to end the song. And if I wasn’t happy enough with that set, the next song would definitely get me there.
I cannot explain the feeling that came over my body when they started to play “Band on The Run.” The last time they played this was in Richmond in 2011. Jared had said to Wallace right before the song started that it would be cool to get one of these. This is one of my ALL-TIME favorite songs and a cover that I thought I would never get to hear Umprhey’s play. There was a definite dance party going on up in the balcony. I love the sound that Jake brings to this song. When Kris sang “I hope you’re having Fun,” it hit me right in the gut because, DUH!! We were having the times of our fucking lives. And with that line came the second tears of the night. I was surrounded by my favorite people and seeing my favorite band cover one of my favorite songs. I felt like the weekend couldn’t be any better than this moment (but of course I was proven wrong). They closed out the first set with “Maybe Someday.” My favorite new song. This song has a rad melody and the end of the song always makes my feet groove.
After about twenty minutes of waiting (and sitting, thanks to the balcony seats), they began the second set with “The Floor.” This is a great way to start a set and if they do, you better get ready because that means you’re in for a thrilling ride. Right as they started playing this song, Jared said to me “I like this song even though it’s the same every time.” And sure enough, this floor was different. It was like Jared knew everything that was going to happen before it did. The energetic bassline while Andy went off almost sounded like they were about to go into “Walletsworth.” This rendition of “The Floor” was mysterious and empowering. It gave me the umph that I needed for the rest of the show.
You know it’s going to be a good one when they start to play “Wappy Sprayberry,” so you better just buckle in and see where it’s going to take you. It has an upbeat tone and just makes you want to dance. I always loved this one because of the bouncy beat and the lyrics. “I’m so excited I can barely breathe” is a phrase that I use often in my normal life. Another line that resonates with me is “I’m glorified to have you next to me,” because I always look at the people standing next to me and, whether I know them or not, I’m so happy that we’re here together and experiencing the same thing. We were truly able to experience Ryan’s full-bodied bass in the second set, especially during this song. He laid right into the notes. Jake made his fingers bounce off the neck of his G&L with the riffs he was doing. Jake and Ryan have become somewhat of a dynamic duo to me and you can really hear their partnership in this improv. I could be wrong about this but, for a while, Jake was the one to lead the improv sections, but I’ve noticed that Ryan has been leading it these days as well as Jake. Ryan has made my jaw drop many times during the year and has fascinated me with his musicality. I voted for him as this year’s MVP on twitters @UmphreaksMcgee’s year in review survey. I mean Ryan was literally stepping into the bassline, feeding our hungry souls the music that we longed for. He filled the entire tabernacle with his funky rhythm.
And then, without skipping a beat, they went right into another heater, “Remind Me.” Jake kept up the bouncy vibe with this one as well. They kind of eased into a very sensual reggae jam. Joel actually made the sensuality happen. This song has a strong finish and is one of those songs that, even if you don’t know it, you leave the show saying, “what was that song?!” I did this after Asheville in 2017. And after that, this song soon became a rage song for me (well, the end did). A real head banger if you will. It’s funny because I always feel like I should be conducting an orchestra at the end of this song because of the haunting tones. And Ryan started waving his hands in a 4/4 meter like he was conducting the band. Bayliss said to the crowd that the last time they were at the Tabernacle doing a NYE run is when they all wrote “Remind Me” together in a stew. So that made getting this one a lot more special, even though I wasn’t there the first time. I felt the love in the room.
The minute Andy started to play the beginning of “YYZ,” my heart jumped into my throat and I threw my hands up in the air. Another cover I never thought that I would get! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Jake and Ryan tease that familiar riff. This was a dream come true. I flipped my lid during this gem. The last time they played this was at UM Bowl in May of 2015. In the middle of the song they let Kris do a drum solo. And this one was a gut-bustin’ hum dinger. It was awesome to see him just go off like that. He kept it going with all different styles of his playing thrown in there. They ended super strongly and Ryan stepped up to the mic and said, “that boy good, that boy good.” It’s almost humbling to see them still appreciating each other’s talent. They were bringing down the house tonight with killers left and right. They went into “Half Delayed” for a quick cool down before plunging into the next rock anthem. They didn’t jam this “Plunger” out and kept if short, but it was a perfect fit in the setlist. They played it perfectly and then ended the set with “Den.” I love this song so much. It’s so uplifting and beautiful. I love the riff that Jake throws in between Joel’s shining melody. What a perfect cool down after that fat ass mother fucking heater of a second set.
I sure as hell was not expecting “The Weight Around” encore. But it made me weep like an infant child. I remember looking at Wallace and he just had his mouth opened in awe of the song. He gave me a hug to celebrate getting the song together. All the while he never shut his mouth. Jared really likes this song too. It’s hard not to. You can relate to the lyrics and the elongating tone of the song is just astonishing and a real tear jerker. This song literally makes me cry when I hear the first chord. After that beautiful cry session, Bayliss needed to remind us that we are here for a rock show, so they ended “Jajunk.” And they ended her strongly, it was like Bayliss was saying “stop your crying and get to head banging again.” And it, for sure, was a shred fest to finish the show out. We didn’t even have time to process what had just happened because we rapidly left our seats in order to get downstairs to get a good spot for the after party.
Trying to get down to the after party was something out of a horror movie. The show was right in the basement of the Tabernacle. So, there was a sea of people trying to leave the venue at the same time as us all trying to get to the after party. It was like a group of people trying to go up the stairs when the entirety of the crowd is going down. But it was all okay once we actually got to the stage. Tauking McGee is a collaborative experience of music consisting of the members of both Tauk and Umphrey’s McGee. It’s a melting pot of a bunch of artists sitting in with each other and creating music. A lot of phreaks that I’ve talked to are kind of “been there done that” with Tauking McGee because they did it so often when they toured with each other in 2016. I however wasn’t hip to the scene then and didn’t see my first Tauking McGee show until Summer Camp 2017. And let me tell you, that shit blew my freaking mind. They started the set off with Alice Coopers “Schools Out.” And the show just took off from there. I was so amazed that I couldn’t believe all the people saying that they weren’t going to see them again. I think its more of a special experience now that they don’t do it so often. And when they do, they go hard.
When I saw the Scamp set, it consisted of Joel and Jake from Umphrey’s with Ryan sitting in on a couple songs. So, for the after party in Atlanta I assumed to see them again but when Bayliss and Andy came out, my heart skipped a beat (Ryan also made an appearance later in the set). I think Bayliss coming out and singing “Muffin Man” by Frank Zappa was my highlight of the whole weekend. But that was only the start of a set full of heart racing covers. They went on the play Jeff Beck’s “Come Dancing,” Tauk’s “Mindshift,” and Nirvana’ “In Bloom” (a cover that I was surprised to hear after they did it at Holidaze). Then they invited Jeff Coffin out to play Talking Head’s “Life During Wartime”. For those of you who don’t know, Jeff Coffin is the saxophonist for Dave Matthews Band, so it was huge to see him play in a five-hundred-person cap room. The sound wasn’t the best in this venue which caused Coffin’s beautiful sax to be drowned out by the others. You could hear most of his playing which was absolutely amazing, and it was awesome to be there for his first appearance of the weekend.
Isaac, the drummer of Tauk, then sang Thundercat’s “Them Changes” before inviting Kris Meyers out to sit in. With him on the drums, Isaac came out and sang “Hot in Here” by Nelly. This was also a huge highlight of the weekend for me and it was right on time because it was, indeed, hot as balls in the Tabernacle. I mean there was legit steam rising off the sweaty bodies in that place. Also, the music that we had experienced so far into the weekend was hot. I remember hearing the first few chords and thinking “no way.” They went into it and I knew there was no turning back. And you can bet “me and the rest of my heathens” sang all the words along with Isaac. That was a lot of fun, I don’t think my smile left my face for the entire song. And then Bayliss came back on to sing the Doobie Brothers “What A Fool Believes.” They closed out the set with a titillating version of “Frankenstein” by The Edgar Winter Group.
I stand my case by saying that Tauking McGee is a great time and a great show. Those are some guys who really know how to play with each other. All the artists from the night collaborating, having fun with each other and making unforgettable music is what an after party is all about. The rawness of these sets really is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s like they were having a conversation with their instruments and finishing each other’s sentences. Bayliss would be working on a tasty lick and the A.C. (the keyboardist of Tauk, and a very talented one at that) would come in with a piercing jam and Bayliss would look up at him like “ooooo, I like that.” They were having a lot of fun up there. And I’m sure that everyone else, along with me, was having fun out in the crowd as well. Tauking McGee tickets are not something that you want to sleep on in your future. If there is an after party with them, GO! Or else you’ll miss out on Bayliss getting drunk and thinking he can sing in falsetto like Michael McDonald.
*photo credit goes out to Garrett Elmo who got way better pictures than I did! thank you so much for letting me use them!
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