Gallery: Umphrey’s McGee NYE

(Editor’s Note): Photographer Abby (Fox) Matthews of Abby Fox Photography is a true Umphrey’s Fan with a talented eye, and her photos of this spectacular run are the next best thing to being there.  Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she’s a lifer at Midwest shows and festivals. Her UM photos have been published regularly on the band’s site, and used on album art.  We’re excited to present her full gallery of images from the recent bash. She shot us a quick note describing her experience: “The shows had such an intimate feel in comparison with years past. There was a great connection with the band and the fans because of this. Lights, energy, and the…

Umphrey’s McGee | 11.3.11 | Toronto

TORONTO, CA – Last Thursday night Umphrey’s McGee made a long awaited return to Toronto for hundreds of rabid fans. On the 2nd night of a four night run the nationally touring progressive rock masters Umphrey’s McGee delighted the crowd with an incredible two set performance. First set highlights included a masterful Turn & Dub > Booth Love > & Wappy Sprayberry funk dance party. To close out the set Umphrey’s brought on home town drummer Daren Shearer of The New Deal in place of Kris Myers. The second set featured another special guest appearance with Marla Joy joining the band for a bust out of G&R’s “Sweet Child of Mine.” The band had no…

Picture Show: Umphrey’s McGee | Rochester | 9.13.11

ROCHESTER, NY – Last Tuesday Umphrey’s McGee celebrated the release day of their new album “Death By Stereo” with two performances in Rochester, NY. In the late afternoon they played an acoustic show at Record Archive and then a headlining show later that night at Water Street Music Hall. Umphrey’s McGee is currently on tour in support of their 6th studio album “Death By Stereo.” Visit the Umphrey’s McGee website for full list of tour dates. http://umphreys.com   SETLIST: Set One Domino Theory > “Jimmy Stewart” > Domino Theory, In the Kitchen > Mullet (Over), Hourglass, Steppin’ Razor > Go to Hell, Last Man Swerving > In the Kitchen Set Two Slacker, Mail Package*, Utopian…

UM @ Brooklyn Bowl 09.08.11

Words by Nicole Perskie, Photos by Nick Irving If you thought Umphrey’s McGee would take it easy after a sit in from Bob Weir, then you would be sorely mistaken. They have made steady gains in the northeast in the past few years and have amassed a loyal and large following away from their home turf of the mid-west. Starting the third of four nights at Brooklyn Bowl right on schedule at about 8: 30 p.m, they made it easy for the local worker bees to come out and still make the morning shift.When the lights went down lighting director Jeff Waful lit up the stage for a kaleidoscope jam with punchy vocals set off…

Gallery & Review: Umphrey’s McGee @ Orbit Room | 2011

(Please allow us to introduce a new contributing member of the BTJ team, Victoria Zegler. Zegler is a student at CMU and recently worked with us documenting the Electric Forest Festival for Docufest: Music | Ambiance | Production.) I have a confession to make: This is my first time seeing Umphrey’s McGee live and I am now hooked. Once I was given the opportunity to capture the Chicago based jam band, I was interested to see what all the noise was about. Little did I know you don’t go to an Umphrey’s concert for the madness; you go to witness larger than life improvisation by an incredible group of musicians. When Umphrey’s played the Orbit…

Picture Show: Umphrey’s McGee @ Artpark 2011

June 29th 2011 :: Lewiston, NY :: Artpark Outdoor Stage Stream Wappy Sprayberry from this show: [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Set One The Crooked One > Passing, Mullet (Over) > Sweetness > Wife Soup, Rastaman Chant > Andy’s Last Beer, Go to Hell Set Two Nothing Too Fancy > Push the Pig, Forks, Wappy Sprayberry > Out of Order > Can’t Find My Way Home, Got Your Milk (Right Here) > Nothing Too Fancy Encore The Floor > Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ To download the lossless files head over to The Archive. To purchase the soundboard recording of this show head over to UMLIVE.NET Tammy Wetzel Tammy is an artist and photographer…

Artpark Free Concert Series 2011 Lineup

LEWISTON, NY – Artpark (the best venue in WNY!) has done it again with another great lineup for their free concert series starting June 29th, 2011 with BTJ favorites Umphrey’s McGee. We’re also looking forward to seeing moe., Gregg Alman, The Machine, and more! Shows are free to public but parking is $10 per car. All shows start at 6:30pm. New this year is the option to purchase a $25 standing room only ticket that will give you special access to the pit and a preferred parking spot. A free “Rock the Park” concert is scheduled for June 13 and features local bands Free Henry!, Little Mountain Band, and Aqueous. Coors Light Wednesdays at Artpark FREE outdoor…

Umphrey’s McGee | UMBOWL II | 4.2.2011

CHICAGO - Last Saturday Umphrey’s McGee performed their 2nd anual UMBOWL in Chicago. This is a unique concert experience for Umphrey’s McGee’s most loyal fans. The show is broken down into 4 “quarters” of music. Each quarter having a different theme. Quarter 1 was “Choose Your Own Experience.” Fans where presented with a list of song choices to decide the opening tunes. Fans voted via text message and the results where tallied in real time. The highlights of this set where “In The Kitchen” with Spanish Lyrics played to perfection and the Daft Punk-esque prog metal jam “Bona Fid Lovin.” Quater 2 was a Stew Art Event described as “a one of a kind Umphrey’s innovation.” This…

Interview: Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey’s McGee

Brendan Bayliss is the guitarist and co-founder of Chicago-based band Umphrey’s McGee. Their upcoming dates include the Hangout Music Festival and Summercamp. Brendan called in to discuss the growth of their fanbase, his favorite places to play, and how Umphrey’s sound has evolved. ————————– McClain Johnson: How old were you when you first started playing guitar? Brendan Bayliss: I started playing guitar right around Christmas break my freshman year in high school. My older brother brought one home from college. I was 14 when I started playing. McClain: Do you remember the first full song you learned on guitar? Brendan: “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd. McClain: You guys tour all the time. What have been some…

Umphrey’s McGee | Fillmore Detroit | 2.5.11

Umphrey’s McGee Brings Real Rock Back to the Motor City DETROIT, MI – Expectations were high for the return of UM to Detroit, and a sold-out crowd at the Fillmore found their dancing shoes were a necessity for the non-stop onslaught that faced them. The venue filled slowly due to a late-winter snow storm that left many motorists stranded on local roads. Chicago-based Orchard Lounge (downtempo DJ) opened the show and was a great improvement over basic house music, but their position stage right next to Myers’ drum kit left them fairly hidden. Enjoyable beats, but the party didn’t start until six grown men came on stage, hands above their heads, horns held high, and…