Umphrey’s McGee | 4.1.09 | Buffalo NY | MP3

Filed in SHOWS, Umphrey's McGee on April 4, 2009 with Comments

The Town Ballroom was sold out for the first time for Umphrey’s Mcgee – the masters of improvisational progressive rock. The natives of Chicago and veterans of nationwide festival tours are selling out box offices across the US after the release of their recent album Mantis.

The energy level was the highest we’d seen at a show at the Town Ballroom. We cover a lot and from the moment our friends were getting turned away at the box office we knew a rager was brewing. The show was the last of Umphrey’s 5 night iClips event. Camera’s were setup strategically

across the ballroom and people were getting to their spots early.

The show was flat out amazing from start to finish. I’ve never seen a band execute better change ups or have better timing. The 6 man piece delivers an intense sound that is memorizing as it is mind blowing.

The band wasted no time delving into their new material. The show kicked off with “Made To Measure” off the bands new album Mantis. One of our favorite songs off the bands new album.

The first set contained many classics including one of our all time favorites Higgins which we first heard in 2007 at Thursday In The Square.

The crowd was dancing and drooling as these prog rocks greats grooved out on long instrumental improve sessions. It’s not often you get to see a band with so much raw talent that can execute technically sound jams to such perfection. Everyone was in a state of bliss as they witnessed these legends in the making blowing the roof off the best venue in Buffalo.

The new Mac III lighting system that we previously reported on was sick. Walful does an amazing job timing the lights to the mood of the bands jams and really added to the UMPH experience.

The band is currently on tour on the east coast so if you plan on catching them I’d recommend getting your tickets soon before the rest of the tour sells out.

We’re hoping the band makes another stop in Buffalo in May at the free “Thursday In The Square 2009 Concert Series” on it way from Summer Camp to Mountain Jam. We just checked the bands schedule and noticed they don’t have any dates booked that week. Two years ago the band played this free outdoor concert on a Thursday night before heading down to Mountain Jam. They don’t have any shows booked the week after Mountain Jam either and the band will be making its back it’s way back to Columbus Ohio the weekend after Mountain Jam. If I was a betting man I’d be willing to bet that they’ll be back this year either the Thursday before or the Thursday after Mountain Jam.

Enough of the chatter let get on to the goods…….

Made To Measure 4.2.2009

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Spinal

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To purchase the SBD matrix of this show head over to nugs.net

To grab the lossless AUD recording head over to The Archive.

To grab the AUD mp3’s click HERE.

Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY

Set I: Made to Measure > Van, Higgins, Out of Order > Example 1,

Utopian Fir (Setbreak music: Midwest Funk: Funk 45s From Tornado Alley)

Set II: 40’s Theme > JO > 2×2, Red Tape, In The Kitchen > Tribute > Stewart

> 40’s Theme E: The Floor