The sixth annual UMBowl ventured the farthest from its Chicago roots as the band brought the four quarter event all the way to the newly opened Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas. On one of the most anticipated weekends of the year, as Floyd Mayweather prepares to fight Manny Pacquiao just a few blocks away at the MGM Grand, Umphrey’s matched the feverish energy with four quarters of improv, covers and new music.
The Raw Stewage Quarter kicked the evening off (after a Swingers themed opening video) as the band delivered four separate new “songs” comprised of past Jimmy Stewarts. Among the notables were the opening “Non-Compliance” which featured the more recent standout “Wizard Burial Ground” stew from the band’s Nothing Too Fancy Music launch show at (appropriately) the Brooklyn Bowl in New York.
The opening number would be the only Raw Stewage selection to just feature one Jimmy Stewart as the following three were combination Raw Stewage’s with two jams assigned to each.
The band then dug into the All Request Quarter with an opening “Helter Skelter,” which hadn’t been played in ten years. The band quickly transitioned into “Orfeo” which featured some improv before the more delicate “Rocker I” followed by “Rocker II.” The highlight of the quarter came with the new song, “In the Black,” an upbeat high-energy song that will surely find its way into rotation in the near future. The set closed with Rush’s “YYZ.”
The Stew Art Series that followed relied heavily on dark funk themes as the audience steered the band towards that direction with their ideas sent in via text. Among the themes were “3 AM Dark Dirty Packed Dance Club in Berlin” which included scat lyrics from Brendan and Jake in German. That slowly segued into “Alien Porno Jam” and led into other themes like the heavier “Flamenco Metal” and “Only Robots Allowed!”
One of the highlights from past UMBowl’s was the “Soaring Uplifting Jam” and last night the band added part three to that with another triumphant instrumental. The quarter closed with “70s Porno Theme feat. Stasik” which included lyrics from Brendan, a Swingers Lounge Music jam and the closing “Dreaddy Zeppelin” where Bayliss and Cinninger both took turns quoting “Black Dog” and jamming on “The Ocean.”
Out of all the quarters, the Choose Your Own Adventure has the highest possibility of being hit or miss, with the band totally in the audience’s control. This year, however, the crowd did well as they steered the band into some solid improv and song selection. Opening with a “Bridgeless,” that beat out “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” and “All in Time,” delved into a nice jam that closed with some “My Soul” teases before the band jumped into a past Raw Stewage selection, “Den.”
One of the highlights from the standout set included the newer “Hindsight,” which featured a jam between both lyrical sections. The more rare “Mamu” beat out “Roulette” and “Space Funk Booty” and saw Jake Cinninger jump on the drum kit. The set closed with “Get Weird” improv and the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?” and the end of “All in Time.”
After one last Swingers video, which riffed off the closing scene in the movie with Joel Cummins as Jon Favreau, the band came out for Overtime with “Hangover.” “It’s foreshadowing,” Brendan Bayliss said. After an energetic rendition of the tune featuring a true “Booty Wax” segment, the band delivered one more for the road as they debuted a cover “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” to close the show.
Umphrey’s McGee return to the Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas stage tonight.
Here’s a look at the setlist as it appears in our Box Scores section:
Umphrey’s McGee
UMBowl VI Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
Q 1: Non-Compliance*, Make It Right*, Remind Me*, Draconian*, Stinko’s Ascension*
Q 2: Helter Skelter$ > Orfeo, Rocker > Rocker Part 2, In The Black*, YYZ
Q 3: Stew Art Event
Q 4: Bridgeless^ > Den > Hindsight, Mamu^^, “Get Weird” JO > Where Is My Mind? > All In Time^^^
Overtime: Hangover%, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down%%
Notes:
*Debut, original
$Last time played 10/28/05
^with Soul Food II and My Soul (Phish) teases; unfinished
^^with Jake replacing Kris on drums, last time played 5/26/12
^^^with Where Is My Mind? (Pixies) teases; ending only
%with Xxplosive (Dr. Dre) teases
%%debut, The Band
First quarter was Raw Stewage, comprised of attendees’ votes for past “Jimmy Stewarts”: Non-Compliance (05.04.2014 Wizard Burial Ground), Make It Right (05.11.2005 FF + 02.28.2008 Uncle Wally), Remind Me (03.27.2009 Plunger + 01.01.2015 Phil’s Farm), Draconian (10.30.2014 Eat + 06.19.2014 In the Kitchen), Stinko’s Ascension (06.26.2011 Ringo + 02.20.2014 Much Obliged)
Second quarter was comprised of attendees’ votes, “All Request”
Third quarter was a Stew Art Event: 3 AM Dark Dirty Packed Dance Club in Berlin [with lyrics in German] > Alien Porno Jam > Barn Yard Stomp > Fear and Loathing > Flamenco Metal > Only Robots Allowed! > Disco Ball Drum N Bass > Soaring Uplifting Jam Part 3 > Funk My Godboner > 70s Porn Theme feat. Stasik [with lyrics from Brendan] > Swingers Lounge Music > Dreaddy Zeppelin [with Black Dog quotes and The Ocean teases]
Fourth quarter was in “choose your own adventure” style, with attendees voting for the next “adventure” live: Miss TInkle’s Overture, All In Time, or Bridgeless; Dear Lord, Den, or Pay the Snucka; Educated Guess (JO), Hindsight (JO), or Piranha (JO); Roulette, Space Funk Booty, or Mamu; “Riff Rock” JO, “Groove” JO, or “Get Weird” JO; Baby You’re a Rich Man, Where Is My Mind?, or That’s All; end Bridgeless, end All In Time, or end Miss Tinkle’s Overture
The between-quarter clips had a Swingers theme
Source: http://allthings.umphreys.com/
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