Umphrey’s McGee, photo by Dino Perrucci
Umphrey’s McGee touched down in Solana Beach, Calif. last night to commence the West Coast leg of their Sky’s the Limit 2026 Tour. Setting off a two-night stand at the Belly Up Tavern, where they hadn’t played since 2005, the progressive rock outfit ripped through a tight rotation of tried and true originals, plus an unexpected return to The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence.” The performance also marked the first in a string without guitarist Jake Cinninger, who will take a touring hiatus for the entirety of the 14-show run.
Umphrey’s McGee lit into their first night at the Belly Up Tavern with the Death by Stereo cut “Domino Theory,” which toppled into “Half Delayed” before further familiar entries like a segued pairing of “Hiccup” and “Hourglass” and a set-closing take on Karl Engelmann’s “Bright Lights, Big City.” The group’s second set began and ended with the thoroughly-honed Anchor Drops Jimmy Stewart “In the Kitchen,” packed with other cuts including “2nd Self” and their third treatment to date of Corey Hart’s “Sunglasses at Night.” After the lights went down, UM returned for an encore with “Den,” then unearthed “Dear Prudence,” a track they debuted back in 2002 and hadn’t touched since April 2024.
Before the show on Tuesday, Umphrey’s McGee announced Cinninger’s absence with a post to the band’s social channels, writing that “He is taking a necessary leave of absence for personal reasons. We love him immensely and support him completely.” Cinninger had previously called out of UM’s performances at Suwannee Amp Jam #2 from Feb. 26-28 with similarly short notice.
Umphrey’s McGee will step into the spotlight at the Belly Up Tavern again tonight, then bolt through 12 more stops up the California coast and into Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Montana and Utah. Find tickets and more information at umphreys.com.
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