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| Photo Credit: Evan Fitzgerald |
After 14 years together, Jake Cinninger’s searing guitar solos can still bring tears to bassist Ryan Stasik’s eyes.
After a particularly inspiring “Glory” on night two, an emotional Stasik took the microphone to thank Jake for his efforts and thank the crowd for supporting the band all these years.
The annual anniversary stint at the Best Buy Theater in New York City was typified by that special moment and helped give the band momentum as they head off to Mexico for Mayan Holidaze and set off on an ambitious winter/spring tour.
[FIND news, downloads and tour dates on Umphrey's official website.]
Night one featured some superb jamming and rare bust-outs to go along with flawless lighting by Jeff Waful. The venue was sold-out, but it wasn’t hard to find room on the second or third levels to get down. The sound in all areas was crisp and the band was as tight as ever.
After an introductory jam, “Booth Love” and ”Rocker Part II” the first set “Conduit” was a surefire highlight with a methodical jam that gave the energy in the room a jumpstart.
During the first set, the personalities of lead singer Brendan Bayliss and Jake were on display. Jake was emphatic and demonstrative in both his playing and his on-stage demeanor while Bayliss stayed back a bit and laid down the rhythm in an unassuming manner. He even sang less than usual.
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The band was tight and polished all evening with the second set highlights being the old-school “Der Bluten Kat” sandwiching the Lionel Ritchie cover “All Night Long” and the exceptional “Linear” jam. "All Night Long" in particular was a fun song that showed Umphrey's whimsical side.
All night the jams weren’t about the cheap drop or soaring peak – it was plainly well rounded music performed by expert musicians. Ever versatile, Umphrey's displayed all their chops and spanned a number of genres.
--01.20.2012 – Best Buy Theater – New York City, NY
Set I: Intro > Booth Love > Rocker Part II, Conduit > Jimmy Stewart > Conduit, Tribute To The Spinal Shaft > Passing > Utopian Fir
Set II: 40s Theme, Der Bluten Kat > Drums > All Night Long > Der Bluten Kat > Jimmy Stewart > Der Bluten Kat, The Linear > Ringo
Encore: Divisions
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Night two began with a spooky intro and intersecting lights cascading over the band as they set forth on what would be a stellar evening of music.
“Domino Theory,” off their latest release, “Death By Stereo,” was the first song of the evening and featured an extensive “Jimmy Stewart” jam. The song was radio-worthy yet still showcased the classic virtuosity of the band.
Moving from harsh, shredding guitar to groovy, melodic soundscapes, Umphrey’s meandered through the opening jams with ease. They eventually reached an emotional crescendo that took the room’s high energy to the next level.
Waful was again on point using subtle primary colors during simplistic jams and a dizzying array of tones during more complex sections. All night, the lights were reactionary, but never over the top. In his own right, Waful perfectly exemplifies the versatility of the band through his own adaptability as a lighting designer.
“Intentions Clear” had a full, deep sound that enveloped the listener and guided them through into a surprising cover of Daft Punk’s “Voyager.” Their first time playing this song, it was trancey and well-executed – and unlike much of what you hear from this band.
“Voyager” acted as a musical mood-elevator, getting people’s feet moving as quickly as their heads were bobbing.
The seemingly schizophrenic show continued with “White Man’s Moccasins,” “Forks” and “August” before a TV On The Radio cover in “Second Song.”
[FIND complete lineups, ticketing information and analysis in our 2012 Festival Guide.]
During this segment, keyboardist Joel Cummins shined with some exuberant flourishes that perfectly complemented Jake’s progressive guitar work. A shout out to the now-Super Bowl bound New York Giants got the crowd especially hyper before “Puppet Strings” closed the first set.
Though a newer song, it had an old school, classic rock vibe with Brendan taking a backseat (as usual) to Jake’s in-your-face lead. The lights took an elemental theme for the duration of the set with cool blues and greens and earth tones cycling through. "Puppet Strings" had that typical prog-rock sound with a little ambiance thrown in.
Another “Death By Stereo” song, “Miami Virtue,” opened the second set amidst spotted lights. Stasik and Jake, who played off each other well all night, were especially working as a unit during this song.
Maybe it’s the cheesy synth or the song’s Floridian name, but the psychedelic jam vehicle evoked images of an 80s TV show like “Miami Vice" or "CHiPS" in its accessibility.
In the second set, it seemed like Jake’s fingers were the conduits for the music. The music built naturally and never felt forced.
The aforementioned inspirational “Glory” came next. Perhaps one of the best versions of the song in years, Jake was absolutely shredding on the guitar and solicited quite a few glances of approval from his band mates. After the genuine sentimental moment from Stasik and mainstay “Bridgeless,” the band launched into “The Floor.”
Powerful, anthemic and ominous, “The Floor” saw Kris Myers take center stage as he pounded the skins. It was almost prayer-like as Bayliss sang the chorus.
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Fan-favorite “Pay The Snucka” – serious in its extreme goofiness – saw Jake laying his guitar on the stage playing it like a piano then playing it with a blow-up crayon that made its way on the stage.
Jake’s voice was perfectly suited for the Bob Seger cover that followed, “Hollywood Nights,” the penultimate song of the second set. The crowd ate it up and yelled along with the chorus as people of all ages danced accordingly.
For the encore, Umphrey’s welcomed frequent guest and Trey Anastasio Band regular Jen Hartswick to pay tribute to the recently deceased Etta James with a smooth cover of “At Last.” It showed a softer side of Umphrey’s, both figuratively and literally.
The orchestral “JaJunk” ended the second night with Jake hot-dogging and jumping around stage in his usual fashion.
The night had a ton of epic jamming and really ended things on, pun intended, a very good note.
--01.21.2012 – Best Buy Theater – New York City, NY
Set I: Intro > Domino Theory > Jimmy Stewart > Domino Theory, Intentions Clear > Voyager > White Man’s Moccasins > Forks > August, Second Song > Puppet Strings
Set II: Miami Virtue > Glory, Bridgeless > Jimmy Stewart > The Floor, Pay The Snucka Hollywood Nights > Bridgeless
Encore: At Last, JaJunk
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After Mayan Holidaze, Umphrey’s McGee will set off on an ambitious winter/spring tour starting off with a two-night stint in Minneapolis. For a complete list of tour dates, check out their official website.
