written by: Mike Gregory

Umphrey’s McGee feel right at home in Atlanta, selling out all five nights of their New Year’s run. Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta in Centennial Park, the Tabernacle has a way of merging fans with the band like solder on an old moonshine still and is the ideal setting for a New Year’s Umph-love-fest!

The first night opened with the tension-building jam “Nipple Trix” bleeding into “Andy’s Last Beer.” Brendan Bayliss briefly greeted the crowd stating how much the band missed Atlanta and then, on with the face-melting. While the night had a slight metal edge to it, they interjected some funk with fan favorites such as “Pay The Snucka” and “Much Obliged.” Night one closed with “Mantis” leaving Umphreaks satisfied, for a few hours anyway.

The anticipation for the New Year’s show was heavy in the air; Umphreaks were ready to soak up night two like a dry sponge about to be dunked in a bucket of water. Fans relished in a 3-set night as UM rose to the occasion on all fronts accompanied by Jefferson Waful’s mind-bending lightshow. Out of the stillness on the stage, “Nothing too fancy” got things roaring! “All In Time” came out swinging next and ended in a mysterious musical void. The void was immediately filled by “Cut The Cable” evolving into a version of “Mad Love” that is one for the ages (seriously, check it out). Unarguably, Umphrey’s McGee takes music where your ears didn’t know they wanted to go. After “In The Kitchen,” Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret accompanied by saxophonist, Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band) backing up the debut of “Piranhas.” The horn section joined in for the rest of the night including Jake Cinninger belting out a Joe Cocker version of Dave Mason’s, “Feeling Alright.” They also played “Last Call” in remembrance of band member, Mike Mirro, who quite clearly left a mark on the lives of this super group. “Bad Friday” started out set 3 and faded into “Auld Lang Syne” as the New Year rang in with confetti and balloons raining down on the crowd. Throughout the night, the audience jammed to their standards as well as quite a few covers including Herbie Hancock’s, “Hang Up Your Hang Ups,” and The Rolling Stones’, “Honky Tonk Women.” The encore concluded the evening with “Similar Skin” and funk legend James Brown’s, “Living in America!” Two down, three to go!

The first night of the New Year kicked off with “Bathing Digits.” Stunt guitarist, Jake showed a little diversity switching over to the keys for “Sociable Jimmy,” during set two. For the encore, fans were treated to Zeppelin classic, “Immigrant Song” and Michael Jackson’s, “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” melded together with “Ja Junk.”

Night after night, music flowed and the band became more comfortable than ever as evidenced by the band coming out in their bathrobes for the encore Friday night! Brendan and Jake also played matching acoustic guitars on “Nemo” and the Crosby, Stills & Nash tune, “Southern Cross.” Every night was full of surprises, and tonight would be no exception with special guest STS9’s bassist, Dave Murphy, replacing Ryan Stasik for “In The Flesh” and “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd. Saturday would complete UM’s stay of residency at the Tabernacle with two sets playing mainly original tunes. The only covers played were Jeff Beck’s “Led Boots” and for the encore, REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”

Throughout the 5 nights in Atlanta, chants of “Joel, Joel, Joel” could be heard. The view from the stage looking out into the Tabernacle must have looked like thousands of happy face stickers! Gracious and humble, Brendan repeatedly spoke of the band’s love for Atlanta with a big grin each time he mentioned it. If you didn’t get to catch UM this time around, you are still in luck because they are coming back to Kingston Downs, GA on May 22-24, 2015 for the Counter Point Festival; but you better pick up your tickets soon as 3-day early bird tickets are already sold out!

PHOTO GALLERY

« ‹ of 7 › »

SET LISTS – And Links to the show downloads on UMLive.  

01.03.2015 THE TABERNACLE, ATLANTA, GA, USA

Set 1: Le Blitz > Wappy Sprayberry > The Bottom Half, Syncopated Strangers > Partyin’ Peeps, Professor Wormbog, Rocker Part 2, Led Boots[1] > Mulche’s Odyssey

Set 2: Bridgeless > Hajimemashite, Dump City, The Crooked One[2] > Women Wine and Song, Cemetery Walk, Cemetery Walk II, No Comment[3] -> Bridgeless

Encore: It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

[1] debut, Jeff Beck
[2] with Pop Goes the Weasel tease
[3] with The Woody Woodpecker Song (Tibbles/Idriss) tease

Purchase via UMLive: 01.03.2015, The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

01.02.2015 THE TABERNACLE, ATLANTA, GA, USA

Set 1: You Got the Wrong Guy > Higgins, Der Bluten Kat > The Message > Der Bluten Kat, 2×2[1], Uncle Wally[2], Nemo[2] > Sweetness[2] > Nemo[2], Southern Cross[3]

Set 2: Hurt Bird Bath[4] -> Upward > Hurt Bird Bath, Push the Pig > The Fussy Dutchman, Conduit, In the Flesh[5] > Another Brick in the Wall[5], Mail Package

Encore: Glory, Slacker[6]

[1] with (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life (Medley/Warnes) teases
[2] with Brendan and Jake on acoustics
[3] debut, Crosby Stills & Nash; with Brendan and Jake on acoustics
[4] with Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty) tease
[5] with Dave Murphy replacing Ryan on bass
[6] with Jake on keys; with The Message (Grandmaster Flash) jam

Notes:
the band came out wearing robes for the encore

Purchase via UMLive: 01.02.2015, The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

01.01.2015 THE TABERNACLE, ATLANTA, GA, USA

Set 1: Bathing Digits > Hindsight[1], Hangover, Domino Theory, Prowler > 2nd Self, Utopian Fir[2], Don’t You (Forget About Me), Resolution -> 1348

Set 2: Tribute to the Spinal Shaft[3] > Sociable Jimmy[4], Miami Virtue -> Lively Up Yourself, Full Frontal[1] -> Phil’s Farm, The Floor

Encore: Immigrant Song, JaJunk[5] > Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough[6] > JaJunk

[1] debut, original
[2] with The Ocean (Led Zeppelin) tease
[3] with Bridgeless teases
[4] with Jake on keys
[5] with Entrance of the Gladiators (Julius Fučík) tease
[6] with Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Michael Jackson) quotes

Notes:
1348 finished previous evening’s version
with Xxplosive (Dr. Dre) tease before Immigrant Song
last Lively Up Yourself 05.22.2003 (1,410 shows)

Purchase via UMLive: 01.01.2015, The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

12.30.2014 THE TABERNACLE, ATLANTA, GA, USA

Set 1: Nipple Trix > Andy’s Last Beer, Padgett’s Profile, Thin Air, Blue Echo[1] > 40’s Theme, Preamble > Mantis > Proverbial > Miss Tinkle’s Overture

Set 2: Educated Guess, Ocean Billy[2] > Frankie Zombie, The Triple Wide[3], Pay the Snucka[4], Divisions > Ocean Billy

Encore: Much Obliged[5] > Mantis

[1] with The Linear teases
[2] with Hang Up Your Hang Ups (Herbie Hancock) teases
[3] with Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac) and Relax (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) teases
[4] with Stranglehold (Ted Nugent) and Mantis teases
[5] unfinished

Notes:
there were FOH issues with Preamble

Purchase via UMLive: 12.30.2014, The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

12.31.2014 THE TABERNACLE, ATLANTA, GA, USA

Set 1: Nothing Too Fancy > All In Time > Cut the Cable, Mad Love, In The Kitchen, Piranhas[1], Feelin’ Alright[2]

Set 2: Puppet String[3] -> Hang Up Your Hang Ups[4], August, 1348[5] > Day Nurse > Nothing Too Fancy, Black Messiah[3], Last Call[3], Bright Lights, Big City[6]

Set 3: Bad Friday[7] > Auld Lang Syne[3], Honky Tonk Women[3], Ringo[3], Plunger > Puppet String, No Diablo, The Linear > All In Time

Encore: Similar Skin[3], Living In America[8]

[1] debut, original; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[2] debut, Traffic/Joe Cocker; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[3] with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[4] debut, Herbie Hancock; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns
[5] unfinished
[6] with Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson) teases
[7] with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns; unfinished
[8] debut, James Brown; with Mad Dog and His Filthy Little Secret horns

Notes:
Feelin’ Alright played for Joe Cocker
Last Call played for Mike Mirro
with (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult) tease before Plunger
last Black Messiah 12.31.2007 (779 shows)
last Last Call 12.14.2002 (1,471 shows)
last Honky Tonk Women 11.04.2005 (1,048 shows)

Purchase via UMLive: 12.31.2014, The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA