Umphrey’s Tour Diary: West Coast Part 2

En route to my favorite record store in the country…Commix in the discman. (check out the new Commix album Call To Mind. Ridiculous break beat record)

Sacramento Day Off: Went to In-N-Out Burger, per usual, and then off to my favorite record store: The Beat. Jake, Myers, and myself did some serious damage. I found a record I had been looking for vigilantly for 10 years: Brian Eno and U2’s The Passengers. It is a collection of soundtracks to independent foreign films based largely in the ambient / downtempo field. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. Big listening session on the bus before bed.

En route to slumber…Love Is Hell in the discman.

02/11/08 Majestic Theatre, Ventura, CA
Dub Trio opened
Set I: Mulche’s Odyssey, Ocean Billy> Alex’s House> Great American> Uncle Wally> Great American
Set II: The Triple Wide> Ocean Billy, Rocker Part II> Got Your Milk (Right Here), KaBump> Words, In the Kitchen
Encore: Dear Prudence¹

1 First Time Played (The Beatles)

California hit us like a freight train full of Ambien, or rather, ambient music. Discrete but discernible channels of calm were running in the bloodstream of the improvs in Ventura, which is always a nice theater to work in. The run from Ocean Billy through Great American had the pulse of a sedated rail car piloted by Brian Eno, but still with enough West Coast sensibility and funkiness to keep the crowd enthused. It reminded me of the set from Truckee, which has now gained an infamous following, without the epic peaks.

California is a different planet for Umphrey’s, and I believe they always try their best to adapt to any situation, which would prove itself to be true in LA especially. Come Closer was first attempted here by the band, but they soon realized what an ambitious feat it was and bowed out for a mellow encore of Dear Prudence, which seemed to fit a lot better into the night’s motif. Rocker Part II showed new signs of life in the rotation, and Kabump peaked its head out after weeks in the fridge.

En route to SD…Love Is Hell in the disc man.