The MoogFest set was an all killer no filler affair that ended with a cover of Abacab by Genesis that would’ve made Moog founder Bob Moog flip his shit. Jamie Shields of the New Deal lent his ginormous talents on that tune. Yet, as great as the music was, what really got me excited for the rest of the shows I was seeing on the run was the light show.
I’m not usually one to flip over the production aspect of jamband concerts, but interim Umphrey’s LD Jeff Waful’s light show needed to be seen to be believed. Most LDs tend to keep their lights focused squarely on the stage, not Jeff Waful. Waful lit up the area around the stage using nearly every square inch of the venue to create mindblowing designs that furthered my enjoyment of the music.
As the Umphrey’s fans entered the Blender Theater at Gramercy last Tuesday night for the first of three shows at the historic former cinema that once housed an anti-drug agency they were buzzing about Phish tickets. Music Today had just sent out the emails alerting fans whether they scored Phish tickets for Hampton and many of the people at the concert traded notes about whether they were in or out. As soon as the lights went down everyone forgot about the Phish ticket debacle and focused on the action.
The gents came out with a delicious song sandwich to open the three-night run: White Man’s Moccasins > The Pequod > White Man’s Moccasins. WMM showed off the intensity of the band’s music while the gorgeous Pequod showed the beauty of the band’s music. Most didn’t seem familiar with Anchor Drops’ The Pequod, which isn’t surprising as Umphrey’s has only played the song three times in the last two years. For a band that plays over a hundred shows a year that’s a huge bustout.
For the rest of the first set from the first night at the Blender the group played three songs that showed off their improvisational wizardry – Plunger, Utopian Fir and In The Kitchen. Luckily, all of the jams were much more focused than at some of the other shows I’ve seen this year. The guys didn’t rely on the Untz as much as they relied on quick changes, tight interplay and Jake Cinninger’s ability to shred. Towards the middle of Utopian Fir a friend leaned over and jokingly said “is this still White Man’s Moccasins?” It was that kinda set.
The second set featured another tasty sandwich including smooth segues both from and back into Bridgeless to Glory. This was another case of a hard-hitting proggy rocker surrounding a gorgeous tune written by Cinninger in the first half of the decade. Of course, no Umphrey’s show would be complete without a cover and we were treated to their take on Supertramp’s Bloody Well Right, which featured capable vocals and outstanding Fender Rhodes playing by Cummins. For the encore, UM returned with one of their early classics – Slacker.
As terrific as that first night was the second night brought it to a new level. The band sprinkled their setlist with old gems, well-crafted new songs and a metal cover that has left my neck still sore a week after the show. If you asked me to make a list of my favorite Umphrey’s songs ever All In Time, Hajimemashite, The Fussy Dutchman, Andy’s Last Beer and Partyin’ Peeps would be near the top of my list. Of course, this loses me all cred with the harsh critics on the band’s message board who only seem to enjoy the big jam vehicles, but I can’t control which songs bring a big smile to my face and which don’t. Umphrey’s actually performed all of the songs I listed at the Blender on Wednesday night and delivered great versions as well.
The second set of the second night showed off some of the best new songs the band has to offer including The Floor and Waist Down. My favorite sequence of the run occurred at the end of the set when Umphrey’s kicked off The Fuzz at half speed before picking up the pace shortly before the jam. An evil ’bout of improvisation took the band to a sinister place, where they dropped a spot-on cover of Black Sabbath > War Pigs that drove the crowd into a frenzy.
Both the energy from the crowd and from the band seemed to increase as each night passed. Kids were straight up screaming by the time Umphrey’s dropped the final jam sandwich of the run: Nothing Too Fancy > I Am The Walrus > Nothing Too Fancy. I actually almost missed that ridiculous sequence.
I made the decision to check out Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB at the Roseland instead of watching the final show of the Blender run. While Trey’s playing was solid I found myself bored and bummed that I wasn’t finishing what I had started over at the Blender. When Trey took the stage early, some friends and I realized that we could catch most of Big Red’s show AND most of the second set of Umphrey’s. As Anastasio left the stage at the Roseland before the encore, we all booked out of the room and into a cab.
Ten minutes later we found ourselves at the Blender. Only one problem – the show was sold out. After some negotiations and love songs we entered the theater just as the band started Nothing Too Fancy. Oddly, Umphrey’s didn’t sell out the first two nights at the Blender, but against Trey they sold out the third night. The vibe at the UM show was off the hook. Every seat was filled and every square inch of space on the floor was jam packed with folks that were clearly into the band. It was a much different scene than over at the Roseland where everyone on the floor was packed in like sardines and everyone in the mezzanine couldn’t stop chattering among their friends.
For a final treat, the sextet offered up a rare Al DiMeola cover – Senor Mouse – in honor of Al’s first Umphrey’s show. That right, the legendary guitarist made his way down to the club to check out this band he had heard so much about. DiMeola stood side stage and seemed to get a big kick out of Umphrey’s performance. From the standing ovation they band received upon clearing the stage, I’d take it he wasn’t the only one.
You’d think after a long drive to Geneva, NY following four nights in NYC the band was due for a stinker. From the looks of the setlist and the reports from the show that’s not what happened. The guys played a “You Snooze You Lose” show at the Smith Opera House that left those who missed it bummed.
Finally, the bus rolled into Philly for UM’s fifth two-set show at the Electric Factory on Saturday night. They didn’t “run through the motions” at that gig either, dropping two bustout covers: Toto’s Rosanna and MMW w/ Scofield’s A Go Go. Disco Biscuits guitarist Jon Gutwillig was so impressed by the cover of Rosanna he ran to the side of the stage and asked to join the band for a jam after the Toto tune. The band gladly obliged and Barber tore it up for a few minutes.
Umphrey’s McGee really showed me something this past week and I’m more excited for the next round of shows than I’ve been in quite sometime. I also hope they find a way to make Jeff Waful a full-time member of the crew, because he’s amazing at what he does. The band heads to the Pacific Northwest on Thursday for a show at Richards on Richards in Vancouver. From there, they head down the coast hitting Portland, Seattle, Crystal Bay and Los Angeles before ending one helluva Rocktober with what looks to be two extremely different gigs in San Francisco. Be sure to catch ’em, you won’t be sorry.
- Previously on HT: The Umphrey’s McGee Page
- CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE OF ADAM’S BLENDER PHOTOS
Setlists:
10/09/08 Northern Lights, Clifton Park, NY
Conspirator opened
Set I: Get in the Van, 13 Days> Jimmy Stewart> 13 Days, Soul Food I> Plunger> Jimmy Stewart> Pay the Snucka
Set II: Bridgeless> Sociable Jimmy, Dump City, Cherub Rock, Ringo, Thin Air
Encore: Soul Food II1> Plunger> Bridgeless1 Last Played 2/21/2006 (315 Shows)
10/10/08 Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT
Conspirator opened
Set I: The Bottom Half> Glory> The Bottom Half, Liquid> Resolution1> Dear Prudence1> Another Brick In the Wall1, #5
Set II: Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Ocean Billy2, August, Waist Down, Much Obliged> 2×2
Encore: Lenny3> The Floor1 Aron Magner & Marc Brownstein replace Joel & Ryan
2 ‘Kula’ jam
3 Last Played 6/8/2007 (149 Shows)10/11/08 Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT
Conspirator opened
Set I: JaJunk> Jimmy Stewart (w/ lyrics)> JaJunk, 2nd Self, Search 4, Morning Song, Eat
Set II: Wappy Sprayberry, Higgins> KaBump> Higgins, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, Blue Echo> Wife Soup
Encore: Mulche’s Odyssey10/13/08 Manhattan Center – Grand Ballroom, New York, NY
Moogfest 2008
Set I: Great American> Push the Pig, Hurt Bird Bath, End of the Road> Syncopated Strangers> Abacab11 Jamie Shields (Additional Keyboards)
10/14/08 Blender Theater at Gramercy, New York, NY
Set I: White Man’s Moccasins> The Pequod> White Man’s Moccasins, Plunger> Jimmy Stewart> Plunger, Utopian Fir, In the Kitchen
Set II: Padgett’s Profile, Bridgeless1> Glory> Bridgeless, Anchor Drops, Jimmy Stewart> Rocker Part II, Bloody Well Right, 40’s Theme2
Encore: Slacker1 ‘Master of Puppets’ and ‘One’ teases
2 Rob Marscher (Additional Keyboards)10/15/08 Blender Theater at Gramercy, New York, NY
Set I: All in Time1> Gulf Stream> Atmosfarag> Andy’s Last Beer> Jimmy Stewart> Hajimemashite
Set II: The Triple Wide2> The Floor, Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Kula> Waist Down, The Fuzz> Black Sabbath> War Pigs3
Encore: The Fussy Dutchman> Partyin’ Peeps1 Unfinished
2 ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’ 1 Verse/Chorus
3 Last Played 6/10/2007 (150 Shows)10/16/08 Blender Theater at Gramercy, New York, NY
Set I: Walletsworth, Alex’s House> Meeting In The Aisle> Wappy Sprayberry1> Der Bluten Kat
Set II: Prowler> All in Time2, The Crooked One3> Got Your Milk (Right Here)> Nothing Too Fancy> I Am the Walrus> Nothing Too Fancy4
Encore: Intentions Clear, Senor Mouse1 ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking’ jam
2 Completes 10/15/08 version
3 Unfinished ; ‘Xxplosive’ jam
4 ‘Rhiannon’ jam10/17/08 Smith Opera House, Geneva, NY
Set I: Uncle Wally> Tribute to the Spinal Shaft> Water, Last Train Home, Search 4, Robot World
Set II: Phil’s Farm> Partyin’ Peeps> Phil’s Farm, Out of Order> Sweetness> Jimmy Stewart (w/ lyrics), FF> …And Justice For All1, The Bottom Half
Encore: Front Porch> Flying1> Front Porch1 Last Played 11/17/2007 (101 Shows)
10/18/08 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
American Babies opened
Set I: 2nd Self, #5, Mulche’s Odyssey, Nemo, Rocker Part II, Wizard Burial Ground
Set II: August, Ocean Billy> Resolution> Ocean Billy, Rosanna1> Jimmy Stewart2> Bright Lights, Big City3
Encore: JaJunk> A Go-Go4> JaJunk1 Last Played 7/13/2007 (142 Shows)
2 with Jon Gutwillig replacing Brendan
3 Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’ teases
4 Last Played 6/12/2007 (154 Shows)
10 Responses
great pics, great recap…
cab drive to blender = priceless
The vibe at the UM show was off the hook. Every seat was filled and every square inch of space on the floor was jam packed with folks that were clearly into the band. It was a much different scene than over at the Roseland where everyone on the floor was packed in like sardines and everyone in the mezzanine couldn’t stop chattering among their friends.
-I couldn’t agree more about the less excited crowd at Trey, nor the great crowd at Blender.
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Great week of music in NYC last week, no matter how you shake it.
Harsh critics!?!
Never!
Good stuff Scotty. Nice running into you albeit briefly.
scotty,
you are correct sir, with your Geneva assessment.
just like Phish did in utah over the years, UM pulled a
“you snooze, you lose” in geneva. I continued on after friday in geneva to see trey in albany and trey in burlington…
but boy, I tell ya, I was pda’ing Umph in Philly during Trey and was secretly wishing I had driven to the Electric Factory for another electric evening with UM.
People have to start re-discovering UM or discovering for the first time.
wow! wow!
Great review Scotty. They blew me away during these shows, very different from previous runs.
I still can’t believe that Geneva was the only show I missed this tour!!! 🙂
Nice Job B — funny, it sounds like the only shows you missed were the ones I went to….Geneva was THE SHIT!