Umphrey’s McGee @ The Pageant – October 30 & 31
Words: Ryan Maher
Images: Tammy Wetzel
The Pageant Theatre is a world-class midsize venue. Sadly, there are few venues that inspire this much fan appreciation: the multiple tiers offering great sightlines from numerous points, the tiered balcony seating, the crisp acoustics and attentive wait staff all adding up to an idyllic place for face-melting for a two-night Halloween run from Umphrey’s McGee.
[All photos by Tammy Wetzel]
Of course, West Coast fans may take umbrage with the move to St. Louis after they became accustomed to Northern Cali visits from UM for this musical holiday. 2008 was the birthplace of the mash-up Halloween show in San Francisco, and with the tremendous success of their novel approach, UM has fortunately left this tradition intact. The Wood Brothers opened to the sold out crowd for a well played, mellow set on the 30th.
Anticipation was already high following a monster two-night run by UM in Urbana the preceding nights. Queue the theme from Jaws to signal the impending onslaught of a band on fire, and the crowd roared as the six members took the stage for the first at two shows.
They led off with All In Time, one of the more anthemic UM tunes, which worked well in the opening slot as it engaged the crowd with a longtime sing-along favorite. Within just a few minutes, they dropped on a dime into The Linear, instantly submerging the mood from celebratory to a contemplative, exploratory atmosphere. And explore they did.
READ ON for more from Umphrey’s Halloween run…
