|
Umphrey's McGee: Back with Maturity, Flaunting Velocity
Brendan Bayliss by Susan J. Weiand |
The last time Umphrey's McGee was at High Sierra, it was 2003. They
were a younger band then, with a lot of speculation surrounding their blossoming
musical persona. Their return in 2006 was one that brought less in terms of speculation
and more in terms of realized intent. The musicianship is astounding, the sound
is pristinely crisp, and the once fun-time party band with lots of technical changes
and a few choice covers has evolved into a full-on rock show extravaganza. Of
course, they're still keeping the fun-time party aspect and the "Oh my god, the fret board
is going to erupt into flames" thoughts right in tow with them.
Their late night set on Thursday evening was a heavy yet proper way to start
the festival. It just didn't let up. Newly released anthem "Believe the
Lie" got the crowd amped up, while the "Nothing Too Fancy > Making
Flippy Floppy > Utopian Fir > Nothing Too Fancy," featuring out-of-this-world ukulele player Jake
Shimabukuro, was of piercing velocity
and flat-out awesomeness. The "sit in" became the theme of the night
after that, with Keller Williams, Alan Hertz, Eric Levy,
and former Particle guitarist Charlie Hitchcock all taking the stage
and proceeding the make sure that everyone in the High Sierra Music Hall was
going to be in dire need of some recovery if they were going to make it through
the next three days of the festival.
Jake Cinninger & Ryan Stasik by Dave Vann |
Friday night found UM on the main stage, set to close out the festival with
a night time set under the Quincy moon. From the get go with "Kabump"
and the sheer power of crowd favorite "All In Time," this was a show
that was executed with a great mix of all things Umph. A perfect mixture of
new songs and old songs, with a lot of huge jams and tight precision mixed in
between. To encore the two-hour set, they came out and played "Words"
off of the new release Safety in Numbers, showcasing their provocative
lyrics and songwriting ability. Umphrey's McGee alone didn't make High Sierra
one of the best festivals this summer, but it sure would have been incomplete
without them.
- Tanner Wyer
Enchanted By The Mother Hips
Tim Bluhm by SuperDee |
San Francisco's Mother
Hips are a better band than most will ever be. With alarming consistency,
they knock out resonantly satisfying performances that showcase their gun-slinger
musical skills and huge, superb back catalog. When one reads gushing like this,
it's easy to take it with a grain of salt. I encourage you not to do that with
the Mother Hips. They really are that good, and they proved it at two very different
shows at High Sierra. Thursday's late night opening slot before Umphrey's McGee
was exploratory and psychedelic in the best sense and a surprising change from
the tightly coiled feel of most of their work. Primary songwriter-guitarist-singers
(there's a mouthful) Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono are sensual cats
willing to explore earthy terrain in their lyrics. That vibe spilled over into
Thursday's jams, which also recalled their looser sound in the late '90s.
The next day they rained down positive vibrations on the Big Meadow, drawing gentle strength from the wind and
open skies. The Hips craft songs that are sing-along perfect yet never make you feel like an idiot for singing along.
Pop music has a tendency, especially these days, to thrive on dumb expressions and easy imagery. That's never the
case with these guys.
The Mother Hips by Dave Vann |
Grounded in the superlative rhythm team of Paul Hoaglin (bass) and John
Hofer (drums), they offered up tune after tune that should have been massive
summer singles. Like most times, I walked away from these sets feeling more than
thinking, enchanted by the grace of their empathetic harmonies, the impassioned
kick drum that started "Time Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear," the swaying guitar lines
of "Del Mar Station," and the way they still seem capable of surprising each other
every gig. Song for song, lick for lick, the Mother Hips were as good as anything
offered at this year's festival.
- Dennis Cook
Drew Emmit by Susan J. Weiand
|
