Guests, Bust Outs, New Covers & Debuts: Umphrey’s McGee Rings In 2017 In Chicago

For the first time since 2009 Umphrey’s McGee returned to the Aragon Ballroom to hold their fifth New Year’s Eve concert at the Chicago venue. Like past NYE UM shows at the Aragon, the band offered new covers, original debuts, special guests and busts outs across the three set celebratory performance.

Umphrey’s once again welcomed Mad Dog and his Filthy Little Secret horns to sit-in throughout the show. The guests first emerged at the end of the first set to help out on the band’s debut rendition of their new Brendan Bayliss led original “Cut Off” and the subsequent segue into “13 Days.” Mad Dog and his crew that included Jeff Coffin on saxophone were also on board for the start of the second set which opened with “Booth Love” and a bust out rendition of Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne,” which was played for the first time since 2011, marking a nearly 600 show gap between performances. The horns were brought back at the end of set two for “Comma Later” and UM’s first time covering Sturgill Simpson’s “Call To Arms.”

The band named checked the Windy City to start the third set, opening with a horn-aided “In The Kitchen” that featured a jam on Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” in the lead up to the countdown. Following Chicago Cubs colored balloons dropping during “Auld Lang Syne,” the horns stuck around for the first Umphrey’s McGee cover of David Bowie’s “Golden Years” as well as “Partyin’ Peeps.” The guests were back along with UM Crew member Steve “Britches” Britz on percussion at the end of set three for a take on George Michael’s “Freedom ‘90,” which UM last performed with late drummer Mike Mirro on lead vocals back on July 3, 2000 – a span of 2,022 shows. All the musicians were back on stage for the “Bad Friday” encore that drew Umphrey’s New Year’s show to an end.

Here’s officially shared video of the first set “Attachments” opener followed by audience-shot highlights of New Year’s Eve:

[Kid Charlemagne | Captured by Hooke Audio]

[Freedom ‘90 | Captured by Hooke Audio]

[Call To Arms | Captured by Must Have Media]

[In The Kitchen > Auld Lang Syne | Captured by Must Have Media]

[The Triple Wide > The Bottom Half | Captured by Must Have Media]

[Puppet String | Captured by Must Have Media]

Setlist (via All Things Umphrey’s)

Set One: Attachments > The Fussy Dutchman, Puppet String, Wife Soup > Dump City > Wife Soup, Cut Off[1] > 13 Days[2]

Set Two: Booth Love[2], Kid Charlemagne[2], The Triple Wide > The Bottom Half, Mad Love, Hangover, Comma Later[2], Call To Arms[3]

Set Three: In The Kitchen[4] > Auld Lang Syne[2] > Golden Years[5] > Partyin’ Peeps[2], All In Time, Day Nurse, August, Freedom ‘90[6]

Encore: Bad Friday[2]

Notes:

• [1] debut, original; with Mad Dog and his Filthy Little Secret horns
• [2] with Mad Dog and his Filthy Little Secret horns
• [3] debut, Sturgill Simpson; with Mad Dog and his Filthy Little Secret horns
• [4] with Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (Michael Jackson) jam; with Mad Dog and his Filthy Little Secret horns
• [5] debut, David Bowie; with Mad Dog and his Filthy Little Secret horns
• [6] with Mad Dog and his Filthy Little Secret horns and Steve “Britches” Britz on percussion with Andy
• last Kid Charlemagne 03.13.2011 (595 shows)
• last Freedom 07.03.2000 (2,022 shows)