New To Circulation: Recording Of The Second-Ever Umphrey’s McGee Show Surfaces

On January 21, 1998 Umphrey’s McGee played their first show together and while a recording of the band’s debut doesn’t circulate on Archive.org, recently a batch of classic UM recordings spanning 1998 – 2000 have surfaced including the group’s second ever show which features a “Mike’s Song” > “Phil’s Farm” > “I Amy Hydrogen” > “Weekapaug Groove” > “Orfeo” sequence. At the time the lineup saw guitarist Brendan Bayliss joined by bassist Ryan Stasik, keyboardist Joel Cummins and drummer Mike Mirro.

According to All Things Umphreys, the group’s second show took place at Club 23 in South Bend, Indiana on January 29, 1998. Umphrey’s mixed originals that are still around today such as “Phil’s Farm,” “Kimble,” “Divisions” and “Dear Lord” with long-lost classics “Muffburger Sandwich,” “G-Song” and “10th Grade” as well as Phish, moe., MMW, Van Halen and Def Leppard covers. The soundboard recording below, which like others that recently surfaced, were shared by John Joyce, gives us a window into the band’s pre-Jake Cinninger days when their shows were heavy on jam band and heavy metal covers as well as early versions of originals. Listen to UM’s second-ever show for the four-piece’s takes on Phish’s “Mike’s Groove,” moe.’s “Rebubula,” MMW’s “Bubblehouse” and Ben Folds’ “Philosophy” (and note the heady “All In Time” teases in “Weekapaug”):

Umphrey’s January 29, 1998 Setlist (via All Things Umphreys)

Set 1: Phil’s Farm, Hours > Kimble, Red Baron, Muffburger Sandwich, Philosophy > Linus and Lucy[1] > Philosophy, Divisions[2], Rebubula[3]

Set 2: G-Song[2] > Bubblehouse[4] > G-Song, FF > Jump[5] > FF, Burning Down the House[6], 10th Grade[7], Mike’s Song > Phil’s Farm > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove[8] > Orfeo, Moby Dick[9], Dear Lord[10], Pour Some Sugar On Me

• [1] ended with Rhapsody in Blue (George Gershwin) tease
• [2] debut, original
• [3] debut, moe.
• [4] debut, Medeski Martin & Wood
• [5] debut, Van Halen
• [6] with Underworld (Super Mario Brothers) theme (Koji Kondo) and Scarlet Begonias (The Grateful Dead) teases
• [7] with Third Sone from the Sun (Jimi Hendrix) teases
• [8] with All In Time tease
• [9] with 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon) tease and verse as well as Tweezer (Phish) and Thunderstruck (AC/DC) teases
• [10] debut, original; with Mellow Mood and Stir It Up (both Bob Marley) and The Tide Is High (Blondie) quotes from Brendan

But wait, there’s plenty more where that came from. In the past two days three Umphrey’s recordings from 1998 have been uploaded to Archive.org as well as tapes from two 1999 shows and three from the year 2000. Umphrey’s seventh-ever documented show took place at Finnigan’s in South Bend on February 20, 1998. A soundboard recording of nearly the entire first set taped by current UM manager and former sound caresser Kevin Browning features covers of the Beastie Boys’ “Pow” and “Groove Holmes,” a 17-minute “August,” a fun “All In Time” and more.

Umphrey’s February 20, 1998 Setlist (via All Things Umphreys)

Set One: Jam, 10th Grade, Phil’s Farm, August, Salamander Strut, Cantaloupe Woman, All In Time, Pow > Groove Holmes, Hours > Kimble, G-Song > Voulez-Vous > Bubblehouse > G-Song

Then there’s the group’s March 27, 1998 show in South Bend featuring “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “August,” a wild and upbeat “Patience” (Guns N’ Roses), “Run Like An Antelope” > “Phil’s Farm” > “Run Like An Antelope” and more. Head here for that one. Umphrey’s concert from August 27, 1998 includes an early “Front Porch,” the long-lost “Bob” and lengthy versions of “Rebubula,” “August” and “All In Time.” Download or stream here. We’ll get into the 1999 and 2000 shows in a future post. In the meantime, if you hear any teases in these “new” recordings that aren’t listed on All Things Umphreys send a tweet @UMarchive.