Photos & Recap: Umphrey’s McGee Present ‘Reel To Real’ In Denver
By McL Jan 12, 2016 • 1:30 pm PST
Words by: Jon McLennand
Images by: Jeremy Williams
Umphrey’s McGee Reel To Real :: 01.01.16 :: The Fillmore Auditorium :: Denver, CO
View Jeremy’s full gallery below the recap …
A seated benefit for Conscious Alliance on New Year’s Day hosted by Umphrey’s McGee was a drastic contrast from the previous evening’s festivities at The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver. Accompanied by a digital projector and popcorn cart, Reel To Real (R2R) was the latest in a series of shows from the UM organization that have challenged the idea of a standard two-set affair. The Stew Art Series (S2), UMBowl and Bill Graham For a Day have each been an exercise in trust: fans trusting the band to provide them with an intimate experience and the band trusting its fans to let them take chances (with the accompanying forgiveness if they falter).
The latest creation was in two parts. First the Reel, a 65-minute film directed by Jefferson Waful, comprised primarily of hand-held video footage shot by bassist Ryan Stasik and then sound engineer Kevin Browning from 2002-2006. The Real featured the band on stage, guard down, playing their way through a fan-chosen set of music, and explaining the creative process behind the songs.
[Author’s note: I curate the Umphrey’s McGee Podcast, and though I had no role in its production, my name does appear in the R2R credits. ]
For UMBowl III, the band produced a short recreating one of Almost Famous’ most well-known scenes. I couldn’t help but think what seemed like parody at the time was more self-aware than we realized. R2R documents the Stillwater days of Umphrey’s McGee.
Skepticism of a self-produced documentary abounds. What could have been a ham-handed hagiography, instead, R2R is a craftily edited look back at eight guys in a van with a lot of heart and soul. And self-doubt. And face slaps.
“I seem to have found myself in a unique position … my best friends are my business partners.”
As a band that has always kept their personal lives close to the cuff, a peek into the journal of Brendan Bayliss in its opening revealed that R2R was going to be more than just a puff piece. Clues as to the band’s internal struggles have always been aphoristically hidden in his lyrics, here we are offered concrete evidence of UM as they struggled coming to terms with being in a band full-time.
Which isn’t to say there were no fun and games. It’s clear that this Band of Brothers was more than just a unit on stage, but off the stage as well. The van was a flophouse on wheels filled with sleeping bags, pissbottles, music so bad it was good and a lot of farts. Surprising to no one, these road warriors were in no hurry to grow up. But the van also served as an incubator for the maturation of Umphrey’s McGee’s sound. Routinely listening to a recording of the previous evening’s show, they became their own biggest critics and cherry-picked the best segments for future repurposing as a Lego in their songwriting process.
Fans both new and old will be shocked at some of the segments featuring original drummer Mike Mirro. While there is no shortness of love throughout the film, his departure was a pivotal moment in their career and it was not the amicable split they portrayed at the time. Instead, for the first time, UM peeled back a layer and gave serious fans a glimpse into the underbelly, where everything isn’t all rock hands and fuck yeahs. Feelings of betrayal and abandonment, and a band argument before Mirro’s last show left many viewers uncomfortable, squirming in their seats. This was the true Real of the night.
A repeated theme throughout the film, luck always seems to be on their side. Already part of the legend of Umphrey’s McGee, after putting out a nationwide search for a replacement drummer, the first demo they listened to happened to arrive from Chicago and his name was Kris Myers. Not only did they find a suitable replacement, but his musical training brought a new dimension to UM as he was also able to chart out more complex musical passages for the band to explore.
“Maybe we’re not that good.”
Equipped with a new drummer, and ditching the van for a bus, they fully embraced the rock and roll lifestyle. But fame and fortune never seemed to come fast enough. Understanding their limitations was another obstacle, conveyed in songs of the era like “Plunger,” which explores the band’s unsure future, their anger towards Mirro, and a conclusion that everything’s going to work itself out.
If you love Umphrey’s McGee, not just the music, but the band itself, a viewing of Reel To Real is a must. The band members are in the moment. Not rock stars, but regular dudes traveling from town to town looking to throw a good time and have a good time doing it. Somewhere along the way, they got good at it.
“Is this as weird for you guys as it is for us?”
For their show on January 1, 2015, UM played in bathrobes, not so subtly implying that maybe a rock show on January 1st isn’t the best idea. One can surmise that led to a low-impact show this time around. When they hit the stage, the band was relaxed, if hyper-aware of the situation at hand.
The fan-voted selections for the set were from a range of eras of the band, and each offered a different glimpse into the creation process. From the conglomeration of “Mantis” to the cathartic synthesis of “Words,” there is a lot of history to these songs that has never been discussed so frankly before. Of course, the set was not without a lengthy aside about a trip Joel Cummins took to Japan to visit Ryan Stasik (who had been studying abroad) that was worth the punchline.
A special treat for the evening was the debut of a new tune titled “Gone for Good.” Hailing from the poppier, Paul Simon-side of the Bayliss repertoire, it’s catchiness was undeniable. It was prefaced by a note that he doesn’t like explaining the meaning of his lyrics as it inevitably leaves the questioner disappointed. After recounting a buddy’s tale, he summed the song up as being “about a one night stand.” It felt like some wry, twisted joke .. .he was signed up to do that which he is loathe to.
It’s difficult to stand back and take a good hard look at yourself and the choices you’ve made. It’s even harder when you’re doing it in front of hundreds of people. I don’t suspect this show format will be revisited, but the trust between band and fans on this night has given all Umphrey’s McGee fans a gift with the creation of the Reel To Real film. How the band will ultimately release this is still unknown, but the upcoming screening in NYC is yet another demonstration of an UM machine that keeps humming along, always finding new ways to connect with fans.
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