Review & Photos | Umphreys McGee | Boston

Words & Images by: Andrew Bruss

Umphrey’s McGee :: 10.31.14 & 11.01.14 :: House Of Blues :: Boston, MA

Read Andrew’s review after the gallery…

Over the course of their two-night run, Umphrey’s McGee ran the gauntlet, feeding rabid Bostonian Umphreaks a taste of everything they have to offer as an ever-evolving live act. We documented the first of their two gigs at the House of Blues as a part of our Halloween coverage, but failing to cover the second night might as well have meant only writing half an article.

The two shows were very different, but couldn’t have been more similar. Halloween had costumes and mash-ups galore whereas the second gig was built on almost exclusively original material…and bassist Ryan Stasik back in men’s clothing. The vibe was different from night to night, but everyone in attendance on both Friday and Saturday always saw Umphrey’s being Umphrey’s: tight, technically proficient, expansively improvisational, professional, but not too serious.

Few regularly touring bands have their finger on the pulse of their audience as closely as Umphrey’s McGee and they proved it early during their second night on Lansdowne Street. It seemed as though the sextet knew that following Halloween’s mash-up freakfest, they had to pump up their audience with a pick-me-up. Both “Slacker” and “Women, Wine and Song” are two of their most happy-go-lucky party anthems and playing them back-to-back during the first set went a long way towards keeping the previous night’s energy flowing.

With two fast-fretting guitarists (Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss), a bassist with a stage presence that comes easy and a multi-faceted keys player (Joel Cummins) who knows how to use the right synth, piano or organ line to complete the composition, a lot of attention is paid to the group’s front-four. That said, their backfield might be one of the most under-appreciated rhythm sections on the road. They didn’t perform a single song over their two nights in Boston that would have been better without the auxiliary percussion of Andy Farag and Kris Myers might be the single best player in the group. Not to diminish the skills of their guitar players, but if you were to isolate the sound of each instrument, I’d put my money on Myers being the one who, independent of his bandmates, would really knock you on your ass.

Yes, both nights were different from one another, but most fans in attendance both nights would probably tell you Halloween was the better of the two shows. The costumes were fun and the mash-ups are something you’ll always be able to brag about to the Set List Stat Geeks, but the original material of the second set was the highlight of the two-night run. “All in Time” is one of their oldest, most tried and true improvisational vehicles and splitting the tune in two, with “Glory,” “Ocean Billy,” and “Nothing Too Fancy” sandwiched in between was a display of this band on their A-Game. The solos were articulate and concise. Each tune segued into the next with a smoothness that made the whole “All In Time” mini-set feel like one long tune, and MVP Kris Myers laid a beating on his skins that you’d think was meant for a guy he caught with his wife.

Their Halloween set closed with a Beastie Boys/Ted Nugent mash-up that was true to the evening’s theme and built anticipation for Night Two. The following evening, they wrapped up their trip to the hub with a performance of “Gulf Stream” that was constructed and jammed around as though it was more than the end of a show, but the end of the run.

Both nights closed on a note that told their audience what didn’t need saying with words. During “Gulf Stream,” the anticipation factor was tenser, the stakes were higher, and the release was that much more gratifying. While the Beastie Boys mash-up was saying, “See You Tomorrow,” “Gulf Stream,” told their audience, “Goodbye and Farewell.”