The String Cheese Incident Jams On Umphrey’s McGee’s ‘In The Kitchen’ In Chicago

The String Cheese Incident kicked off a two-night run at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on Friday. SCI nodded to Umphrey’s McGee by jamming on the latter’s Chicago-referencing classic, “In The Kitchen,” in UM’s home base.

Cheese got the first set underway with bassist Keith Moseley leading the band through “Sweet Spot” ahead of “Search,” the latter a co-write between SCI guitarist Bill Nershi and renowned Malagasy guitarist D’Gary (Ernest Randrianosolo). Keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth’s “Got What He Wanted” launched a seamless sequence that flowed into the “In The Kitchen” jam.

UM released a number of studio and live albums in the 2000s on The String Cheese Incident’s SCI Fidelity label. “In The Kitchen” appears on UM’s 2004 album, Anchor Drops, the band’s debut on SCI Fidelity.

More recently, Hollingsworth and Umphrey’s McGee keyboardist Joel Cummins swapped SCI and UM songs in a video series with Kyle tackling “In The Kitchen” among others. Hollingsworth would lead the way on the “In The Kitchen” jam in Chicago on Friday, singing the song’s chorus coming out of “Got What He Wanted.”

“The Pygmy Pony” concluded the seamless sequence followed by “Song In My Head” and a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman.” A pairing of “Little Hands” and “All We Got” wrapped the first set.

Nershi presided over a “Group Hoot” to get the second set underway before multi-instrumentalist Michael Kang led the way on the epic, “Just One Story.” Drummer Michael Travis’s “Illegal” came next and led into a bust out of Bill Monroe’s “Jerusalem Ridge,” last time played on September 29, 2019 (the SCI debut) for a total gap of 86 songs, as per Phantasy Tour.

“One Step Closer” concluded the continuous segment. A standalone “Can’t Wait Another Day” followed before SCI wrapped the second frame with another three-song sequence beginning with “Tinder Box” ahead of a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me.” The set came to a close with the electro-afrobeat favorite “Rosie.” The String Cheese Incident returned to encore with a 10-minute “Smile.”

Listen to official audio via nugs.net below:

Also check out video of “Little Hands” from Friday’s show:

Setlist (via Phantasy Tour)

Set One: Sweet Spot, Search, Got What He Wanted > Jam[1] > Pygmy Pony, Song in My Head, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Little Hands > All We Got

Set Two: Just One Story, Illegal > One Step Closer, Can’t Wait Another Day, Tinder Box > You Wreck Me > Rosie

Encore: Smile

[1] contained vocal teases of “in the kitchen” by Umphrey’s McGee