Umphrey’s McGee Makes 1st ‘Bus Call’ Since 2011

Umphrey’s McGee continued their 25th Anniversary Tour on Thursday night with a concert at the Clyde Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The encore featured the second performance of “Bus Call,” an original song played by guitarist Brendan Bayliss solo on piano that made its debut in 2011 at UMBowl II.

Despite being just a two-hour drive from South Bend, Indiana where UM formed in 1998, last night’s concert was just the fifth time the band played Fort Wayne. Thursday’s show fell two days after crew member Sam Sutton’s birthday and the Peoria, Illinois native requested a “Bus Call” bust out.

The song had last been performed at Chicago’s Park West on April 2, 2011, going 1,609 shows between setlist appearances. The rarity was followed by the rest of the band joining Bayliss on “Bad Friday,” which ended just a few minutes before the calendar turned from Thursday to Friday.

Other notable aspects of Thursday’s UM show include in the first set a 15-minute “#5,” the sixth performance of “Always October” from last year’s studio album Asking For A Friend, and the third offering of “Exits Signs.” Second set highlights included the fourth “Dayville Monarchy” – guitarist Jake Cinninger’s Asking original, as well as the old-school instrumental “Sweetness” which was played just once last year, and a 10-minute “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” to close the set.

Offcial audio via nugs.net

Setlist (via All Things UM)

Set One: Andy’s Last Beer, Make It Right, #5, Always October > Tribute to the Spinal Shaft > Women Wine and Song, Exit Signs

Set Two: Hourglass > Plunger > Walletsworth, Dayville Monarchy > Sweetness > Intentions Clear > Miss Tinkle’s Overture

Encore: Bus Call, Bad Friday

Notes:

• last Bus Call 2011-04-02 (1,609 shows)