Umphrey’s McGee Closes Out New Year’s Run In Denver

On Saturday night Chicago rockers Umphrey’s McGee concluded a four-night New Year’s Run at The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver. While Friday’s show was the first-ever “Reel To Real” event featuring the premiere of a movie about the band followed by a Storytellers-esque set (stay tuned for much more on “Reel To Real”), Saturday was a traditional two-set affair. Keyboardist Joel Cummins was in charge of writing up the evening’s setlist which contained plenty of beloved classics, heaping helpings of improv, a cover debut and guest spot from a Colorado-based guitarist.

UM came out strong with the hard-hitting instrumental “Miss Tinkle’s Overture.” The reggae-tinged original “FF” gave way to the evening’s first meaty jam which featured “The Fussy Dutchman” teases before the group transitioned into the instrumental. “Domino Theory” came next followed by a “Nemo” > “Sweetness” > “Nemo” sequence. “Sweetness” is one of the band’s earliest songs and was only played three times in 2015. Saturday’s take contained “Over The Hills And Fare Away” teases. “Soul Food I,” another golden oldie that doesn’t get much stage time these days, led into a set-closing “Ocean Billy.” For “Soul Food I” Umphrey’s was joined by guest guitarist Jaden Carlson, an extremely talented teenager who went toe-to-toe with Jake Cinninger in replacing Brendan Bayliss on “Soul Food I.”

“Plunger” opened the second set with a sprawling jam that gave way via an impressive segue to “No Comment.” Up next was “Slacker” before Umphrey’s debuted a cover of Mark Ronson’s 2014 hit “Daffodils.” It was then time for UM to dust off another fan-favorite song from their early days which doesn’t get played often these days – “Front Porch” – to the delight of the crowd. The heavy metal workout “Wizard Burial Ground” ended the second set. When Umphrey’s came out for the encore they gave fans word the band will return to the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado for two shows in early July. UM said farewell to the faithful and closed out the run with “Uncommon” > “The Floor.”

Watch fan-shot footage of Jaden Carlson on “Soul Food I” via CycoTek CityZen:

Setlist (via The Bort)

Set One: Miss Tinkle’s Overture, FF [1] > The Fussy Dutchman, Domino Theory, Nemo > Sweetness [2] > Nemo, Soul Food I [3] > Ocean Billy

Set Two: Plunger -> No Comment > Slacker, Daffodils [4], Front Porch, Wizard Burial Ground

Encore: Uncommon > The Floor

• [1] with The Fussy Dutchman tease
• [2] with Over the Hills and Far Away tease
• [3] with Jaden Carlson on guitar
• [4] debut, Mark Ronson