Umphrey’s McGee Debuts New Originals At Album Release Show In Chicago

Umphrey’s McGee celebrated their 11th studio album, it’s not us with a release party at the Park West in Chicago Sunday night. The “intimate, storytellers-style performance” saw the band debut a pair of songs from the album that came out last Friday.

Only 750 tickets (which came with a deluxe edition of the new record) were sold for Sunday’s show that marked UM’s first at the Lincoln Park venue in nearly five years. A total of six songs from it’s not us made last night’s single set setlist. The band’s one set performance was followed by the album played over the Park West PA system while lighting director Jefferson Waful lit the room as the members of UM joined the audience for the listening party.

The live set began with “Half Delayed,” a cut from it’s not us debuted during UM’s recent New Year’s Run in Denver. Next came the first live rendition of the fellow album track “Maybe Someday” and just the second take on “Whistle Kids,” which also appears on the new LP. Digging into their back catalog, “Bridgeless” with a “Cut the Cable (OG)” played within was the first deviation from it’s not us material.

Guitarists Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss went acoustic for the UM debut of “You & You Alone.” The two had performed a similarly arranged version of the it’s not us tune on the same stage one month prior during their annual holiday show. A subsequent cover of Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See” saw Bayliss remain “unplugged.” The classic instrumental “Blue Echo” followed and segued into the it’s not us single “The Silent Type.” UM concluded their performance with “Looks,” a song from it’s not us that was first played during their encore in Cincinnati on Saturday.

Watch audience-shot video from the Park West captured by Kevin Higley below:

[Maybe Someday]

[Half Delayed]

[Can’t You See]

Setlist

Set: Half Delayed, Maybe Someday, Whistle Kids, Bridgeless > Cut the Cable (OG) > Bridgeless, You & You Alone [1], Can’t You See [1], Blue Echo > The Silent Type, Looks

Notes:

[1] Brendan & Jake acoustic