Umphrey’s McGee Honors Tom Petty & Dusts Off Toto Cover At The Capitol Theatre

Umphrey’s McGee kicked off a three-show New York Run with the first of two performances at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York on Friday night. The show featured plenty of jamming, a tribute to Tom Petty and the return of a long-lost Toto cover.

The six-piece immediately honored Tom Petty on the occasion of the late music great’s birthday by opening with the UM debut of “Runnin’ Down A Dream.” Guitarist Jake Cinninger handled lead vocals on the spot-on performance of the Full Moon Fever gem. Umphrey’s dropped perfectly from the Petty tribute into “JaJunk.” The lengthy version was filled with shredding from Cinninger, while Brendan Bayliss’s guitar work shined during the “Intentions Clear” that came a bit later. Friday’s first set also featured a “Higgins” jam that sounded out of the ’00s, a “Much Obliged” > “Upward” sequence and the uplifting “Make It Right.”

Last night’s second set was a five-song affair filled with dynamic improvisation. Up first were wild versions of “Wappy Sprayberry” and “Phil’s Farm” with plenty of jamming. Fan-favorite “2×2” came next and led into a “Drums” segment. The band’s drum/percussion team groove for a bit as the base to start Toto’s “Africa,” a beloved cover last played on April 23, 2015. “Resolution” featured a pair of jams including one tinged with the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” as the band has done in the past and gave way to the final section of “Phil’s Farm” to bring the frame to a close.

Umphrey’s said farewell with the frenetic instrumental “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” as the encore. The sextet returns to The Cap on Saturday and a live webcast is available via TourGigs.

Watch pro-shot video of the set-opening segments:

[Runnin’ Down A Dream > JaJunk]

https://www.facebook.com/umphreysmcgee/videos/10155295253608277/

[Wappy Sprayberry]

Here’s footage of “Africa” captured by Sean Roche:

Setlist (via The Bort)

Set One: Runnin’ Down A Dream > JaJunk, Much Obliged > Upward, Intentions Clear > Make It Right, Higgins

Set Two: Wappy Sprayberry > Phil’s Farm > 2×2, Drums > Africa, Resolution > Phil’s Farm

Encore: Miss Tinkle’s Overture