Umphrey’s McGee Brings Out Mad Dog For ‘I Keep Forgettin’’ In Kentucky

Umphrey’s McGee enlisted old pal Michael “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou to sing a Michael McDonald classic and conduct a jam in Newport, Kentucky last Friday night. The collaboration went down towards the end of UM’s second set at Megacorp Pavilion.

The sextet concluded the closing stanza of their recent show in Newport with a wild “Utopian Fir.” Umphrey’s quickly moved from the reggae-tinged jam vehicle into a cover of Warren G’s 1994 smash “Regulate” fronted by percussionist Andy Farag.

Andy “Cousin Eli” Farag exchanged verses with guitarist Brendan Bayliss on “Regulate” ala Warren G and Nate Dogg on the original. The song famously employs a sample of Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).” Umphrey’s typically vamps on the chorus of the 1982 McDonald hit while performing “Regulate.” However, in Newport, the band brought out Michael “McDonald” Mavridoglou to handle lead vocals on an incomplete yet substantial “I Keep Forgettin’.” The version of the song last played by UM on January 31, 2015 was long enough to warrant inclusion in the setlist.

Mavridoglou stuck around to conduct the members of Umphrey’s McGee through a jam. The six-piece mainly stuck to the “Regulate”/”I Keep Forgettin'” groove yet altered the timing and beat depending on the signals “Mad Dog” gave them. The Cincinnati-based musician previously conducted Umphrey’s McGee jams several times. Michael “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou, who puts together the Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horns for UM New Year’s Eve concerts, last showed off his vocal skills imitating Michael McDonald on a cover of The Doobie Brothers’ “What A Fool Believes” on December 31, 2023 in Chicago.

Umphrey’s continued to vamp on “Regulate”/”I Keep Forgettin'” while Mavridoglou left the stage. The veteran jam act then returned to “Utopian Fir” and delivered tasty improvisation before ending the song and second set. Oldies “Hajimemashite” and the conclusion of “All In Time” were trotted out as the evening’s encore.

Earlier, “All In Time” was started after the instrumental intro “Flamethrower” opened. The rest of the first set in Newport featured diverse material ranging from complex composition “The Crooked One” to beloved instrumental “Glory” to the catchy “Whistle Kids” to the raging metal of “Wizard Burial Ground.” A run consisting of expansive versions of “Escape Goat,” “Red Tape” and “The Triple Wide” along with a straightforward romp through Mantis cut “Red Tape” formed the second set pre-“Utopian Fir.”

Stream official audio of Umphrey’s McGee’s show in Newport below with a nugs.net subscription:

Setlist (via All Things UM)

Set One: Flamethrower > All In Time > Comma Later, The Crooked One > Glory, Whistle Kids > It Doesn’t Matter, August, Wizard Burial Ground

Set Two: Escape Goat > The Floor, Red Tape, The Triple Wide, Utopian Fir > Regulate > I Keep Forgettin'[1] > Utopian Fir

Encore: Hajimemashite > All In Time

[1] with Michael “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou on vocals; incomplete

Show Notes:
last I Keep Forgettin’ 2015-01-31 (714 shows)