Umphrey’s McGee Begins 1st Tour With Scotty Zwang On Drums

A new chapter of Umphrey's McGee's career began last night at The Windjammer in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Drummer Scotty Zwang was behind the kit for his first full show with the band on Thursday.

The show marked the resumption of the Cruising Altitude 2025 Tour following a three-week break. During that time, drummer Kris Myers departed the band after a 22-year tenure as Umphrey’s McGee’s drummer. Zwang will handle drum duties for the rest of 2025 besides a four-city Florida run, which will feature Widespread Panic drummer Duane Trucks behind the kit.

Umphrey’s McGee wasted little time putting Scotty Zwang to the test by performing some of their most complex compositions. The sextet opened with “Hurt Bird Bath,” the first song Myers played in public with the band on New Year’s Eve 2002. Zwang nailed the complex composition, as he helped power a version that spanned over 25 minutes.

Guitarist Brendan Bayliss led his bandmates through the subsequent “Walletsworth” before UM explored blissful soundscapes during an extended “Pure Saturation.” Next came the title track of the group’s 2003 studio album, Anchor Drops, which was last played 74 shows prior on June 13, 2024. Umphrey’s wrapped the five-song, 70-minute first set with the proggy “JaJunk.”

Umphrey’s began their second set with a “Plunger” they used as a launchpad for more impressive improvisation. The group alternated between hard-edged jamming and more major-key bliss throughout the 21-minute “Plunger.” A focus on Anchor Drops ended with “Uncommon,” the fifth and final song of the night from the LP. UM worked plenty of jamming into “Uncommon” with Bayliss singing portions of U2’s “Bad” over an anthemic progression while Zwang put the hammer down.

“Uncommon” bled into a cover of Talking Heads’ “Making Flippy Floppy” to close a three-song start to the frame in which each tune was at least 14 minutes in length. Bayliss continued the heavy vocal lifting on the “Hajimemashite” that followed. Jake Cinninger unleashed a mammoth solo during the classic song.

Umphrey’s moved forward with their first cover of Men At Work’s 1983 smash “Down Under” since September 17, 2023 — a gap of 133 shows. “Down Under” gave way to a set-closing “Andy’s Last Beer” with Zwang capably handling the song’s odd time signatures. The six-piece said farewell with a “The Silent Type” encore.

Stream an official soundboard recording of last night’s Umphrey’s McGee show below via nugs.net:

Umphrey’s McGee returns to The Windjammer tonight and then heads to North Carolina for shows in Wilmington on Saturday and High Point on Sunday.

Setlist (via All Things Umphreys)

Set One: Hurt Bird Bath, Walletsworth, Pure Saturation > Anchor Drops, JaJunk

Set Two: Plunger > Uncommon[1] > Making Flippy Floppy, Hajimemashite, Down Under > Andy’s Last Beer

Encore: The Silent Type

[1] “Jimmy Stewart” with lyrics

Show Notes: entire show with Scotty Zwang on drums