Watch Umphrey’s McGee Ascend ‘Staircase’ At Red Rocks For ‘Colbert’

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert shared a video of Umphrey’s McGee performing “Staircase” at Red Rocks. The video is part of the Late Show Me Music series.

Umphrey’s McGee shared “Staircase” in February 2023 as a standalone single following their 2022 album, Asking For A Friend. The band promoted “Staircase” ahead of it’s release with a limited edition NFT.

“Staircase” was a pandemic collaboration between UM guitarist Brendan Bayliss and bassist Ryan Stasik. Both members commented on the crafting of the song at the time of its release.

Ryan Stasik:

“I had been writing a lot during covid lockdown. After a nice morning surf session I came back to the studio and came up with two parts on the TonePad app on my iPhone. Thought it was pretty cool and added some drum loops, some Moog Taurus basslines and some synth bass. Sent it to Bayliss asking if he could add anything or work his magic. He did.”

Brendan Bayliss:

“During the lockdown we were sending musical ideas back and forth. Ryan sent his demo and I immediately knew there was real potential. I recorded some vocals over his parts and then a few months later I was messing around with what is now the chorus section. Once I spliced the two together I knew that we had just finished a new song, one that doesn’t sound like anything else we were working on at that time.”

“Staircase’s” pandemic origins are fitting as the Late Show Me Music series is similar to The Late Show’s pandemic-era web series Play At Home. Even more fitting, is that UM performs “Staircase” from Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks, a state and venue that have become like home for the band.

Watch Umphrey’s McGee perform “Staircase” during soundcheck and to an audience at Red Rocks on June 17, 2023 below: