Umphrey’s McGee Teams Up With Chicago Mass Choir At Ravinia

Last night Umphrey’s McGee returned to historic Ravinia in Highland Park, Illinois – the nation’s oldest outdoor music festival site – for the second consecutive summer. The sextet’s 2015 Chicagoland debut featured a number of special guests including the Chicago Mass Choir, who had previously performed with Umphrey’s on December 31, 2008 and November 26, 2011.

Instrumental “October Rain” opened the action and led into a string of heavy hitters: “Bridgeless,” “Hajimemashite” and “Out Of Order.” At the end of the first set, Umphrey’s welcomed vocalist Michelle Hallman for a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.” UM last performed a full version of “Rhiannon” on September 13, 2003 – a span of 1,433 shows. The second set was also jam-packed with old school classics such as “All In Time,” “Prowler” and “Much Obliged.” The Chicago Mass Choir first emerged towards the end of “Wife Soup.” Umphrey’s and the choir ended the set with a debut cover of Talking Heads’ “Once In A Lifetime.” UM and the choir returned after the encore break with “No Diablo.” Jennifer Hartswick helped Umphrey’s and the Chicago Mass Choir end the evening with a debut cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me.”

Umphrey’s now heads to Michigan for a performance in Rochester Hills tonight.

Videos

[Lean On Me w/ Chicago Mass Choir & Jennifer Hartswick – by mcmamasita]

[Wife Soup w/ Chicago Mass Choir – by Carmel O’Farrell]

[Backstage Videos]

Setlist (via The Bort)

Set One: October Rain > Bridgeless > Hajimemashite, Out Of Order > Made To Measure, Day Nurse > The Linear > In The Black, Rhiannon (w/ Michelle Hallman)

Set Two: All In Time, Bad Friday, Prowler > Higgins > Much Obliged > Bridgeless, Wife Soup (w/ Chicago Mass Choir for ending), Once In A Lifetime (w/ Chicago Mass Choir)

Encore: No Diablo (w/ Chicago Mass Choir), Lean On Me (w/ Chicago Mass Choir & Jennifer Hartswick)