Umphrey’s McGee Breaks Out Raw Stewage Gems At Top Note Sessions

Umphrey’s McGee returned to the stage last night at the Metro in Chicago for their first of three Top Note Sessions performances. The sextet played one long set on the 4th floor of the famed venue in front of a small live audience and those tuning into the nugs.net livestream.

The band has been off for most of the fall as their appearance at Suwannee Hulaween was their only show since the middle of September. Tuesday’s Top Note Sessions performance was a career-spanning set featuring a pair of Raw Stewage compositions missing in action since early 2023.

Umphrey’s McGee chose the instrumental “Dump City” to open Tuesday’s Top Note Sessions concert before guitarist Brendan Bayliss sang “Half Delayed.” Then, the band delivered “Wide Open,” the first of the two Raw Stewage songs played last night that debuted at UMBowl IX at Chicago’s Riviera Theatre on November 12, 2022. They comprise past “Jimmy Stewart” improvisations fans voted on for inclusion in the first set at the ninth installment of UM’s football-themed concerts. “Wide Open” — which was last performed on April 14, 2023 — combines “Jimmy Stewart” jams from the July 2, 2011 “Steppin’ Razor,” May 5, 2007 “E.T.I.” and April 1, 2014 “Higgins.”

The two-hour performance continued with the live staple “Bad Friday.” Guitarist Jake Cinninger then fronted the band on a pairing of songs dating back to his time with Ali Baba’s Tahini: “Got Your Milk (Right Here)” and “Ringo.” UM followed with the rare instrumental “The Pequod” and fan-favorite “Booth Love.”

“Unevolved” came next in giving fans another Raw Stewage treat which hadn’t been performed since January 21, 2023. The song mixes elements of improvisations spouted out of “Push The Pig” on July 23, 2017; “In The Kitchen” on November 1, 2012; “Dump City” on March 15, 2007 and “Bridgeless” on April 14, 2007. Umphrey’s McGee closed out last night’s Top Note Sessions with oldie “Slacker.”

Top Note Sessions resumes tonight, Wednesday, December 11 and tomorrow, Thursday, December 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Free livestreams are available for nugs.net subscribers. A replay of last night’s show can be viewed at nugs.

Watch the start of Umphrey’s McGee’s first Top Note Sessions performance below:

Setlist

Set: Dump City, Half Delayed > Wide Open, Bad Friday, Got Your Milk (Right Here) > Ringo, The Pequod > Booth Love, Unevolved, Slacker