Umphrey’s McGee Celebrates Valentine’s Day With Wilco Cover Debut On This Date In 2010

On February 14, 2010 Umphrey’s McGee played a Valentine’s Day show at Rams Head Live in Baltimore. The sextet gave fans a chance to pick a new cover for UM to bust out that night. UM and promoter Walther Productions issued ballots to ticketholders filled with songs about romance in some form including “Think I’m In Love” by Beck, “Love Bites” by Def Leppard and Death Cab For Cutie’s “I Will Possess Your Heart.” At the start of the second set, the audience found out which tune had won – Wilco’s “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.”

Umphrey’s began the show in fitting style with a cover of “Big Heart” by The Lounge Lizards. The band next played “Big Heart” on June 7, 2013 and its disappeared from the rotation ever since. Extended versions of “Turn & Dub” and “Example 1” followed on Valentine’s ’10 before the second-ever version of original “Conduit,” which was debuted one night earlier. Quick romps through “Nemo” and “Spires” led into the “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” set closer.

The sextet came out for the second set with Brendan Bayliss on acoustic guitar. Umphrey’s then treated fans to what still stands as their only cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” from the other Chicago-based band’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot LP. Bayliss handled vocals on the tune. Next up was a 40-minute sequence of “The Triple Wide” into “All In Time.” Jake Cinninger then fronted the group on the debut of “Booth Love,” another song that was perfect for the occasion. “Partyin’ Peeps” brought the closing stanza to its conclusion but UM wasn’t done yet.

Umphrey’s encore at Rams Head Live was a wild one. It started innocently enough with “Much Obliged,” which the band jammed into The Chantays’ surf-rock classic “Pipeline.” The quick run through “Pipeline” gave way to a take on Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’,” one of just two in UM history. Bayliss and percussionist Andy Farag then started rapping Warren G & Nate Dogg’s “Regulate,” a song which contains samples of “I Keep Forgettin’.” As such, drummer Kris Myers sang the chorus of the Michael McDonald once again before Farag and Bayliss rapped the end of “Regulate” to close out the night. Listen to an audience recording taped by Timothy Brown:

An official recording of the show is available via nugs.net.

Setlist (via All Things Umphreys)

Set One: Big Heart, Turn & Dub, Example 1, Conduit, Nemo, Spires[1] > Miss Tinkle’s Overture

Set Two: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart[2] > The Triple Wide[1] > All In Time, Booth Love[3], Partyin’ Peeps

Encore: Much Obliged[1] > Pipeline > I Keep Forgettin'[4] -> Regulate -> I Keep Forgettin'[4] > Regulate[5]

• [1] unfinished
• [2] debut, Wilco; Brendan on acoustic guitar; winner of the ValUMtine’s Day Song Poll
• [3] debut, original
• [4] one chorus and verse
• [5] with I Keep Forgettin’ (Michael McDonald) tease