Photos by Jim Mimna
The Scene: A 4th of July weekend at Red Rocks is a special thing. For those who have never been it’s impossible to describe the giddiness, patriotic pride, and feeling of flat out luckiness that we get to enjoy ourselves at the world’s greatest concert venue as we celebrate the birth of the world’s greatest country. Add to the mix the excitement of a band like Umphrey’s McGee coming to town and it’s a recipe for a truly special night. This July 3rd was no different and a sold-out crowd was treated to a memorable performance that had people as excited for the fireworks on stage as the ones in the air over the holiday weekend.
Umprhey’s McGee: From the first time I saw Umphrey’s McGee in the late nineties the band has been on a steady, upward trajectory and focused on taking things to the next level. Whether it was pushing the boundaries of “jam” driven music, finding new ways to interact with their fans, or upping their light production game, the band has never been afraid to step into the spotlight in new and exciting ways. Friday at Red Rocks continued this trend as the band turned in one of their finest performances to date and delighted the sold-out Red Rocks crowd with a heavy and intense night of “rawk”.
This was not their first time headlining the legendary Colorado venue, in fact it was their 5th, but this show felt different than previous endeavours from the band on the Rocks. In past years they have shared the bill with some heavy hitters such as Galactic, Railroad Earth, and local favorites The Motet with the hopes those bands would help boost ticket sales. This time it was very clear that this was Umphrey’s night. No longer are they a band that needs the help of big name support to fill the stands. Instead they proved they have reached that top tier, headliner status that can sell-out the venue and bring attention lower level bands on the bill. Whether it was the fact that their show sold-out for the 2nd year in a row, that they were without a doubt the main attraction, or just the joy of playing “no question…our favorite venue” as percussionist Andy Farag called it in a recent interview with the Noise Behind The Sound podcast (listen here), the band exuded a confidence we have not seen from them on that hallowed stage before.
In typical Umphrey’s style, they took the stage to the Edvard Grieg’s “In The Hall of The Mountain King” and from the first maniacally intense melodies of the 17th century classic it was obvious that the band was locked in and ready to go. The first set showcased the band’s ability to launch a full blown rock assault on their audience. Whether it was guitar pyrotechnics and wizardry from Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss or the thunderous drumming of Kris Meyers, Umphrey’s did not shy away from the dark, heavy, and metal influenced side of their music. These musical fireworks were on display during “Go To Hell>Mulches Odyssey>Higgins>Mulches Odyssey” which saw the band seamlessly weave in-and-out of things and had the entire crowd getting down hard. “No Diablo” provided a short reprise from the metal madness as many in the crowd sang along to the song’s catchy chorus that has become a tune that I find frequently stuck in my head these days. Fan favorite “Pay The Snucka” gave the crowd a chance to breathe and groove a bit with it’s “G Funk” sounding intro before the song’s ending section had more than a few people headbanging to close the set. With a holiday weekend crowd full of newcomers and those just looking for a good party, it was great to see the band deliver such a hardcore set and not give in to the temptation of making things dancey or accessible just to please a more casual crowd. It was very obvious the band was on a mission to rock and, after the first set, it was clear that mission was accomplished.
After a warning from the Red Rock staff of nasty weather coming in and to seek shelter in our cars, nightmares of the storm that rolled into town during The Motet/Lettuce show had people scrambling for the doors but luckily, the storm never hit. Instead there was a palpable feeling in the air that the band would deliver something special for the second set. “Ringo” opened the second set and while it’s not my favorite tune in the Umphrey’s catalog, the ever changing rhythms and sections gave light designer Jefferson Waful a chance to truly showcase what he can do. As I mentioned earlier this is a band dedicated to pushing things to that next level and their light show is no different. Waful has been widely regarded as one of the best in the business for a while now and on this night he showed why he has earned such high praise. Whether it was the way the maze of bright spotlights melded together to created a wash of vibrant colors and landscapes, how they strobed seemingly locked in with the frantic right hand of guitar player Jake Cinninger, or the dazzling designs he used to light up the iconic rock wall behind the stage, almost every song seemed to have a moment where the lights drew an audible response from the crowd. It was not lost on those paying attention that the oohs and ahs coming from the the light show were reminiscent of the same sounds coming from those watching a 4th of July firework display. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some truly great LDs at Red Rocks and Waful’s performance on Friday is up there with the best of them.
After a serious “Paradise City” tease followed by a moment of some digital sounding ambient jamming, the band took that theme into an alternate version of “Cut The Cable”. That digital ambience gave way to some serious dark territory as a spooky vibe made it’s way from the stage through the crowd. At this point it felt obvious that we were about to get hit with a big time cover; something Umphrey’s does better than most and seems to love to delight fans with at big shows like this. As those dark vibes seemed to ooze from the stage, a strange familiarity set in until it clicked and was obvious to many what was coming next. From the second Cinninger hit the iconic notes of the intro solo to “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” that darkness turned to cautious excitement. Umphrey’s is a band that is know for changing at the stop of a dime, mashing different songs together, and playing games with their crowds, so it wasn’t until the vocals kicked in that the crowd could breath a sigh of relief, knowing we’d get to hear at least one big chorus and sing along to the legendary Pink Floyd classic.
After what can only be described as an epic version of “Shine On,” the band segued back into “Ringo,” then brought out their old friend, percussionist Steve Krojniewski, for “Bad Friday,” a song you can hear 5 times a week on ESPN’s “Around The Horn”. “Friday” was highlighted by one of the only real dance party jams of the night that touched on Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” and had the crowd moving. To close out the set “Divisions” went into “Believe The Lie” before heading back into the “Divisions” as the crowd sang along in euphoric joy to the uplifting chorus. This was the perfect way to end a show that showcased the band’s ability channel bands like Rush, Edgar Winter Group, and even Metallica while still staying true to their jam roots and also giving their fans a chance to dance their asses off.
Before the encore, a short video announced the band was coming back to Denver for a New Year’s run at The Fillmore. This was obviously met with exuberant applauds from the crowd and the thought of getting to see this band again in just a few months while ringing in the New Year helped keep the good vibes running deep into the night. After soaking things in one last time, the band dropped “Triple Wide” which brought that four on the floor, electronic dance party vibe that some felt was missing for a lot the night before heading back into “Puppet Strings” (as called by my friend Kevin when they opened the show with it after the “In The Hall of The Mountain King” prelude.) to bring the night to an end.
I can’t say enough about how impressed I was with what Umphrey’s did from start to finish. this was definitely not my favorite show in terms of song choice, but they played with a precision and tightness that, among their peers, only they are capable of. For me, this was yet another example of them taking things to that next level. From the light show, to their swagger, to the way they flawlessly executed their setlist, nothing missed even the slightest step. To see this band come from playing post Phish parties in the cornfields of Indiana, to stepping up to true headliner status at Red Rocks and knocking it out of the park, has been remarkable. One can only hope they continue to push themselves and the levels of their music and I can only smile thinking about what heights that will take them to.
Energy: A
Musicianship: A+
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A
Set / Light Show: A+
Overall: A
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