You know that moment when a band creates order from chaos and ends a song with a syncopated bang? That kind of precision is alive during every moment of an show. Friday night the virtuosic prog-rock pioneers returned to Denver for the first time since headlining Red Rocks in July with a stop at the . They left little doubt why they are one of the most innovative live acts on the scene today.
After an opening set by the Kyle Hollingsworth Band with guest DJ Logic, Umphrey’s took to the stage accompanied by Richard Wagner’s ominous classical piece “Ride of the Valkyries” before breaking into the reggae drop beat of “Higgins.” The dormant auditorium erupted into dance.
Playing under a kaleidoscope of a lightshow that flooded the crowd in white light during sonic peaks, the band created an intensity that was equal parts metal, jam and electronic dance. First set highlights included the melodic change of pace “End of the Road” and a near flawless take of the Steely Dan hit “Peg”— recreating the rich, full harmonies of the original.
“When you throw shit like this on stage, it makes us happy,” said a smiling Brendan Bayliss after picking up a bra that landed at his feet during the first set. It hung from his mic stand for the remainder of the show.
The second set saw the band open up their improvisations with extended takes of the catchy crowd-favorite “Bright Lights, Big City,” “Gulf Stream” and “Hurt Bird Bath.” Here it seemed as though drummer Kris Myers made a conscious effort to incorporate house and breakbeat influences into his playing, as opposed to his heavier trademark sound. Joel Cummins’ keys were also abnormally accessible throughout — on multiple occasions his organ riffs resorted to simple hooks reminiscent of a Dr. Dre classic.
As expected, dueling lead guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger were a tour de force from start to finish; each player has the speed to rival anyone on the metal scene and the improvisational chops to rival anyone on the jam scene. Their skillful solos and trade-offs were especially memorable during the last two songs of the night, a funky rendition of the Who’s “Eminence Front” followed by a “Plunger” encore that provided a heavy and definitive conclusion to the night.
Umphrey’s McGee’s ability to be a living, shifting musical organism makes them so distinct. Through the use of dozens of hand signals and an innate sense of anticipation of each other’s tendencies, it is often indecipherable what is improvised and what has been tightly composed for years. As soon as an idea is played, it seems to be almost instantly replicated by another member of the band.
“Would it be alright with you if we played Red Rocks again this summer?” Bayliss asked the crowd. The answer was obvious.
Umphrey’s McGee will headline Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 3.
Set 1
Higgins, All In Time > Conduit > “Jimmy Stewert” (with lyrics)> Conduit, End of the Road, Resolution> All in Time, Peg
Set 2
JaJunk > Bright Lights, Mantis Ghetts > Gulf Stream > “Jimmy Stewart”, Deeper, Hurt Bird Bath, Eminence Front
Encore
Plunger > Glory > Plunger
You can stream and purchase the entire show .
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Nate Etter is a Boulder-based musician and a new contributor to Reverb.
Karson Brown is a Denver photographer and a new contributor to Reverb.
