Umprey’s McGee Destroys DC in a Duo of 9:30 Club Shows

On February 15, 2024, the 9:30 Club was a powder keg of anticipation as Umphrey's McGee, the renegade troubadours of jam rock, took to the stage for the second night of their two-night stint. The air was thick with the promise of melodic and rhythmic revolution, and the crowd—packed to the rafters with devotees of the weird and the wild—was primed for an evening of unadulterated musical madness. The stage was awash in a kaleidoscope of colors—a swirling vortex of light and shadow that mirrored the band's frenetic energy. It was a visual feast, a hallucinatory dreamscape that pulled the audience into its gravitational pull and refused to let go.

The return of Kris Meyers on drums—after missing much of 2023 due to shoulder surgery—brought renewed energy to the stage. His triumphant presence behind the kit ignited a spark in the band that reverberated through every thunderous beat, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Meyers was just one cog in the chaos machine that is Umphrey's McGee. Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger—guitar-slinging madmen with fingers of lightning—shredded through the night with a ferocity that ranged from furious metal to blissful funk. Joel Cummins, the maestro of the keys, conjured otherworldly sounds from his arsenal of synths and pianos, while Ryan Stasik's basslines provided a steady anchor amidst the storm of sound. Andy Farag, the percussionist extraordinaire, whose rhythmic sorcery added complexity to the sonic tapestry, added an additional layer of texture to the music, rounding out the band's cohesive sound.

The setlist was a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions, a journey through the darkest recesses of the collective unconscious of improvisational jams. From the funky grooves of "Drink My Drank," which transitioned into the synth-laden "Push the Pig," and then to the sonic depths of "White Man's Moccasins" and "Always October," Umphrey's McGee led the crowd on a wild odyssey of sound and sensation. "In The Kitchen," left tantalizingly unfinished, segued seamlessly into the epic "Ocean Billy," a tonal tidal wave that threatened to engulf the 9:30 Club in its roaring embrace. Umphrey's closed the first set with a soaring rendition of "Den, "leaving the crowd begging for more as the band left the stage for a set break.

The second set started with the blistering "Cut the Cable," an auditory call to arms that set the tone for what would come. "Attachments" and "Wife Soup" tugged at the heartstrings with their emotional depth, while "Wappy Sprayberry" and "Looks" had the crowd gyrating with abandon. The set reached its crescendo with the thunderous "Draconian," a sonic onslaught that left the crowd battered but exhilarated. For the encore, Umphrey's McGee returned for an encore performance of "Slacker," a defiant anthem of rebellion that left the crowd screaming for more.

Umphrey's McGee had once again defied all expectations, transcending the limits of sound and space to deliver a performance that bordered on the divine. In a world gone mad, they were a beacon of light in the darkness, a reminder that—even in the face of uncertainty—the power of music will always prevail. Overall, it was a night filled with electrifying performances and unforgettable moments, showcasing why Umphrey's McGee has been at the top of the jam scene for over two decades.

If you want to catch an Umphrey's McGee show down the road, click here to learn more about their upcoming tour dates.