Life is Music™

Here’s another reason why Umphrey’s McGee treats their fans better than any band in the business.  First it started with incredible sounding live matrix recordings (mix of soundboard and audience) that the band uploaded for anyone to download for free.  Sound caresser, Kevin Browning, did this for several years until it evolved into UMlive where a fan can now take home the night’s show minutes after the show is over, or he/she can download it later in mp3 or FLAC format.

With spontaneity and trust in mind, last October the band then created the Stew Art Series (S2).  In the Stew Art Series (S2), the band selects certain cities they are already playing and releases a very limited amount of tickets to an all out improvisational afternoon concert where the fans dictate what the band plays on the spot.  A Q&A session and a meet and greet follow with each attendee taking home an autographed copy of the performance.  The band works through each idea the fans dictate with complex signals that keep everyone on their toes.  A portion of the proceeds go to the USTORM charity which helps children and young adults to improve their lives by providing access to various music and arts education programs.  What an awesome idea!

Now the band is now stepping it up once more with their own take on American football.  The first annual UMBowl will take place at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on April 24th, 2010. UMBowl is a 4+ hour musical extravaganza where the band will play four quarters of music, each with a different interactive theme.

The first quarter will be comprised of an acoustic set chosen entirely by the attendees who will cast their votes for which songs will be played in advance.  For the second quarter the band goes back to the Stew Art Series and will text their soundman ideas, he will then display them on a big screen and the fans must text in “plays” and march the band down the field.  The third quarter is the all request quarter.  Once again each attendee will fill out a ballot in advance and express how they want the songs and interludes to go.  In the final quarter, the fans are the quarterbacks.  During the songs the band plays, options will be provided on the big screen and the fans can then text in which direction the band should go.  The band aims to please and any attendee of this game will certainly get their moneys worth.

Umphrey’s McGee has come far.  Along this road to prog-rocking legendary status, it’s refreshing to know they never have forgotten their deep and loyal fanbase.  The band now fills theaters and clubs to capacity all across the country yet they still are willing to keep their ticket prices low.  Continually they look for new and unique ideas to impress and grant open access to their fans.  The band has never hid their love of sports and UMBowl again shows that.  This should be a wonderful experience for all those who attend.  Umphrey’s McGee is the best.  Midwest represent!

Also check out the band’s blog, The Floor, for a behind the scenes look into the day to day happenings of the band.

Trey Anastasio and Classic TAB

On Saturday, February 20th, 2010, Trey Anastasio made his triumphant return to the Twin Cities. He was last in Minneapolis in 2005 with his side project, 70 Volt Parade. But most importantly has been the absence of his powerhouse jamband, Phish. The last Phish show in Minneapolis was September, 24th 2000. Jesse Ventura was the governor of Minnesota then. It’s been a while, and most would say too long. But on this night Anastasio tried to make up for lost time with an extensive meandering performance in the company of his original Trey Anastasio Band.

The show opened with “Last Tube” and from there worked into a massive set of TAB tunes as well as the shuffling bass-heavy Phish tune, “Sand”. Their version of “Tuesday” on this night was utterly spectacular.  Trey then stood alone onstage with an acoustic guitar. This is something one doesn’t get to see everyday and it was a real treat. Anastasio wasn’t sure what to play straight off, and fumbled around a bit to the liking of the crowd before finally playing “Joy”.

Trey taps along to the crowd singing "Bathtub Gin"

He then went into four more Phish tunes and had the crowd yelling and singing along emphatically. “Bathtub Gin” had the crowd happily playing their part, and the wonderful acoustics of the State Theatre had Anastasio smiling and laughing. From there, Trey went into “Farmhouse”, a gorgeous “Waste”, and ended with “Chalkdust Torture”.

The Phish tune “Gotta Jibboo” opened up set two. It started off with its repetitive nature, but by the end Trey pushed it as high as it could go. Soon after the band played a slow piano-driven, funk-swinging tune called “Alaska”. This was a nice change of pace to the upbeat nature of most of the show.

Towards the end of set two, singer and trumpeter, Jennifer Hartswick, took the microphone for a ridiculously good version of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”. She nailed this song with the hammer of the gods and seeing Trey’s appreciation for her effort was amusing to say the least. He faced her throughout the song, blasting his Languedoc guitar at her in a way that would have made Jimmy Page proud. She took his energy and wailed!

The night ended with a pretty standard version of “First Tube”. Anastasio took the song out like a Jedi, wielding his guitar overhead and swinging it forward with feedback reverberating.  By this time it was after midnight, and the capacity crowd was stirring wildly. When this lengthy show (over 3 hours) was finally over, it was evident by the look on all the fans faces that they got their moneys worth. Trey Anastasio and his Classic TAB were excellent. Hopefully Anastasio doesn’t forget the Twin Cities fans for long, as a stop on Phish’s fall tour is now a decade overdue.

Live at The State Theatre

Trey Anastasio Band

Trey plays acoustic I

Trey plays acoustic II

Trey Anastasio Band

Trey Anastasio Band

"First Tube" encore

Trey Anastasio with Classic TAB – State Theatre – Minneapolis, MN 2.20.10 Setlist:
Set I:
Last Tube
Shine
Caymen Review
Push on til the Day
Mozambique
Drifting
Night Speaks to a Woman
Tuesday
Sand
Joy (acoustic)
Water in the Sky (acoustic)
Bathtub Gin (acoustic)
Sleep Again (acoustic)
Farmhouse (acoustic)
Waste (acoustic)
Chalkdust Torture (acoustic)

Set II:
Gotta Jibboo
Valentine
Money, Love and Change
Liquid Time
Alaska
Goodbye Head
Mr. Completely
Show of Life
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin cover)
encore:
First Tube

photo by: C. Taylor Crothers

Keller Williams is a music lover first and a musician second. The truth behind that statement is especially evident when one sees him perform live in concert. This singer and multi-instrumentalist, who made his mark on music by being one of the most creative and entertaining performers on the jam band scene, continuously tries to put himself in the shoes of his listeners as he invents and reinvents everything he does. And most impressively, what he does onstage he does alone.

Growing up in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Williams was immersed in music at an early age. He sang in the church choir in first grade and by the time middle school came around he was performing in musical theater. In 1986 when he was sixteen he took his first gig with his guitar in hand. Dressed in a jacket and tie he played for tips on the back patio of a small restaurant in Fredericksburg.

“I played for dinner and tips and was doing all the covers I thought people wanted to hear at that time which was the Eagles and James Taylor and the stuff like that.” Williams said in a recent phone interview. ” I was seeing these solo acts play at little lounges at these ski resorts, and that was my goal, to be that dude in the corner.”

Williams put the tires to the pavement and in time easily surpassed that modest goal. Putting his life into the music, there were many years that Williams played over two hundred shows as he lived out of his van with his wife who ran the merchandise and helped manage the operation. That hard work paid off as today Keller Williams fills theaters, clubs and festival grounds with fervent fans that continuously return for more.

Standing barefoot on stage Williams loops from guitar, to bass, to percussion to vocals and before a song is over he’s a one-man band. And if a horn is needed, Williams can play that too, but he does so rather untraditionally with just his mouth and no tangible instrument. “A flugal is what I call it.” Williams said laughing. “The older I get it seems the less higher notes I can hit with it, so maybe I’m sliding down into more of the trombone area.” The real charm though in Williams’ music, is in his story telling lyrics that oftentimes flow from being beautifully sincere to downright hilarious.

As a uniquely creative artist whose concerts can sometimes feel like a flight of the imagination, Keller’s music jumps back and forth through genres then back again leaving it easy to throw him into the jam band ring. Yet it isn’t that he necessarily “jams” so much, but the music he creates defies boundaries that limit so much of today’s popular music. When asked if he saw any negatives for long being associated with the jam band scene, Williams was swift to reply, “I’ve done this for so long that I’ve seen some ups and some downs of this music business and to be put into any kind of class, I feel very grateful. You can call me whatever you want but I definitely don’t see any negatives about the jam band scene. I have lots of friends and lots of fans in the scene and it’s a super positive thing. Anyone who thinks differently is thinking too hard about it.”

photo by: C. Taylor Crothers

Through these years Williams has been busy releasing albums and if one were to judge an album by its cover, his fourteenth release, “Odd”, may induce assumptions of dragon-slaying fantasy rock. But after a few spins his creative brilliance is clear and quite extraordinary. Even more than his previous works, “Odd” bends through everything from folk, to jazz, to techno, to reggae, to rock and it does so with such ease that there is no reason to question it.

When asked why he titled the latest record, “Odd”, Williams explained, “I always want to try and sum up the vibe of my whole record with one syllable. Odd was perfect because I guess I gave myself some odd writing assignments like trying to write a bluegrass science fiction song, or taking on the role of Dr. Doolittle and talking to the rodents and animals who seem to meet their death around my house and to try and warn them. And there’s a whole oddness to how the record flows as far as the genres and its mystic feel. I figured it was only appropriate.”

That’s Keller Williams in a nutshell. This modest man has made his name by doing things his way. His approach to music is easy to distinguish as his songs bounce through the world with no remorse as if to simply say, this is music.

Who:  Keller Williams
When:  Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 – 7:30 PM
Where:  Fargo Theatre
Cost:  $24, all ages

Written for High Plains Reader in Fargo, ND for their October 15th, 2009 issue.

On the run to support the newly released album Mantis, Chicago’s finest band Umphrey’s McGee paid Minneapolis and the best rock club in town a three day visit once again.  It was eleven months since their last shows at First Avenue and expectations were high, especially from those of us who attended the 2008 run.

Night one was Friday, January 30th and for some reason this night turned into the amateur hour.  I secured one of the best spots in the house on the balcony, had a pint, and made some new friends while waiting for the show to start.  Finally Umphrey’s McGee was back onstage in Minneapolis and they opened with “Red Tape” and also worked in “Spires” off of the new album during the first set.  “Miss Tinkle’s Overture” was an interesting rendition but wait, did I just see a crowd surfer down on the floor?!?  No way…

Set two was more lively and became a good primer for what night two would bring.  They brought in the set with “Pay the Snucka” and worked through an awesome “Ja Junk” which pushed the energy levels up.  Hey is that girl crowd surfing down there?  What the shit?  Hey there’s another guy crowd surfing too!  Awesome!!!  I’m surprised the usually iron-fisted and authoritative First Avenue security guards didn’t start cracking heads.  “Cemetary Walk” from Mantis ended the set in style and for the encore they finally worked back to resolve “Pay the Snucka”.  This show was average due largely in part to the disrespectful distractions on the floor, but it did leave a lot of possibilities open for a Saturday night rock show.

Saturday, January 31st was the first time in the entire month of January that Minneapolis reached above the freezing mark.  The sun was shining bright and warm, loosening those winter blues and optimistic smiles were pasted on everyone’s faces.  I went back to the same balcony rail as the night before and met some new friendly faces as well as the guys from the night before.  The area soon became known as ”the circle of trust”.  Saturday night was going to go off!

The band waltzed onstage and drummer Kris Myers clicked his sticks together one-two-three-crack right into the slow and heavy head bobbing “Push the Pig”, a perfect show opener.  “Andy’s Last Beer” was terrific as was “Turn & Run” from Mantis.  For the first time I got to see “Bright Lights” live which was jazzed up by the addition of local-boy Kevin Sinclair on saxophone.  Now there was no turning back.

Set two started with a big “Hell’s Bells” tease which worked into the teenage wasteland “Baba O’Riley”.  Awesome!!  Soon the song “Mantis” came big and my wait was over, this song is grand in every which way.  Not to be outdone, “Front Porch > Resolution” stepped up next and the show officially went off the deep end.  High-fives were flying all around and it was impossible to stop smiling being engulfed in the wonderful energy.  The night ended with a nice “Syncopated Strangers > Cemetery Walk II” mash and then it all seemed to be over too soon.  Thankfully Sunday night was still remaining.

Umphrey's McGee - 01.31.09

Umphrey's McGee - 01.31.09

Umphrey's McGee - 01.31.09

Umphrey's McGee - 01.31.09

Each night Pittsburgh native and bassist Ryan Stasik sported a different Steelers jersey.  Night one was Willie Parker, Hines Ward was night two, and for Super Bowl Sunday it was Troy Polamalu.  First Avenue held a pre-show Super Bowl party and I walked in during the wild fourth quarter and joined a few others who had been watching the game.  About twenty minutes after the game, the curtain was raised for night three and there Stasik was waving a terrible towel.

By the time the headbanging “Wizard Burial Ground” was complete, it was obvious the band was loose and it was going to be a fun night.  With First Avenue maybe two-thirds full there was room to move and soon “Phil’s Farm” brought the boogie and was easily the highlight of set one.

The Mantis number “1348″ that I’d been waiting to hear live opened the flood gates to set number two and it was every bit as good as I had hoped.  Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” cover was a nice treat and “Triple Wide” was fun although not quite as rockin as usual but set-ender, “40’s Theme”, didn’t have a problem making up for it.  The encore of the night was Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same” and upon its conclusion a very memorable fist-pumping, music-uniting, rock show of a weekend was over in style.  And I could not be more grateful.

Umphrey’s McGee is releasing their sixth studio album entitled Mantis to the world on January 20th, 2009.  Perhaps not by coincidence, this is also inauguration day in America for a fellow Chicagoan which marks a progressive step forward in a new direction for our country.  Thanks to the prudence of Umphrey’s McGee and the dedication to their fans, I received my copy of Mantis a few days before they hit store shelves.

For their past studio efforts, Umphrey’s McGee molded and remolded tunes onstage while wide eyes watched and then they layed them down in the studio.  But for Mantis the band moved in an entirely new direction.  This album was chiseled out in the studio and offers 100% new material that fans had yet to hear.  A few months before the release Umphrey’s McGee released some tracks to their myspace page and then offered a one of a kind pre-order package that was eaten up with overwhelming success.

Mantis starts off with”Made to Measure”, a short and fun concoction with great lyrics and choruses that makes one feel as though he’s bouncing over speed bumps on a Huffy bike.  Title song “Mantis” is track three on the album and a true monster that will undoubtedly be huge onstage.  Huge may be an understatement as with the first listen this song stood out as the strongest on the album and each subsequent listen only makes it better.  Jake Cinninger’s guitar rips through the emotion Brendan Bayliss’ lyrics build and the subtle addition of a string section over the interlude works wonderfully.

Track four is entitled “Cemetary Walk”.  The tune starts off with a Joel Cummin’s piano intro then breaks loose with verses toned in a danceable 80’s rhythm.  Only half-way through the album and thematic undertones of introspection are becoming very clear.  By the time “Cemetary Walk” ends it feels as though you are being pushed through a meat grinder.  This song is great, especially if you like being pushed through a meat grinder! 

Number six is entitled “Turn & Run”.  This is a nice tune with great vocals but overall it isn’t much of a standout until Cinninger let’s go on the second half of it.  And when I say let go I mean letting go in an Eddie VanHalen-esque shred your mind with tight leather pants, ripped sleeves and big hair sort of way!  Holy shit!  “Turn & Run” leads into track seven perfectly and I could easily see these going back-to-back onstage.  Track seven is “Spires”, a muff heavy guitar song that asks a lot of questions and then answers them by the end with a slight sense of optimism.  “Spires” is as much of Mantis as any tune on the album, yet it seems to be the one that could not be removed without significantly damaging the other remaining parts.

“Prophecy Now” is the title of track eight.  This is a chanty prayer-like song sung by keyboardist, Joel Cummins, with an electronic drum beat driven rhythm.  I’m not sure how it will translate live, but it may make for a wonderful show or set opener.  Track nine is called “Red Tape” and is dominated by the synthesized sounds of Joel Cummins.  The tune is fairly forgettable on the album but should work well onstage.  Mantis ends with “1348″, a melting pot of Umphrey’s McGee’s sound and I cannot wait to hear this one live!  Kris Myer’s drumming is every bit as heavy as Jake Cinninger’s progressive guitar-work, and before the song is over everyone has had a chance to interject.  ”1348″ ends in double time leaving the listener dizzily wishing that he had worn a seat belt.  A great closer indeed.

Mantis is the strongest studio album to date for Umphrey’s McGee.  Leaving their always anticipated midwest humor behind, it’s an album thematically heavy on self-introspection, reflection and change and by the end it I believe the title is finally understood.  Mantis is not referring to the female insect that has a nasty habit of eating her male partner after mating, it is referring to death of the past and optimism for the future.  Regardless of its symbolization Mantis deserves a good listen.  With two years of effort put into it, Mantis is gorgeously composed and the most artistically cohesive album to date for the band.  

Mantis

TRACK LIST:
1. Made to Measure 3:12
2. Preamble 0:36
3. Mantis 11:49
4. Cemetery Walk 7:30
5. Cemetery Walk II 2:19
6. Turn & Run 7:25
7. Spires 7:41
8. Prophecy Now 2:47
9. Red Tape 5:43
10. 1348 4:49

                                              Total Running Time: 54:04

Starting January 19th, Umphrey’s McGee will be touring heavily in support of this album so please do yourself a favor and go see them live when they come to your town.

After a 5 year break that left Phishheads scrambling for something new, Phish is back and has officially released a 2009 summer tour through the month of June.  Rumors of them headlining this year’s Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, TN still cannot be ruled out, since the festival runs June 11-14 and the boys will be in the very near vicinity.  This tour will follow their 3-night run in March at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, VA where last fall the band sold out every night within minutes leaving thousands of fans without tickets.

6.04.09 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
6.05.09 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
6.06.09 Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA
6.07.09 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
6.09.09 Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, NC
6.16.09 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
6.18.09 Post Gazette Pavilion, Burgettstown, PA
6.19.09 Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN
6.20.09 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI
6.21.09 Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI