As if Umphrey’s McGee really needs another way to demonstrate their love for their fans… We already have a number of special shows, after parties, and an unparalleled access to the band thanks to Joel Cummins and Kevin Browning being surprisingly candid on Twitter & their blog. But aside from the UM Bowls and S2 concerts, Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger’s annual acoustic holiday show at Park West might be the most special thing they do for their diehard Umphreaks. I mean, what other huge touring band would sit on a couch and play stripped down acoustic favorites, rarities, and covers to a sit-down audience? Add in the fact that this entire show is for charity (this year it was Snow City Arts, an organization that provides music and arts education for hospitalized children) and it makes this entire night a really special one.
With simplified arrangements and a mostly improv free approach, every song was allowed to shine in a new light. “Puppet String” felt like a ballad in this setting, which is about as complete a 180 as you could find. “Gulf Stream ” — which is already one of their most sentimental songs — shifted the focus to the interplay of Brendan and Jake’s overlapping vocal parts. The new song “White Pickle” shimmered with complete dedication to the highly technical guitar synchronization.
“And speaking of White Pickle, here’s Joel Cummins!” said Bayliss as the keyboard wizard stepped out to join them for a stretch of potential tear-jerkers: “Uncle Wally > Dear Lord > Rocker” about one-third through the set. Cummins’ influence on a baby grand piano only made these tunes even more emotional. The baby grand came back into play later as Bayliss stepped up to it solo style to play “Christmas Time Is Here” and a completely-out-of-left-field cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police” which sent shivers down my back.
Covers played a crucial role in this show. Bayliss’ “Karma Police” was really special, but so was “Black Water” from The Doobie Brothers, “She” by Gram Parsons, and “Live By The Drop” by Stevie Ray Vaughan — the latter two having never before been played by Umphrey’s in any setting. But the unquestionable stand out of these covers was their version of Otis Redding’s “Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay.” Joel was back on the piano, but Cinninger played the bass guitar, Bayliss played a mandolin, and guest Mike Rackey laid down some fine work on a steel guitar. This song made the entire room glow. It was stunning.
But the other two highlights of the night were pure Umphrey’s. Well, almost. The set ended with a massive “August” sandwich, which somehow morphed to and from Pink Floyd’s “Goodbye Blue Sky,” a bleak & murky song that was in sharp contrast to the sunniness of “August.” This was an absolutely brilliant choice of not only “August” itself, but how they leaked into and pulled back from a song that was on the opposite side of the emotional spectrum. And then in the extended encore, Cinninger once again picked up a bass guitar and they busted out an especially feelgood version of “Hangover,” which never fails to make absolutely everyone sing along.
Much like any of the other permutations of Umphrey’s where they do something a little differently: this is the kind of show you should feel extremely lucky to have experienced. (And racked with FOMO if you didn’t.) While they might not play many standard concerts in Chicago anymore, we still get amazing opportunities like this to see Chicago’s band. Chicago is still extraordinarily lucky to have Umphrey’s call it home.
