Rawk show. There's a link to the reivew at the bottom, but first:
For someone who really loves to listen to music, it's nice when you discover most everything you've looked for to satisfy your musical lust in one band.
Well, since I first started listening to them about three years ago, Umphrey's McGee has been that band.
There have been plenty of Umphrey's references on my blog and if you know me personally, I'm not shy about pledging my allegiance to the jam/prog-rockers.
So what is the allure of this band?
If you haven't heard them before, it's tough to fit them into a genre. From song to song, they can transcend jazz, funk, hard rock, prog rock, electronic, reggae and jam. They've stood out among the countless other bands that have found refuge under the "jam" label, which has become watered down.
Umphrey's earned my respect first with their music, but what really sold me was their work ethic and genuine personalities. While most bands hold that mysteriousness that surrounds their "rock star lifestyle" sacred, UM puts everything on the table through their blog.
What I've found by going to shows and talking with fans is that most fans either play an instrument, or are very knowledgeable about different types of music. When talking in circles about UM, a lot of fans say "They're such good musicians." And this is true. Some are classically trained, but the others have worked extremely hard to perfect their craft and it shows in their super tight playing, where hand and body signals can communicate a key change in just one measure.
There is no doubt, it is guitar heavy music, which is probably why I like it so much. Growing up idolizing Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and the other guitar greats, and eventually picking up a guitar and playing for about 10 years, it's hard for me to really get into a band whose main focus isn't the guitar. I still appreciate the good in, say, an indie band that is really rootsy or creates a lot of ambiance, but it won't be long before I'm looking for the next best thing.
I've learned with my most recent review, that I might be too biased about this band to write more reviews about them, it's just hard for me to find a flaw.
I saw Umphrey's twice in the last week, at Higher Ground, in Burlington, Vt., and Northern Lights, in Clifton Park, NY. Here is a link to a review I wrote of the show at Northern Lights:
LINK
