Umphrey's who?

Umphrey's McGee.\nThe next response is usually "Umphrey's who?" This is not an uncommon conversation when fans of the band, known as "Umphreaks," talk to someone who has not yet heard the music of Umphrey's McGee. But the band isn't worried about the name confusion.\n"If people hear it, they'll come," percussionist Andy Farag says. \nAll six members of Umphrey's McGee met in South Bend. The original four -- Joel Cummins (piano, vocals), Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Michael Mirro (drums, vocals) and Ryan "Pony" Stasik (bass, vocals) were all in different bands in college. During semester break in 1997, the musicians decided they would play together, and Umphrey's McGee was born. The band took its name from a distant relative of Bayliss named Humfries McGee, who was said to be quite a character. The other two members, Farag and Jake Cinninger (guitar, vocals), were added a short time later. \nThe band has a different background than others because five of the six members have degrees from the Notre Dame; three of those degrees are in music, giving the members classical training many bands lack. This experience is clear after hearing just one show. An Umphrey's original resembles a winding path of musical harmony woven together with diverse melodies. Out of the interlocking vocal creation, a person will hear the beginning of a Mozart piece or find himself dancing to the theme of "Peanuts." The same set is never played twice. \n"We just play what sounds good at the time," says Farag. \nThe variety in the music can be attributed to the band's wide range of influences. Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Phish, the Beatles, Lionel Richie, Beastie Boys, Tupac and NWA. This eclectic mixture of influences inspires the band to play what Farag calls "rock funk fusion." \nThe diverse background and influences are not the only thing different about this band. In a time of Napster when some musicians view the CD burner as an adversary, Umphrey's took advantage of it when it recently took its first touring trip to Colorado. The band members say they were confident and knew if they were heard before their arrival, they would be playing to sold out and maximum capacity venues. \nManager Vince Iwinski had an idea of how to handle the situation. He sent mass e-mails on the band's Web site asking fans to burn as many Umphrey's CDs as possible so he could send them to Colorado. He received more than 600 CDs. He sent these CDs to the Colorado "Umphreaks," who then distributed them outside bars and on streets. The result was not only a financial success, but also a musical success with a sold-out show in Boulder and with Denver and Breckinridge at maximum capacity. \n"We sell almost no CDs," says Iwinski. "We're not that kind of band. It's a new age that's all about the live show." \nThe Colorado tour was not the first time the fans have come out to show their support. The "Umphreaks" are dedicated to Umphrey's McGee and have a spirit comparable to the Phish Phans. "Umphreaks" from the Midwest travel all over to hear the band play. \n"The fans are better than most all other fans," says Dave Kubiak, owner of the Bluebird and Axis. "They are just about the best fans you could have."\nUmphrey's McGee has been together for about three and half years; in these years it has produced three CDs. Last June, the members took some time to move to Chicago. When it isn't in Chicago, the band is touring. It usually tours two weeks on and two weeks off to not become burned out. When not touring, the band members practice two times a day for around three hours each time, something Farag compares with twice-a-day football practice in high school. The work is tough, but the men of Umphrey's McGee are excited about the future.\n"Who knows what will happen," says Farag. "We are moving at a fast pace, and it feels pretty good"