Umphrey's McGee jams for fans

The jam-band market faces some stiff competition. \nYou've got moe and String Cheese Incident. Deadheads and Phish fans abound, and the jazz improv of the likes of Medeski Martin & Wood and Herbie Hancock usually draw the same fan base. Of course, these are all generalizations. \nSo, when I go out to see a group billed as a jam band, I'm expecting two things:\n• To have a good, danceable time with some laid back kids. \n• To be surprised with something new.\nAnd in most regards, Umphrey's McGee's show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Friday met these requirements. \nThe show started out slower than I would have liked, with much of the same-sounding (to new ears) jam tunes. Though sure to bear some unique intricacies for the Umphreaks (the band's diehard fans who travel the Midwest to catch shows), I found the songs a warm up to better things. Seeing as how Umphrey's McGee was playing without an opening act, the jams served a purpose to get the crowd dancing. Early on in the first set, the band also debuted the brand new tune "Dump City," closely following the tune with a very fun short medley of covers including "Band on the Run."\nOne standout, apparent even in the first set, was guitarist/vocalist/percussionist/moogist Jake Cinninger's blues rock-influenced guitar solos. He wailed on his axe with the same furrowed brow and hidden smile -- the same expression of easy pain -- you could see on the face of any solid blues rocker of their day.\nUmphrey's threw in another new tune, "Walletsworth," and proceeded through more jamming to a short intermission. \nPart two really brought the house down. Sure the place seemed packed, being pressed up against the stage and the four people surrounding me. And everyone whistled, hollered and clapped in between songs before intermission, but the dancing only got faster and the screaming louder during the second set. \nAfter the intermission, everyone on stage and off was ready to go. The band picked it up with some energetic tunes to get everyone moving, with the rhythms of vocalist/drummer Michael Mirro on set, Andy Farag on percussion and Ryan Stasik on bass driving the electricity. Here the band released another new original, "Last Call."\nThe second set also boasted the members' versatile musicianship: Keysman and vocalist Joel Cummins busted out some very cool solos, and Cinninger aptly covered for Mirro on set for about a minute. Cinninger and guitarist/vocalist Brendan Bayliss also took a spectacular turn on acoustics, mixing fingerpicking and its multiple layers with the jams. Mirro, Farag and Cinninger also teamed up for a furious percussion solo -- Farag flailed intensely enough on the timbales to get anyone watching worked up. \nAnother component that really works for the band is the harmony vocals. They add a dimension and soul to the band that you can't find everywhere. \nIn the end, though, the length of the concert was noticeable. The best concerts seem a half hour long even when they aren't -- here I could tell you just how long I was at the show. Yet I'm guessing that feeling fades with the number of Umphrey's shows you go to, and with a little training and a love of music, I suspect the band could make Umphreaks out of any open-minded, college-age crowd. The atmosphere in the Buskirk-Chumley was intimate as usual, and the lighting was intense and succeeded in visualizing the mood on stage. There is something great about actually being able to tell when Stasik raises his eyebrows or just how much sweat is dripping off Farag's face. \nEveryone else in the audience seemed to know each other or be familiar enough with the band to talk about the most minute chord change from last time, further contributing to the happy, party-like feel.\nIn the end, I'm guessing this review won't matter that much. The band has a solid fanbase and dead-on technical skills. Besides, who needs critics and stadium-sized crowds when you could have a few hundred screaming and dancing Umphreaks?\nYou can catch Umphrey's McGee next at a Valentine's Day show this Wednesday at Axis Nightclub, 419 N. Walnut St.