Debuting yet another classical rock ‘n roll hotspot, The Fabulous Fox Theatre, in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, Umphrey’s McGee swayed the crowd to dance the night away on Friday, August 15th. Opening with a spacey introduction song, Lucid State, first played at the 2014 Red Rocks show in Morrison, Colorado, quickly developed into an energy filled Andy’s Last Beer with tasty Jake Cinninger solos. The band thanked the St. Louis crowd for attending the newly debuted venue while slowly seguing into Words (Last played 2014-03-18, show gap 53), an emotional up tempo-ed song with a fast Jake solo. There was a sudden fast change in pace to Tribute the Spinal Shaft where Andy Farag demonstrated his many talents with various cowbell and tambourine sounds behind his loaded percussion set. Tribute’s salsa zesty beat was halted and then gradually eased into Kris Myer’s drum introduction for Similar Skin, a new song off the new album dropped on June 10th. The song did not incorporate any lengthy jam, just a high-pitched Jake solo just like the guitar solo on the album. After the peaceful ending to Similar Skin, Blue Echo was first introduced by Jake’s staccato guitar strokes and later by Joel Cummin’s synths on the keyboards. Prominent bass riffs generated by Ryan Stasik later mixed with the dubby tunes of Joel on the keys to create an upbeat spooky jam for the crowd to dance to. The Blue Echo continued to increase in energy and pace until the abrupt climax, which transitioned directly into FF, a reggae sway tune that was jammed into a jazzy dropkick by Kris. FF was then dampened down into Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (a Radiohead cover), which is sung by the wooing voice of Kris Myers and backup vocals by Joel Cummins. The soft, tender mood created by the cover took a complete 360-degree turn, surprising the crowd, with a heavy Mulche’s Odyssey to close the first set. The fast pace metal song left the crowd wanting more “Joel and the Have Mercies”.

The second set opener was an enormous crowd pleaser and rushed everyone to immediately get back into his or her seats. The quadruple mash-up consisted of three covers: Seventh Nation Army by the White Stripes, Money by Pink Floyd (yes it had the coin and cash register sounds), and the swings of How Many More Times? By Led Zeppelin, and one Umphrey’s McGee original, Phil’s Farm, which included no lyrics (Phil’s 7 Nation Money Farm, Last Played: 2009-02-19, Show Gap 627). A few shout outs were given and the rock show continued into Resolution, which contained one medium-paced, smooth Jake jam that accelerated into a Joel organ lead while Ryan held a strong bouncy baseline. As Jake crossed the stage to join Joel, The Message (a Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five cover) was a second time played for the band (Last Played: 2014-02-01 The Fillmore Detroit, MI). The 80s song had the crowd screaming “YEAH!” and moving to the pop bounce created by Jake on the keys. The Message merged into another song off of the new album, Educated Guess. Due to the absence of live strings, which are on the studio version, Jake filled in with a few equal riffs during their part towards the end of the song. The no-jam heavy ending to Educated Guess came to a complete stop, allowing the crowd to absorb the new material and for Brendan Bayliss to say a few words. The most intriguing part of the show came with a double sandwich with extra UMPH in the middle: In the Kitchen into Syncopated Strangers into Nemo back into Syncopated Strangers and ending with In the Kitchen. The first In the Kitchen was a mixture of Brendan and Jake solos with a strong bassline created by Ryan with Joel jumping on to the grand piano.  The first Syncopated Strangers layer was a straight run through the first half the song with a slowdown to Joel on the synths and Ryan holding out a repetitive bass riff, which was used to develop into a full blown jam. The Nemo was used as the Syncopated second jam while the third was an out-of-space, out-of-mind kind of instrumental. The second half to In the Kitchen wrapped up quite nicely. The set was closed with a solid dancey Triple Wide with another same note, high-pitched repetitive Jake solo and even a little bit of bongo action by Andy Farag.

Umphrey’s McGee is notorious for playing an encore that leaves you wanting more. However, this Believe the Lie had no jam or intense soloing by any member of the band. Instead, it was a simple straight through, generic run of the song. Perhaps they were trying to convince us to all attend the Kansas City, Missouri show at the Crossroads the following night, I know I had to.

Railroad Earth returned after two years to The Pageant on January 17^th to open with The Forecast and Tim Carbone on violin. Following a large crowd welcome, the band started up into a soulful Long Walk Home that had us swaying. The band got rolling with an upbeat Lordy, Lordy and got us to jump and stomp to Gold Rush. RV made everyone dream of taking a road trip due to the weekend’s warm weather and also had Andrew Altman on the double bass. The band slowed it down with Came Up Smilin’ that featured solos from Todd Sheaffer, Tim Carbone, and John Skehan on mandolin. Potter’s Field was up next with romantic violin tones that segued to a face paced bluegrass number, 1759, and then into Fisherman’s Blues to end the first set.

Although concert goers were contained to only the first floor, the vibrant energy of the crowd was unstoppable when Railroad Earth opened with Drag Him Down for the second set. Then the band played a fast Daddy-o, a peaceful and down tempo Grandfather Mountain, and a whole hearted For Love. The highlight of the second set was Birds of America with a wicked solo by John Skehan on mandolin, which following into a bouncy Stillwater Getaway, Crossing the Gap with Tim Carbone on violin and lead vocals, and Elko. Despite the fire alarm going off during Head, the last song of the set, the band kept on playing and crowd was thrilled. The audience was so raddled up that they could not wait to hear the encore, One More Night on the Road.

Check out more photos from the show.

Since the release of both their sophisticated Similar Skin album in 2014 and the elegant bonus album, London Sessions, which was produced at Abbey Road of last year, Umphrey’s McGee has begun to more frequently perform at up-scale venues across the Midwest. Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is among one of these venues. It was the band’s third time appearing. The intimate and limited seating of the location led to a sold out show. The audience lined up promptly outside the venue with their lawn chairs and stocked coolers to grab the best views at the Gardens with copious amounts of green surrounding them. The band was more than eager to start the night off right. The event was soon to stand out as the best show of the weekend due to the immense diversity of genres and the band’s precise execution of each song and jam within.

The show quickly begun at a bright summer early hour, atypical for most Umphrey’s fans, with a fast bluegrass number, Mullet (Over) that got the crowd dancing and jumping all around the lawn. At the end of the song No Diablo, a pop tune, Umphrey’s covered a segment from The Fish by Yes, which included all the members. The band’s tone softened up into a graceful End of the Road. A southern rock classic by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Southern Cross, featured Brendan Bayliss on acoustic guitar. They moved into another fast paced heavy country style tune, Phil’s Farm, which was introduced by Brendan Bayliss as a song written right near South Bend, Indiana and contained a lengthy jam rock section well worth a listen because of Andy Farag’s additional percussion finesse. FF, a reggae song, developed a deep space jam and segued into Resolution that incorporated a special Jimmy Stewart with lyrics. A Jimmy Stewart is a special musical selection that was once a jam and then sometimes layered with lyrics to be developed into a future potential song. Not every Jimmy Stewart contains lyrics; they can be entirely instrumental. The first set closer, Booth Love, was a funky, get down with it number that cooled everyone before the intensity of the next set.

The second set was devoted to heavy rock and roll, which started with an instrumental called Go to Hell. Remind Me, composed for Umphrey’s Umbowl XI unique event on May 1^st, 2015, was next and followed by a straight through rocking Cut the Cable. Kris Myers sampled an intro beat on the electric drums as the rest of the band used their classically trained background to entertain the crowd by playing Gents, which featured a strong metal riff with repetitive high-pitched piano keys played by Joel Cummins. After a funky jam and Jake Cinninger’s lounge jazz guitar solo within Gents, the band went right into the ending segment of Pay the Snucka which brought some confusion among Umphreys’ fans whether or not the song was played in its entirety beforehand. Finally the sun had set and the sky was dark enough for the band to play Wappy Sprayberry and to allow their light designer, Jefferson Waful, to show his master skills of setting the mood. The Wappy Sprayberry dancy jam featured wavy melodic rhythms of psychedelic rock from Brendan Bayliss on guitar with support from Joel Cummins on the synths. Robot World was slightly jammed and transitioned into Miami Virtue, which contained a catchy reiterated scale solo by Jake Cinninger.

The crowd was screaming their usual chant, “We want the umph, gotta have that umph!” as soon as the band walked off the stage to prep for their two-song encore. The band proudly walked on stage as they were greeted with screams and shouts acknowledging their outstanding rock show. As Umphrey’s began to cover Rock the Casbah by The Clash, the audience chimed in and sang along. A patriotic, hope-instilling Glory closed the show for the night. Although the show ended quite early, approximately 9:30 pm, old and new fans rejoiced with excitement about the performance.

As Ryan Stasik on the bass commented about music diversity, this show was absolutely an exceptional example of Umphrey’s vast repertoire. Their ability to smoothly alternate genres between songs and even within demonstrates their talents as modern musicians and composers. They will continue to thrill their audiences if they keep revealing their expertise in all genres of music. Their next classy venue show is right across the big pond at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois on Friday August 14^th that will feature the Chicago Mass Choir, but they will also be back to Rochester Hills, Michigan at Meadow Brook Music Festival on Saturday August 15^th with the band, Lettuce, as an opener.

Check out more photos from the show.

During Phish's two night run at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on August 8 and 9, a band named Spread opened for the privileged VIP ticket holders in the wooden lodge located on the top of the grassy hill. Little did they know that the band playing was going to swoop them off their dancing feet.

After the arriving VIP guests filled their plates with pork sandwiches, pasta salad, and fried mushrooms, they headed to the patio for the views of Alpine Valley and to the lounge area for more Spread. The music could be heard over the entire hillside, causing regular GA ticket holders to crowd around the VIP area for a listen. Several people asked, "Who are these guys? They're fantastic!" and others simply commented on their "groovy feel" and "good mood feeling tunes". Some even questioned, "Can I get their music off iTunes?".

The original three members, Colin Finn, the bassist, Patrick Reynoldo, the drummer, and Dave Petrizzo, the guitarist, founded the band during their college years at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Over the years the band has played across the state of Illinois at intimate bar-like venues such as Hangar 9 in Carbondale, Donnie's Homespun in Springfield, and the Tonic Room in Chicago. They have also demonstrated their numerous music-making talents at Summer Camp Music Festival for the fifth time this past year. The boys brought three additional musicians, Jason Kearney on the keys from Thinner Theed, Marty Gierczyk on the saxophone from Chicago Funk Mafia, and Nathan Mark on additional percussion, for more intricate sounds.

The Phish-like melodies surely drew the crowd in. Each set was a packed with saucy jams, banging keys, trey-like guitar solos, saxophone wails, and bongo beats. An audience first set favorite was most definitely an upbeat fast jazz song like Will It Go Round In Circles? while the second set favored 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, a tune that started with calm lyrics from Patrick Reynoldo and escalated into a quick chorus line.

Those that gathered in VIP for Phish at Alpine Valley more than got their money's worth with Spread performing. Although the crowd mostly knew the Grateful Dead covers, it did not stop them from dancing along and feeling groove. Another chance to catch the boys again will be at Chicago's House of Blues on August 29th at the last Summer Stash hosted by All-Star Vibe Entertainment. 

For a complete set, see below: 

Set 1: Expressway to Your Heart, Feel Like A Stranger, Oceans, Will It Go Round In Circles?

Set II: Get Out My Life Woman, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, West L.A. Fadeaway

If you love bluegrass and jam rock, dogs, swimming, and good people, Shoe Fest is the place for you! The early sets of the weekend consisted of bluegrass bands, such as David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Stormy’s Trio, Pete Jive, Prichard Harter, John Till, The Dirty Beet Brothers, Herbert Wiser, and Ernie Hendrickson Duo, which were eager to get the crowd jumping and stomping. Later sets in the afternoon and night consisted of jam and funk bands such as Old Shoe, Mr. Blotto, and Chicago Funk Mafia. Dogs of festival-goers and artists alike enjoyed the freedom to trot around the grounds with their thrilled owners. With temperatures of 93 degrees, both children and adults, and don’t forget those doggies too, were able to cool down in the chilly Rock Creek waters during the hottest time of the day.  On top of that, one cannot forget the generosity, welcoming personalities, and smiling faces of all the people of Shoe Fest. Celebrating its 5^th year, Shoe Fest certainly made its newcomers and past attendees hope for a 6^th.

On Friday, the three sets that caught the ears were back to back, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, Ben Miller Band, and Old Shoe. Starting on the Bent River Stage, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades stylistically falls under old-time and bluegrass. The Wisconsin natives’ high energy and enthusiasm greatly shined across the hillside, trapping attendees to listen and clap along, and also featured Allie Kral for a song. Ben Miller Band’s energy captivated the crowd to squeeze into the Uncommon Pavilion Stage to hear some new tunes off their new album, Any Way, Shape or Form, and some bluesy tunes. Old Shoe closed out Friday night on the main stage with a memorable two-hour set. In case festival-goers were a little sad about missing Phish Dicks in Colorado that same weekend, Old Shoe performed The Story of the Ghost in its entirety. Although there were some technical sound issues, the band played through them promisingly, continuing to engage their fans.

Saturday night was full of joyful music from all genres. EGI, short for Ethereal Groove Inc., got right down to business. They layered their set with funk, jam rock, and psychedelic melodies. Their presence and overall good-time attitude left the crowd wanting more than just an hour set even when Allie Kral joined in. The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience was certainly all it was believed to be. The band was formally announced on stage. One by one, each member was introduced by holding a lead on a particular song till all members took a turn. The quintet is also a family affair, David Grisman’s son, Samson Grisman, plays the bass. Besides the enjoyment of traditional bluegrass numbers, the audience received a special treat from David Grisman in the form of an educational immersion with music. Historical lessons of bluegrass through song choice, dated from the early 1900s, started with the Monroe Brothers, who were considered to have created the style of bluegrass. This set was the most intrinsic and intimate set of the evening. The Saturday midnight set of the festival featured Cornmeal. With its new fiddler, Phil Roach, Cornmeal recently produced a new album called Slow Street Now. As expected, their liveliness brought some serious foot stomping. Their old member and queen of the weekend sit-ins, Allie Kral, joined in on two covers, Rainy Women #12 and 35 and Shady Grove. Every day, Allie Kral sat in with two to three bands. Maybe next year they could dedicate a set to her with some friends as support.

Sunday, the final day, had quite a variety of genres at each stage. Aaron Kamm and The One Drops, a reggae, blues, rock mixture, was clearly a crowd favorite. Music that people of all ages, especially the younger children of the festival, could dance and groove to was soul soothing. As the heat of the day was expiring, the feel good music was perfect for the moment. Mr. Blotto was another busting hour and 15 minute set. The blues and country oriented jam band formed in the early 1990s, produced over five studio albums, and has played over 2,000 shows in the last 15 years. The love they have for live music clearly reflects how they continue to perform for their fan base. Lastly, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band was surely something you could hear throughout all of the festival grounds. The trio features Ben Bussell on the drums, Breezy Peyton on the washboard and Reverend J. Peyton on the guitar and lead vocals who recently in February of 2015 released a new album, So Delicious, through Yazoo Records. Their sparkling south blues and rock tunes were a cheerful finish to a beautiful weekend. However, the Shoe String Jam, if you were able to stay up till 2:00am and head over to the Mackey’s Hideout Campfire Stage, was the place to dance one last time. The collaborated Shoe String Jam starred Old Shoe with Chicago Farmer, Paul Bolger of Mr. Blotto, and Allie Kral. Stylistically, the set leaned toward bluegrass while the audience adored the experience.

Although we had some rain Saturday morning, and temperatures were in the 90s, the music was historic and sensational. With Rock Creek flowing between the two stages, one could hear the music while floating down stream to see the wonders of the waterfall. Shoe Fest workers even taxied arrivals all weekend long on their tractors, which were full of camping gear and essentials, to their lodging destination. There were no overlapping sets and sometimes there was a 15-minute break in between, allowing attendees to hike up or down those narrow cement stairs and cross the wooden bridge to the two stages. Between the smiling faces of children and dogs, one could not help but grin as well and hope for another Shoe Fest.

Check out more photos from Shoe Fest 2015.