Umphrey’s McGee
In December of 1997, two of South Bend’s up and coming bands merged to form Umphrey’s McGee. As the group’s variety of influences shaped the music, there emerged an original sound of evil-funk, atonal ostinato rock and ethereal groove. Mixed meter, polyrhythmic textures and dynamic contrast all are hallmarks of their sound. Adding to the mix is each of the members’ strong ear for improvisation and willingness to take the music in unforeseen directions. As a whole they produce an original brand of music—it embraces many musical avenues while refusing to be pigeonholed.
Umphrey’s McGee has quickly become one of the nation’s fastest growing live acts. Having performed shows for the top alternative station in the country, Chicago’s WXRT, the band received immediate national recognition. Their live music is one of the most widely spread on the Internet, and they have a legion of fans that trade and collect their live recordings. They’ve also joined forces with one of the country’s top promotional networks, the Homegrown Music Network, based in North Carolina. The cities they have played include: Chicago (The Vic Theatre, The Park West, Martyrs’, Schuba’s,), Indianapolis (The Patio, The Vogue Theatre), New York (Wetlands Preserve), Boston (Harper’s Ferry), Montreal (Les Conneries), Buffalo (Broadway Joe’s, Calumet Arts Cafe), Milwaukee (Shank Hall, The Rave, Miramar Theatre, Thai Joe’s), Cincinnati (Ripley’s, Barrelhouse Brewery, The Southgate House), Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Deli Company), to name a few. Umphrey’s McGee has begun the move towards bigger venues, as they took the stage in August at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, IN, opening for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Maceo Parker, headlined the Park West in Chicago in October, and played with Leftover Salmon at the Vic Theatre in Chicago in November.
By virtue of their prolific live performances and rigorous daily rehearsals, Umphrey’s McGee has gained a reputation for being a national top draw. Through the combination of playing different venues/cities and utilizing their large repertoire, Umphrey’s McGee’s live concerts stand alone as their own entities: one will never be the same as another. With this in mind, the group recorded its second release and first live CD on November 13th and 14th, 1998 at South Bend’s Madison Oyster Bar. It features nine new original pieces and was released on Street Gold Records on May 25, 1999. The band’s third released, entitled “One Fat Sucka” is a compilation of live tracks, and was released 12-31-00.
Umphrey’s McGee began with the quartet of Brendan Bayliss on guitar and vocals (age 24); Joel Cummins on keyboards and vocals (age 25); Ryan Stasik on bass and vocals (age 24); and Michael Mirro on percussion and vocals, (Age 23). The band has since added percussionist Andy Farag (age 23), and Jake Cinninger (Age 24) on guitar, sax, moog, and percussions.
The powerful sextet forges through music with a critical sense of articulation, a sense which is layered atop the danceable, elating sound distinct to Umphrey’s McGee.
