Umphrey’s McGee closed out a two-night stand at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati on Saturday. The prog-jam rockers dusted off their takes on “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and the 1980s classic “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” on a night that also saw them lean in on material featured on their two most recent studio efforts.
The Chicago-based band got their night in The Queen City going with “Conduit.” The band mixed old and new school next as they dropped “Nothing Too Fancy” in the midst of “Triangle Tear” and “In The Black.” “Draconian” came ahead of the first surprise of the night as Umphrey’s dusted off Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” The Wish You Were Here track had last seen action on July 14, 2018, and marked just its sixth take since 2014.
The septet paired “The Silent Type” with “Wife Soup” to open up their second set. “Wizard Burial Ground” followed with guitarist Jake Cinninger moving over to keys for “Miami Virtue.” Last night’s version of the Death By Stereo cut featured tease of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.” A meaty version of “Plunger” was used to help close out the frame. The band unearthed their version “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” in the middle of the setlist staple. The Simple Minds’ song had been sitting on the shelf since January 28, 2017, and played for just the eighth time ever. Umphrey’s McGee brought their time in Cincinnati to end with “Front Porch” that saw them worked teases of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and the theme to the HBO television show Game Of Thrones.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond Captured by Mike Anunci
Setlist (via All Thing’s Umphrey’s)
Set I: Conduit[1], Triangle Tear > Nothing Too Fancy -> In The Black, Draconian, Shine On You Crazy Diamond[2] > Nothing Too Fancy
Set II: The Silent Type > Wife Soup, Wizard Burial Ground, Miami Virtue[3], Upward, Plunger > Don’t You (Forget About Me) > Plunger
Encore: Front Porch[4]
[1] with Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne) teases, [2] with Casey Cranford on EWI, [3] with Jake on keys; with Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac) teases, [4] with Lose Yourself (Eminem) and Game of Thrones theme (Djawadi) teases
