Umphrey’s McGee played the second night of two-show run at Red Rocks on Saturday. The band d offered the live debut of their latest single, “New Wings”, and held a wild face-off with openers Andy Frasco and The U.N. from atop the venue’s soundboard canopy.
Umphrey’s Mcgee started the second set with the debut of “New Wings,” which was recorded for the band’s upcoming new studio album, Asking For A Friend. With the addition of “New Wings,” UM has now played three of the songs on the album live ahead of its release on July 7, joining fellow singles, “Small Strides” and “I Don’t Know What I Want.” An 18-minute version of UM classic instrumental “Nothing Too Fancy” followed the new song’s debut.
Guitarist Brendan Bayliss then paused to speak to the audience, apologizing for what he (jokingly) characterized as Andy Frasco and The U.N.’s “immature, a little bit disturbing and just gross” experience. Frasco and his bandmates were set up on top of the front-of-house cover above the soundboard, and responded with a version of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” with the lyrics changed entirely to the repeating of “fuck you.”
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UM responded with Rage Against The Machine’s “Bombtrack,” which was answered by Frasco & Co. playing “We’re An Amerian Band” altering the Grand Funk Railroad song’s lyrics to “We’re in the opening band.” The back and forth who-could-rock-harder battle continued, including Frasco leading his side’s take on RATM with “Bulls On Parade” and UM coyishly ending the battle with J.J. Cale’s “Cocaine” and Bayliss declaring “We win!”
UM followed the Frasco Face-Off with “Frankie Zombie.” The mash-up of “Thunder Kiss ’65” by White Zombie, “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd had not been played since January 2020. A nicely jammed “Higgins,” “Wappy Sprayberry” and “The Floor” filled in the rest of the second set. Guitarist Jake Cinninger led his bandmates through “Gulf Stream” at the onset of the encore. UM’s 2022 Red Rocks run came to an end by concluding “Puppet String,” which they started in set one.
Earlier in the evening during the first set, UM played “Susanah” which was written by Bayliss and Jeff Austin for their 30db project. Bayliss dedicated the performance of the rarity to his late friend and collaborator and asked for a “moment of loudness” as opposed to a moment of silence.
Also in the first set, before “Cut The Cale,” Bayliss dedicated the performance to the band’s late original drummer Mike Mirro. Additional first set selections included “Rocker Part 2,” an improvisation-filled pairing of the start of “Puppet String” with “2X2” and the back-to-back punch of “Night Nurse” and “Partyin’ Peeps.”
Umphrey’s McGee caps their tour of Colorado tonight in Vail. Scroll down to stream full show audio of Saturday’s Red Rocks show taped by Don Olker and to watch pro-shot video of “Crucial Taunt”
Setlist
Set One: Crucial Taunt, Rocker Part 2, Susanah, Puppet String > 2×2, Night Nurse, Partyin’ Peeps, Cut The Cable
Set Two: New Wings, Nothing Too Fancy, The Frasco Fiasco, Frankie Zombie, Higgins, Wappy Sprayberry > The Floor
Encore: Gulf Stream > Puppet String
