Umphrey’s McGee added their original song “Escape Goat” to their live repertoire last night at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The show also saw the second performance of “Pure Saturation,” another new original song that appears on the band’s recently released studio album, Asking For A Friend.
The pre-recorded sounds of “Leave Me Las Vegas” welcomed the members of UM to the Stone Pony Summerstage and soon morphed into “Hourglass.” The New Deal’s “Glide” made its way into the ensuing jam. Setlist staple “2×2” cultivated a lengthy improvised segment as guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger volleyed back and forth. The more dance-driven sounds of “Night Nurse” kept the set progressing.
A hard charge through the aptly titled “Roctopus” was countered by the band’s smooth instrumental arrangement of local icon Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” landing in the midst of the otherwise raucous “Roctopus” jam. The band closed out the first set with “2nd Self.”
“Escape Goat” made its live debut by filling the second set opener slot. While the studio cut clocked in at 5:32, Friday’s first-time performance received the improvisational treatment while stretching for nearly 22 minutes. The expansively jammed premiere marked the sixth song off the 14-track Asking For A Friend to be brought to the live stage.
After the “Escape Goat” debut, UM moved on to the progressively heavy instrumental “Wizard Burial Ground.” Then came the third live offering of “New Wings,” another newly added Asking For A Friend song. The guitarists shifted to drop D tuning for the subsequently evil “Nopener.”
Having made its live debut at UM’s concert Thursday in North Carolina, the Asking For A Friend original “Pure Saturation” made its second setlist in as many shows. The new tune provided another healthy dose of improvisation before moving into “Pay The Snucka.” Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls On Parade” was referenced heavily during “Snucka,” which was the final song of the second set.
Umphrey’s went “In The Kitchen” for the encore, capping the Summerstage performance. Watch audience-captured video of the live debut of “Escape Goat” below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_baoJulHeus
Setlist (via All Things UM)
Set One: Leave Me Las Vegas > Hourglass [1] -> 2×2 > Night Nurse, Roctopus > I’m On Fire > Roctopus, 2nd Self
Set Two: Escape Goat [2] > Wizard Burial Ground, New Wings > Make It Right, Nopener, Pure Saturation > Pay the Snucka [3]
Encore: In The Kitchen
Notes:
- [1] with Glide (The New Deal) tease
- [2] debut, original
- [3] with Bulls On Parade (Rage Against The Machine) jam and quotes
