On Friday night Umphrey\u2019s McGee will launch their annual UMBowl event at the the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. UMBowl XII will extend over two evenings, from Friday into Saturday with plenty of audience-fueled improvisatory moments. Ahead of these shows, the group performed a stretch of dates that began in Colorado, then continued in the South, winding up over the weekend with two gigs at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville.<\/p>\n
The Saturday show saw the band collaborate with area resident JoJo Hermann. The Widespread Panic keyboard player joined UM at the close of the first set for a version of his band\u2019s \u201cAin\u2019t Life Grand.\u201d This is the first time that Umphrey\u2019s has performed the song, which is the title track to Panic\u2019s 1994 album. Hermann remained on stage for the set-closing \u201cLife During Exodus,\u201d the longtime UM mashup that blends \u201cLife During Wartime\u201d by Talking Heads with Bob Marley\u2019s \u201cExodus\u201d and Frank Zappa\u2019s \u201cCity of Tiny Lites.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to Hermann\u2019s appearance, the evening\u2019s first set had included a notable 29-minute pairing of \u201cSpeak Up\u201d and \u201cDraconian.\u201d The second set consisted of five songs, each of which extended beyond the 11-minute mark. \u201cRemind Me\u201d included teases of \u201cI Keep Forgettin\u2019\u201d (Michael McDonald) and \u201cHead over Heels\u201d (Tears for Fears) teases, while the expansive version of \u201cStaircase,\u201d which eventually founds its way into \u201cSeasons\u201d quoted Parliament\u2019s \u201cGive Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker.\u201d The encore was The Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201cCan\u2019t You Hear Me Knocking.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can watch Hermann with UM below.<\/p>\n