Umphrey’s McGee Goes Old School in West Hollywood

HT faves Umphrey’s McGee wrapped up a two-night stand in Southern California last night with a show chock full of classic material. In fact, outside of the There’s No Crying in Mexico instrumental that kicked off the evening and a cover debut, the newest song Umphrey’s performed at the West Hollywood House of Blues on Saturday was debuted was back in 2004 (Plunger – July 8th, 2004). Using the “Average Song Vintage” stat we employ for Phish setlists in our “The Skinny” columns (add the year each song was debuted and divide it by the total number of songs performed), the Average Song Vintage for last night’s show was 2003 – an unheard of figure for UM.

[Photo by @JeffersonWaful]

Mixed in among the many heavy hitters Umphrey’s employed on Saturday night was a rap cover featuring one of the band’s good friends. Longtime UM family member Clayton Halsey helped out with vocals from side-stage on the Chicago sextet’s first-ever performance of I Got Love by Nate Dogg which took place in the middle of Der Bluten Kat. I Got Love is the opening track of the late Nate Dogg’s second studio album – Music and Me. The Der Bluten Kat > I Got Love > Der Bluten Kat segment was one of three song sandwiches utilized by UM last night as they also worked Anchor Drops and Wappy Sprayberry between the beginning and ending of Bridgeless in the first set and fit Plunger, Hangover and The Triple Wide between the beginning and ending of Divisions as the bulk of set two.

Watch Umphrey’s cover of The Song Remains The Same via Faketaper…

Set One: There’s No Crying in Mexico > Bridgeless > Anchor Drops, Wappy Sprayberry > Bridgeless, Wife Soup, Der Bluten Kat > I Got Love[1] > Der Bluten Kat

Set Two: Mulche’s Odyssey, Divisions > Plunger > Hangover, Triple Wide > Divisions

Encore: Andy’s Last Beer, The Song Remains the Same

[1] Debut; Nate Dogg with Clayton Halsey on vocals

[Setlist via All Things Umphrey’s]

Watch a video of Der Bluten Kat > I Got Love > DBK thanks to Smasher69…