Dream Focused: Round Two
Umphrey’s, the little band that could from the Midwest, is still out 100 plus days a year throwing rock shows peppered with excellent covers and chops galore. This is how its always been. But this fall when the band traveled to the Mishawaka Amphitheater something special happened underneath that Colorado moon and it has kept on happening all over the country.
The band has been more focused as of late with more patient, momentum building grooves that emphasize the whole rather than the sum of its parts. Don’t get me wrong, Umph is still umph, and the threat of metal is always around the corner, but there are some must hear musical moments that show a definite turning point in Umphrey’s improvisational language. The groof has found them and we here at Hidden Track want you to hear it.
[Photo by Jennifer Kirk]
This installment starts in Las Vegas, NV. Vegas has always been a big vibe location for Umphrey’s. This particular night, Brendan told the story of the first time the band played in Vegas and put all the money they earned on black, urging the opening band, Iration, to do the same. This Professor Wormbog will be the first of many highlighted “Profs” in this ongoing series, and seems to be the anthem of “Team Umphrey’s”. Kris allows the groove to develop slowly and the jam results in some funky exploration.
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READ ON for the ITK > #5 > ITK from Salt Lake City…
The next segment is from Salt Lake City, a city UM had only played once before 7 years ago. This fall, UM has been coming out of the gates very strong and this show is no exception. The opening chunk of ITK>#5>ITK is very fluid and gets the crowd going. Much like the ITK from Austin (also worth checking out) its pretty much a dance party.
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The next installment features Grand Junction, a show for the ages.
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