Get in the Van: Four Nights w/ UM & STS9

In my opinion, Umphrey’s McGee played their best set on Thursday night in Columbus, Ohio. Check out this Wizard Burial Ground that not only opened the show but had the added bonus of scaring the shit out of all of the Sound Tribe fans and sending them running for the lawn. And this clip is only the opening minute of the show:

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I especially like this video from the pit of Partyin’ Peeps – if this does not inspire you to go out and catch the next leg of the tour then you’re clearly reading the wrong blog:

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STS9 also played one hell of a show in Columbus. If you’ve never seen Zach Velmer play the drums, this alone makes the show worth it. The guy has more energy than almost anyone I’ve ever seen perform live. Frankly, I’m surprised he doesn’t punch right through the drums every couple of nights:

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The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Columbus is also my new favorite outdoor venue. Not only is it designed really well, but they have a White Castle inside the venue. I think I would even support Live Nation renaming every venue the Fillmore <insert city here> if each new Fillmore had a Taco Bell inside.

I also saw one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen in my life that night in the parking lot. These weren’t your average frat boys on drugs blasting STS9 from their SUV, these geniuses were actually holding down the gas in order to dance in their own exhaust fumes. This really wasn’t that surprising though, after all, these kids do go to Ohio State. (I don’t know a single Michigan fan who wouldn’t take pleasure watching the Ohio State student body gas themselves).

We spent a perfect Friday evening in Indianapolis at White River State park. The best part of this venue: they hand out free lawn chairs when you walk in. Both bands put on great shows, and as UM closed down the night with a rendition of Divisions that featured Jake “the Central Scrutinizer” Cinninger playing the guitar over his head, it was clear that Chicago was destined for a blowout on Saturday night.

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Umphrey’s played a fantastic show on Saturday night in Chicago that included classics All in Time, Mulche’s Odyssey, and Hurt Bird Bath. They also played this new song Waist Down which I thought sounded 10 times better than when they unveiled it a few months ago at Summer Camp. The show wasn’t quite as good as Columbus, but it was still at least a 9 out of 10.

Unsurprisingly, Sound Tribe’s late night show was their best performance of the run, and the best way I can describe it is some sort of completely out of control rave. It was one of those nights where you got to know all your neighbors pretty well, because you were pressed up against all of them. Here’s a great clip of Sound Tribe closing it all down with Lo Swaga:

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I was only really disappointed by one thing this week: the lack of collaboration between the two bands. One of the most exciting things about having two headliners on the same bill is obviously the prospect that they will play together. I especially wanted to see Jake sit in with STS9 at one point over the weekend and was a little upset at the end of STS9’s late show that it never occurred. I’ll definitely be kicking myself if it happens this week.

Recap: Rankings
Umphrey’s McGee:

1. 7/17/08 Columbus, OH
2. 7/19/08 Chicago, IL
3. 7/15/08 Cincinnati, OH
4. 7/18/08 Indianapolis, IN

STS9:

1. 7/19/08 Chicago, IL (Late Night)
2. 7/19/08 Chicago, IL
3. 7/17/08 Columbus, OH
4. 7/18/08 Indianapolis, IN
5. 7/15/08 Cincinnati, OH

Here’s a list of the remaining dates for the STUM9 tour:

07.24.08 – Roseland Ballroom – New York, NY
07.24.08 – Blender at Gramercy – New York, NY – STS9 AFTER PARTY!
07.25.08 – Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing – Philadelphia, PA
07.25.08 – Fillmore at TLA – Philadelphia, PA – UMPHREY’S AFTER PARTY!
07.26.08 – Bank of America Pavilion – Boston, MA
07.27.08 – Pier 6 Concert Pavilion – Baltimore, MD
07.30.08 – House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
07.31.08 – Koka Booth Amphitheatre – Cary, NC
07.31.08 – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC – UMPHREY’S AFTER-PARTY!
08.01.08 – Masquerade Music Park – Atlanta, GA – INDOORS AFTER PARTY!
08.02.08 – Masquerade Music Park – Atlanta, GA – INDOORS AFTER PARTY!

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14 Responses

  1. this site is total douchebaggery……umphrey’s and sts9 are fuckin’ horrible jambands…..chicago last weekend and no pitchfork

  2. great review. It seems like you had a great run. Just one correction: sound tribe fans were probably not running to the lawn in columbus because UM laid down the heat, more likley they were heading to the exit. I saw seven shows on the midwest run and missed UM everytime… by choice.
    Peace in the streets.

  3. “I saw seven shows on the midwest run and missed UM everytime… by choice.”

    Then you missed the only band worth seeing at these shows.

    WOW, just wow.

    First the Disco Biscuits and now STS9. When is UM going to stop doing summer shows with lesser bands that can’t hold their jock? STS9 was wonderful setbreak music until I realized they were actually onstage playing and it wasn’t a setbreak CD. To see 7 shows on a run and not hit UM once is reprehensible. I hope your musical tastes change soon because at this point you pretty much have your head up your arse.

  4. im sorry but to all yall trying to put down either band….the reason they are playing together is because at this time they are the 2 hottest “jam” bands in the nation… the fact that they are together and people opted to miss a moment of either of these bands is just a childish choice to say the least. i am from atlanta so i am a sts9 fan somewhat but im a diehard umphreak and i gotta say that without either of the bands at summer camp my money and time would have felt pretty wasted………. let the boys do what they do so well, if you have a ticket, dont skip either performance because both bands are as good as you will get musically as well as entertainers to the kinda crowds both unique bands cater to.

  5. Hey douche, name one band that is better musically and works as hard as these two. I’m not real big on sts9, but to say they are horrible is ridiculous. As a matter of fact why dont all you guys that come on here and bash bands form your own and show us what jammin is really about. Thats what I thought!

  6. Wow you guys suck…… but this was a great review, cant wait for 2 nights in atl, im not gonna miss a second on umph or tribe or late nite pnuma trio and telepath

  7. “Head up your arse” isnt that on of UMs new tunes along with wappy sprayberry, wife soup and white mans moccasins? Honestly, how can you take these songs seriously? If UM really brings the heat why cant they pull of a summer tour without tapping into another bands audience? Heres to the end of the tour.
    WORD.
    You’ll excuse me, I have to put some water in “umphans” mother’s dish.
    Peace
    BTW
    You still wrote a great review!

  8. I really don’t understand the hate between the fans of these bands. I am more of a tribe fan, but have a blast at UMPH, I just feel their jams are way too ADD and over-climactic. I went to 6 shows on this tour and every time I felt like I was in south-central when I heard “Who ya here for?”
    Grow up guys

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