Chicago-based Umphrey's McGee Has Their Sights Set High

by Greg Chruscielski
feedback@buzznews.net

Over the past 3 months, I’ve been pretty excited about writing about this band. It all started one day when my storage space manager handed me some CD’s for a move I was making – one of which was none other than Umphrey’s McGee. References to King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Phish, The Grateful Dead, and even Mr. Blotto kept popping up as I listened to track after track. After hearing the CD in its entirety several times I was pretty amped to get on the road and listen to something stimulating. However, this wasn’t the first time I had heard the name of Umphrey’s McGee.

This Chicago-based band has been jamming their way into the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people a year for quite some time now. Their album sales are in the millions. McGee member Brendan Bayliss mentioned that he knew he was making it big when The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh came to him and said that Umphrey’s was his favorite up and coming band.

“You have to play every chance you get. It is important to use all the channels, and promote yourself with things like MySpace, flyers, friends and family.” Brendan Bayliss, vocalist and guitarist for Umphrey’s McGee also said this pretty firmly about his blind faith in UM’s success and future, “Do or do not. There is no alternative. Get out there - No short cuts. Every gig is an opportunity to learn something.” This is a philosophy for our time - words of wisdom.

Earlier in the year, Jake Cinninger, Umphrey’s McGee’s multi-dimensional guitarist, was possibly robbed of his sacred “blue book” of creative thoughts, which allegedly was “ripped off” from him/them at one of their shows. Many of Jake’s personal notes were in there along with so many of his ideas. When I talked to their drummer Kris Myers back in April, he was pretty bummed out that all of Jake’s hard work was actually stolen by someone they blindly considered a fan.

“It must have been taken off of the stage,” he deduced. “There’re so many people moving around on there, and things get moved.”

“For a while we figured that maybe someone moved a music stand and it was on it, that maybe it would turn up some time.” But the sacred blue book has not yet turned up. So the fortuitous spirits rise above. “No questions asked!” Drummer Kris Myers added that anyone knowing anything about it could send a message to the UM website, and make arrangements for the delivery with no questions asked. “We just want to get it back. It has so many important pages of Jake’s notes in there. I mean, what are they going to do with it? It can’t turn up on E-Bay.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that their material has been stolen from them. But that’s water under the bridge for this true band of creative expressionists. Nothing’s stopping these guys. And once you see them live, you’ll know why.



Chicago based Umphrey's McGee is the magical combination of Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Jake Cinninger (guitar, Moog, synthesizers, vocals), Joel Cummins (keyboards, vocals), Andy Farag (percussion), Kris Myers (drums, vocals), and Ryan Stasik (bass). Together, this group of talented musicians has found that something special that only comes around once in a blue moon.

Nick Farran, one of Umphrey’s McGee’s more frequent fan space members, also a manger of a local storage facility, always gives such vivid explanations of UM’s shows and recorded music. On one particular occasion he was talking about how dark some of their more recent music seemed to be. Brendan mentioned that a relatively recent divorce probably cast a shadow over some of his musical choices, and anyone who has seen the band perform live knows there are so many choices in an Umphrey’s McGee show - so many directions to go in.

But brighter days are on their way for the singer. These days, Brendan, whom I just spoke with this past Thursday, is in a new relationship, “…and she’s fantastic!” He says before mentioning how he looks forward to returning home. “I can’t wait to get back to Chicago. This was a long break and now we’re getting back into it...”

Brendan is a newer resident to Illinois. He just got a new “skyline view” apartment and hasn’t event had a chance to get into it yet. As of June Brendan and Umphrey’s McGee begin a month-long tour including a stop back home in July for The Taste of Chicago. Once the tour ends the work will still continue for Umphrey’s. “I have a space in my new apartment dedicated to music, so when I get back home I’ll be into some new things,” explained Brendan.

And curiosity about the band’s new material is already on the rise as fans are already craving more of the band’s creativity and bottomless expressionism. Music at an Umphrey’s McGee show can include some pretty fantastic covers and their own variety of funk and sway. Their free-form style of song construction proves that this group has what it takes to spin the industry in any direction necessary to keep the love flowing, and that shouldn’t change with the band’s upcoming release.

When I talked to Brendan Baylis, he was in Buffalo New York headed into sound check. When I asked him about his favorite places, Chicago was his #1 choice. “Chicago by far is the best. New York is cool but Chicago’s in a magical place.”

Born in Maryland. Bayliss moved to Chicago in 2000. Their most current album is a rich depiction of the core that is this band’s nuclear reaction. And the album art is “amazing” in my opinion - the colors - the shot. Killer artwork - great music. When I was emailing Mr. Blotto, I asked them if they had anything to say to the guys in Umphrey’s. The BUZZ around town is that Umphrey’s has used Blotto’s warehouse for practice. Soon after, I received this email: “I find myself really enjoying the collaborative work that some of the Umphrey’s guys like Brendon, Jake and Kris do with other musicians like Disco Biscuits, and Allen from Moe, k at U-Storm shows and what-not. For the Sold Out Brain-Damaged Eggman show, at the Vic, they rehearsed at our warehouse, and it was a riot. They are really talented guys and a lot of fun to watch and play with.” TONY DELLUMO (BLOTTO DRUMS)

Upcoming Umphrey’s McGee shows:

Thursday, 5 July 2007
Summerfest
200 North Harbor Drive
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
- show: 9:00 pm
- the Harley Stage
- Umphrey's will be preceded by Donna the Buffalo and Railroad Earth

Friday, 6 July 2007
Taste of Chicago
Petrillo Music Shell
Chicago, Illinois
- show: 4:30 pm
- opening for the Black Crowes
- All Ages
- admission is free

The information, material, and comments in this article courtesy of Amy Cummins, Publicist, Umphrey’s McGee, Madison House Publicity.

Special thanks to Kris & Brendon