For the next eighteen days, Umphrey’s McGee will webcast each show on their fall tour including their two-night Halloween run in Boston and their 2000th show celebration in Madison, WI. With each show available live, I’m going on tour with Umphrey’s for the next few weeks. Sort of. Each day following the show, you can bank on a more in-depth review than you might be used to.

What makes this different than your run-of-the-mill recap is that I’ll be diving into the shows as they relate to the tour as a whole, seeing how the band progresses and what (if any) nuances and progressions appear as we move along. Only the music will dictate where this idea goes, so let’s have some fun with it.

Cleveland. Affectionately known as “The Mistake by the Lake.” Look, I’ve been to Cleveland and there isn’t much visiting does to dispel that notion, so I had my doubts about starting a very important fall tour in such a place. Half-joking, of course, but needless to say Umphrey’s McGee shined some much needed light onto LeBron’s new hometown, delivering a performance fit for the so-called-King.

On their own, tour openers are rarely the highlight of any stretch of shows. When the dust settles, this one probably won’t be in the top 5. Yes, there were some mistakes, but what was presented to the viewing audience last night was two sets of razor sharp Umphrey’s McGee that makes you want those big Midwest gigs to get here even sooner. Let’s dig into it.

Set One

Set I: Preamble > Mantis > Slacker, Prowler > Mantis, Driven to Tears > Similar Skin, Cemetery Walk > Cemetery Walk II

How They Played

Outside of “All in Time,” the band may not have a better tour opener than “Mantis.” It’s that song that puts all eyes on them almost immediately. There was no tuning or farting around on stage, just straight rock and roll from the jump. Almost as if this were their 8th show on the tour and not the opener.

One of the great things about this set is that you’d never, in a million years, pick out where the biggest jams came from. Sure, “Slacker” saw the band stretch their legs with some thumping blues-rock and finished with a wonderful Bayliss solo (a theme throughout the night), but if you had “Driven to Tears” and “Similar Skin” on your ballot (which you didn’t) then you win. The newly-employed Police cover dropped off the face of the Earth into a brooding, pulsating section that had no intentions of quitting. It didn’t, and what you’re left with is the best version of the song played to date.

Throughout the summer, we didn’t see any of the new Similar Skin cuts make their way into “Jimmy Stewart” territory. Well, we can cross that off the list in the fall. The title track got the call up to the big leagues last night and performed masterfully. Speaking of masterful performances, “Cemetery Walk” parts one and two both found themselves in top form last night as Jake and Joel collaborated brilliantly on the end of “Cem I,” creating a thick, heavy atmosphere that carried over to the “Cemetery Walk II” set closer.

MVP

This was a Joel Cummins set from the start. The resident keyboard wizard (whose shirt was Johnny Drama-esque) delivered his best work on the Mantis record and, as you can see, this set was peppered with material from their 2009 effort. Joel’s work on “Slacker” and “Prowler” should also not go unnoticed.

The true testament to Cummins’ MVP worth was his interplay with Mr. Cinninger on the end of “Cemetery Walk.” While “Cem I” hasn’t received true improv treatment in many years (honestly, it sounds better without) that section allows Jake and Joel to do the type of great work they do on the end of something like “Morning Song.”

Playback Value

If you’re in a pinch and want to just skim through some highlights, definitely start with the “Driven to Tears” > “Similar Skin” segment. You won’t be disappointed. While impressive jams in previously established jam vehicles are always welcomed, the true nuggets come out with the songs rarely stretched out. Now, onto set two.

Set Two

Set II: Bridgeless > 2nd Self, Wappy Sprayberry > Higgins, Got Your Milk (Right Here) > Breathe (dub) > Bridgeless

Enc: JaJunk

How They Played

The second set was truly a tale of two halves, as the band came out of the gate with the same type of aggression we saw in set one, slipping comfortably into a “Bridgeless” that featured a bounceback jam (or dropout jam, whatever you prefer), hints of “Smooth Criminal” and multiple sections/riffs in classic Umphrey’s fashion. A true -> segue into “2nd Self” brought us another well-rehearsed moment as well as yet another Brendan Bayliss solo. The “Wappy Sprayberry” that followed was more proof that the song is indeed “back” and doesn’t need super-inventive jamming to really hit home. One of the takeaways from this particular version is the band’s willingness to play around with the return to the song. On this night, it felt more aggressive and sudden than a slow build into the end of the tune.

And then things hit a bit of a snag. “Higgins” was, by Umphrey’s standards, botched. Forget the fact that there was little improv, the band was disconnected for bits and pieces of it, leading to a rough listen. Cinninger wanted “Got Your Milk (Right Here)” earlier than everyone else, leading to an awkward transition back into “Higgins.” What we learned here is that no one is immune to rust, and we’ve seen them nail more changes than any other band alive, so shrugging it off is easier to do.

The irony in all of this is that the night’s most interesting musical moment happened during a rough patch, as the group built up a dark, haunting soundscape out of “Got Your Milk” before dropping into their dub-take on “Breathe.” After finishing “Bridgeless,” the relentless nature of the “JaJunk” encore felt therapeutic after the second set got away from them a bit. Myers pushed and pushed until there was nothing left, which is usually the best way to work out a little frustration.

MVP

Giving the drummer some love and saying Kris Myers is the MVP of the set. Many of these songs (“Bridgeless,” “2nd Self,” “Wappy,” “JaJunk”) require the drummer to lead and, in some instances, push the pace to make sure everyone is on the same page. Myers, in particular, is an expert at this, which makes him such a huge asset for the band on a nightly basis. In a set comprised of these songs, it’s only right to praise Myers for his work.

Playback Value

You really can’t go wrong with the opening trio, but I’ll nominate the most interesting musical moment of the set as the “Got Your Milk” > “Breathe.” The aforementioned dark build out of “Milk” is something I can honestly say I’ve never heard from them and is definitely worth listening back to. It will be the first thing I jump to when the UMLive hits the web, without a doubt. “JaJunk” also wins for heaviest song of the night.

Overall, the bar has been set pretty damn high. For a tour opener, that’s about all you can ask. Niagara, you’re next. Tonight.