As far as musical quality is concerned, it really doesn’t get much better than the third edition of UMBowl, much like the year prior, held at Chicago’s Park West in 2012. The band was coming into the event scorching hot, with notable shows in the first part of the touring schedule including the 14th anniversary run at the Best Buy Theater which yielded a debut of Daft Punk’s “Voyager” and Van Halen’s “316.” Three individual performances from their pre-UMBowl schedule would go on to make the annual Hall of Fame compilation from 2012. If you’re looking for more essential early 2012 UM, be sure to check out 2/9, 2/19 and 3/18.

Maybe it was just a band catching fire at the perfect time, but something tells me that rehearsal for the newly introduced Raw Stewage quarter gave them that extra boost, which is why it’s now the centerpiece of UMBowl and will continue to be in the future. It is the best set of music Umphrey’s McGee plays all year, as their creative songwriting skills are completely maxed out in a one-time-only hour long performance. The first attempt at such a feat proved mostly successful, despite it coming in the fourth quarter when the majority of the crowd had exhausted much of their energy (Raw Stewage would kick off the next two UMBowls).

Looking back, this may be the weakest of the Raw Stewage quarters, but that’s more of a testament to the two that followed. Still, fans got an early taste of the tune that would become “Yoga Pants” in “White Pickle” as well as a ‘lego’ of “Similar Skin,” a song that featured elements of “Theresa,” a popular Jimmy Stewart amongst fans. “Den,” “Liberty Echo” and “Lift & Separate” all received additional plays following their debut at UMBowl. In essence, Raw Stewage feels like the ceiling for an event like this. Fans voting on old improvisations, tasking the band with putting them together in compelling ways–essentially a songwriting exercise. There is no quarter truer to the spirit of UMBowl.

Watch all of UMBowl III below as well as the Almost Famous parody that nearly broke the internet the next day.

Almost Famous

Part One

Part Two

04.27.2012 “UMBOWL III” PARK WEST, CHICAGO, IL, USA

Quarter 1: Flamethrower > Night Nurse > Voyager > Front Porch, Comma Later[1], Help On the Way > Slipknot!, Forty Six & 2[2]

Quarter 2: Stew Art Event

Quarter 3: All In Time[3] > Glory > The Linear > August[4] > Bridgeless[3], Preamble > Mantis[3] > Making Flippy Floppy > Nothing Too Fancy[5]

Quarter 4: Liberty Echo[1] > White Pickle[1] > Den[1] > Theresa[6], 9:30[1] > REW[6] > Lift & Separate[1] > Dream Team[1] > In The Kitchen[5]

Overtime: Divisions

[1] debut, original

[2] debut, Tool

[3] unfinished

[4] unfinished; with Lay Down Sally (Eric Clapton) jam

[5] ending only

[6] debut, original; with lyrics

Notes:

first quarter was comprised of attendees’ votes, “All Request”

second quarter was a Stew Art event: Afternoon Nurse > Funk Our Face Off > Middle Eastern Metal > Drum ‘n Bass > Soaring Uplifting Jam Part 2 > Afternoon Bus Ride In Jamaica > Increasing Tempo Jam > Yacht Rock Jam [with Breezin’ (George Benson) jam] > Hip Hop Tribute [Tribute To the Spinal Shaft, I Keep Forgettin’ (Michael McDonald), Xxplosive (Dr. Dre), and Gz and Hustlas (Snoop Dogg) teases] > Take Us To The Disco Tech

third quarter was in “choose your own adventure” style, with attendees voting for the next “adventure” live: Start Bridgeless, Start All In Time, or Start Mulche’s Odyssey; Transition into Much Obliged, Transition into Glory, or Transition into Resolution; Transition into Linear, Transition into The Floor, or Transition into Loose Ends; Start Puppet String, Start 40’s Theme, or Start August; Transition into 2nd half of Bridgeless, Transition into 2nd half of All In Time; Transition into 2nd half Mulche’s Odyssey; Start Mantis, Start Nothing Too Fancy, or Start 1348; Transition into I Ran (Flock of Seagulls), Transition into Making Flippy Floppy (Talking Heads), or Transition into Rosanna (Toto); Transition into 2nd half of Mantis, Transition into 2nd half of Nothing Too Fancy, or Transition into 2nd half of 1348

fourth quarter was Raw Stewage, comprised of attendees’ votes for past “Jimmy Stewarts”: Liberty Echo (10.20.2007 Mulche’s Odyssey), White Pickle (06.10.2006 The Haunt), Den (02.11.2011 Bright Lights Big City), Theresa (03.03.2011 Intentions Clear), 9:30 (12.11.2004 The Triple Wide), REW (04.08.2005 Nemo), Lift & Separate (11.02.2006 Groove Holmes), and Dream Team (01.22.2009 In the Kitchen)

last Help On the Way 03.04.2000 (1,576 shows)

last Slipknot! 06.18.1999 (1,623 shows)