Umphey's McGee takes Denver's Fillmore with a "no nonsense attitude" -Written by Travis Wolcott

Established fans of Umphrey's McGee know they are a supremely talented group of musicians. For those who are not familiar with the band, I highly recommend giving them a listen. Umphrey's McGee recently visited the Fillmore in Denver, a wonderful open floor venue on Colfax. As a long time lover of live music, I am happy to report that Umphrey's live show is a classic case of what makes a concert special. The first thing I noticed about the group is the crowd response when they came on. These are dedicated and enthusiastic fans. I overheard one young man talking excitedly about this being his twentieth Umphrey's show. It doesn't take long to understand why once they start playing. They approach with a no nonsense attitude and no verbal introduction right away. The first order of business with this sextet is to jam. And jam they did. Umphrey's has an incredible ability to play through their bluegrass, jazz, rock/pop, and even electric influences so fluidly, it creates a very dynamic listening experience. In true jam band style, the fun in the show comes from how unrehearsed the entires set seems, the feeling that each performance is bespoke to the venue and the night. Combine deliciously addictive riffs, continually tweaked bass lines, powerful keyboard solos, synthesized undertones, and the seamless integration of two drummers, what you get is innovative musical creation that feeds off it's own energy and one hell of a show. Not a group to stop after just one encore, they played till nearly one in the morning, and we were all grateful for it.