Umphrey’s McGee returned to The Capitol Theatre on February 7th on what was a very cold night to rock. The band balanced precision, power, and improvisational risk in classic Umphrey’s fashion. The night was filled with classic peaks mixed in with spontaneous classics like “Live and Let Die” and a Paul Simon cover featuring Jake on percussion.

The first set opened up with an Umphrey’s classic, “The Floor.” Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss work so well together, trading guitar leads and building an intricate soundscape. With six members, the soundscape the band is able to create sounds full and vibrant. From low to high end, leads and rhythm, Umphrey’s has it covered in a tight, rocking way.

Once the band got rocking it seemed like the music never stopped. Highlights included “Night Nurse” and Wings’ “Live and Let Die” to close up the first set. Spirits were high and the crowd was ready to rage set 2.

The second set opened up in classic fashion with “Small Strides” and “Andy’s Last Beer.” Joel Cummins added texture to the spacey, atmospheric moments while Scotty Zwang has fit in incredibly well after original drummer Kris Myers left the band in 2025. These are big shoes to fill in a band whose music is fast, complicated, and rocking. Scotty has definitely proven himself and provides the rhythmic groove backbone of the band.

The second set got progressively weirder, climaxing with a Paul Simon cover of “You Can Call me Al” in which Jake joined Andy Farag on percussion. This felt like a silly, light hearted diverge from the heavier more rocking material, but Ryan Stasik and Andy Farag kept everyone dancing all night with heavy grooves and funk rhythms.

The Capitol Theatre was the perfect place for this rock spectacle. Umphrey’s lighting director Ben Factor put on quite a show. The prog-jam band has a niche, fast-paced rocking sound so a lighting director that can accentuate their live performances is needed. The band has melodic valleys and very fast paced peaks, scenarios that require different lighting designs, all of which are beautifully covered by Ben.