Umphrey’s McGee has never shied away from homework, and on Wednesday, February 4th, their long-awaited debut at the Mayo Performing Arts Center felt like a master class delivered at full volume.

As part of the ‘Sky’s the Limit 2026’ tour, the veteran prog-jam rockers turned the affluent college town of Morristown, NJ into something closer to a raucous campus rager full of riffs, rhythms, and musical theory, delivering a sonic syllabus that left first-time listeners cramming for a final exam they didn’t know was coming.

Umphrey’s McGee made their debut in Morristown, NJ on 2/4/26.

The lesson plan began earlier in the evening with a happy-hour pregame down the street at the Homestead, where Grateful Dead tribute act Workingman’s Jed set the curve nicely before the crowd migrated a few blocks over to the Mayo shortly before 8 p.m. Fresh off millions in renovations, the theater looked pristine with polished floors, plush seats, and top-tier acoustics, but it didn’t take long for Umphrey’s devotees to turn this newly refurbished lecture hall into something resembling an Animal House.

After a couple days off following a jam-heavy heater at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom, Umphrey’s McGee arrived in Morristown well-rested and clearly prepared to teach at the graduate level. Opening with a massive “Bridgeless” sandwich that would frame the entire evening, the band wasted no time reminding everyone why they’ve been tenured at the top of the live-music department for nearly three decades.

From one college town to another, Umphrey’s McGee originally formed on the campus of Notre Dame in 1997.

Formed in 1997 while students at the University of Notre Dame, Umphrey’s has long been pigeonholed as a “jam band,” but one live song is all it takes to realize that label barely passes as an elective. Their true curriculum blends progressive rock, metal, funk, jazz, and improv into single compositions that feel less like songs and more like dissertations. This band operates on an academic level well beyond most of their peers. Consisting of Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Jake Cinninger (guitar, vocals), Joel Cummins (keys, vocals), Ryan Stasik (bass), Scotty Zwang (drums, vocals), and Andy Farag (percussion), this show marked New Jersey’s first look at the band since Zwang joined on drums.

Filling big shoes would be a nearly impossible assignment for anyone, but Zwang, known for his work with Dopapod, Ghost Light, and Sunsquabi, passed with flying colors. Despite online chatter questioning whether Umphrey’s best days are behind them, this version of the band is clearly energized, locked in, and playing with renewed purpose. If this is “past their peak,” the grading scale needs serious adjusting.

Drummer Scotty Zwang showed a lot of character in Morristown on 2/4/26.

Set one unfolded like a well-structured syllabus. Following “Bridgeless” came “Made to Measure,” the opening track from 2009’s Mantis before seamlessly dropping into “Nemo,” a song that made it’s live debut in 2004, the same year I graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University just a few miles down the road from this venue. Call it a full-circle moment, or perhaps a reminder that time flies when you’re cramming riffs. From there, a standout, jammed-out “Draconian” flowed into “Half Delayed,” and by the time “Educated Guess” hit, it was clear the theme of the night was no coincidence and that class was officially in session.

The night’s biggest pop quiz followed with a surprise cover of Pat Metheny’s “Last Train Home,” dusted off for the first time since 2021, 345 shows ago. As lighting director Ben Factor dazzled the audience with an increasingly colorful and elaborate visual display, the band further stepped on the accelerator with a powerful one-two punch of “Comma Later” and “Partyin’ Peeps,” featuring a face-to-face shred duel between Bayliss and Cinninger that closed the opening frame with honors-level intensity.

Dynamic Duo: Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss make one of the most potent guitar combinations in all of Rock.

After a brief recess, set two resumed with “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” one of the most technically demanding compositions in the Umphrey’s catalog, proof that these guys still enjoy assigning themselves the hardest problems to solve. Ryan “Bassik” Stasik drove “August” before northern New Jersey collectively dusted off its best Eddie Vedder impression for a surprise cover of Pearl Jam’s “Corduroy.” Played for just the fourth time ever, the Vitalogy classic landed with unexpected emotional weight. When the entire theater shouted, “Everything has changed / absolutely nothing’s changed,” it instantly gave you goosebumps and felt like a not-so-subtle statement aimed at anyone questioning the band’s continued relevance. “Intentions Clear” further cemented the argument, before UM revisited another old-school staple, “Uncommon” from 2004’s Anchor Drops.

UM Lighting Director Ben Factor mesmerized at The Mayo on 2/4/26

By now, the Mayo felt less like a performing arts center and more like a frat party with exceptionally good taste in music. Seizing the moment, Jake Cinninger added some extracurricular fun by returning to his original instrument and joining Andy Farag in the back for a percussion battle during a cover of The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah.” From there, Umphrey’s effortlessly pivoted into the silky-smooth fan favorite “Puppet String,” closing an A+ second set that felt both technically brilliant and wildly fun.

Helping Hands: Jake Cinninger joined Andy Farag on percussion during “Rock the Casbah” in Morristown 2/4/26.

For the encore, Umphrey’s slowed things down with a beautifully expressive, Jake-led “Glory” before completing the night’s massive sandwich with the return to “Bridgeless.” As the final notes rang out, the crowd stood in awe still processing the sheer sonic spectacle they’d just witnessed, others perhaps wondering whatever happened to Fatboy’s, the legendary nearby sub shop that surely would’ve completed this campus tour perfectly. Telling the crowd they love to make an impression when playing a new venue for the first time, Umphrey’s McGee did exactly that in Morristown.

With bust-outs, old-school originals, and fearless improvisation defining the early leg of the Sky’s the Limit 2026 Tour, the band once again proved they never phone it in, no matter what day of the week or what city it is. Walking out of the Mayo, I was instantly eager to see how they could possibly top this performance the following night in Albany. Rage. Rest. Repeat. Hindsight being 20/20, little did I know that the unapologetic fun had only just begun. With a smile from ear to ear, I’ll forever be grateful for these back-to-back nights with my favorite live band on the planet. Following Saturday night’s gig at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, tour is scheduled to resume at the State Theatre in Portland, ME on February 11th.