Umphrey’s McGee came to Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre on Friday, January 21 for a special evening, as the date marked their first gig as a band 24 years ago. The band told the crowd about their first gig where “the power went out,” but tonight the electricity was synchronicity in Syracuse.
They came full circle and treated their fans from their Midwest home in Chicago to the frigid Syracuse Landmark, playing their first album Local Band Does OK, in its entirety, and notably included a nod to the start of their tour with “The Empire State.” The excitement shared during soundcheck brought this night to life, as the Landmark was filled with ambient tones and occasional Eddie Van Halen riffs from Jake Cinninger, who also played a Duane Allman-esque slide guitar during “Partyin’ Peeps” before heading to the encore of “Slacker.”
Actor Vince Vaughn once celebrated John Lennon’s birthday at the Hotel Syracuse, just around the corner from the Landmark, where Lennon held his 31st birthday with guests including Ringo Starr. Whether Umphrey’s knew this fact or not, they version of “Ringo” evoked a younger image of Vaughn in his Rudy character, with a full set of pads and gold helmet in the crowd at the Landmark, whose gold walls resonated the vibe as well. With the band hailing from South Bend, IN, Umphrey’s has offered no let up for nearly a quarter century – “It’s the last practice of the year and these guys are playing like it’s the Super Bowl!”
Umphrey’s McGee – Landmark Theatre, Syracuse – January 21, 2022
Setlist via Allthings.Umphreys.com
Set 1: Andy’s Last Beer, Uncle Wally, Hurt Bird Bath, Headphones & Snowcones, Ringo, Blue Echo > The Empire State[1], White Man’s Moccasins
Set 2: Prowler > 2nd Self, Roulette, Dough Bro > Water > Nothing Too Fancy, I Don’t Know What I Want[2], Partyin’ Peeps
Encore: Slacker
[1] with Brendan on percussion
[2] debut, original
Comments are closed.