On the last nights of 2006, the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Ill., had the pleasure of hosting a trio of performances by the leading Midwest jam band, Umphrey’s Mcgee. Fans from all over the country gathered together for eight sets of Umphrey’s between Dec. 29 and 31. The venue was like no other. Walking through the main room where the concert was held was like journeying through the courtyard of a white castle under the midnight sky. The venue seemed plucked right out of a fairy tale. You could either float through the mass of people dancing in the courtyard or get a bird’s eye view of the band from the balconies lining the interior. On the first night, the scene filled with middle school and high school youngsters who stuck out among the crowd of more experienced, college-aged music lovers. Despite the age difference, everyone was there for the same reason of music appreciation. The North Mississippi All-stars opened that evening with an astounding performance. Band member Cody Dickinson joined in Umphrey’s “Jimmy Stuart” time on his washboard. No one has ever played the washboard like that in a jam session and the noise distortions that were used made such an incredible sound; it made one wonder why it isn’t something heard more often. Umphrey’s teased their audience several times that evening with little hints of “Linus and Lucy,” the intro to the Red Hot Chili Peppers “Funky Monks.” But when they played “I Want You” by The Beatles they sent the audience off the edge as they shouted the lyrics right alongside the band. The washboard and the covers were only the beginning. In their first set of the evening they played “Much Obliged,” “August,” and “Plunger.” Even though the set break was making the fans anxious, the wait was well worth it because the second set was just as amazing as the first. They started off with “All in Time” and continued into songs like “Mulche’s Odyssey,” “Blue Echo,” and “Nothing Too Fancy.” Their second performance, on Dec. 30, was a little different from the normal sound you would usually hear coming from Umphrey’s. During their jam sessions in the first set they really rocked out like many fans had never heard before. The band proved that they’ve come a long way, now delivering a fresh performance every time. Umphrey’s is a band that will never be labeled dull or predictable because they keep their fans on their toes. During their performance they kept the audience guessing as their songs began to build up before breaking into the written melody. It’s much like a musical orgasm that explodes over the crowd causing them to dance uncontrollably. The Los Lobos opened on this evening and one of Umphrey’s renowned guitar players, Jake Cinninger, sat in with them. Together Los Lobos and Cinninger played the popular Grateful Dead song “Bertha” and transitioned into “Not Fade Away” which was originally written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty in 1957 but made famous by the The Rolling Stones’ first release in the states. It was also later adapted by The Grateful Dead and is still played to this day by the remaining band’s members in their new projects. Umphrey’s also pulled Los Lobos David Hidalgo and Steve Berlin into their own performance for some extra guitar and saxophone flavor to spice up their sound. For their first set they played songs like “The Fuzz” and “Ringo” and saved “Walletsworth,” “Intentions Clear,” and “Bloody Well Right,” originally by Supertramp. The biggest treat of the evening, however, was the vocal performance by drummer Kris Meyers who sang John Lennon song “Instant Karma,” dedicated to his mother. The real pleasure of three days was the one and only New Years Eve Show. The Taj Mahal band opened for Umphrey’s and performed “You’ll Need Somebody On Your Bond,” originally performed by Blind Willie Johnson. Umphrey’s played three sets on New Years Eve, and as each one progressed anticipation for the quickly approaching New Year began to grow. The ceiling was equipped with four massive nets filled with balloons of all shapes and sizes and more confetti than you could imagine. The first set paved the direction of the evening as they played “Ja Junk,” “Out of Order,” “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” and “Bright Lights.” Once the set break passed they continued by feeding the audience songs like “Wife Soup,” “Slacker,” and “Higgins.” Once the New Year was reached, the balloons and confetti were released. As the decorations slowly floated towards the crowd the world began to slow down as the seconds ticked away. Fans were jumping for balloons, dancing in the confetti, couples were kissing, and Umphrey’s Mcgee continued on stage in just as much awe as the rest of us. With that came the third set as they continued to rock out. Adding to the already fabulous set list they presented us with, the amazement still continued. Throughout the entire evening the band members of Umphrey’s teamed up with Jeff Coffin on saxophone, Michael “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou on trumpet, Chris Neal on saxophone, and Brent Sanders on trombone in their last two sets. Alongside of Umphrey’s these musicians played “Bridgeless,” “Partyin’ Peeps,” and “Mail Package” to name a few. Umphrey’s also played “2×2” and as their encore created their own rendition of Saturday Night Live’s recent skit of “Dick in a Box” – boxes and all. This was a first for many Umphrey’s fans because percussionist Andy Farag came to the front of the line to perform it with Brendan Bayliss, who was very successful in reaching the high notes just as Justin Timberlake did in the televised skit. They ended the evening with “Pay the Snucka” which is a song that incorporates something specific about each band member into it. Considering the time of year, the weather was far from unbearable for these nights in the windy city. As the fans dispersed after every evening, many flocked to the public transportation “L” lines. Umphrey’s fans scattered across the city, making the journey back to their homesteads. During this time it wasn’t uncommon to catch individuals from the show wearing outrageous costumes (like the Red King, Batman, and The Joker) waiting patiently at random train stops.

One Umphrey’s fan, Greer Lally, spent the time during and around the concerts to come up with an “Umphrey’s-ism” that would fit the moment and came up with the clever line, “Umphreezing in Chicago.” Only a handful of UMass students made it out to this show but they represented the fan base from New England.

“The band played like a low-key set because they focused on the music and they ended the year on a really spectacular note. The light show was spectacular; it was really well practiced and wasn’t sloppy. It was a very well-balanced three nights and it was great seeing Kris and Andy sing,” explained UMass Junior, Katie Madzar.

“The last couple of years they have spent their money and focused on associating these shows with themes,” agreed Eric Radden, also a UMass student. “This time they seemed to shy away from that and focus more on the music and the light show which was a big plus from the years passed.” If you didn’t get a chance to do something this great over the New Year, another opportunity to see Umphrey’s Mcgee live is creeping up. They will be performing at The Calvin Theatre in Northampton on April 11. Ticket prices have yet to be posted so keep an eye out on Umphreys.com or IHEG.com to check up on it.