Photos and review by: Jason Robey

CHARLOTTE, NC — As the house lights dimmed and the stage was bathed in deep indigo, the anticipation in the Fillmore Theatre was ready to explode. Umphrey’s McGee stepped into the light with a commanding prescence, launching into their first set with the instrumental opener “You Got the Wrong Guy.” As the final chords of the short track rang out, the chugging guitar intro of “Uncommon” emerged, setting the tone for an evening of genre-bending sonic exploration and improvisation. The song morphed into an atmospheric tease of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” bridging into the long-time staple “Mail Package.”

The first set balanced precision with spontaneity. The six members traded through improvisational passages that shifted seamlessly from soulful licks to metal riffs to funky jams. Moments of quiet restraint erupted into booming crescendos that shook the room. Each member contributed a piece to this dynamic puzzle, driving the songs in different directions, allowing room to discover new territory in every song. A 22-minute take on their newer song “Concessions” concluded their first set, giving the audience a chance to catch their breath before a mind-blowing second half.

Umphrey’s returned for the second set, kicking into the frantic “Miss Tinkle’s Overture,” moving between composed sections of the song and groove-heavy jams that had the six pieces of the band operating as one whole, always moving but never stepping on each other’s toes. With jams that were sometimes dense and grungy and other times sparse and clean, they led the crowd through a myriad of moods. The band’s unpredictable interplay took several unexpected turns, including a run through “Robot World” that turned into a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Wish,” which was last seen nine years ago and only once prior to that. Perhaps new drummer Scotty Zwang was giving us a hint by wearing a NIN shirt, or maybe the shirt was what inspired them to pull out such a rarity. Either way, the crowd exploded into chaos when they started it. 

The group’s encore brought yet another surprise when Zwang and percussionist Andy Farag started an extended drum jam that eventually had the other four members joining in with various percussion instruments. After several minutes of tribal-sounding polyrhythms, the non-drummers made their way back to their own instruments to transition perfectly into a cover of the Toto classic “Africa.” Following an intense evening, the breezy final song made the perfect cool down moment before the band left for the evening. Though the next night would conclude the summer tour, the band is only off for a few days before kicking off the fall tour on September 7th, with a new album coming out the next day. Check their social channels for upcoming dates.