Umphrey’s McGee Present Numbers-Themed Set, Bust-Out The Beatles’ “Flying”

Photo credit: Phierce Photography

Umphrey’s McGee continued its expansive 2024 tour this weekend with its first February dates, passing from the Mid-Atlantic to a run in the Midwest. In performances on Feb. 1-3 in Pittsburgh, Detroit and Columbus, Ohio, the jam-fusion outfit stayed true to form in sets rife with the genre-bending twists, quotes and covers that have made them so iconic. For fans who couldn’t make it, performances are available to stream now via nugs.net.

On Thursday, Feb. 1, Umphrey’s McGee blazed through Pittsburgh’s Stage AE with a special numbers-themed set. This tongue-in-cheek twist allowed the ensemble to flex the sheer depth of its discography with 10 songs to the theme, beginning with “Bathing Digits” and including live standards like “40’s Theme,” “Cemetary Walk II” and “2nd Self.” To conclude the first of two sets, the band played a medley beginning with “1348,” featuring a jam on Mötley Crüe’s “Dr. Feelgood,” into “Soul Food I” and “Soul Food II” before lastly returning to “1348.”

The next day brought the band to KEMBA Live! in Columbus, Ohio. Here, it resurrected its rendition of the Beatles “Flying,” a Magical Mystery Tour cut that was a live staple for the group before becoming a rarity after the early aughts. Last performed on January 12, 2018, this appearance as the penultimate song in the second set closes a 434 show gap for the cover.

Finally, on Feb. 3, Umphrey’s McGee took the stage at The Fillmore in Detroit. For this engagement, the band managed to keep a straight face through the two sets, sticking to 13 songs direct from its own discography including two medleys bookended by “Seasons” and “Bridgeless” respectively. The group switched things up in the encore, where a presentation of fan-favorite “Pay the Snucka” erupted into a jam around and quotes from Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade.”

Umphrey’s McGee’s tour keeps on this week with shows in Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri on Feb. 7-10, followed by an appearance at Washington’s iconic 9:30 club on Valentine’s Day. To find a nearby upcoming concert, visit umphreys.com.

Setlists via allthings.umphreys.com