Umphree's McGee (UM) is in line to be the next big thing in the world of jam bands, at least according to their website. Simply put, after the show I saw last night my thoughts on this are, no they're not.
I guess if being the next big thing means borrowing sounds from other successful acts then UM might be it, but if originality is something you appreciate in a band then I suggest you look elsewhere. When I closed my eyes and listened to the music, I was immediately compelled to draw comparisons to some of my other favorite bands. I heard moe., phish, and even a touch of widespread, what I didn't hear was anything new. The one time I thought I was hearing something fresh it was the fire alarm (and they even co-opted that, claiming it to be their "fire alarm jam"). After a brief evacuation, we all returned and they carried on as if nothing had happened.
I've been pretty hard on those UM boys so far. I should say that my head was bouncing and my feet shuffling, there may have even been a "woo" or two that left my mouth. They have a great sound, just that it's not theirs.
For $14 on a Thursday night, sure it might be worth it. But if I had a kid and they we're going on tour with UM, I'd feel obligated to inform them of the real deals out there, to edu-ma-kate them about the people who made the sounds that UM so accurately imitates. They're just imitation jam. I'm leaving it at that.
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