UMPHREY MCGEE LIVE!! | RITZ MUSIC VENUE

Umphrey McGee performed at the Ritz Music venue on January 12th 2024 to a happy and very chilled out crowd.  Umphrey McGee is a jam band that infuses musical styles such as rock, reggae, bluegrass, funk, jazz and even electronic into their creative musical style.  The band is originally from South Bend Indiana.  The band has released several albums over the years since forming in 1997 including “Local band does ok”, “The bottom half”, “Death by stereo” and “Zonky” to name a few.  The album Zonky was my introduction to the band when I heard the song “Come as your kids” which was a mix of the songs from “Kids (MGMT) + “Come as you are (Nirvana)” and “You spin me round”.   It was an interesting musically fused blend of different genres of music and something I had never heard before. 

Let’s talk about the show!

It was a rainy night on January 12th with weather warnings of high winds, but this did not stop dedicated fans from showing up to see the band perform at the Ritz.  One thing that hit you upon immediately entering the venue was the cloudy plume of pot laced smoke filling the air and very chilled out fans ready for a night filled of music.  The band was the only one performing so there was no opener.  When the band came out on to the stage you could see music fans grinning as the band waved hello to everyone.  Umphrey McGee performed beautifully and sounded great.  Each band member played their instrument with precision and joy.  Each music fan was smiling from ear to ear while singing along and just taking in the incredible composition of music.  You could tell the band was really enjoying themselves as they would start laughing between songs and making little verbal connections with fans throughout the show. 

Umphrey McGee is a jam band like no other.  They blend different genres of music together while also maintaining their own creative and musical compositions.  If you are someone who loves to watch talented musicians perform and have a great night filled with music, then this is the show to see.   

-          Chris Sturk