Analyst: Julie Seabaugh
Question: Is the proggy six-piece from Indiana this generation’s best jam band?
Hypothesis: Sure, why not?
Testing of data:
1. According to the current JamBands.com poll, “Which of these bands have you seen the most times live in 2007?,” Umphrey’s leads the results with 15.8 percent (followed by Yamn’s 12.5 percent, Bonobos Convergence’s 8.3 percent, Bugg Juice’s 8 percent and Muzaic’s 6.5 percent).
2. Myspace.com/umphreysmcgee boasts 28,244 (and counting) friends. Comments include, “you melt our face every time we see you”; “Even though I’m 6.5 months prego we couldn’t resist coming to see one of our favorite bands ever! It’s never too early to start training your kids!”; “Umphrey’s McGee = awesome”; “I think I might pee”; and “DAMN, GUYS!!”
3. Says our hippie friend Tony, who traveled to several Phish shows before joining the Peace Corps and shipping off to Tanzania, “Yeah, they’re pretty good.”
4. This month’s Live at the Murat CD release boasts tight ’n’ tangled interplay, ethereal instrumental interludes and rip-snorting, guitar-climaxing choruses. Rolling Stone awarded the double album four stars.
5. The top Umphrey’s search result on YouTube is a clip of the SNL-birthed “Dick in a Box,” the brass-backed first song at the band’s New Year’s Eve ’06 show encore.
Conclusion: Inconclusive results. Additional testing required at ...
Umphrey's McGee > Sunday, 5:15 p.m., Snake Eyes Stage.