I think the most important thing to remember about UMBowl is that it is most certainly unlike any concert you have ever experienced. I hesitate to even call it a “concert” because it feels more like a musical marathon. UMBowl is an assault on all of your musical senses, and as a first timer, I wasn’t prepared for that. In my opinion, I didn’t get as much out of my first UMBowl as I could’ve, and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes, so listen up and read on for how to handle this unique experience.

1. Pay Attention

This is the most important aspect to me. UMBowl is a very, VERY long show. You will feel like you just spent an entire weekend with the band, but with that said, everything goes by very quickly. Between the time spent on your phones during the S2 and Choose Your Own Adventure quarters, it is incredibly easy to miss something. I had more “when did that happen?” moments re-listening to the show than I ever have. Particularly during the Choose Your Own Adventure quarter, it is easy to get distracted watching the screens waiting to see what is coming next. When this happens, not only do you lose track of what’s happening on stage, but most of the time you miss the magic of the segue.

While there isn’t a ton of normal UM improv at UMBowl, the magical moments come in those segues between songs and jams. I mean, who could forget this?

Always stay locked in on what’s happening on stage, and you’ll appreciate the skill it takes to pull off an event like this even more. Talking and beer runs can be done at setbreak. When the band is on stage, immerse yourself in what they’re doing and how they’re moving through the set. You’ll come away with an incredible appreciation for their communication and tightness within an improvisation.

2. Plan Ahead

A lot of the legwork to prep for UMBowl can be done beforehand. The first is obvious: CHARGE YOUR PHONE. Nothing worse than having to stick out the last two quarters with no battery. Play all four quarters like a championship UMBowler and allow yourself to contribute to the entire show. Because every vote counts, and that’s the beauty of this event. You have the ability to change the course of the show with your vote, so make sure your phone is charged!

Another way you can plan ahead is to have your S2 ideas already sketched out. This isn’t a big deal, but it’s always good to think ahead particularly to come up with some really good ones. You’ve got three years worth of submissions to draw from, so don’t steal anyone’s ideas, but use those to get a general sense of what the band is looking for. Have fun with it!

3. Pace Yourself

I take back everything I’ve said- THIS is the most important thing to experiencing UMBowl. Most regular Umphrey’s shows clock in around 3 hours. There are two sets and you’re outta there. With UMBowl, there are four sets plus an encore, and you can bet on being inside Park West for the better part of five hours. Fun? You know it. Potentially dangerous? Absolutely.

I’ll put it this way, don’t start drinking at noon and don’t be afraid to mix in a water when you’re at the show and you’ll be fine. I’ll admit to nodding off during the Raw Stewage quarter last year, and I won’t be making that mistake this year. Have fun, but just remember you’re in for a looooong night.

4. Respect the Event

The concept that this isn’t a normal Umphrey’s McGee show cannot be stressed enough. There are so many moving parts that it’s important the crowd knows how to react appropriately. During the quiet moments, be quiet. I know you’ve been drinking, but let’s allow the band a space to concentrate in a high pressure situation. There may be new covers, new songs, or a complex segue they have to pull off as a unit to make the show effective, so read the situation and respect the process during these moments. Is it still a rock show? You bet. But there is a particular formula that makes an event like this successful, and part of that is the respect and attention of the people who paid $100 to be there. On that same note, if you paid $100 to chat with your friends about your trip to New York last weekend- get out. Nobody cares. There are many people on their couch who couldn’t get a ticket because you got one, so respect that and handle yourself accordingly. This clip says it all, for me. There doesn’t need to be wooing or yelling at Joel during this INCREDIBLY quiet moment in the show.

Enjoy every second of this show, because it is truly special. Once you go, you will never miss another one for the rest of time, it’s THAT good. The best part about UMBowl is it is what YOU make it, so if you respect it and appreciate it, you will have the time of your life. See you Friday!

HAPPY UMBOWL IV WEEK, SUCKERS!

We’re just a few days out until the fourth edition of the awesome, the incredible, and the beautiful event that is UMBowl. We already published a beginner’s guide to UMBowl in words, but gifs are WAY more fun. Especially Happy Endings gifs, so here’s how the Happy Endings gang would tackle UMBowl.

Just a reminder on what UMBowl is NOT:

Every dude upon entering Park West:

Just a reminder on how to handle talkers:

Best way to use a setbreak:

But, don’t be nervous if you make eye contact mid-song with Bayliss:

And, you’ll find us Gold Side with these moves:

Now, you might not get all of your Raw Stewage selections:

But everything will be okay when the 05 DBK Stew pops up:

All Request quarter brings out white guys who love a hip hop cover:

But this will be the whole venue’s reaction to Abbey Road Medley:

PORCH!!!!

The appropriate reaction to your S2 idea making it into the show:

And when someone finally texts Soaring Uplifting Jam Part III:

When Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” shows up during the Choose Your Own Adventure Quarter:

But please, make the right votes on Choose Your Own Adventure:

And remember!

Sound advice in case things go south after the show:

Couch tour’ers we didn’t forget about you!  Just some friendly tips and reminders for everyone in internet land…

Just remember, we like to keep the pants off:

The side effects of Couch Tour:

And, we know you’ll be getting down at home:

We know the next morning will be tough for everyone:

But it’s worth it because UMBowl really is a…

NOW I JUST GOT ONE COMMANDMENT FOR ‘YA

Live and die by it, everyone.  Live and die by it.

However, before declaring that an indisputable fact, I wanted to find out what happens during this four day staycation in New York. And when you want to find something out, where do you go? Twitter, of course. Thanks to the great people of Twitter, particularly one Matthew Gerber, who provided this incredible account of sUMmer school 2012 for your reading pleasure. If you’re one of those people who is on the fence about the event, or if you’re like me and you don’t know much about it or how you fit in- READ THIS. Read it now. About halfway through, I had already decided that I will be attending the 2014 version of this event, if there is to be one.

Matt does an excellent job of providing details that appeal to every category of fan, whether you’re a musician or not. The uniqueness of the event is encompassed as well as it can be, and really concluded for me that sUMmer school is what YOU make of it. So, with that, read on and enjoy this account of sUMmer school 2012.

A bit of general info: First off, it’s a beautiful property in the middle of nowhere. Before you arrived, they sent out emails asking about food allergies, what you want out of the experience, and told you there is no cell service. (A fact that many scoffed at, but ended up being true!)  You started out by checking in and receiving your room (if applicable) and roommate. All the cabin rooms are really small, but it didn’t really matter. (I’d be a camper this year if I were going again, though, as that’s where all the fun happens.)  The main house is somewhat like a B&B house, with a check-in desk, general lounge area, and a room for hotel guests to call people or just sit and relax. It became apparent that you could rent out amps for free, as long as they were returned as well. All of that was available at this main house.

Everyone received a gift bag specific to your instrument (mine was a guitar, and the bag had strings, picks, and other goodies). You also received a schedule for the week, outlining where and when activities were, and in which buildings. The evening started with a general meet and greet with the band, complete with open bar. Everyone was blown away that this was happening, and most were unsure how to act! I mean, the guys were just standing around and appeared out of thin air. Many campers treated it like an autograph session (which all members were happy to comply with), but after it became apparent the guys weren’t going anywhere for four days, people backed off and just started asking general questions. They then served dinner under the tent which was by the main stage. (All the food was top notch, no bullshit. Three course meals every dinner, and lunch and breakfast too). After dinner that first night was a general Q&A with the band, and general announcements by KB on how things would work, and where everything was. After that, the band played a set, after which, campers could jam out in 3 specific spots/stages in the buildings. The band members would sit in sometimes, or just hang out and talk with anyone and everyone. There was a bonfire, too, where band members would hang out and talk with people too.

Throughout the week, you could sign up for private lessons with any member for $100 for a 30 min session. I did not do this personally, but many that did reported great things. I regretted NOT doing it, if anything to bullshit with them one on one for a half hour.

Mornings were great. They had breakfast at a certain time, then time to just hang out and recover, then the band would start classes. Between activities, band members would hang out and sit with campers or just eat on their own. The first class every day was always on the main stage, and featured the whole band talking about different things and demonstrating as well. Topics like: song construction, Improv, there was a full on s2 one morning complete with campers sitting in, and one of the mornings was a walk through rehearsal. This was like a full “set” almost.  After the morning session, there would be a break where you could frisbee golf, smoke, drink, play your instrument with other people on the stages, or just chill. Then they would have classes in all the different buildings on various topics.

Here’s the thing: There was no “attendance”. You could, theoretically, sit in your tent all day, and just show up to eat, and attend the shows at night. No one would pressure you to do shit, in that sense. There were guys that NEVER went to class, and just played music all day, everyday.  But the classes themselves were amazing, obviously, and even if you didn’t know what a modular 5th is in music, they would explain things to make people feel included no matter the skill level. All the classes were highly accessible, and you didn’t want to miss them just because sometimes. I never felt lost or overwhelmed by anything. Though I’ve played a guitar for nearly 15 years, I’ve never been in a band and can’t read music.

There were days when I didn’t go to any classes. I would sit in the pool, relax, hang with cool people I met. I drove, so I had a cooler full of beer. (There’s a store at the bottom of the mountain you can restock with!) I maybe played my guitar 3 times all week. All the guys that played on the stages were stage hogs, and full of themselves with incessant noodling. The camp tried to regulate this as the week went on, and it did get better, but I didn’t bother. It was much cooler catching various band members in passing, and just hanging out.

One morning, my friend frantically motioned for me to go down by the camp site. There was this little building that had an open air lounge that had a pool table. Jake and Joel were in there. We asked Joel if he wanted to frisbee golf. He was like: “Sure, lets do it!” There were other times when they would have a kickball game, or something with other band members. Me and Pony got a team together to play against Joel one day. He gave us all Budweisers when we prevailed, it was a lot of fun.

Every night was the same: Show, Post show drinking, hang out and wander to different jam areas to see if any of the band members were out and about, crash. The shows themselves are EXTREMELY underrated by the general community (AKA people that weren’t there) in my opinion: They were loose, having a blast, and full of banter. Remember when the band did that “Songwriters” thing in Hollywood a few years back where they charged like 95 bucks to come see them play 5 songs and explain them? Thats how every show was. They would play songs at night that they talked about during the day in classes. They would take requests. One night, I stumbled on BB, Kris, and Ryan as they were writing the setlist, and they asked if I wanted to help. I got a copy of the setlist itself, and got to ask for a DBK, Comma Later, and Phils! Just unheard of, unreal stuff.

Sorry, I’ve rambled, but I hope I’ve given you some stuff with which to work. DON’T sleep on this if you’re a big Umphrey’s fan, you’ll regret it. The price this year for camping is insanely cheap for what you get. Think about how expensive most VIP tickets are, and times that by 4 plus food and you see how affordable this is. I’d do it again in a hearbeat, but right now my wife happens to be out of work. I hope you go, and can have as many great experiences as I did. I was able to get them to sign my guitar, and just the personal interactions are some things I’ll never forget.

 

Last Time Played: 04/12/2012

Set 1: Catshot > Higgins, Atmosfarag, Room to Breathe, Tribute to the Spinal Shaft > Conduit, Morning Song

Set 2: Plunger > Much Obliged > Plunger, Miami Virtue, Africa, Hurt Bird Bath > Black Sabbath > Hurt Bird Bath, Partyin’ Peeps^[1], The Floor

Encore: Preamble > Mantis

[1] with Star Wars theme (John Williams) tease

Setlist

Set 1: All In Time, Preamble > Mantis > Push the Pig > Out Of Order, August, In Bloom > All In Time

Set 2: Depth Charge > Phil’s Farm, Wappy Sprayberry > Mantis, Life During Exodus^[1], Andy’s Last Beer, The Floor

Encore: Hangover > Let’s Dance > Hangover

Anyone who has seen Coffin on stage with the band knows how they seem to light up when he gets rolling on the sax, and the music dictates that energy. From the hilarious “Dick in a Box” to the latest version of “Night Nurse” in Atlanta, Jeff Coffin and Umphrey’s have a long history together, and one that doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon.

1/09/2006 Jam Cruise “Tell Me Something Good”

12/31/2006 “Dick In a Box”

6/13/2008 “Higgins”

12/30/2009 “Made to Measure”

12/31/2009 “Move Your Rug” (JC Original)

2/5/2010 “Glory”

12/30/2010 “Maneater” (Hall & Oates)

12/31/2010 “25 or 6 to 4″ (Chicago)

12/30/2012 “Night Nurse”

I have only been to Umbowl III. I was in a Starbucks in Logan Square and magically got a
ticket. Sometimes the internet is as good as the coffee there. After that it was watch the
setlists roll in from tour like I do every weekend…and wait for the ballot.

Each Umbowl is comprised of 4 quarters, like the Super Bowl. You might have heard of that
too, it is a huge football where the two best teams in the NFL play and there have been 47 of
them. The only difference, besides the fact that one is sporting event and the other is a concert,
there is no huge halftime show. I highly doubt Prince or Beyonce will show up. Then again you
never know.

The Umbowl IV ballot is different than the previous years. Just a different vibe all around with
song choices and that last year’s big risk Raw Stewage is this year’s opening quarter. Here are
some pointers when picking the stews. Don’t go with your first instinct or succumb to peer
pressure. Go with what you feel. Listen to each stew a lot and think about it on its own. How
well it would work to set the mood the entire show? Remember these are half songs or building
blocks into another feeling into your soul. So choose wisely and trust yourself because if you
don’t like the first quarter it’s all you fault…literally.

The All Request set is where the new path is created. It seems as though it is rather cover heavy
or a more solo oriented songs. This is where you have to be smart about what to choose. It
seems as though the vibe has been for about a year and half the fans wanting the band to cover
Echoes by Pink Floyd. Now I would like to hear it, but think about this. The song is 23:44. So
live that would be about 28-30 minutes give or take how long the intro is. That is a long song.
And if you choose this song you better pick some Umphrey’s originals to fill the rest of the
space.

On the other hand if you want to think outside that box, that you feel so comfortable in why
don’t you take a stab and vote for a song off Beck’s ‘Song Reader.’ If you are not aware of
what it is open your ears and listen to other music people. The music universe outside of the
Jamishere is an interesting place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Reader. This leaves room
for the band to interpret a song that only Beck has in his mind. I don’t know about you, but this
is right up Umphrey’s alley.

Being that the second set seems more intimate and focusing more on the member solo aspects
that you can’t see at normal show. This is not a normal show. Don’t vote on it as if you were
going to a normal show. Take the risk on something that you have not heard and probably don’t
understand. I am not trying to tell you what to vote for, but if you want to make this show
interesting even for the biggest fan, take a giant step back and realize this is not a normal show.
Don’t treat it like one.

The choice is yours. I am not trying to change your mind. I am trying to open it.

Find Knower on Twitter @Knowofmanything for more Umphrey’s commentary!

UMXV tour continues April 10th in Charleston, South Carolina.

Selection Sunday is here in the college basketball world, and that means one thing- it’s time for March Madness. The field of 64 will be set today, and we decided to throw a little Umphrey’s into the occasion. That’s right. 64 songs, ranked and seeded by us here at Unplugged Musings for your voting pleasure.

The process is simple: Head over to Bracketeers (linked below) and start voting. We’ve provided you with YouTube videos of each song in case your memory isn’t sharp on this Saint Patrick’s Day. Be weary of when each round begins and end so you can get your votes in before the next round begins. The winner will be announced on April 8th, the night of the NCAA Championship Game in, where else but the site of the 2012 New Year’s Run, Atlanta!

Seeds:

#1: Divisions, All in Time, Wife Soup, Hurt Bird Bath

#2: Front Porch, Der Bluten Kat, 2×2, Nothing Too Fancy

#3: In the Kitchen, Wappy Sprayberry, Utopian Fir, Tribute to the Spinal Shaft

#4: Bright Lights, Big City, Hajimemashite, Wizard Burial Ground, Resolution

#5: Bridgeless, Cemetery Walk II, Ocean Billy, Red Tape

#6: Intentions Clear, JaJunk, August, Mulche’s Odyssey

#7: FF, 40′s Theme, Glory, Words

#8: Slacker, Believe the Lie, 1348, Morning Song

#9: Phil’s Farm, Ringo, Syncopated Strangers, Much Obliged

#10: 2nd Self, All Things Ninja, Out of Order, Nemo

#11: Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Got Your Milk (Right Here), Mantis, #5

#12: Rocker II, Water, The Haunt, White Man’s Moccasins

#13: Anchor Drops, Fussy Dutchman, Plunger, Puppet String

#14: KaBump, Higgins, Pay the Snucka, The Linear

#15: Blue Echo, Robot World, Booth Love, Day Nurse

#16: Great America, Padgett’s Profile, Dear Lord, Hangover