July 1, 2007
Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
West Palm Beach, FL
By Max Tau
Photos by Matt Degreff
South Florida jam band fans united on the first Sunday of July for two of the biggest acts in the jam scene. Tie-dye and nappy dread locks were commonplace in the colorful crowd under the overcast, drizzling sky.
Pompano Beach Amphitheater was not quite at capacity, and the crowd seemed slightly less enthusiastic than the last time the two bands made appearances in SoFla.
Umphrey’s McGee, who hail from Chicago, is a six-piece band on tour promoting their newest release The Bottom Half. The album is a two-disc leftover from their critically acclaimed 2006 release, Safety in Numbers.
Umphrey’s set was somewhat spoiled by the daylight, as the lighting would have been phenomenal in a night setting. From reggae to what sounded like indie pop, Umphrey’s held it down. Their sound can only be described as extraordinarily well practiced. Their transitions were flawless and the band seemed to effortlessly vibe off the crowd’s enthusiasm.
The Disco Biscuits, a quartet out of Philadelphia, opened their set with Nirvana’s 1992 single “Lithium,” which, to be honest, was a bit disappointing. Not that I am one for changing around Kurt’s music, but if you’re The Disco Biscuits, you better not play a straight cover of anyone’s music. They did. After the agony of listening to a CD quality cover, the band rectified the situation by bringing it back to the jam.
Their style is a different brand of jam, one that encompasses all types of free form music. From your generic jam format all the way to deep house music—which makes for occasional musical scatterbrain. Guitarist Jon Gutwillig’s tendency to shred hard over everything kept their sound somewhat monotonous.
The darkness really accentuated the lighting, which was pleasing to a majority of the crowd, I’m sure. A night of jam can really wear an audience out, especially in the heat and humidity; however the fans were still vibing late into The Disco Biscuits set.
It was a night marred by rain, but upheld by the beauty of musical complicity, and so the show was a roller coaster of tempos and visual spectacles. While Umphrey’s out preformed, both bands brought it all to the stage. Be sure to check out either band next time around.
www.myspace.com/umphreysmcgee
Did you go? Email Max at outloud@outloud.com
Visit www.umphreys.com