Artist News: Umphrey's McGee Announces Additional Fall Dates, New Year's Plans
Today, Umphrey?s McGee rounds out their fall tour plans with newly confirmed dates in Kalamazoo, Michigan; Champaign, Illinois; Burlington, Vermont; Washington D.C, and others. Also announced today, Umphrey?s McGee will spend New Year?s Eve in their hometown of Chicago for one more year, this time at the city?s Riviera Theatre on December 29, 30 and 31. The band?s complete list of fall dates is included below.
As the band?s keyboardist Joel Cummins explains about their tenth New Year?s in Chicago, and their last for at least a while, "We've played nearly every room in Chicago over the course of our career, to continue keeping things interesting, we've chosen one of our favorite venues in the city this year, the Riviera Theatre, with a perfect combination of lots of open floor for dancing and seats in the balcony with great sight lines. We can't wait to feel the energy in this legendary Chicago haunt explode!"
As always, along the band?s fall dates Umphrey?s continues to raise the bar for fan experiences, with their innovative and interactive Stew Art events planned in at least a few markets, and an incredibly creative first-time offer of ?Enhanced Experience? fan packages for their always-epic Halloween Monster Mash-Up in St. Louis on October 30 and 31, and for their New Year?s Eve run.
For the Halloween shows, ?Partyin' Peeps Enhanced Experience? fan package amenities include express entry into the venue each night, a limited edition Halloween Jeff Wood 3D hologram poster, VIP area access with private *****tail service, an exclusive piece of Umphrey's McGee Halloween merchandise, a private post-show party, and more. At the Platinum Partyin' Peeps level, fans get a chance for them and twenty of their friends to have their own private dressing room backstage, a private meet and greet photo session with the band in costume, a tour of the Umphrey's McGee bus, and more. Meanwhile in Chicago, New Year?s Eve travel package amenities include downtown lodging, early entry and reserved balcony seats, VIP section access, a pre-show ?Very Happy Hour,? merchandise including the official UM Track Jacket, limited edition NYE posters, and each night?s UM Live recording, an exclusive lighting demonstration by the band?s light designer, and a meet and greet with the band. Visit www.umphreys.com more all the details.
Umphrey?s McGee will host their Stew Art Series (aka, ?S2?) ? an interactive fan experience where audience members ?conduct? the band?s live improvisations - in at least of few markets along the fall tour. Presented as individual events before that evening?s already schedule show, Umphrey?s Stew Art Series is a crowd-sourced improvisation experiment, in which all the music performed by the group on stage is entirely directed by S2 audience members. Check out this S2 video from the inaugural S2 event in Milwaukee: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYJn64XRGXU.
S2 events have been received with overwhelming enthusiasm and to rave reviews. For S2, sold-out crowds of 50 fans submit their ideas by texting descriptive words, phrases, and pop culture references (pretty much whatever comes to mind), to the Umphrey's Mozes mobile interface. The suggestions are then filtered by the band?s long time Sound Caresser Kevin Browning and projected on a screen for the band to digest and turn into the next phase of the jam. The band?s music varies stylistically with suggestions ranging from ?an afternoon bus ride in Jamaica? to ?drinking pina coladas?in a hurricane." As one elated fan commented after a show, ?S2 was the coolest thing I have ever been a part of. It?s always been a dream of mine to meet the band, and the opportunity to participate in leading the Jam for the band was a dream come true as well.? Stay tuned to www.umphreys.com for confirmation on S2 fall events.
Umphrey?s McGee?s current list of fall tour dates is as follows:
Thursday, September 23 Valarium Knoxville TN
Friday, September 24 Minglewood Hall Memphis TN
Saturday, September 25 The Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City OK
Sunday, September 26 George's Majestic Lounge Fayetteville AR
Tuesday, September 28 El Rey Theatre Albuquerque NM
Wednesday, September 29 Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff AZ
Friday, October 1 The Depot Salt Lake City UT
Saturday, October 2 Knitting Factory Spokane WA
Sunday, October 3 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Speedway Meadows San Francisco CA
Wednesday, October 6 Arcata Theatre Arcata CA
Thursday, October 7 McDonald Theatre Eugene OR
Friday, October 8 The Showbox Seattle WA
Saturday, October 9 The Wilma Theatre Missoula MT
Thursday, October 21 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale PA
Friday, October 22 Kalamazoo State Theatre Kalamazoo MI *
Saturday, October 23 House of Blues - Cleveland Cleveland OH
Sunday, October 24 Bluebird Nightclub Bloomington IN
Wednesday, October 27 People's Court Des Moines IA
Thursday, October 28 - Friday, October 29 Canopy Club Urbana IL*
Saturday, October 30 - Sunday, October 31 The Pageant St. Louis MO
Wednesday, November 3 - Thursday, November 4 Higher Ground Ballroom South
Burlington VT*
Friday, November 5 - Saturday, November 6 9:30 Club Washington D.C.
Tuesday, November 9 Jefferson Theater Charlottesville VA
Wednesday, November 10 Legends at Appalachian State University Boone NC
Thursday, November 11 - Friday, November 12
Bear Creek Music & Art Fest Live Oak, FL
Wednesday, December 29, Thursday, December 30, and Friday, December 31
Riviera Theatre Chicago IL *
Thursday, January 20 - Monday, January 24 Mayan Holidaze Puerto Morelos MEX
* added dates
[Source: Madison House Publicity]