by MaoMew Human
Photos by Birdman Fancy Sauce
After absolutely sizzling the first several weeks of their Winter Tour 2015 run, Umphrey’s McGee is currently enjoying a short break as the shows transition from Montana to the Pacific Northwest. Despite the off time, the band has not held back on surprises, this morning announcing an epic crossover in which Trey Anatasio (of Phish fame) and Bob Weir (of the legendary Grateful Dead) will replace Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger for the remaining dates on the upcoming West Coast tour. Practice began late last week in Joel’s underwater secret hideout/studio just outside of Los Angeles, built inside of an old submarine tethered to the pier near Redondo Beach. We at the Utopian Blur had the pleasure of submersing ourselves into the studio with Andy, Jake, Joel and Bob to get as much detail as we could behind the concept.
Utopian Blur: So, this entire thing seems somewhat strange right from the get-go, though not unprecedented. Usually when a friend steps forward to take the helm of another group, it is in response to poor health or a family emergency. We’re hoping that is not the case here.
Jake: No, not at all. Everything is okay with everyone. With only a few dates left in the Winter Tour, we wanted to try something special and unique.
Joel: This whole thing came together very last minute, actually. We had already been talking with Bob and Trey about doing some stand-ins, individually, for some time… Trey comes on for a song while we’re in Seattle, Bob was talking about doing some sit-ins while we were here in California. Eventually, we got so excited discussing that songs we’d like to play together, and the whole thing turned into a mini-tour.
Jake: Kris had recently taken a vacation and came back feeling quite refreshed…Bayliss and myself still live in the midwest where winter can be absolute garbage. Some extra days in the sun couldn’t hurt, and what’s the worst that could happen? Corrina > Much Obliged? Maybe there’s someone out there who actually wants to hear that.
Bob: And it is not like Bayliss or Jake get off scot-free, either. Jake has agreed to play several dates opposite Kimock with Ratdog in my absence, of which I am planning several, in the future. There will definitely be shows I have planned with Ratdog that I am going to miss, likely because I am busy trying on a new shorts/sandals combination which deserves my utmost attention. It is times like these that you will likely get a Jake Cinninger and Ratdog show.
Utopian Blur: What about Bayliss?
Bob: He’s going to fill in for Trey on some TAB dates sometime down the road. Trey has a somewhat better attendance record than myself, but you are bound to get a Bayliss version of Let Me Lie > Believe the Lie somewhere down the road, just you wait and see.
Utopian Blur: How are Jake and Brendan preparing you for this task? How is the rest of the band syncing with your playing style?
Bob: Bayliss often uses a lyric sheet when there is a song that he hasn’t played in awhile – and this will definitely benefit me because I can barely remember the lyrics to my own tunes. The other day I tried to sing Educated Guess and couldn’t get through the first two lines. Kris has agreed to wear a dress for the remainder of the run to keep things comfortable for Trey and we will even keep a vacuum on stage just in case. There’s other preparation stuff as well, Joel has been doing yoga with me daily, Farag has been working with me on my balance and rhythm.
Jake: Being ready for Umphrey’s McGee is not only a show, it is not necessarily about musical ability – these two are more than capable of handling the musical load – but it is a completely separate mental state than when one is with other bands. Each one of our personalities is channeled through the songs, which is one of the reasons Andy started acting more like Kris over the Beacon run.
Andy: We are preparing them the best they can, but it is sort of like a form of Tai Chi. Umph Chi. It takes patience and practice and there is not quite enough time for these two to be masters of the Umph Chi just yet. The fans can expect Bob to act a bit more like Bayliss, and Trey to act a bit more like Jake, just because their spirits are ingrained in the songs and will engulf the players a tiny bit during the run.
Joel: They won’t entirely act like Jake and Bayliss, but somethings will be obvious. Bob covering his eyes from the lights when speaking to the crowd, but still not being able to see anything. Trey wearing baseball hats nightly, That will be the start of it. Trey and Bob are mentally strong in their own rights, but once the gloves are off on a DBK, the callbacks of “I know (yes I know)” are gonna sound nothing like “Roll Away, the dew (roll away!)”. By the way, we really should do that.
(Joel gets out pen and jots down DBK > Franklins).
Utopian Blur: The Disco Biscuits have kinda been doing something like this with Bill Kreutzman, the so called Billy and the Kids, and they will be playing Red Rocks with Mikey Hart. Was this at all similarly inspired?
Jake: Kinda sorta, not really. We haven’t gotten many details on the Bisco thing, though we did throw around the possibility of simply meshing the two supergroups together to form Grateful Bisco McGee – 5 guitarists, 5 drummers, two bassists, two keyboards, and a bunch of confusing jam sessions. One big musical gangbang. In the end, it just wasn’t feasible – even though we met the Bisco requirements of it being either on the east coast or in Colorado – we couldn’t pull it all together. Maybe next year.
Utopian Blur: What are you going to do to stop the inherent scalping that is going to come when word of this gets out to the general public.
Bob: (looking around over both shoulders before speaking excitedly) Nothing, bitches! I believe these guys have some sort of plan to stop scalpers by cancelling tickets tied to Craigslist Ad Email addresses, scouting out the reseller and the like. Which is great, I’m totally cool with that….because I don’t own stock in Craigslist, I own stock in eBay who owns Stubhub. So ya mothafuckas, Bobby be ballin’!
Joel (semi-interrupting): We’re going to use the same plan with Stubhub as well. We want to make these shows as accessible as possible for the core fanbase who is in love with Umphrey’s McGee. This is an Umphrey’s tour, of course we’re going to blend in Bobby and Trey’s material, but the majority is going to be a rock show. You want to see Bob Weir play Wizard’s Burial Ground? Now is your chance.
Utopian Blur: Are there limitations to what you are able to do because of the player swap? Songs you won’t be able to play? Are there things you’ve been able to craft here, together, that you won’t able to to do apart from each other?
Bob: Well, of course…that is sort of the point. We’re pushing boundaries, doing something outside of the norm intentionally for the sake of creative chaos. If you’re breaking an element, there’ll be portions you can’t reassemble to be remotely close to the original. We’re like CERN, smashing musical atoms in a giant collider to create atmospheres of sound, but you can’t create just any molecule you want! Liberty > Glory > Liberty can only really be done with Jake on lead, In the submarine, it has been a three guitarist meltdown with me crooning my heart out, so we’ve been able to sorta do everything. The challenge will be out on the road, where Trey and I will have to alter and take a stab at things in our own unique way.
Jake: I kinda like the idea of a Liberty > Glory > Liberty Echo > Liberty…
Bob: Whatever.
Jake: There has been all sorts of magic here in the studio: A harmonized acapella version of Red Room with Farag beatboxing the percussion parts. Brendan trying to sing Character Zero with a mouth full of funnel cake. Things you could not even imagine.
Andy: We had been intending to release a recording of the Submarine Studio Sessions, or something like that, with all sorts of golden nuggets. A cover of Little Wing featuring a 35 minute guitar duel between these three…hot damn that was fun. Unfortunately, now the world will never hear it.
Utopian Blur: Wha…but, it sounds amazing! Why is that?
Andy: Joel used it as a torpedo to return fire upon Dr. Dre’s submarine studio vessel which was encroaching on our pier.
Utopian Blur: That does not sound like a beef we would want a part of…Dre v. Joel?! What’d you do, Joel!?
Joel (obviously frustrated with inner rage): Studio submarine captains are quite territorial. You don’t get the greatest sound underwater unless you are at the exact right place. Redondo Beach has what we call the “money” sound, because so many folks around here wipe their asses with hundred dollar bills which make their way to the ocean as sewer waste. Dre’s just gonna have to find himself a different over privileged community near which to dock his submarine, Redondo is clearly “Joel Sub” territory.
Utopian Blur: Who watches the submarine when you’re gone? I mean, you don’t live in Redondo, right? And you’re on tour all the time…
Joel: I’m…I’m not sure. I just bought the sub a few weeks ago with the extra money we made during the Katy Perry halftime show. No one really threatened the space until Dre last night… (Joel trails off thoughtfully). Maybe we could get Brendan to do it, now that he’s on vacation for a little while!
Utopian Blur: Where are Bayliss, Trey and Kris right now, anyway?
Joel: I believe…I believe they went to go get more fair food somewhere along the pier? But that was almost an hour ago, I’m not certain. They’re always causing trouble together…oh, excuse me. (phone rings in Joel’s pocket. He indicates that it is Bayliss and he picks it up).
Andy: Joel will answer the phone in mid performance sometimes, it’s really annoying.
Jake: I know, his midsong tweets are insane – I am just amazed he can be such a multitasker!
Joel (getting off his phone and taking his seat once again at the same time): Okay okay, that was Bayliss. He says Dre has agreed to stay away from Rodondo if we take Kendrick on tour with us.
Umphrey’s McGee with Trey Anatasio, Bob Weir and additional special guests, will be playing the remaining shows on the West Coast tour in Portland and Seattle next weekend.