Umphrey’s McGee Chicago’s eclectic rock band has been keeping fans on their toes for nearly 28 years. Sometimes pigeonholed as a jam band, Umphrey’s doesn’t fit that mold, & their fans don’t either. Is it prog rock? Song-forward, Beatles-esque arrangements? Be careful, they might hit you with some metal riffs mid-set, too. Pushing 3,000 live gigs & 300 million+ tracks streamed, you-had-to-be-there moments include the band’s performance at the first-ever Bonnaroo & selling more CDs than any other act on the bill. A leader in the live music world, Umphrey’s McGee was the first group to launch its own single-artist streaming service with UMLive.net, housing recordings of every show since 2005. The service has grown & lives on at Nugs.net, used by greats like Pearl Jam & Bruce Springsteen.
moe. Thirty-five years ago, a posse of University of Buffalo based musician friends got together to play music. Out of freewheeling sessions bursting with bold, genre-defying creativity & tongue-in-cheek humor, a 6-headed monster named moe. emerged. Decades later, moe.’s tireless work ethic, DIY resourcefulness, infectious songwriting & highly-engaged fanbase the Famoe.ly enabled the sextet to be successful. Yet the guys never rested on their laurels as jam band pioneers: averaging 100 shows per year & regularly releasubg new music including the latest album: Circle of Giants(ATO). C of G was nearly complete when bassist/vocalist Rob Derhak’s 25-year-old son tragically passed away. The album reflects the band’s resilience, channeling their grief into a collection that brims with grace, humor & musical brilliance. Creatively invigorated by the addition of keyboardist NateWilson to the full-time lineup, moe. has created a milestone album while processing an unfathomable loss. “Making this record started off very joyfully, but then we experienced a severely traumatic event. The way through the darkness was to do what we do-make music,” says guitarist/vocalist Al Schnier. moe. is a brotherhood, featuring Derhak, Schnier, guitarist/vocalist ChuckGarvey, drummer Vinnie Amico, percussionist/vibraphonist Jim Loughlin & keyboardist Nate Wilson.