Umphrey's McGee is a progressive rock / jam band from South Bend, IN now ba… Read Full Bio ↴Umphrey's McGee is a progressive rock / jam band from South Bend, IN now based in Chicago, IL.
They are influenced musically by progressive rock bands such as King Crimson, Yes, Dream Theater, and Genesis, as well as heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden. The band also identifies The Police, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin as primary influences. However, there really isn't a style of popular music that Umphrey's does not cover. Artists covered in concert by Umphrey's range from Lionel Richie to Metallica to Toto to Snoop Dogg to Paul Simon.
Formed at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana in December 1997 by guitarist/vocalist Brendan Bayliss, bassist Ryan Stasik, keyboardist Joel Cummins, and drummer Mike Mirro, Umphrey's McGee combined members of Tashi Station and Stomper Bob, two popular Notre Dame rock bands.
In mid-1998, the band released their debut album complete with a tongue-in-cheek title, Greatest Hits Vol. III. The group decided to record an album immediately because it was easier to get live gigs with an official CD. Long out of print, the album contains many of Umphrey's future concert warhorses, such as Divisions and All in Time.
Shortly after the release of the album, the band added a fifth member, percussionist Andy Farag. Farag's father became the band's agent, and a second pressing of Greatest Hits Vol. III featured Farag in the album's inner sleeve and credits. By the end of the year, Umphrey's McGee, along with peers Ali Baba's Tahini, were one of the most popular bands in the South Bend/Notre Dame area. They began performing outside of the area at colleges and house parties, allowing listeners to tape and trade their music freely. By 1999, the band had gained notoriety outside of Indiana, especially with the release of the live album Songs for Older Women, which featured live tracks recorded over a two-night stand in November 1998.
The addition of Jake Cinninger in September 2000 helped bring the band's musical dynamic to a new level. Cinninger, an accomplished guitarist, brought a distinct heaviness to the Umphrey's sound, as well as a large repertoire of original music, much of which comprised the bulk of the catalog from his previous band, Ali Baba's Tahini. The band also adopted several songs written by Ali Baba's Tahini frontman Karl Engelmann (who now fronts Asheville-based rock band Mother Vinegar). Another live album, One Fat Sucka, was released shortly after, containing live performances recorded in the summer and fall of 2000.
Around 2001, the band began practicing intense improvisational exercises. One of their first productive jam sessions took place in a hotel in the "Jimmy Stewart Ballroom" during the wedding of fan/website designer Jeremy Welsh. Therefore, the band began to call their onstage improvisational excursions "Jimmy Stewart." This form of improvisation differs in approach from the methods utilized by many of their jam band peers and has been extensively outlined by "McL" in the "Jimmy Stewart writeup" on the fan message board known as "The Bort" at www.umphreaks.com.
2002 saw the release of the band's first proper recording, Local Band Does OK. That summer, Umphrey's was invited to play the first annual Bonnaroo Music Festival which took place in rural Manchester, TN, and featured over 30 bands performing in front of nearly 100,000 people. Umphrey's played to their largest audience to date and ended up selling more CDs than any other artist on the bill including Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio, and Norah Jones.
In October 2002 drummer Mike Mirro announced he was leaving to attend medical school. After hundreds of tapes were reviewed by percussionist Andy Farag, the band settled on the first one they received, which was from Kick the Cat drummer Kris Myers, who has a masters degree in jazz drumming from DePaul University.
In 2004, the band released the critically-acclaimed album Anchor Drops, recorded in several different studios throughout the Chicago area. Shortly before the release of the album, the band scored a distribution deal for both Anchor Drops and Local Band Does OK, and for the first time, Umphrey's music was available in stores all over the country. Anchor Drops received rave reviews from several high-profile magazines. Umphrey's was booked to play the Bonnaroo Music Festival once again in June but unlike their 2002 performance, this time they would play a coveted late-night spot. The band performed to over 20,000 people, many of whom had never heard the band before. Shortly after in July, Umphrey's was declared by Rolling Stone Magazine to "have become odds-on favorites in the next-Phish sweepstakes."
In April 2006, Umphrey's released their fourth studio effort, Safety in Numbers. They appeared on the late night TV program Jimmy Kimmel Live in May and were featured at many of the major U.S. festivals throughout the summer, playing 129 shows before a three-night stand in Chicago for New Year's Eve. The Bottom Half, an album of leftover tracks from the Safety in Numbers sessions, was released a year later in April, 2007. It was supported with tours of the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
A live double-album titled Live at the Murat was released in October, 2007. The album was recorded over 2 nights at the Egyptian Room in the Murat Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 6-7, 2007. It received a 4-star review from Rolling Stone Magazine. The album also won a Jammy for best live album. Another live double album release came in June 2008, when the band put out Jimmy Stewart 2007. The album consisted entirely of live, improvised "Jimmy Stewart" sessions recorded in 2007.
Umphrey's McGee completed work on their next studio album, Mantis, in late 2008. Recorded mainly in Manny Sanchez’s I.V. Lab Studios in Chicago, the band members began by presenting each other with CDs containing hundreds of musical ideas they’d composed over the past dozen years, which were then shifted and trimmed down to the concise tracks that appear on the album. The band’s longtime sound caresser, Kevin Browning, edited and mixed the album's material.
Mantis became available for pre-order on October 27, 2008. Along with the pre-order announcement came information that unique bonus content would be available and more content would unlock depending on how many pre-orders were placed. This unusual method of distribution has been hailed as the "perfect way to implement a pre-order campaign" by Reuters.com.
Mantis was released on January 20, 2009. The album marked Umphrey’s second decade together as a band and was the first Umphrey’s album to consist entirely of material never previously performed on the road.
They are influenced musically by progressive rock bands such as King Crimson, Yes, Dream Theater, and Genesis, as well as heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden. The band also identifies The Police, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin as primary influences. However, there really isn't a style of popular music that Umphrey's does not cover. Artists covered in concert by Umphrey's range from Lionel Richie to Metallica to Toto to Snoop Dogg to Paul Simon.
Formed at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana in December 1997 by guitarist/vocalist Brendan Bayliss, bassist Ryan Stasik, keyboardist Joel Cummins, and drummer Mike Mirro, Umphrey's McGee combined members of Tashi Station and Stomper Bob, two popular Notre Dame rock bands.
In mid-1998, the band released their debut album complete with a tongue-in-cheek title, Greatest Hits Vol. III. The group decided to record an album immediately because it was easier to get live gigs with an official CD. Long out of print, the album contains many of Umphrey's future concert warhorses, such as Divisions and All in Time.
Shortly after the release of the album, the band added a fifth member, percussionist Andy Farag. Farag's father became the band's agent, and a second pressing of Greatest Hits Vol. III featured Farag in the album's inner sleeve and credits. By the end of the year, Umphrey's McGee, along with peers Ali Baba's Tahini, were one of the most popular bands in the South Bend/Notre Dame area. They began performing outside of the area at colleges and house parties, allowing listeners to tape and trade their music freely. By 1999, the band had gained notoriety outside of Indiana, especially with the release of the live album Songs for Older Women, which featured live tracks recorded over a two-night stand in November 1998.
The addition of Jake Cinninger in September 2000 helped bring the band's musical dynamic to a new level. Cinninger, an accomplished guitarist, brought a distinct heaviness to the Umphrey's sound, as well as a large repertoire of original music, much of which comprised the bulk of the catalog from his previous band, Ali Baba's Tahini. The band also adopted several songs written by Ali Baba's Tahini frontman Karl Engelmann (who now fronts Asheville-based rock band Mother Vinegar). Another live album, One Fat Sucka, was released shortly after, containing live performances recorded in the summer and fall of 2000.
Around 2001, the band began practicing intense improvisational exercises. One of their first productive jam sessions took place in a hotel in the "Jimmy Stewart Ballroom" during the wedding of fan/website designer Jeremy Welsh. Therefore, the band began to call their onstage improvisational excursions "Jimmy Stewart." This form of improvisation differs in approach from the methods utilized by many of their jam band peers and has been extensively outlined by "McL" in the "Jimmy Stewart writeup" on the fan message board known as "The Bort" at www.umphreaks.com.
2002 saw the release of the band's first proper recording, Local Band Does OK. That summer, Umphrey's was invited to play the first annual Bonnaroo Music Festival which took place in rural Manchester, TN, and featured over 30 bands performing in front of nearly 100,000 people. Umphrey's played to their largest audience to date and ended up selling more CDs than any other artist on the bill including Widespread Panic, Trey Anastasio, and Norah Jones.
In October 2002 drummer Mike Mirro announced he was leaving to attend medical school. After hundreds of tapes were reviewed by percussionist Andy Farag, the band settled on the first one they received, which was from Kick the Cat drummer Kris Myers, who has a masters degree in jazz drumming from DePaul University.
In 2004, the band released the critically-acclaimed album Anchor Drops, recorded in several different studios throughout the Chicago area. Shortly before the release of the album, the band scored a distribution deal for both Anchor Drops and Local Band Does OK, and for the first time, Umphrey's music was available in stores all over the country. Anchor Drops received rave reviews from several high-profile magazines. Umphrey's was booked to play the Bonnaroo Music Festival once again in June but unlike their 2002 performance, this time they would play a coveted late-night spot. The band performed to over 20,000 people, many of whom had never heard the band before. Shortly after in July, Umphrey's was declared by Rolling Stone Magazine to "have become odds-on favorites in the next-Phish sweepstakes."
In April 2006, Umphrey's released their fourth studio effort, Safety in Numbers. They appeared on the late night TV program Jimmy Kimmel Live in May and were featured at many of the major U.S. festivals throughout the summer, playing 129 shows before a three-night stand in Chicago for New Year's Eve. The Bottom Half, an album of leftover tracks from the Safety in Numbers sessions, was released a year later in April, 2007. It was supported with tours of the U.S., Europe, and Japan.
A live double-album titled Live at the Murat was released in October, 2007. The album was recorded over 2 nights at the Egyptian Room in the Murat Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 6-7, 2007. It received a 4-star review from Rolling Stone Magazine. The album also won a Jammy for best live album. Another live double album release came in June 2008, when the band put out Jimmy Stewart 2007. The album consisted entirely of live, improvised "Jimmy Stewart" sessions recorded in 2007.
Umphrey's McGee completed work on their next studio album, Mantis, in late 2008. Recorded mainly in Manny Sanchez’s I.V. Lab Studios in Chicago, the band members began by presenting each other with CDs containing hundreds of musical ideas they’d composed over the past dozen years, which were then shifted and trimmed down to the concise tracks that appear on the album. The band’s longtime sound caresser, Kevin Browning, edited and mixed the album's material.
Mantis became available for pre-order on October 27, 2008. Along with the pre-order announcement came information that unique bonus content would be available and more content would unlock depending on how many pre-orders were placed. This unusual method of distribution has been hailed as the "perfect way to implement a pre-order campaign" by Reuters.com.
Mantis was released on January 20, 2009. The album marked Umphrey’s second decade together as a band and was the first Umphrey’s album to consist entirely of material never previously performed on the road.
Anchor Drops
Umphrey's McGee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen, was that you
Always on?
If and when that's true
Waiting stops
Within moments new
Anchor drops
Breathe easy
The less you have to offer
The less you stand to lose
Think slowly
The more you have invested
The more you care to claim
Dream focused
As often as you've wandered
You carried too much weight
Always on?
If and when that's true
Waiting stops
Within moments new
Anchor drops
Breathe easy
The less you stand to lose
Think slowly
The more you have invested
The more you care to claim
Dream focused
As often as you've wandered
You carried too much weight
The lyrics to "Anchor Drops" by Umphrey's McGee is about letting go of the things that weigh you down and finding an anchor in life. The song talks about the moments of clarity where waiting stops and something new begins, symbolized by the dropping of an anchor. The lyrics encourage the listener to breathe easy, to let go of things that they feel they need to hold on to, as the less you have to offer, the less you stand to lose. The chorus advises the listener to think slowly, to take time to appreciate what they have invested in and to claim what they care about. The lyrics also advise the listener to dream focused, to not carry more weight than necessary, and to find what anchors you in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen, was that you
Hey, did you hear that?
Always on?
Are you constantly alert and aware?
If and when that's true
Assuming that is the case
Waiting stops
No more waiting around
Within moments new
Something new is happening very soon
Anchor drops
The moment arrives, things are set in motion
Breathe easy
Relax and take a deep breath
The less you have to offer
If you have less to contribute
The less you stand to lose
The smaller the potential losses
Think slowly
Take your time to think things through
The more you have invested
The more effort and resources you've put in
The more you care to claim
The more ownership you feel
Dream focused
Have a clear vision of your goals
As often as you've wandered
Despite all the times you've wandered off your path
You carried too much weight
You were dragging too many burdens along with you
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRENDAN H BAYLISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@stevensorscher
0:00:00 - Plunger
0:06:12 - Anchor Drops
0:11:19 - In The Kitchen
0:15:25 - Bullhead City
0:20:05 - Miss Tinkle's Overture
0:25:52 - Uncommon
0:28:48 - Jajunk, Pt 1
0:32:14 - 13 Days
0:36:49 - Jajunk, Pt 2
0:40:40 - Walletsworth
0:45:26 - Robot World
0:50:34 - Mulche's Odyssey
0:55:41 - Wife Soup
1:03:39 - Pequod
@davidkeith1589
Track listing[edit]
"Plunger" (Jake Cinninger, Brendan Bayliss) – 5:59
"Anchor Drops" (Bayliss) – 4:48
"In the Kitchen" (Cinninger, Bayliss) – 3:58
"Bullhead City" (Cinninger, Bayliss) – 4:32
Elliott Peck on vocals
"Miss Tinkle's Overture" (Cinninger) – 5:37
"Uncommon" (Mike Nolan, Bayliss) – 2:50
"JaJunk pt.I" (Bayliss, Cinninger) – 3:19
"13 Days" (Cinninger, Joel Cummins, Bayliss) – 4:28
"JaJunk pt.II" (Bayliss, Cinninger) – 3:44
"Walletsworth" (Cinninger, Bayliss) – 4:37
"Robot World" (Ryan Stasik, Cinninger, Bayliss) – 5:00
"Mulche's Odyssey" (Cinninger) – 4:56
"Wife Soup" (Bayliss, Cinninger, Stasik, Cummins, Kris Myers) – 7:43
Karl Denson on saxophone
Andy Geib on trombone
"The Pequod" (Cinninger) – 2:55
@stevensorscher
0:00:00 - Plunger
0:06:12 - Anchor Drops
0:11:19 - In The Kitchen
0:15:25 - Bullhead City
0:20:05 - Miss Tinkle's Overture
0:25:52 - Uncommon
0:28:48 - Jajunk, Pt 1
0:32:14 - 13 Days
0:36:49 - Jajunk, Pt 2
0:40:40 - Walletsworth
0:45:26 - Robot World
0:50:34 - Mulche's Odyssey
0:55:41 - Wife Soup
1:03:39 - Pequod
@straightouttaalderaan6672
After all these years this album never ceases to amaze me. What technical, genre-bending, masterpiece. UM for life.🌎🤘
@ivanyiattila3547
This band is unbelievable good!
@nomorenames5568
They sure are! Try Minus the Bear for a similarly great band. Omni is their most beginner friendly album
@johnathansmith870
Honestly didnt expect this album to be so damn fire.
@joemorocco
I think UM had a point to prove when they went in the studio for this album and I heard it loud and clear!
@rife1234567890
Fantastic best Studio album by UM in my opinion
@NautilusGuitars
+rife1234567890 Agreed.
@dra0502
this album is so damn good
@andrewdyke5561
one of their best studio albusms