Tour Diary: Umphrey’s McGee

November 5, 2021
Tour Diary: Umphrey’s McGee

Following some gigs in the Northeast and the Deep South, Umphrey’s McGee returned to their initial Midwest proving grounds for four back-to-back shows in mid-August. The band traveled from Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Aug. 12 to Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater on Aug. 13, Minneapolis’ fabled First Avenue on Aug. 14 and, finally, Des Moines, Iowa’s Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park on August 15. Below, Umphrey’s McGee and their crew track a period of time where they are packing in as many gigs as they can after so many months of pandemic-related postponements.

“Stay hydrated, friends.” (Photo by Abby Fox)
“But not really” (Photo by Sam Sutton)
“Let’s load it in, boys.” (Photo by Steve “Britches” Britz)
“Lighting design by Ben Factor and Mother Nature” (Photo by Abby Fox)
“The knobs always go both ways.” (Photo by Steve “Britches” Britz)
UM brothers-in-arms Bob Stone and Sam Sutton pose backstage with the Lego replica of Prince rocking First Avenue (Photo by Sam Sutton)
“I went for a walk today and found some camels,” Brendan Bayliss says. “Do you want a picture of the airport parking lot we are in right now?” (Photo by Brendan Bayliss)
“Oh, please allow me.” (Photo by Tara Gracer)
“Give yourselves a hand.” (Photo by Tara Gracer)
“She’s a beaut,’ Clark.” (Photo by Kris Myers)
“Until 2009, [public dancing] was illegal between the hours of 2-6 a.m. in Des Moines. The more you know…” (Photo by Tara Gracer)