Marc Shapiro contributed the text and images for this look at Umphrey’s McGee’s two night stand in the nation’s capital earlier this month.

Umphrey’s McGee played a rockin’ two-night run at Washington, D.C.‘s 9:30 Club on Sept. 2 and 3. The shows featured an emphasis on the band’s heavier rock songs and covers from The Police (Masoka Tango), Toto (Africa), Michael Jackson (Billie Jean) and Steely Dan (Reelin’ in the Years).

Songs like “Miss Tinkles Overture” gave Jake Cinninger a chance to stretch out.

Brendan Bayliss wails on the first night.

Cinninger and his Marshall half stack, which he uses for his heavily overdriven guitar parts.

Ryan Stasik holds down the low end.

Cinninger and Stasik share a moment at Friday’s show.

Drummer Kris Myers hangs out behind Cinninger and Stasik’s rigs.

Cinninger and Bayliss get close for guitar harmonies during an improv section at Friday’s show.

Both nights offered percussionist Andy Farag some rare solos. Here, he and Myers trade off in “Divisions.”

Cinninger and Bayliss hold their guitars in the air as a jam climaxes.

Cinninger kicks off the second night of Umphrey’s McGee’s 9:30 Club run.

Bayliss gets lost in fingertapping.

Farag gets his game face on.

Cinninger’s fingers race across the fret board on Saturday.

Keyboardist Joel Cummins gets lost in a song, only to look up soon after and get back into the verse.

Stasik gets in on the fingertapping action on Saturday.

Bayliss branches out on an a melody-driven solo.

Fans clap in time with Cinninger as the band lets the drums steer the music.

Cummins adds some texture to the riff-heavy mix of Umphrey’s McGee.

Chewbacca, one of the many Star Wars pieces on stage, hangs off Stasik’s bass cabinets.

Cinninger takes some time off from shredding to sing lead vocals.

A packed house rocks out for one last time during the encore on the second night of Umphrey’s McGee’s 9:30 Club run.