Umphrey’s McGee will celebrate their 20th anniversary proper next year on the day of their first billed show, but today marks the beginning of that celebration as it marks the day that Brendan Bayliss, Joel Cummins, Ryan Stasik and Mike Mirro first came together at Notre Dame’s Snite Museum. Per Cummins on Twitter, the ensemble played an early version of the instrumental “Dear Lord.” 

On this day in 1997, the 4 people who became @umphreysmcgee took the stage for the 1st time @NotreDame‘s Snite Museum & played Dear Lord.
— Joel Cummins (@goldlikejoel) November 2, 2017

Later on, Andy Farag and Jake Cinninger would join the band (Farag following the release of Greatest Hits Vol. III and Cinninger in 2000) and Umphrey’s McGee was off and running. The rest, as they say, is wonderful history.  

And now for a more contemporary version of “Dear Lord.”