Umphrey’s McGee Nod to Outlaw Theme During UMBowl XI, Welcome Assistance from Anders Beck, Sam Bush, Jennifer Hartswick, Grace Bowers and More at The Mother Church
Photo Credit: Brian Stollery
This past weekend, Umphrey’s McGee put on the 11th iteration of their annual UMBowl event. The occasion took the Chicago-associated band to Nashville’s Mother Church, the Ryman Auditorium, for two consecutive evenings on the historic stage. During night one, Friday, April 4, the band offered a three-set performance pierced with adornments: special guests, themes, debuts, and bust-outs, all positioned to excel the program and keep fans talking until XII.
Friday’s initial start was relatively standard. The audience voted on initial enclaves, resulting in a four-piece offering that concluded after “Mantis,” featuring an “All Things Ninja” jam. The second set was deemed “Band’s Picks” and served as the first batch of songs to feature special guest arrivals, including Greensky Bluegrass Dobro player Anders Beck, who joined on “In the Kitchen” before swapping spots with ensuing assistance from Grace Bowers, who shredded during the remaining features of the frame, Buddy Miles, “Them Changes” paired with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Lenny.”
The most exciting portion of the night occurred during the concert’s third set, which received an “Outlaw Umphrey’s” theme, a nod toward their location with country classics, and a slew of debuts by mavens of the genre during the Waylon Jennings associated, “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “I Know A Little,” the Grateful Dead covered “Me and My Uncle,” Willie Nelson’s “Whiskey River,” Bonnie Raitts’ “Angles From Montgomery,” Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and others, which included added help on select numbers by the likes of Beck, Sam Bush, Kurt Ozan, and Jennifer Hartswick.
During night one’s encore, UM called back to their originals on “Bullhead City” before ultimately ending the night after a rousing take on The Band’s “Up on Cripple Creek.” Saturday’s return to the Ryman stage began by exploring visual themes and improvisation during the initial offer before landing on set two’s “Choose Your Own Adventure” motif. During the aforementioned batch, they dusted off “Jekyll & Hyde” for the first time since Aug. 16, 2018, ending a 481 show performance gap.
The third frame was a reemergence of “Band’s Choice.” During the set, they dusted off “Take It to Church” for the first time since Feb. 17, 2013, ending a 1,014 show performance gap. Later, they teased Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” into “Soul Food II.” Rather than pause, UM worked through “Phil’s Farm” with guest banjoist Matt Menefee.
For their final offerings, Umphrey’s McGee covered The Police’s original, “When the World Is Running Down You Make the Best of What’s Still Around,” which warped into “Bridgeless.”
Scroll down to view setlists and show notes.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Umphrey’s McGee
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tenn.
April 4, 2025
Set I: Nipple Trix, Preamble > Mantis Ghetts, Mantis[1]
Set II: Bridgeless[2] > Slacker > Maybe Someday, Miss Tinkle’s Overture[2] > In The Kitchen[3], Them Changes[4] > Lenny[4]
Set III: Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right[5], Kaw-Liga[6], Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys[7], I Know a Little[8], Me and My Uncle[9], Whiskey River[10], Angel From Motgomery[11], 9 to 5[12] > Call to Arms[13]
Encore: Bullhead City[14], Up on Cripple Creek[15]
Footnotes via allthings.umphreys.com:
[1] with All Things Ninja jam
[2] unfinished
[3] with Anders Beck on dobro
[4] with Grace Bowers on guitar
[5] debut, Waylon Jennings; with Sam Bush on fiddle and Anders Beck on dobro
[6] debut, Hank Williams; with Sam Bush on fiddle and Anders Beck on dobro
[7] debut, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson; with Sam Bush on fiddle and Kurt Ozan on steel guitar
[8] debut, Lynyrd Skynyrd
[9] debut, Grateful Dead; with Sam Bush on fiddle and Kurt Ozan on steel guitar
[10] debut, Willie Nelson; with Sam Bush on fiddle and Anders Beck on dobro
[11] debut, Bonnie Raitt; with Sam Bush on fiddle, Anders Beck on dobro, Kurt Ozan on steel guitar, and Jennifer Hartswick on vocals
[12] debut, Dolly Parton; with Anders Beck on dobro and Jennifer Hartswick on vocals; Sam Bush joined in post song jam on fiddle
[13] with Sam Bush on fiddle, Anders Beck on dobro, Kurt Ozan on steel guitar, and Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet
[14] with Anders Beck on dobro, Kurt Ozan on steel guitar, and Jennifer Hartswick on vocals
[15] with Sam Bush on mandolin and vocals, Anders Beck on dobro, and Jennifer Hartswick on vocals
Show Notes:
first set was “Single Song Set (S3)” which included the audience voting on “What’s The Mood” (“COOL” or “HOT”), “Color Me Badd” (“CMY – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow,” “RBG – Red Green, Blue,” or “Brown – Brown”), “More or Less?” (“Maximalist (Rainbow)” or “Minimalist (White & Shadows”), and “Tease Me” (“Back In Black” or “All Things Ninja”)
Umphrey’s McGee
Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, Tenn.
April 5, 2025
Set I: Deep Ocean > Magic > Elements of Nature, Dreams/Nightmares, Space
Set II: Jekyll & Hyde > Puppet String[1] > Ringo > Visions > Nopener, Mullet (Over) > Wappy Sprayberry > Plunger[2]
Set II: Believe the Lie-> Take It to Church > Believe the Lie, Soul Food II[3] > Phil’s Farm[4], No Diablo, Hourglass > Miss Tinkle’s Overture[5]
Encore: When the World Is Running Down You Make the Best of What’s Still Around[6] > Bridgeless[5]
Footnotes via allthings.umphreys.com:
[1] unfinished
[2] ending only
[3] ended with 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon) tease
[4] with Matt Menefee on banjo
[5] completing the 2025-04-04 version
[6] with Matt Menefee on banjo and No Quarter (Led Zeppelin) quote
Show Notes:first set was “Soundtrack Set,” with the band improvising to visual themes voted on by the fans
second set was “Choose Your Own Adventure,” with attendees voting for the next “adventure” live: Tango Mike, Jekyll & Hyde, or October Rain; All in Time (JO), Puppet String (JO), or Plunger (JO); Cut Off, Staircase, or Ringo; Pequod, End of the Road, or Visions; Nopener (JO), Attachments (JO), or Hindsight (JO); Mullet (Over), Never Cease, or Bad Poker; Wappy Sprayberry, Small Strides, or Escape Goat; end All in Time, end Puppet String, or end Plunger
