Umphrey’s McGee Pay Tribute to Phil Lesh During Night Two of New Year’s Eve Run in Denver, Debut Grateful Dead’s “To Lay Me Down”
Photo: Lee Butterworth
After concluding their Metro Sessions in Chicago in mid-December, Umphrey’s McGee pulled into Denver over the weekend for their final offering of 2024 concerts. Night one of their New Year’s Eve stands at the Odgen Theatre was UM’s standard marathon offering of technically advanced compositions. The aforementioned motif flowed into night two’s display, set apart by a specialty tribute to the late Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh, who passed away back in October.
Following a two-set delivery, UM founder and principal guitarist Brendan Bayliss stepped out for the onset of the night’s encore. Rather than rush into song, he addressed the audience with spoken word, drawing on Lesh’s impact:
On behalf of everyone here at Umphrey’s McGee, I’d like to play this song and send out some love to Phil Lesh and his family. He was very good to us when we were young and talked a lot about us in interviews and gave us a lot of love. We appreciate it and we’re just going to send a little bit back now.
In pursuit of the proper homage, Bayliss delivered a heartfelt rendition of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter’s heartbreaker, “To Lay Me Down.” The song served as a first-time play for the artist, marking a debut and new entry in the band’s live songbook. Rather than leave the audience on a precious note, Bayliss’ bandmates joined him onstage for one final offering, Anchor Drops’ instrumental centerpiece, “Miss Tinkle’s Overture.”
Notably, UM’s association with Lesh dates back to San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, on Oct. 22, 2004, when the saged bassist assisted the young band during the second set of their Bay Area stand, on original “Robot World,” and the Grateful Dead favorite “Franklin’s Tower.”
The following year, Lesh rejoined the group upon their Bay Area return, on Feb. 12, 2005, at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for another offering of the Blue for Allah favorite, and “Partyin’ Peeps.”
Following their run in Denver, the band will move locations, arriving at the Boulder Theater on Dec. 30 and 31 for sold-out performances.
For those looking to catch the band’s impending concerts virtually, nugs.net will be livestreaming the action.
Scroll down to view Sunday night’s setlist below.
— Umphrey's McGee (@umphreysmcgee) December 30, 2024
Umphrey’s McGee
Odgen Theatre – Denver
Dec. 29, 2024
Set I: Similar Skin, Susanah, All In Time > Make It Right, Staircase > Glory, Small Strides
Set II: Concessions, Plunger > Mulche’s Odyssey, Nothing Too Fancy > In The Kitchen > All In Time
Enc.: To Lay Me Down[1], Miss Tinkle’s Overture
Footnotes:
[1] debut, Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter
