I hear alot of people telling me this. I dont know if I could really get into them, I mean, im so used to Phish, and thats ideal for me, I loved it, I dont feel like im done with that scene though. please tell me more about UM. Are their live shows different from whats on the cd???
UM are freakin amazing, but be warned, they're nothing like Phish. I love both Phish and Umphrey's (but i prefer UM) and they are completely different. if you're looking for a new Phish, then you're looking in the wrong place. i would still give UM a chance if i were you, they are really amazing. and yes their live stuff is a bit different from the album.
check out archive.org for some live umphreys, havent heard any of their studio albums, but their live shit is awesome... i like phish as well...
UM is ok. they are in no way they new Phish....i've seen them many times now, and have always been dissapointed. its good. but its not going to move nearly as many people as Phish......but thats ok....i find that their shows sound the same from beggining to end.....i was very dissapointed about not seeing STS9 at WAKARUSA, and in its place two UM's sets.....but hey thats just me!
UM are pretty good...I have a little problem with their vocals, though. Maybe I just heard a couple off nights for them (I have a couple of their shows...I think I got 'em from the archive long ago). I like their style, but I don't think they're the "next big thing".
I doubt it is the jamband world's turn for "next big thing." Jambands are not able to pull the crowds and pay for the gas for the van/bus/truck. That's why you see the festival more than the mega tour. Lola last year and Zooma this year are cold reality: we aren't marketing well. tickets aren't selling.
I'm not sure I want 'the next big thing' in the jam band world. Sure I think its great when a band becomes succesful, but it ultimately leads to becoming too corporate and shelling out $40 + for tickets and the likes of ticketbastards and having to sit in a stadium to see them packed in like sardines. As many of you probably are aware, I personally find Assembly of Dust to be the most electrifying and soul pleasing act on the road today and I love that I can see them in clubs of 500 or smaller for $18 where I have room to dance and move around. If UM does indeed become the next big thing, I feel very sorry for their fans.
next big thing? kind of a broad question. in terms of recreating the live scene phish had, no. it's a pretty different genre of music, and can attract a different crowd. as far as gaining mainstream success...well, as much as i like jam bands, it's just not a very marketable format. i love extended improvised jams, but i also love a tight, well constructed pop song. and only one of the two is fit for radio consumption.
we cannot support the lot scenes anymore. I now understand the communiques from the Dead begging us not to camp/vend in the lots. It works on a small scale, and with people who have their basic needs taken care of: gas, food, tickets and a once a week hotel room/ friends' places to sleep on a bed/shower. Umphrey's also has a TON of hippy-hating fans, so maybe the scene would be naturally limited, but there are kids who hop on any tour just to do it.
I've seen them several times, including a couple years ago with around 40 people in Seaside NJ, and they always shock me at how good they are. I think they will get "big"....
I love them as a club band, and like some of you said in so many words, "big is relative" these days. no they aren't Phish and aren't gonna be, just like Phish wasn't Grateful Dead, but you know what I mean. and those of you who aren't sure you like them, it took me about a year to really appreciate their style, because it's different from anyone else. never heard anything like them and for a long time thought they were kind of "too off." Maybe they are, but it's growing on me now. They have gotten really tighter the last few months too from playing a lot of shows. the progress has been amazing, they blow me away musically now like they didn't before. Not sure sometimes if it's me or them, but I like it. I wouldn't mind if they don't get huge really, they are a very accessible band, and have some really devoted fans, esp in the midwest.
