Part I: Mash Up Anything

JaJunk funk, Tool & Jackson 5, Tribute to Lady Madonna, Bowie Here Comes the Mantis, Cemetery Walk This Way, Bathtub Gin & Juice, Jimmy Page Against the Machine, Ocean Billy Jean

The Stew Art, as well as Umphrey’s taste for live mash-ups since last year, seems to be a mutant maturing of their ADD style along with a Midwest-bred clusterfuck of influences, from Slayer and King Crimson to Michael Jackson and Snoop Dog. Seeing and hearing the endurance feat of the band dividing their hive mind into two distinct songs happening at the same time was an exciting feat.

The results were at times hilarious, such as singing sugary Jackson 5 over the grinding guitars of Tool’s “Sober.” The Long Beach thug life tribute “Gin and Juice” sung by Budweiser swilling white boys would be amusing enough, but on top of Phish’s “Bathtub Gin,” the band brought it to a whole new yuks level. The over the top highlight was the finale: Jimmy Page Against the Machine. “Ten Years Gone” as the music, with Kris Myers doing his best Zach de la Rocha and yelling “CHICAGO MOTHAFUCKA!” A great moment in music geek history.

Part II: Numbers, colors and shapes:

2×2 & One by Metallica, Mr. Blue Echo Sky, Square Wolf in London, electronic Kitchen, Search 4 the Crooked One, Rocket Man lyrical stew, 13 Days in the Life

“Get crazy people, get crazy,” Joel said before the next section began.

Starting with an eerily dead on blend of the sweet warmth of “2×2” with the grinding of “One,” the band was again literally split in half.  After some upbeat touches to “Blue Echo” the band fell into an e-drums-laden version of “Werewolf of London.”  The combination of “Search 4 and The Crooked One” with a lot of plinking 8-bit Nintendo sounds coming from the guitars and keys had some cohesiveness that other combos were lacking. Bayliss’ deadpan spoken “Rocketman” in front of a country-tinged ballad was a welcome return to the comical before the smooth strut of “Day in the Life” lyrics over “13 days” music to close out the section.

Part III: Make us laugh

Dick in a Box, Bears O-Line, Folk Prince of Bel Air, Chinese vocal jam, reggae titties & beer, Jessica Pace proposal

Within in minutes of the porn-esque opening to “Dick” came a sudden muted-riff and pounding-drums metal for “Bears O-Line.” But in between someone making fart sounds, Bayliss apologized because the band thought the message said “D-Line”…hence the ferocity.  Umphrey’s couldn’t quite escape the funk to add folk to the “Bel Air” theme, but the band stillnailed a few verses from Will Smith’s rhyme. Little can be said about Vocal Jam in Chinese other than Stasik repeating “Mee how,” but the highlight followed. With Cinninger and Bayliss doing their best Rasta voices and praising the wonders of boobs and brew on top of an echoy dub jam, a guy proposed to his girlfriend Jessica. Romance at its finest.

Written by:
Benji Feldheim

Photos by:
Joel Berk

To read what happened in Quarter 1, Click here.