All Things Umphrey's > Scopeless → Reviews

Scopeless October 22, 2012
My second show after a huge gap from not going since '06. I got deeper into UM after my friend gave me a huge stash of free '09 UM tracks. I then bought Mantis, I then bought Anchor Drops, I then was hooked for life and went to my second show...THIS show.

The most memorable part of this show involves a story.
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Since me and my wife were UM newbs. We didn't understand there was a VIP section. We got to the show early and sat in the balcony. As the rows filled-up, a security person stood in the aisle next to where you come into our row.

The show starts and a waitress comes and asks if we want a drink. I'm thinking, "Wow, this is some service at a concert." We order drinks and get them. Midway through the first set, a guy in a Homer Simpson shirt comes to sit next to us. He asks if he can, and we say yes. He says cool and smokes us up. He then gives me something else...a nugget of something green. I say, "Oh, sorry man. I have anything on me to smoke that with." He says, "No that's for your ride home for letting me sit here." We are stunned and he leaves the seat after the song is over.

At the beginning of set two, someone in front of us gets kicked out. I notice it's because they don't have a ticket or something. I ask the people near us what happened and they say that the people didn't have VIP passes. I turn white and realize that me and my wife ALSO don't have these passes. We did it on accident since we got there before security showed-up. We laid-low for the rest of the show and had a blast. But now it all made sense, the waitress, meeting Joel's parents, people with bottles of champagne, the guy giving us a free nug to just stand there. WE WERE ACCIDENTALLY IN THE VIP SECTION THE WHOLE SHOW!
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3.5-4 of five. The opener was great. I love when the opening of a show kills. It really sets-up the show to be a great one throughout. The debut of Deeper -> N2F started that track off in a memorable way. The Bright Lights sax jam was very underrated. The National Anthem debut was out of the park. As well as the James Brown tracks. Nice job, Kris!

The other cover choices really slowed the pace of the show. If you take them away, you're left with a great UM show. Which just shows that sometimes UM doesn't need their covers to make a complete show.

Scopeless October 22, 2012
My second favorite show of the year behind 11.5.11. The first set was perfectly executed. The opener into a Jimmy Stewart with Lyrics Intentions Clear was the right way to open a show. It was like a book with an engaging chapter one.

The Haunt and Divisions jams don't get talked-up as much as Intentions Clear (which, by the way, is now the UM tune, Teresa), but they should be lauded as highly. The Haunt peaks well and has a great structure that can be used in a future song. The Divisions is MONSTROUS. Over 24 minutes of epic UM performance.

The DBK was great, but then the set starts to drift a little bit, imo. I'm just not a fan of Mullet, standard Deeper (newer versions have been terrific though), and It's So Easy. It was almost as if Dutchman -> DBK was SOOOOOO rocking that UM lost their mojo right at the end. It's what I feel holds this show back from being in discussion as the best of the year, but it comes ever so close.

Scopeless October 22, 2012
Many people said UM was "killing it" in 2011. This show is the finest example of UM's ability to commit musical homicide on our brains and melted faces.

Arguably the best non-festival/special show of 2011, it contains two of the most highly rated jams of the year, The Haunt (OG version) and Ringo (Jimmy Stewart with Lyrics). The peak in that Haunt jam had the entire ballroom going nuts. It was as if we all knew we were witnessing a top-notch jam.

For UM newbies, this is the show for you. It contains a little of everything the band has to offer as far as what modern-UM sounds like. An intro song (best one IMO), several jammed-out versions of songs, a Jimmy Stewart (w/ lyrics...much more rare), a couple covers, and even a mash-up in the encore.

This show is a must own and will stand the test of time.


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