Umphday #2

I'm definitely moving a little bit slower today... Last night was big - a very technical show with lots of nooks and crannies. Here is the setlist:

05.07.05 - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, California
Set One: Nemo, Get In the Van, The Bottom Half, Partyin' Peeps, Prowler, E.T.I. > Der Bluten Kat
Set Two: Miss Tinkle's Overture, In the Kitchen, Kabump > 2nd Self, The Triple Wide > Don't Fear the Reaper* > The Triple Wide > Don't Fear the Reaper* > The Triple Wide, Layla, JaJunk
Encore: 40's Theme > "Owner of a Lonely Big Butt"** > 40's Theme
Notes:
* one verse each
** "What do you get when you combine something like Yes and Sir Mix a Lot"

The first set was much grander than the first set on Friday. "The Bottom Half" was particularly good and there was a very exploratory jam in the "Prowler" and the set finished huge. BAM out of the setbreak with "Miss Tinkle's" and I feel like "In the Kitchen" is really going beyond its "hit" status with some drawn out sections. (Kind of like what happened to "Free" in 1997.) Anyway... Awesomely rocking second set with "Kabump > 2nd Self" and then a sweet "Triple Wide" dance party.

And then, as if Umphrey's weren't my favorite thing since sliced bread right now, they bust into one of the best rock'n'roll songs in history - "Layla." This song has it all... Insane love, longing, anguish, sadness, guitar shreading and then what? Salvation... Jake got the honors of bringing the guitar back after the piano solo and he did not quite nail it but made up for it in the end with some beautiful soaring and they made me cry. Interesting thing about that guitar solo. Perhaps it was only meant to be that perfect just that once. And it wasn't even Clapton playing it apparently! Scott tells me last night that it was Duane Allman who played that solo on the album and I feel like that is a story I've heard before. Eric and Duane were apparently huge fans of each other and the Allmans just so happened to be rolling through town while Clapton was in the studio. Duane comes by the studio and in one take they record the most touching sound in rock'n' roll (for me, anyway). *sigh* I digress... but that is what a blog is for anyway, right???

So, encore... "40's Theme" was very fun with some "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "I like big butts" teases in there. Those Umphs are so silly...

Ok, back to my Sopranos season 1 marathon sunday. Got a few more hours until it's back to the Great American to close out the weekend!