If any concertgoer finds themselves desiring to see a band that knows what makes a Madison crowd tick, then they can look no further than Umphrey’s McGee’s Jan. 28 and 29 show at Orpheum Theater, where they have performed 36 times before.
While college kids are hardly the only audience members at Umphrey’s shows in Madison, bassist Ryan Stasik said their presence contributes to a concert environment where getting down, loosening up and taking risks aren’t so out of the ordinary.
“I always feel like Madison is a little bit of a party town,” Stasik said. “I consider it a college town — maybe I shouldn’t say a party town — but you know, college kids tend to party.”
In the band’s long history, Madison was always one of their first stops. Since then, Stasik said they’ve garnered such a following in Madison that they’ve simply never stopped returning.
While those unfamiliar or recently acquainted with Umphrey’s McGee may instinctively denote them as a “jam band,” Stasik said this label is not sufficient to describe their style.
Despite being improvisational, the band’s creative process is highly structured. While on stage, the band members stay in constant communication with one another through eye contact and certain cues to reinvent their songs each time they perform.
Another part of their improvisation is their diligent attention to the crowd and their ability to alter their sound according to its response. Stasik said this requires the developed interpersonal skill of deciding whether the crowd is digging something or is “ready to take a pee break.”
Perhaps one of the reasons why Umphrey’s makes a point to pay attention to the crowd is because for Stasik, one of the best parts of an Umphrey’s show is the crowd itself.
“You’re there and everybody’s very friendly and open-minded,” Stasik said. “People aren’t there to hurt anybody, they’re there to enjoy the experience of what’s going to happen. It’s a tight-knit community and it’s very loyal, and our fans are the best.”
When asked what has changed with the band since their last shows in Madison in November 2014, Stasik’s answer unintentionally highlights just how steady and constant the band is.
Instead of describing any lineup changes or drastic turns in musical direction, Stasik discussed familial growth.
“Well, factually, we have a lot more babies,” he said. “We’re a baby-making machine right now. The Umphrey’s family is growing.”
Stasik also stressed the band’s maturation as musicians and how it has lead to more patience and more experimental leanings to avoid the trap of habitually sounding the same.
Along with the band’s determination to avoid falling into a pattern, their upcoming performance will feature unique accompaniments that should allow their performance to stand apart from their many other Madison shows.
This particular performance will likely feature semi-frequent collaborator Joshua Redman, the magic work of lightning specialist Jefferson Waful, as well as an opener of Rock-fusion band Tauk.
Stasik, who spends multiple hours a night hundreds of nights a year looking into a sea of Umphrey’s McGee fans, knows the crowd at his shows better than almost anybody. So when he says on a nightly basis crowds are “arm in arm, ready to rage and have a good time,” it is safe to say that any potential Umphrey’s concertgoer can expect camaraderie, exhilaration and enjoyment.
