Umphrey’s Drops Anchor, Sets Sail
by Corey J. Feldman

Only two weeks after the June 29th release of their much anticipated album, Anchor Drops, Umphrey’s McGee set sail around New York City on the Temptress, a 500-capacity boat with a dance floor, two decks, several bars, and a captivating view of the Manhattan skyline. The much anticipated show exuded a kinetic energy that was off the charts. Completely sold out, with stragglers roaming the pier in search of the not-so-hopeful extra ticket, the cruise hauled up the anchor and set sail to the tune of Umphrey’s new release.

Anchor Drops is just the beginning for Umphrey’s. This was the first time that they’ve had the leisure and money to fully produce a proper album. Having been to a handful of Umphrey’s shows, I was extremely familiar with the majority of the album’s tracks, and not the least surprised that every last song was golden. Ranging from soft, soothing acoustic songwriter songs to hectic video game overtures to straight up hard rock, the album proves that the Umphrey’s McGee live show is eons more developed than their miniscule mainstream presence would have you believe.

This is their first well-produced album, and there are moments when I’m not quite sure if I’m listening to Anchor Drops or UM Live. Songs like “Jajunk (Part One and Two),” “Miss Tinkles Overture” or “In The Kitchen” all express different styles of music, but form a coherent sound, not to mention their own unique, upbeat, rocking jams. Rolling Stone went as far as calling them the “Hot Phish,” a title I’ve been giving this band for the last 6 months.

Having been an “Umphreak” for less than a year, I’ve seen the McGee four times and watched them grow exponentially in just a small portion of their near-seven year stretch as a nationally touring Chicago-based jam rock band. They went from a crowd of about 150 at BB King’s last November to a sold out Bowery Ballroom in February to a sold out concert cruise this summer. The Rocks Off cruise really gave Umphrey’s the perfect atmosphere to let loose. There was no stage for the band, rather an open space on the first floor that kept the musicians relatively out of sight for most of the fans. It might have been a lot more fun had the band been staged on the second floor where everyone could see them, but it really didn’t seem to stop anyone from enjoying the intensity of pounding bass, the guitar harmonies, the sick rhythmic beats, or the crazy keyboard noise. The band didn’t seem to mind not being above their audience as their show was performed to virtual perfection. And while the band was relatively out of sight for many, the New York City skyline managed to fill the need to stare at something.

Umphrey’s McGee is just getting their first wind of real momentum within their music scene. Anchor Drops is a guaranteed enjoyable expression of music, and it’s the best thing that happened to me since the first time I listened to Hoist. The Rocks Off cruise was truly a great way to get NYC onboard while the anchor dropped.