Jam band culture - Umphrey’s McGee
By JASON WELLS
"Jam band" is a culture – a culture many artists try to differentiate themselves from while others try to associate with.
On the surface Umphrey’s McGee may seem like the typical jam band, but don’t tell them that. Vocalist and keyboardist Joel Cummins laid out the law by explaining just how Umphrey’s McGee differentiates itself in today’s growing jam band culture.
"Jam band is a really broad categorization," Cummins says. "People would say, ‘yeah, we are.’ But we are in tune with how to write songs." In fact, Umphrey’s style of writing is very rare in the jam band culture. It is much more than just writing an extended melody or riff. There is more structure and direction in both the music and lyrics for Umphrey’s McGee. They are committed to writing complete songs.
The band’s current work is a 13-track album they hope to keep less than 60 minutes, a typical length for bands outside the jam band culture.
"I think we have a little bit of a harder edge than some of the other jam bands," Cummins says. "Another thing is often the lyrics are about rivers and sunshine. But we stay away from that."
Although the band writes some tunes that have lyrics throughout and are well structured to five or six minutes, they leave themselves open for a lengthy on-stage jams.
For Umphrey’s McGee, it all started with a concert recital Cummins did. He wanted to try and do 30 minutes of improvising. Deciding to try it out, two Chicago bands merged in December of ‘97, forming Umphrey’s McGee on Norte Dame’s campus. "We said ‘Let’s give it a shot,’" Cummins says. "It is better than sitting behind a desk all day."
Other than Cummins, Umphrey’s is made up by Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Ryan Stasik (bass), Andy Farag (percussion), Jake Cinninger (guitar, Moog, synthesizers, vocals) and Kris Myers (drums, vocals).
The band’s extensive writing style has also given Umphrey’s McGee a chance to hit on almost every genre of music out there – with their influences range anywhere from heavy metal to classical.
"The goal is to get beyond your influences," Cummins says. "We are trying to create something so we can communicate better. We try and write original melodies."
Cummins says that writing is something the band would like to do more of, however, for now it makes the more sense economically for the band to focus on live shows. With this in mind, the taping community has come to embrace Umphrey’s on-stage work. Cummins notes that taping has played a big role in spreading their music. Each is an original recording due to their varied set lists.
"We’re at a level where we do different things," Cummins says. "We play different sets every show. We find those are the things the taping community looks for."
The band even makes a strong effort to get recorded shows to fans. Cummins thinks the idea of selling recordings of every show helps them take home the experience and extend the feeling the live show gives them. On top of that, people are more likely to have their friends give it a listen.
Don’t underestimate the power of the taping community either. With the ease of spreading music on the net, taping has taken originally small local bands all the way to the top. The jam band culture has been fortunate to see the best results out of taping due to the way musicians change their sets night after night. "We try and take a lot of different approaches," Cummins says. "It keeps it fresh for us and keeps people guessing."
Only a few of the jam bands that see the primary results come from the stage, like Umphrey’s McGee, have used the studio to their advantage. However, certain bands including Umphrey’s have used the studio to set themselves apart and prove that jam bands can put successful recordings together.
"We try to go after it in a way where the studio doesn’t sound like something we play live," Cummins says. "It is a question of, ‘What can we do to make fans enjoy it every time they hear it?’"
But while Umphrey’s McGee does its best to set itself apart, it has gained the support of the jam band fans. Last summer, the group got the chance to play at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, which features some of the best artists year after year. Umphrey’s McGee was as new to some of the fans as the setting was to the band. Used to the 500-1000 person clubs and theaters, the band took the stage before tens of thousands. Actually, Umphrey’s will do it all again this summer at Bonnaroo along with some of the world’s best touring acts. It has been weekend festivals like these that have marked the jam band community.
The jam band culture has its dedicated fans and festivals, but awards are a big part of the community as well. The Jammy’s, similar awards to the Grammy’s, are voted on by the fans to represent only the best jam band artists. Umphrey’s McGee may see its name with a Jammy on March 16, as the band has been nominated for Best DVD of 2003. Even if the band doesn’t nab the award, chances are with a work ethic like theirs that keeps giving them that edge, a Jammy won’t be far off.
Most bands like Umphrey’s it is about making good music that their diehard fans can appreciate. "We’re going to keep progressing," Cummins says. "We want to keep doing this as long as possible."
