Umphrey’s McGee returning to Boston is never just another tour stop, and their April 2024 run at Citizens House of Blues proved that yet again. This wasn’t a band showing up to punch the clock—it was a group clearly energized by the room, the city, and the freedom to stretch out in ways that only Umphrey’s really can. The House of Blues felt like the right size for this kind of controlled chaos: big enough to let the sound breathe, tight enough that every twist and turn hit the crowd directly in the chest.
The vibe in the room before the lights dropped was part anticipation, part trust. Umphrey’s fans don’t show up wondering if the band will deliver—they show up wondering how they’ll deliver. Jammed-out prog? Face-melting metal? Left-field covers? The answer, as always, was yes to all of it.
Set one opened with “Staircase,” a confident, patient choice that let the band ease into the night while still establishing a sense of movement. The song unfolded gradually, building tension instead of blasting out of the gate. Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger were locked in early, trading lines with an ease that comes from decades of shared musical language. The segue into “40’s Theme” tightened the screws, bringing a sharper edge and a heavier groove. The room responded immediately, bodies pressing closer to the stage as the band leaned into the jam.
“Bridgeless” followed, and this is where things really started to lift off. The song’s familiar structure gave way to a jam that felt exploratory without drifting. Kris Myers was especially dialed in here, driving the band forward with subtle shifts rather than brute force. When the jam resolved into “The Triple Wide,” Joel Cummins’ contribution to the setlist got a well-earned cheer. The “Bridgeless” ending callback tied the whole sequence together, making set one feel like a complete statement rather than a collection of songs.
After a quick reset, set two was where Umphrey’s really leaned into their improvisational identity. “Stew Art,” featuring fan-submitted ideas and themes in real time, turned the House of Blues into a collaborative experiment. This could easily go sideways in less capable hands, but Umphrey’s thrives on this kind of challenge. Musical ideas were thrown into the mix and immediately twisted, dissected, and rebuilt. It was messy in the best possible way—risky, playful, and unpredictable. Watching the band react to each other on the fly was a reminder of just how sharp they are as listeners as much as players.
Set three shifted gears entirely, leaning hard into covers in a way that felt intentional rather than indulgent. Opening with Yes’ “Roundabout” was a bold move, but Umphrey’s attacked it with precision and respect, nailing the complex arrangements while still injecting their own personality. The crowd ate it up, especially those moments where the band pushed the dynamics just a bit harder than the original.
“Kid Charlemagne” was a genuine highlight, not just because it marked the first performance since 2017, but because it fit the band like a glove. Steely Dan’s slick sophistication translated surprisingly well into Umphrey’s heavier, more aggressive style. Cinninger’s guitar work here was surgical, cutting through the mix with clarity and bite. The room buzzed with that special energy that comes when you realize you’re witnessing something genuinely rare.
The nostalgia factor ramped up with Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush,” played for the first time since 2018. Bayliss handled the vocals with restraint, letting the emotion of the song carry the moment without overplaying it. The crowd sang along loudly, turning the House of Blues into a massive, slightly grungy choir.
Things took a sharper turn with “Cult of Personality,” which hit like a jolt of electricity. The band leaned into the aggression, and the pit responded accordingly. From there, “Hunger Strike” continued the cover-heavy stretch, another long-absent song returning to the rotation. The shared vocal moments landed hard, giving the song an emotional weight that resonated deeply with the crowd.
“No More Tears” kept the momentum going, leaning fully into arena-rock theatrics, while “Big Poppa” was the wild card that somehow worked perfectly. Umphrey’s has always been fearless about genre-hopping, and this cover was pure fun without feeling gimmicky. It loosened the room up just enough before the end of the set.
The encore choice of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” felt inevitable in the best way. It was tight, powerful, and triumphant, sending everyone out into the Boston night buzzing and hoarse from singing along.
By the end of the show, it was clear that this was one of those Umphrey’s nights that fans will talk about for a long time. The band balanced technical mastery with humor, nostalgia with risk, and structure with total abandon. Citizens House of Blues proved to be the perfect playground for a band that refuses to be boxed in, even after all these years.
Setlist:
Set 1:
Staircase >
40’s Theme
Bridgeless >
The Triple Wide (Joel Cummins song, with “Bridgeless” ending)
Set 2:
Stew Art (featuring fan-submitted ideas & themes in real-time improvisation)
Set 3:
Roundabout (Yes cover)
Kid Charlemagne (Steely Dan cover, first performance since 2017)
Plush (Stone Temple Pilots cover, first performance since 2018)
Cult of Personality (Living Colour cover)
Hunger Strike (Temple of the Dog cover, first performance since 2017)
No More Tears (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
Big Poppa (The Notorious B.I.G. cover)
Encore:
Tom Sawyer (Rush cover)
Umphrey’s McGee didn’t just play Boston in April 2024—they took over the House of Blues and bent it to their will. It was a night that showcased everything that makes the band special: fearlessness, chemistry, and an endless appetite for pushing boundaries.