Notícias

"End of the Road" 10/29/09

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"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life." -John Muir

 El Capitan: 3300 feet of sublime strength 

Jake, Brendan, Kevin & Joel soaking it in

Bridal Veil Falls

"But no temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite. Every rock in its walls seems to glow with life. Some lean back in majestic repose; others, absolutely sheer or nearly so for thousands of feet, advance beyond their companions in thoughtful attitudes, giving welcome to storms and calms alike, seemingly aware, yet heedless, of everything going on about them." -John Muir

Half Dome

Upper Yosemite Falls

Honeycomb waters of the Merced River

The team ascends up Lower Yosemite Falls

The view of Half Dome from Lower Yosemite Falls

Balls Deep

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The Valley floor beyond Lower Yosemite Falls

Right of way

Toulumne Sequoia

A walk in the woods

20 feet in diameter

Hetch Hetchy at sunset and moonrise

 

Las Tortugas Festival is really two events in one.  On one hand you have the best intimate music festival you could ask for with cozy venues, awesome onsite cabins, great food and a stellar location.  One the other hand you have one of the most beautiful places on earth right in the back yard.  Days are filled with National Park exploration while nights are filled with music and wild times.  Part I is a look at our shows while Part II will be dedicated to the what John Muir referred to as "the grandest of all special temples of nature."

We continued our Halloween mash up tradition by performing a handful of original mash ups combining both UM originals and covers ranging from Corey Hart to Metallica.  Check out the full show and all the mash ups at umlive.net but here is a clip of the last rehearsal of "Sweet Sunglasses" prior to show time.  Eurythmics + Corey Hart + MGMT = Awesometown. 

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A few shots from 10/30...

Joel & Ivan Neville clearly captivated by stage left

Discohead

From left to right: Payne Stewart Copeland, George Harrison Ford, Captain Kirk Hammett, Dirty Harry Caray, Brett Michaels Jackson, Wizard of Ozzie Guillen

Hard to take these guys seriously really

The view from the sound board

For those of you who just can't bring yourself to actually work on this Monday morning, grab a cup of coffee, make sure your boss isn't looking and settle into this 90 minute video of Brendan and Jake giving a guitar clinic at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.  (Clinic starts about 13 minutes in)

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And for those of you have slightly less time to procrastinate this Monday, check out this first time cover of Bob Seger's "Hollywood Nights" from the HOB on Sunset Strip.  Right song, right place, right time.  Worth your $0.99 I assure you.  

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Today's post is short on pictures and long on thank yous.  There is something that feels very Midwest about the people in Northern California.  The hospitality was all world and the gifts were a plenty.  So we'd just like to take a moment to thank a few folks who were so generous to all in the UM camp.

Ryan, Joel, & I had a great interview yesterday afternoon with Leo Laporte (aka the President of the Internet) on his TWiT netcast.  This journalist and all around good guy is covering a wide variety of media and tech related subjects that has a little something interesting for everybody.  He is all over the inter web and certainly worth checking out on the social networking site of your choice.  

Naturally, one of the greatest things about Norcal is the delicious grapes and more than a few great producers (and friends) were kind enough to bring us some crushed fruit.  Our good friend DK (who is always hooking it up) introduced us to Pax Mahle and the other guys at Wind Gap who are doing something special with cool climate grapes and brought us a boxful of goodies.  Napa stud Bob Egelhoff came out to enjoy the show and carried along some of his elegant but hearty cabernet.  Front of house never tasted so good.  Thanks to Patrick McNeil from Michael Austin Wines for the "Bad Habit".  And an additional shot out to our good friends Jughead and Hal for contributing to the bus stock.  

I also had the honor of spending a couple of hours with Dan Healy, a true legend in the audio community. Dan mixed the Grateful Dead for the lion's share of their existence and has been instrumental in pioneering a whole slew of audio, microphone, and speaker technology.  It was a trip to pick the brain of a man who I have long admired as one of the best engineers of all time. (No shortage of great Garcia stories) His warmth and passion for people and music makes it clear why he has been so successful all these years.  Check out this picture of one of his hair brained schemes known as the Wall of Sound.  Jake has been toying with taking out the wall as his guitar amp but can't figure out how to fit it into the overhead bin.  

Mystic Theater, Petaluma, CA

(Blogging will likely be impossible in the great valley that is Yosemite so look for the final tour recap next Monday)

00:00 Smell the Mitten (5.22.09 - Summer Camp, Chillicothe, Illinois) 11:37 Higgins (4.07.09 - Lupo's, Providence, Rhode Island) 25:34 The Floor (5.01.09 - House of Blues, New Orleans, Louisiana) 33:08 #5 (4.08.09 - Calvin Theatre, Northampton, Massachusetts) 40:06 Wappy Sprayberry > 55:10 Last Man Swerving > 65:56 Wife Soup (4.10.09 - Nokia Theatre, New York, New York) Total Broadcast Length 77:54 Notes:

A special two day post including our glorious Monday off in brilliant Tahoe. 24 hours off sandwiched between five day show weeks was much needed to recharge the batteries and soak up some fresh air.

Ryan and I spent the better part of the day frolicking on some great single track mountain biking trails. 

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Ryan Madonna Stasik

Conehead

Riding through the Incense Cedars

Mash up rehearsal "load in"

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Nothing says day off like a small piece of normalcy on the road.  

In The Kitchen with UM

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Nice Perch

I'm sensing a pattern

Mas rehearsal

Chili

Crystal Bay Club

It's been noted

"I have found it"

Light Headed

Rock Show

 

 

outside

inside

outside

inside

(Stew Art post coming shortly)

This Thursday, October 29th, at 1:00 pm PT, Brendan and Jake will conduct a special guitar clinic at the Musicians Institute Concert Hall in Hollywood, California. The clinic will focus on the duality of Umphrey’s guitar approach, and featuring a live performance and discussion on guitar technique, and will also include audience participation and Q&A. Although this event is closed to the public, five pairs of tickets to this clinic will be given away Tuesday, October 27th, via Twitter ( twitter.com/umphreysmcgee) and 10 pairs will be given away via the Umphrey’s McGee Facebook page ( facebook.com/umphreysmcgee).

For any questions regarding this event, please email fans@umphreys.com.

Where:
Musicians Institute Concert Hall
Corner of McCadden and Hawthorne (near Hollywood & Highland)
1655 McCadden, Hollywood,  CA 90028

When: 
Thursday, October 29th, from 1:00 through 3:00 pm 

McDonald Theater 

The Pone Zone

Give it to me lad

It's been noted

Joel Cam

The latest acquisition to the UM arsenal takes its temporary home inside bay #2 of the tour bus.  What lies within you ask? Patience young Padawan.  Props to Robbie Williams and Wade Wilby on the design and implementation of the latest in road case technologies. This forward thinking and innovative design is sure to take the touring world by storm.  (patent pending)

Joel gives us a tour of his new backstage practice amp

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A small snippet of the famous "Gum Wall" located on Post Alley behind the Pike's Peak Market

Joel and I curiously examine this plastic steak and vegetables inside the display case at this sushi restaurant.  Comical yes, appetizing no.  

 

Day one of the West Coast tour, Stasik loose on the town. 

And we're running...

and running...

and running...

$3 for downtown ice skating, size 13s

Steelers' Clunker

Scenic Spokane

Holla 'n Oates

Going Green 

nap time, then show time