We got an extra day this year, and what better to do with it than go see a show? I took a trip downtown to see Andy Frasco & the U.N. open for UM, and I had a great time! The weather’s getting warmer here in the PNW, and it was a beautiful night to go see some live music with loved ones. This was my fourth Umphrey’s show (although three have been in the last two years), and my second Frasco show. Read on for more details, including the UM set list.

Showbox SoDo

Built in 2007 as an offshoot of the popular Showbox Market (just a couple blocks from the Harbor), this club has hosted some pretty big acts over the years. This club is definitely Seattleites favorite to complain about, in my experience, and it’s sometimes warranted. I think the most common complaint I hear is about the sound, which can be muddy, depending on who’s playing. I’ll say it wasn’t the best on this night, but I’ve heard a lot worse too. My chief complaint about this place has to do with 18+ shows, and the logistics of them, but luckily this was a 21+ show, so it was a lot easier to move about the club than it usually is. The drinks are, of course, expensive as well ($8 Rainiers!), which is not a huge draw for most people. Despite this, I go back here sometimes because certain bands (like Umphrey’s) only play here when they come through.

Andy Frasco & The U.N.

• Keys, Vocals: Andrew Frasco
• Saxophone: Ernie Chang
• Guitar, Vocals: Shawn Eckels

I’ve listed the core members of the group above. There’s a rotating cast of musicians that play with them, and I’m not sure which ones were on stage this night. If you have any insight, feel free to drop a comment below! They’re touring in preparation for releasing a new album in April, that will be called Keep On Keepin’ On. This band formed in 2007 in L.A., and have been slowly building up a fan base out here on the West Coast.

If you haven’t seen Andy Frasco live, it’s got a ton of energy, dick jokes, silly on-and-off stage antics, and a wide range of musical styles. While I wouldn’t characterize Andy himself as a virtuoso, he isn’t trying to be one, he’s going for a different thing entirely. Now for some people, watching him clown around the stage, and talk about being on mushrooms, and all of his antics are not what they want out of a show, and I get that. But it was exactly what I needed and wanted on Saturday. He’s kind of like Andrew W.K., but with a jam band backing him. Speaking of the band, they are virtuosos. Many of them are multi-instrumentalists, and one of their bits is switching up instruments during the set (always a fun trick, especially mid-drum solo). Ernie Chang makes up for only playing one instrument by playing it with everything he’s got.

I don’t have a set list for them, but they did slip in some great covers. They brought in Brendan to do Korrupt and Warren G.’s parts from Gin & Juice, they covered a ripping version of Breed by Nirvana, and they brought on Ryan Stasik for a crowd-surf-fueled dunking competition against Andy (Stasik won, which meant that Andy had to buy the drinks that night, presumably). Overall, it was a tight set, and I would recommend seeing this group to anyone who has a chance to.

Umphrey’s McGee

• Guitar, Vocals: Brendan Bayliss
• Guitar, Vocals: Jake Cinninger
• Keyboards, Piano & Vocals: Joel Cummins
• Percussion: Andy Farag
• Drums, Vocals: Kris Myers
• Bass: Ryan Stasik

The boys were on fire on Saturday, playing their only Seattle show on the Hindsight 2020 Spring tour they’re doing. This show gave me the perfect blend of old and new, and one of their cover mash-ups from Zonkey, none of which I’d seen live yet, so that was a treat. As I said above, the sound was muddy at this venue, so I wasn’t hearing Stasik or Joel super clearly in the mix, but I got the general idea. This was definitely the heaviest show I’ve ever seen them play, especially in the first set. Starting off with Le Blitz into Crucial Taunt was a good way to set the tone for the set, and we got awesome versions of 2×2, Hindsight, and Life During Exodus. This last one was really special, as they brought out Ike Willis (!!!), and Marcus Rezak to guest. It was definitely a treat to see Willis sing City Of Tiny Lights, and Rezak was in top shredding form.

The second set was equally fiery, with the whole crowd singing along on The Silent Type (great set opener). They brought on Ernie Chang on sax and Andee Avila on percussion during Day Nurse, which eventually broke down into a drum/percussion trio that was out of this world. I absolutely love Kris Myers’s kit, it’s got this really specific sound on the toms that helps to make UM a unique band. Frasco came out to crowd surf during UM’s cover of Bombtrack (sandwiched inside Utopian Fir), which was pretty special. We got a two-set encore, which finished up the unfinished All In Time from earlier in the set. This was not my favorite UM show that I’ve seen in the past few years, that definitely goes to their Meltdown set from last Summer, but it was a really solid show. If you’re into the crunchier metal side of things, and jam bands, this is definitely a band you should check out.

UM Setlist

Set 1

• Le Blitz >
• Crucial Taunt
• The Triple Wide >
• 2×2
• Mullet (Over)
• Hindsight
• Prowler >
• Example 1
• Life During Exodus (feat. Ike Willis & Marcus Rezak)

Set 2

• The Silent Type
• All In Time >
• Day Nurse (feat. Ernie Chang & Andee Avila)
• August
• Utopian Fir >
• Bombtrack >
• Utopian Fir
• E: The Weight Around >
• All In Time