Known for their acrobatic musicianship, airtight songcraft, and stellar live show, the members of Umphrey’s McGee, when left up to their own quarantine devices, elected to take to their home studios and give fans an album they may have never seen coming. Today, the band released a brand new album called YOU WALKED UP SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS BUT YOU STOOD TALL AND LEFT A RAGING BULL—check out the name’s incredible origin story, animated by Pete Herzog, right here—which is comprised of Umphrey’s McGee’s original, instrumental “walk-on music” compositions. Since 2009, the Chicago-based improv-rock outfit has been using these intro pieces as a jumping-off point in their live shows, but with the studio development of these compositions, the band landed on something much broader than their original walk-on music concept. There’s an ultra-thematic, driving energy in each song that reaches beyond just pre-show excitement; it’s a balls to the wall, fist-pumping peak with every new track. Fans can stream or purchase the entirety YOU WALKED UP SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS BUT YOU STOOD TALL AND LEFT A RAGING BULL right now at this link.
Starting today and throughout this weekend, Umphrey’s will be taking over SiriusXM’s JamOn channel, sharing track by track commentary on the album as well as airing six entire Umphrey’s shows, each curated by a different band member. For more information, including the weekend schedule, please click here.
Earlier this week, the band hosted a watch party for Pete Herzog’s animated short in which guitarist Jake Cinninger describes how the album title came to be. In short, it involved Cinninger being invited to sit in with the legendary Los Lobos, but should really be heard straight from the storyteller himself at this link. Animation World Network shared the video, calling Umphrey’s the “ultimate ‘jam’ band” and “a touring powerhouse;” celebrating the band’s “innovative mix of progressive guitar wizardry, soft acoustic balladry, and funky grooves.” Read about how Herzog designed this visual masterpiece here.
At times, YOU WALKED UP SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS BUT YOU STOOD TALL AND LEFT A RAGING BULL feels like an all-out music nerd masterclass, the soundtrack for an unreleased Ridley Scott epic, and the inspiring force behind an all-time high score on Cruis’n USA or an impossibly difficult level of DOOM 2. Longtime fans of Umphrey’s McGee will be transported straight back to the first time they saw the band take the stage to any of these twelve songs. Those listeners discovering the band for the first time through this new album will be treated to a choose-your-own-adventure into the Umphrey’s multiverse, following each track down a rabbit hole into the band’s deep and diverse catalog of studio albums and recorded live shows.
YOU WALKED UP SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS BUT YOU STOOD TALL AND LEFT A RAGING BULL is only a part of what Umphrey’s McGee has been working on over the course of the last year off of touring. Stay tuned for more at umphreys.com.
YOU WALKED UP SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS BUT YOU STOOD TALL AND LEFT A RAGING BULL Tracklist:
Catshot
There’s No Crying In Mexico
Leave Me Las Vegas
Depth Charge
You Got The Wrong Guy
Tango Mike
Nipple Trix
Le Blitz
Le Sac
Gurgle
Restrung
October Rain
Catch Umphrey’s McGee On Tour:
July 23-24 - Swanzey, NH - Northlands
August 5 - Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
August 6 - Beech Mountain, NC - Beech Mountain Summer Series
August 7 - Beech Mountain, NC - Beech Mountain Summer Series
August 8 - Birmingham, AL - Avondale Brewing Company
August 12 - Grand Rapids, MI - Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
August 13 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
August 14 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
August 15 - Des Moines, IA - Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park
August 20-22 - Chillicothe, IL - Summer Camp Music Festival
September 2 - San Rafael, CA - Terrapin Crossroads
September 3 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
September 4 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
September 5 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park
September 9 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s BBQ
September 10 - Houston, TX - House of Blues Houston
September 11 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues Dallas
September 12 - Tulsa, OK - Cain’s Ballroom
September 16-17 - Masontown, WV - Resonance Music and Arts Festival
September 18 - Indianapolis, IN - TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
October 8-9 - Port Chester, NY - UMBowl 2020 at The Capitol Theatre
A full list of tour dates and festival appearances can be found at umphreys.com/tour
