SAMANTHA HILSENROD FOR TVD | The Civic Theatre will welcome the ground-breaking Chicago jam band to New Orleans to promote their upcoming album, Similar Skin. Set to be released June 10, Similar Skin will be the band’s eighth studio album, and the first from their new independent label Nothing Too Fancy Music, a moniker shared with one of the group’s most beloved songs.
The band promises a unique concert experience. Known for communal, fan friendly performances, Umphree’s McGee has been at the forefront of concert audio-immersion. A concept recently featured in Rolling Stone magazine, the “Headphones and Snowcones” audio immersion program is an option available at Umphree’s shows that enables fans to listen through headphones connected to the soundboard, blocking out ambient noise.
At the same time listeners preview what the live album cut will sound like. The band will also issue a free download of the performance for those who choose to enjoy the show this way.
Umphree’s McGee has been known to partake in fan-curated sets, allowing audience members to text in requests. Fans who attended last year’s UMBowl, the bands annual hometown gig, saw the band do “An All Request Quarter,” and a “Choose Your Own Adventure Quarter,” where the group chose a song to play from among three fan sourced requests. Likewise, the show at the Civic promises to be a fun, interactive time.
Similar Skin features eleven new songs, some of which will already be familiar to hardcore fans as part of their vast live repertoire, that have been recorded here for the first time. While Umphrey’s is known primarily for their grand, live events, they have continued to break ground with each studio album, and Similar Skin is no different.
On this album they depart from the dense productions of 2009’s Mantis and 2011’s Death by Stereo, and focus on shorter, catchier songs. Diversity, a trademark of the band, is also well represented on Similar Skin. An array of stylistic touchstones are blended seamlessly, from the prog-infused “The Linear,” to the poppy “No Diablo,” to the epic rock crescendos of “Cut the Cable.” Fans who expect a dynamic new album will not be disappointed.
Tickets are available here. Similar Skin will be available everywhere June 10.
