Umphrey’s McGee Turn in Two Nights at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Debuting Covers of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Sade, Parliament and Sublime

Photo Credit: Brian Stollery

Umphrey’s McGee celebrated the end of the year by putting on two live engagements at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. The first of which took place on Tuesday, Dec. 30, consisting of three sprawling sets, packed with acoustic moments, teases, special guest Jim Loughlin appearing at times, and a debut of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s 1969 love-tinged classic “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” During the band’s follow-up, they brought out Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horns, Michael “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou on trumpet, and Jeff Coffin on saxophone. They provided their Peach State audience with three debut covers and a notable bust-out. 

During the prelude to New Year’s Eve proper, Umphrey’s McGee members  Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger strummed acoustic guitars during the entirety of the concert’s first frame, which consisted of seven originals, among them “Uncle Wally,” “Divisions,” “Morning Song,” and “Syncopated Strangers,” some of which received ricochets and returns. After a standard second set, their third batch was packed with teases, guest-featured moments, and more. 

UM’s third set began with Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” tease on “Nothing Too Fancy,” which merged into “Much Obliged,” featuring a segue into Julius Fučík’s “Entrance of the Gladiators.” After “Wife Soup” and looping back to “Nothing Too Fancy,” the group brought out Loughlin on percussion for “All In Time,” and Talking Heads’ “Crosseyed and Painless,” with a twist of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” They tacked on “Pay the Snucka” as the last move of the set, returning for the night’s encore/debut of “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” 

After delivering their pre-New Year’s Eve concert, the band was back at the Tabernacle on Wednesday to tie a bow on their two-night celebration. Of the three sets performed, the first positioned the band in good standing, teasing the potential of what was to come by way of the horns’ arrival in set two. “13 Days” beckoned the Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horn section up. UM [with guests] followed with the night’s initial debut, their first-ever take on Sade’s “Smooth Operator.” 

The horn section took a back seat during “Slacker” and “Miss Tinkle Overture,” resuming their contributions on “Conduit” and “Out of Focus.” Mavridoglou and Coffin contributed to the entirety of set three, “Women Wine and Song,” before the debut of Parliament’s “Do That Stuff.” As is tradition for this group, the clock’s midnight arrival was met with “Auld Lang Syne.” They trailed with their own “Unevolved” prior to the first cover of AC/DC’s “Back in Black” since July 14, 2003. Its return represented the end of a massive 2,261-show gap. 

For the night’s encore, UM sans guests started with “In the Kitchen,” before bringing out the horns one last time for a debut of Sublime’s “Santeria.” 

Tonight, UM returns to the stage for an evening with Andy Frasco & The U.N. Tickets remain on sale. Purchase here.

Umphrey’s McGee 

The Tabernacle – Atlanta 

Dec. 30, 2025 

Set 1: Uncle Wally[1], Divisions[1] > Morning Song[1], Syncopated Strangers[1] > Made to Measure[1] > Syncopated Strangers[1], End of the Road[1], Water[1] > Divisions[1]

Set 2: Small Strides, Wide Open, Der Bluten Kat > Final Word > Der Bluten Kat, Higgins

Set 3: Nothing Too Fancy[2] > Much Obliged[3] > Wife Soup > Nothing Too Fancy, All In Time[4] > Crosseyed and Painless[5] > All In Time[4], Pay the Snucka

Encore: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes[6]

Footnotes:

    [1] with Brendan and Jake on acoustic guitars

    [2] with Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love (Van Halen) tease

    [3] with Entrance of the Gladiators (Julius Fučík) tease

    [4] with Jim Loughlin on percussion

    [5] with Jim Loughlin on percussion; with Enter Sandman (Metallica) tease; incomplete

    [6] debut, Crosby, Stills & Nash; with Brendan on acoustic guitar

Umphrey’s McGee 

The Tabernacle – Atlanta 

Dec. 31, 2025 

Set 1: Cemetery Walk > Cemetery Walk II, Hangover, Prowler > 2nd Self, Den, Mad Dog Melee[1] > Mulche’s Odyssey

Set 2: 13 Days[2], Smooth Operator[3] > Slacker, Miss Tinkle’s Overture, Conduit[2], Out of Focus[2]

Set 3: Women Wine and Song[2], Do That Stuff[4] > Believe the Lie, The Triple Wide[2] > Auld Lang Syne[2], Unevolved[2], Back In Black[2]

Encore: In The Kitchen > Santeria[5]

Footnotes:

    [1] with Michael “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou conducting

    [2] with Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horns

    [3] debut, Sade; with Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horns

    [4] debut, Parliament; with Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horns

    [5] debut, Sublime; with Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horns

Show Notes:

Mad Dog’s Filthy Little Secret horns were: Michael “Mad Dog” Mavridoglou on trumpet and Jeff Coffin on saxophone.

Last “Back In Black” 2003-07-14 (2,261 shows)