Down By the River: See Umphrey’s McGee and Lettuce at Penn’s Landing Saturday
Umphrey’s McGee show | Photo by Stephen Olker
This Saturday, July 18, prog-rock sextet Umphrey’s McGee will co-headline with funk combo Lettuce at the River Stage at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing.
Lettuce, a sextet that will be performing with singer Alecia Chakour on this tour, formed at the Berklee School of Music over 20 years ago. Though they make music in the tradition of classic funk, Lettuce isn’t a nostalgia trip. Drummer and primary songwriter Adam Deitch says of the band, “We aim to smash those limits [of funk] by drawing on a range of styles that can be traced from the early ’60s through the early ’80s, incorporating plenty of modern hip-hop sensibilities — heavy bass, kick and snare — along the way.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB8al4COufo
Lettuce will kick off Saturday’s party with the first set, followed by Umphrey’s McGee (UM) playing their own single set. If you’ve never seen live UM, be prepared to have your flatbrim blown back before the wall of sound. Two guitarists, two drummers, one bass and a set of keys merge metal tempo, prog-rock chops and improvisational jamming into a show that gets fists pumping and the high-fives flying. Light it all up with lighting designer Jefferson Waful’s smoky, flashing rainbows, and you’ve got a tier-one party down by the river.
Umphrey’s McGee and Lettuce, Saturday July 18, 6pm. River Stage, Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing. General Admission tickets $43.50, on sale now at Ticketmaster
