Umphrey’s McGee stopped into the Capital District on a frigid February 5, for two hot sets at Empire Live. The band’s first show in Albany since 2022 allowed local Umphreaks to see Scotty Zwang behind the drum kit, as well as a shirtless wonder take the stage just before the encore.
Opening up with “Tango Mike” and a 19-minute version of “Concessions,” a lasting remnant from UMBowl X in 2024, the band was off and running. Setlist staple since 2000, “Professor Wormbog” preceded Death by Stereo track “Domino Theory” before shifting back to early UM song “Sociable Jimmy.” The long intro to a hot “Nothing Two Fancy” shifted the crowd back to dancing in the shoulder-to-shoulder room, segueing into “Pay the Snucka” and surprising the crowd with the third ever version of Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy,” the last since February 2008, nearly 18 years to the day.
Set two would open with “In the Kitchen,” a nod to the weather (“it was cold in the kitchen and the lights were low as winter slowly stumbled home“), followed by fellow Anchor Drops track “Wife Soup.” “Utopian Fir” quickly gave way to a mashup of Nine Inch Nails and The Beatles, in the form of “Come Closer” – part “Come Together,” part “Closer” and full of a groove only Umphrey’s can mashup. A cover of Tenacious D’s “Kielbasa” was slipped in just after “The Weight Around,” with the finale of “Nothing Too Fancy” wrapping up the set.
Earlier in Set 2, comedian Bert Kreischer, who had just wrapped up his second of two nights at Palace Theatre, strolled down the street to Empire Live to catch some of the show. Ahead of the encore, Kreischer appeared on the Empire Live stage, taking off his shirt per usual, to introduce the band as ‘the best thing to come from Indiana since god damn corn.” Umphrey’s McGee responded playing the ironic “The Silent Type.” In between, as they have done for much of this tour thus far, they dropped a classic cover inside the encore track, opting for Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights,” changing the lyrics to “Albany Nights” to the delight of the crowd.
Setlist via AllthingsUmphreys
February 5, 2026 Umphrey’s McGee — Empire Live — Albany, NY, USA
Set 1: Tango Mike > Concessions, Professor Wormbog, Domino Theory, Sociable Jimmy > Nothing Too Fancy[1] > Pay the Snucka[2] > Seek and Destroy > Pay the Snucka
Set 2: In The Kitchen[3] > Wife Soup, Utopian Fir > Come Closer > Utopian Fir > Mulche’s Odyssey, The Weight Around > Kielbasa > Nothing Too Fancy
Encore: The Silent Type[4]-> Hollywood Nights[5] > The Silent Type
[1] with Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love (Van Halen) tease
[2] with (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Blue Öyster Cult) teases
[3] ended with Roundabout (Yes) teases
[4] with Miss Tinkle’s Overture tease
[5] lyrics changed from “Hollywood” to “Albany”
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