On an idyllic Friday night in Baltimore, two powerhouse jam bands brought the heat to the Inner Harbor. Umphrey’s McGee and the Disco Biscuits have led the scene side by side for more than 20 years and have hosted an annual resort-based festival called “Holidaze” together since 2013. The two bands joined forces once again for an unforgettable night of soaring improvisation and dance grooves on June 10, 2022.

We caught up with Umphrey’s McGee’s keyboard wizard, Joel Cummins, before the show who opened up about the reason they’ve revived this co-headlining bill 15 years later. “Even though we haven’t done the D.U.M.B. tour in a long time, we’ve been doing Holidaze together and it’s been an event we all look forward to,” Cummins said, “But I don’t think there’s going to be a Holidaze event this year, so we wanted to give our fans some place to see us together.”

The connection between the two bands has evolved, but the love and respect between them is clear. Cummins shared his thoughts on how it’s changed saying, “Being 15 years older, the competitive element is of course still there, but it’s more relaxed and fun for all of us now.”

Aptly and facetiously named the D.U.M.B. tour, the two bands embarked on an eight-date national tour and delighted fans at MECU Pavilion (aka Pier Six Pavilion) with two extra-long sets that each highlighted the bands’ respective strengths and showcased their overlapping appeals nearly three decades into their careers.

Umphrey’s McGee kicked off the festivities with a sequence of four songs debuted in 2006 or earlier, transporting the crowd back to the last D.U.M.B Tour in 2007. Following quick runs through “Wife Soup” and “Uncommon,” the fan-favorite “All In Time” gave the band its first opportunity to stretch its improvisation legs with the group latching onto a simple metal hook from lead guitarist Jake Cinninger before he and guitarist Brendan Bayliss broke the jam down into a minimalist trade-off before the rhythm section came back with a vengeance and morphed the jam into a soaring arena rock climax before turning to a gentler conclusion.

Following the first section of “Eat,” the band transitioned to an extended version of “Draconian” with a groovy funk jam that provided 17 minutes of dance beats as the sun began its descent over the harbor. The start-stop jam featured outstanding contributions from drummer Kris Myers and percussionist Andy Farag behind a synth-driven foundation from keyboardist Joel Cummins.

The band stayed in form with extended improvisation in “The Silent Type” and “Seasons,” with both jams allowing bassist Ryan Stasik to lead the way with silky runs up and down the fretboard, holding down the low end and adding deep texture behind the rest of the band’s shredding peaks. The Umphrey’s classic “Bridgeless” closed out the set, putting an exclamation point on the opening half of the show.

As the stage was turned over for the Disco Biscuits and darkness overtook the venue, new light rigs were set up to allow the Philadelphia-based jamtronica quartet to accentuate their set with the trademark light show that brings layers of intensity and excitement to their shows.Following a quick, tongue-in-cheek ceremony bestowing the Jam On Fantasy Football trophy to Sirius XM’s Ari Fink, Bisco kicked their set off with “Helicopters” and smoothly transitioned to “Miracles,” giving both songs ample room to breathe with improvisation led by keyboardist Aron Magner on the former. The “Miracles” jam featured tempo changes, dynamic range, and inspired work by guitarist Jon "The Barber" Gutwillig who found an energetic hook and milked it for all it was worth.

The set continued with “Another Plan of Attack,” a new song debuted just the night before at the D.U.M.B. tour opener. This new song prominently features a harmonizer effect for Barber’s vocals and instrumentals that evoke house and trance music with a shredding guitar climax. This track will make jam band fans with an appreciation of Daft Punk groove until their feet hurt in venues across the country as the band finds new ways to incorporate it into their setlists. Following a quick return to “Miracles,” the band continued with this vibe in “Who’s In Charge,” launching into a 25+ minute exploration with infusions of funk and house throughout before another seamless transition to “Orch Theme.” The band put the finishing touches on a stellar set by finishing “Helicopters” before returning from the encore break for a quick rendition of “King of the World.”

The return of the D.U.M.B. can only be described as “triumphant” and it was a pleasure to see two bands still at the top of their game touring together in a celebration of friendship between both the bands and their fans. D.U.M.B. returns in August for four shows in the Midwest, concluding with a two-night stand at the Caverns Amphitheater in Pelham, TN.