oh kee pah

photo courtesy of Mike Rapaport

On Friday afternoon, Stic was able to catch-up with Andy Farag, percussionist for Umphrey's McGee. These are no new kids on the block! They have been around for twelve years and are still holding strong. They will be playing on Saturday at Chicago's North Coast Festival. Don't miss out seeing these guys, you never know what stunt they might pull out!

Stic: You've played at Bonnaroo several times. One time in particular sticks out to me, playing for over 100,000, and beating CD sales of Widespread Panic, how did that feel? What were some reactions from the band?

Andy: It was like doing a whole countrywide tour, and all these people coming to one place. That was the largest crowd we have played. It was such a rush! They have since moved to a different style of music, it's more mainstream now. It's for sure changed over the years.
Stic: That is true Bonnaroo has become more main steam with indie bands and Jay-Z this past year, same with Coachella as well. Now you are going to be playing at North Coast next weekend it's a mixture as well.

Andy: Yes, I personally listen to hip-hop a lot, and like the line up for North Coast and it's the hometown for the band. We have thousands of listeners in Chicago, and we get a rep of jam band, like it's a negative connotation. We do have long winded jams, and super long solos. With that said we try to put together a cohesive show with a progressive rock style.

Stic: Since you like hip-hop do you tie that into your music?

Andy: Yes we tie in hip-hop. We try and tie in all sorts of music and genres. Besides maybe for opera and polka. [laughs] We have done Snoop Dawg and Dr. Dre. I just really like underground hip-hop. My brother and I have even started our own record label.

With ticket sales reported from the final dates of its 2010 Summer Tour, Phish takes the No. 1 spot on this week's Hot Tours chart with a combined gross of $7.4 million from five markets. Following a month-long break after the first leg of the summer tour ended on July 4, the band's first venue on the August schedule was the Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Calif. (Aug. 5-7) All three performances at the intimate 8,500-seat amphitheater on the campus of the University of California Berkeley were sellouts with 26,016 in attendance. The next stop was a two-night stint at Telluride (Colo.) Town Park (Aug. 9-10) with sold out crowds at both shows. The band followed those dates with two-performance runs at amphitheaters in Noblesville, Ind. and East Troy, Wis., wrapping the summer leg on Aug. 17-18 with two sold out concerts at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, N.Y. Since its June 11 kick-off in Chicago, Phish has played a total of 29 performances during the Summer Tour. With total grosses surpassing $22.2 million, the band currently ranks among the 15 top-grossing tours of the year. More dates are scheduled for October following an Oct. 8 appearance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The first jam of tour that lifted the entire audience into a galaxy far, far away sprouted from the unlikeliest of places. Kick-starting The Greek’s second night’s second set, Phish strung together three heavy-hitting jam vehicles – “Rock and Roll,” “Ghost,” and “Mike’s Song.” Building a legitimate tour highlight in “Rock and Roll” and a solid version of “Ghost,” one figured when the band doused the fire of “Mike’s,” a mellow interlude was inevitable. Sidestepping “Hydrogen” for “Simple” for only the second time this year, Gordon’s anthem seemed quite appropriate for the summer night. “Simple’s” only previous appearance within a “Mike’s Groove” this summer came on June 29 in Canandaigua, New York, featuring a shimmering ambient jam that landed in “I Am the Walrus,” a version that brought creativity back to the often one-dimensional piece.