On Saturday night, Umphrey’s McGee’s Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger hosted their ninth annual Acoustic Holiday Show. The event, which took place at Chicago’s Park West, served as a benefit for the People’s Music School of Chicago. Given the beneficiary, the evening startedout in fitting fashion as the People’s School of Music children’s choir took the stage by themselves to perform “Octopus’s Garden” and “Christmas Time Is Here.” Bayliss and Cinninger then stepped out on their acoustics for “Sweetness” which segued into “Water.” They then expanded to a trio as Steve Krojniewski, who has performed with Cinninger in Ali Baba’s Tahini, appeared on drums for “Resolution.” A number of other Acoustic Holiday Show veterans also joined in over the course of the night as Mike Rackey (pedal steel guitar), Barry Brown (piano) and Michelle Hallman (vocals) also performed, as they had in 2010. The evening also saw Bayliss and Cinninger move beyond their acoustic guitars, with both performing on bass and piano. The complete setlist, as drawn from our Box Scores section appears below.

Umphrey’s McGee returns to the stage on December 29 at the Pageant in St. Louis.

***

Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger’s Acoustic Holiday Show
Park West – Chicago, IL

Octopus’s Garden*, Christmas Time Is Here*, Sweetness > Water, August, Resolution^, Travelin’ Man, End of the Road!, Hajimemashite, Hey Hey What Can I Do@, Susanah@!^^, So Far Away From You^^$, Santa Odyssey$$, Always A Woman%, The Only Living Boy In New York%%, Bullhead City^!&, Who’s Loving You&, Can’t Get It Out of My Head^$&&, Nothing Too Fancy

Enc: Never Tear Us Apart^@@#, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas&, Drift Away&#^

Notes:

(*)People’s Music School children’s choir only
(^)with Steve Krojniewski (Ali Baba’s Tahini) on drums
(!)with Mike Rackey on pedal steel guitar
()with Brendan on mandolin
(^^)with Barry Brown on piano
($)with Brendan on bass
($$)Space Oddity with Christmas lyrics by Jake
(%)Brendan on piano and vocals, solo
(%%)just Brendan on piano and Dave Thompson on vocals
(&)with Michelle Hallman on vocals, and piano for Who's Loving You
(&&)with Jake on piano
(@)with Brendan on piano
(#)with Jake on bass

Source: Thebort.com