Umphrey’s McGee have created “Chicago,” a special song for their hometown. Though the members of Umphrey’s McGee first came together around South Bend, IN and currently live in cities across the country, their base of operations remains in the Windy City.

A note on Umphrey’s McGee’s official homepage explains:

If you are a fan of Umphrey’s McGee, you know we are huge fans of Chicago. We’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world over and there is simply no place quite like it. So when the opportunity arose to represent Chicago in a fresh & fitting way, rest assured we weren’t going to pass that up.

In a serendipitous meeting at one of Chicago’s many great watering holes, Don Welsh (President & CEO of Choose Chicago) and Kevin Browning (Manages Creative & Business Development for UM) found themselves in a conversation about a new marketing campaign for the city. Don mentioned his desire for a song that would both encapsulate all that is Chicago & serve as a rallying point for the city. Kevin told him to look no further.

And so a nine month project to craft a Chicago centered, Umphrey’s original was born. Next week the track officially hatches and we wanted you to be the first to know what’s coming.

Chicago is a little bit of everything you’ve come to expect from UM. A funky intro that pays homage to the Chicago’s early urban sound gives way to a feel great, head bobbin’ verse. The chorus warrants a gratuitous fist pumping as an anthemic tribute to Chitown ensues. It’s rooted in rock but laced with just enough pop to cast a wide net. (The heavy metal version may not have played as well).

We’re honored and elated to be part of a project that gives back to Chicago, a city that has given us so much. We hope the song will take on a life of its own and become something bigger than any of us. If we can help turn on even a handful of new peeps to the gem that is Chicago, it will be a success.

The official launch is April 26th but check back soon because we don’t think we can wait that long. Thanks for being the best fans around. Your support allows us to continue to look outside of the box for new & interesting ideas like this.

In other news, last night Umphrey’s McGee headlined a special 4/20 show at Austin, TX’s famed Stubb’s. After the show, Umphrey’s McGee co-founders Brendan Bayliss (guitar) and Joel Cummins (keyboards) played a late night show at the venue. Umphrey’s McGee percussionist Andy Farag served as a special guest throughout the set. The performance included UM originals “In the Kitchen,” “Uncommon,” “Sweetness,” “Nemo,” “Made to Measure,” “Hangover” and “Much Obliged” as well as “Susannah” from Bayliss’ 30db project with Jeff Austin. The set also featured Billy Cobham’s “Red Baron”—a song Umphrey’s McGee dropped from rotation a number of years ago—Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” Elton John’s “Benny and the Jets” and Men at Work’s “Land Down Under,” among other tunes.

Umphrey’s McGee will perform at Dallas, TX’s Good Records at 2 PM today. They will then perform at the Dallas House of Blues this evening.