Umphrey’s McGee guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger hosted their annual acoustic holiday show at Park West in Chicago, which also served as a benefit the Jerry Cummins “I Love Math” scholarship fund and the Illinois Alzheimer’s Association.

To start the show, UM bandmate Joel Cummins hit the stage for a solo piano set that included a heavy dose of Claude Debussy arrangements as well as tunes from Miles Davis, Allman Brothers (“Jessica”) and UM’s own “Orfeo.” For the closer, Cummins brought Cinninger out on drums for “Linus and Lucy.”

Bayliss and Cinninger once again hit the stage as an acoustic duo, presenting UM tunes like “In the Kitchen” and “Cut the Cable” as well as Zeppelin’s “Going to California” before bringing out Andy Farag and Cummins to join the fold on “No Diablo,” “Water” and “Booth Love,” the latter of which included longtime acoustic show guest Mike Racky on steel guitar.

As a quintet, the group would roll through tunes like Ween’s “Transdermal Celebration,” Marley’s “Kinky Reggae,” the UM oldie “Ride on Pony,” Los Lobos’ “The Valley,” Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” and others before Bayliss took to the piano for a solo rendition of “Christmas Time is Here.”

Bayliss would remain on piano with Racky and Cinninger for Bob Dylan’s “Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind” and Sublime’s “Santeria” before Cummins and Farag returned for a closing cover of John Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels.”

To kick off the encore, the group let longtime friend Barry Brown (who MC’d the night) cover Styx’s “Come Sail Away” before mashing up The Doors’ “LA Woman” with Christmas-themed lyrics with the help of Cummins, Farag and Racky. The quintet would close the show with a recent ZONKEY studio cut “Bittersweet Haji” and an appropriate nod to Chicago with Guns N’ Roses’ “Home Sweet Home.”

Here’s a look at the setlist:

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

In The Kitchen, Going to California, Cut the Cable, No Diablo*, Water*, Booth Love*, Transdermal Celebration**, Gone for Good**, Kinky Reggae**, Ride On Pony**, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg**, The Valley**, I’m On Fire**, Christmas Time Is Here, Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind > Santeria, Watching the Wheels**

E: Come Sail Away***, LA Woman w/ Christmas lyrics**, Bittersweet Haji**, Home Sweet Home**

Notes:

*w/Andy Farag and Joel Cummins
**w/Farag, Cummins and Mike Racky on steel guitar
***Just Barry Brown on piano