Chiling-out on Sunday night
Umphrey's McGee heal your ears
Like the name imply, Fuji Rock Festival provide a great dose of rock to the attendance. However, when you reach the 3rd and final day of the wild celebration, it's understandable that you find yourself looking for something more serene to spend the last few hours in the mountains of Naeba. Anyway, that is exactly what happen to me on Sunday night when I decided to leave the stimulating performance of The Strokes and head to the Field of Heaven where Umphrey's McGee where peacefully presenting their art rock compositions.
The band from Chicago performed in front of a captive audience slowly waving at the rhythm of the acoustic guitars. Formed in 1997 from the merge of two bands, some of the initial members include Joel Cummins on keyboards and vocals, Brendan Bayliss on guitar and vocal and Ryan Stasik on bass. With nice sense of humor, they entitled their first album "Greatest Hits Vol.3", title that can reveal itself a bit confusing for someone unfamiliar with the band. With influences like the Beatles, Genesis, Yes and Miles Davis, the Umphrey's McGee are experienced instrumentalist and their appealing funk/progressive rock was the perfect way to end this exhausting fiesta.
