Hey jam heads, welcome back to Schecky’s Jam Bands — the show where we dive deep into the groove, the improvisation, and the magic behind the best jam bands on the planet. Today, we’re talking about a group that perfectly walks the line between precision and chaos — a band that’s as tight as Rush but as unpredictable as Phish. Yep… we’re talking about Umphrey’s McGee.

The story of Umphrey’s McGee starts back in 1997 at the University of Notre Dame. Guitarists Brendan Bayliss and Joel Cummins, both from earlier campus projects, decided to team up with drummer Mike Mirro and bassist Ryan Stasik. The guys were just college friends jamming for fun — but the chemistry was instant.

They started gigging around South ...