~Weird~
Brenna Ehrlich – Wed Mar 30, 12:49 pm ET
Usually, the dude standing in the front row during a show, cellphone in hand, is considered a musician's arch enemy. Even if he's taking snaps, he's not actively listening to the music, which is the whole point of attending a show. Not so with the fans of Chicago-based band Umphrey's McGee, which will soon be holding its second, hyper-interactive UMBowl.
The first UMBowl was held last April, at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. The five-hour show comprised four quarters -- like its namesake, the Super Bowl -- all of which harnessed the power of tech to interact with the audience, letting it text to decide everything from the songs the band would play to how the songs were arranged.
The idea itself by was inspired by the band's Stew Art (or S2) series, which launched in 2009. S2 is basically a series of 50-person shows during which fans can submit ideas for songs by texting words, phrases, etc. to a screen on stage, after which the band improvises a new jam.
"We wanted to take that concept and turn it into a full-fledged event where the entire night was based on music played by the band based on fan-driven choices," says Kevin Browning, the band's producer.
Hence, UMBowl was born. Browning tells us that this first experiment (which sold out in a matter of minutes) was a huge success, with 98% of those surveyed following the show saying that they would attend again.
"Going into last year's event, I was actually a little nervous about it because there was a lot of technology that was being used and we had to make sure that things would go well and work right," says Joel Cummins, keyboardist for the band. "But as the event went along, and everyone was loving it, it dawned on me: 'This should make sense, because we're taking all the things they really want to hear and we're playing them. They're going to be excited because of that.'"
This year, the band and Browning took feedback from fans to create a new conglomeration of quarters. "Each theme is different enough that it's a show in its own," says Browning. "So there's something for everyone." The event takes place on April 2 at Chicago's Park West.
The first quarter puts the fan in the role of the quarterback, allowing him or her to choose which song will open the show. The choices will appear on a series of screens throughout the venue, and fans can vote via text (using text platform Mozes). Votes will be tallied in real time. Fans can then decide from an array of songs to finish out the set.
The second quarter brings the band's S2 series into the mix, allowing the fans to choose themes, ideas and more for the band to riff on. The third quarter brings a new element (lacking from last year's show) into the mix, letting the audience decide what instrument each band member will play.
Finally, the show concludes with the fourth quarter, during which attendees can request any song they want -- from hits, to rare tracks, to new arrangements.
Currently, the event is sold out, but fans can catch a live stream from iClips (they can't participate couch-side, however).
Umphrey's McGee is just one of a growing group of musicians tapping into tech to make their live shows a more engaging experience. Last year, singer-songwriter Ben Folds busted out Chatroulette during a show and improvised songs dictated by the people he saw (after being compared to mysterious Chatroulette piano player, Merton). And then there was the Arcade Fire's stunning "The Wilderness Downtown" video, which prompted viewers to write postcards to their younger selves, which were then integrated into the band's live shows.
"The technology itself isn't the game changer," Cummins says. "If you're a good band, you're a good band. If you're a lousy band, you're a lousy band. The technology only allows you to communicate more efficiently about how good or how terrible you are. But it gives us a whole new set tools to interact and communicate and to play with the audience in a way we have never been able to before."
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Originally Posted by Hardrock69
