1600 GOES LIVE FOR OUR 2007 XMAS XTRAVAGANZA!!!

Greetings, Culture Lovers!

Here's a head's up for our loyal viewers and a special Christmas present to you from the crew at 1600! On Friday night December 21st, and just in time for the holidays, 1600 will present a special 2 HOUR LIVE SHOW! From 9:30-11:30 pm, you can tune in and get the skinny on the year's best new releases, concerts, interviews, and most outrageous moments, as brought to you by Jerry, Steve and Bob, in their inimitable (not that anyone would want to!) manner!

There will be more surprises and announcements, Christmas music, holiday recipes, spiked egg nog, and more 1600 than you can shake a stick at! Consider this to be YOUR INVITATION to get in on an unforgettable, unforgivable, unGrinchable Christmas Party!

Because, best of all, YOU are cordially invited to call in to speak your mind- LIVE ON THE AIR! The magic number is: (703) 573-5483 (that's (703) 573-LIVE) and let us know what you think! What are you listening to? Who do you want to see us interview? Hate the show? Like the show? Love the show? Wish we'd discuss a certain topic or pay tribute to a favorite band? Now's your chance to sound off, sing out, and say your piece!

So, tuck the kids in bed and let them dream of sugarplums, candy canes, and teddy bears, while you stay up to raise hell and join the festivities! Remember to tune in early on Friday Dec. 21st, and stay with us through the night to ring out the old year with much joyous noise!

From Steve, Jerry & Bob

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Umphrey's McGee: Kids or Jail??

Umphrey's McGee, looking remarkably out of character

The 1600 team had a chance to sit down with the members of Umphrey's McGee before their triumphant return to the 9:30 Club October 17th. We were pleased to catch up with Jake, Brendan, Ryan, Joel, Chris, and Andy, heard some great stories, talked sports, found out about their influences, and heard about the brand new, just released double live album, Live at the Murat, recorded in April at the Murat Egyptian Room in Indianapolis. The interview will air soon on Channel 10 in Fairfax, and will be online shortly after. (So you can figure out why this review is called Kids or Jail!) Don't miss it!

The first set started around 9:30, and the near-capacity crowd was dancing, shouting, and swaying before the band even hit the stage. Umphrey's sound was for the most part, spot on, although Jake was having some difficulty initially with his pedals and effects, but that was ironed out relatively quickly...They opened with "Walletsworth," from their 2004 disc, Anchor Drops, doing one of their trademark jams (a.k.a., a Jimmy Stewart) and returning to the main theme, followed by "Push the Pig," "Believe the Lie" (from the 2006 CD, Safety in Numbers), "Utopian Fir," and "Thin Air."

After a short break to regroup, Umphrey's returned to the stage with "Hurt Birdbath," from 2002's Local Band Does Okay, a title that indicates the band's self-effacing, low-key attitude that makes them refreshingly approachable and down to earth. They continued with "Words," "Smell the Mitten" (A Spinal Tap reference/homage? Pretty funny!), and another Jimmy Stewart, into the title cut from their most recent studio release, The Bottom Half. The set ended on a high note, with "Kabump," and one of their dozens of odd covers, rehearsed and worked out on the bus, at their hotel, and backstage before the show. Tonight's pick was A Flock of Seagulls "I Ran," which I hadn't heard in a very long time, and as enhanced by the Umphrey's crew, sounded pretty good, although I nearly laughed out loud as Brendan launched into the lyrics. Steve was probably the gladdest of all to hear it, however, because it meant that Jerry and I wouldn't have to crush his spleen for suggesting "Sister Christian," another bad 80's tune the band occasionally performs live.

They solo, they duel, they improvise on the fly, and take chances- something few bands (even jam bands) can do as seamlessly, or as apparently effortlessly. But they admit to practicing like crazy (Adrian Belew told us that Umphrey's sometimes even works on material between sets! How hard core is that?) and after 10 years together and over 2,000 shows, the time and effort they put into their music definitely shows! The band goes from one song to suddenly veer off and break into another, completely different style, each member taking off in different directions, and then pulling back right back together to finish the song that started the medley, throwing out the occasional hand signals, or counting off, and watching each other's every move. And the audience moves right along with the beat, nonstop- dancing, laughing and playing, while soaking up every note.

So, look for them to come back in the spring to the DC area and see what the fun is all about. And look for us down by the right speaker, dancing along...