Umphrey's McGee purvey a heady, percussive-fleshed synthesis of jazz, funk, electro, metal, prog, and rock informed by both classic and modern influences, and salted with reggae, yacht-rock, pop, and blues. They also have a way of genre-jumping from one song to the next, or multiple times within the same song, while still remaining tight and focused. These guys don’t “jam,” but practice calculated improvisation, with pre-determined key changes and a series of hand gestures and signals they employ while on stage to communicate their next move. This is the sort of band that’s as likely to play covers of Talking Heads or Radiohead as King Crimson or Frank Zappa in a two-set show (they also do cover mash-ups), and though they’re 11 LPs deep—the latest is it’s not us—you must experience the Chicago sextet live to appreciate their full awe factor. by Leilani Polk