Tour NewsUmphrey's McGeeJake Cinninger
Umphrey's McGee Head to UMBowl XII as a Five-Piece
Guitarist Jake Cinninger left the band in July after 26 years, the second lineup change in 15 months, and no replacement has been named.
Aug 31, 2026
MILWAUKEE — Umphrey’s McGee will play UMBowl XII on Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10 at the Pabst Theatre as a five-piece band, following the departure of guitarist Jake Cinninger in July.
Cinninger joined in September 2000 and left on July 7, 2026. No replacement guitarist has been announced.
The band’s announced 2026 schedule now runs to nine remaining dates, closing with the two Milwaukee nights. None of them are in New York State.
The July announcement
Umphrey’s McGee announced Cinninger’s departure on July 7. In its statement the band said his “musical voice, creativity, and passion have helped shape Umphrey’s McGee since the early days,” and said it would continue to honor the music the group had built together.
The exit followed a leave of absence Cinninger took earlier in 2026, during which he missed a 14-stop West Coast run that began March 10. The band continued to tour through the spring and early summer without him, so the five-piece configuration was already on stage well before the July announcement made it permanent.
Cinninger’s statement
Cinninger addressed the departure himself on July 9, calling it “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
“I am utterly grateful for all the amazing 27 years of music, travel and fan support,” he wrote, adding that “the time to move forward in my life and musical journey has come.”
He gave no specific reason for leaving. On what comes next, he said he was “extremely excited for the future with goals and new inspiration ahead,” and that “staying positive and focused is giving me hope for the next chapter.”
The second change in 15 months
Cinninger’s exit is the second departure from the lineup since the spring of 2025.
Drummer Kris Myers announced his resignation on May 13, 2025 after more than two decades with the band. Jambands reported the following day that Scotty Zwang and Duane Trucks would handle drums for the remainder of 2025. Zwang has since been listed as the band’s drummer.
| Member | Role | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Brendan Bayliss | Guitar, lead vocals | 1997 |
| Joel Cummins | Keyboards, backing vocals | 1997 |
| Ryan Stasik | Bass | 1997 |
| Andy Farag | Percussion | 1998 |
| Scotty Zwang | Drums, backing vocals | 2025 |
Bayliss addresses fans
Frontman Brendan Bayliss posted a message to fans on July 30, thanking them “for being so supportive over the last several months and years.”
“I am looking at this moment as an opportunity to focus on what can and will be,” he wrote. Of the current configuration, he said that “recently, playing as a five-piece has brought back a sense of joy and excitement that feels really refreshing.”
Bayliss said the band was working on new material, and pointed to the resumption of the moe.mentUM co-headlining tour in Grand Rapids on August 12. That tour, shared with moe., closed on August 15 in Highland Park, Illinois after 17 shows together.
What is left on the calendar
JamBase lists nine remaining 2026 dates.
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 25-27 | Bellvue, CO | Mishawaka Amphitheatre |
| Sep 30 | Fayetteville, AR | George's Majestic |
| Oct 1 | Memphis, TN | Satellite Music Hall |
| Oct 2-3 | Nashville, TN | Brooklyn Bowl |
| Oct 9-10 | Milwaukee, WI | Pabst Theatre |
The band’s most recent Upstate New York appearance came on June 19 at the Perinton Center Park Amphitheater in Fairport, outside Rochester, co-headlining with moe. on the moe.mentUM tour. The two bands closed that night with a collaborative encore, joined by moe.’s Al Schnier on guitar and Jim Loughlin on percussion.
That date fell during Cinninger’s leave of absence and roughly three weeks before the July announcement. The photograph at the top of this article was taken at the Perinton show and shows the five-piece lineup on stage.
Earlier in the year the band played the Town Ballroom in Buffalo on February 1 and Albany on February 5, on the Sky’s The Limit tour. No further Upstate date has been announced.
UMBowl XII
UMBowl XII hands part of the set construction to ticket holders, through advance voting, choices made during the show and material the band does not otherwise play often. The band will play three sets each night.
Presale and umVIP packages went on sale August 19, with general tickets following on August 21, both at 10 a.m. Central.
UMBowl XII details are on the band’s site.
Umphrey’s McGee currently perform as a five-piece: Brendan Bayliss, Joel Cummins, Ryan Stasik, Andy Farag and Scotty Zwang. UMBowl XII takes place Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10, 2026 at the Pabst Theatre, 144 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sources: Jambands, June 21, Jambands, July 7, Jambands, July 9, Jambands, July 30, Jambands, May 13, 2025, Jambands, May 14, 2025, Jambands, August 16, JamBase tour dates, Wikipedia.
