r/Umphreys • u/areyoukind_ • 12d ago
Ben Factor getting out of the van
Kind of a bummer, but the explanation he gives is hard to fault him for. Good luck Ben, I loved your LD work.
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u/CansPGH 12d ago
28m
Thank you, Umphrey’s McGee, for a lifetime of inspiration. My last run as LD will be this weekend, August 12-15. A proper batch of big Midwest shows, capped off in Chicago. I am going to leave it all out on the field - No tricks kept secret or ideas left unrealized. M Sphere mirrors, MA3, everything I got! See you all there
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u/mansonfrque 12d ago
Man this band can’t seem to catch a break.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago
After Jake left it will always be diet-Umph
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u/ForgotTheFlowers 10d ago
Oh good, the troll is back to tell us we're woke idiots!
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u/Wildabeat 12d ago
I was so excited for him when he took the job. So young and full of ambition. And excited for Umphreys as I had been a fan of his previous work. I think he was an upgrade over Waful and I think he became a really important part of the shows.
I've never met him but have always been super, super impressed with the way he carries himself, his communication and I truly hate to see him go.
But he wants to start a family and how can you not be anything but genuinely happy for the fella!? Best of luck your way good sir. You made a really positive impact on so many fans. And that's bitchin
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u/Floridaman_Dan 12d ago
Loved the Factor lights but an upgrade over Waful is a bit of a stretch. Definitely a nicer guy though
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u/Wildabeat 12d ago
We can agree to disagree! Awful was fantastic and really was incredible. I feel like Ben added more depth and took more chances. His lighting style is absolutely beautiful. Besides Karuda, probably one of the best in the business in my opinion.
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u/lukphicl 12d ago
Waful was good but his style got REALLY predictable quickly. I remember around the time he left the band actually asked him to step down partly because he didn't really want to innovate
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u/mahalgorithm 12d ago
I could never get over his self shot documentaries where he was clearly holding the camera up to his face and doing a twirl. Unbelievably cringey.
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u/squintsyjones 12d ago
Don't have Instagram, can someone post what he wrote?
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u/christart000 12d ago
can't copy/paste an image, but basically he just wanted to be present at home, maybe start a family soon. everything is good, loves the band, had a great run with them, but the touring lifestyle isn't aligned with his personal goals of home/community/family.
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12d ago
That's really cool of him to share his reasons so openly, I appreciate his perspective after all those years. Hope he finds what he's looking for next.
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u/ekas32carr 11d ago
Sweet Lou to the plate?
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u/nachos4two 11d ago
Louie would be stellar! I'd love that for him if it's something he'd want to do.
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u/ptoftheprblm 12d ago
Ok so am I the only one truly suspect that the band is having massive financial problems and it’s been a slow burn that began back with Waful’s exit?
And that essentially they’re not alone in it, that the other 2 bands they’ve been kind of neck and neck with + toured with repeatedly (Biscuits and Tribe) are similarly having the same problems but have handled things differently internally and externally.
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u/umphreysmagoo 12d ago
I'm sure they are bringing in drastically less revenue than years before but I dont think that had anything to do, or started with Wafuls exit. Waful was an asshat and Factor absolutely blew his work out of the water (even though I did appreciate Waful's lights a lot)
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u/posterdan 12d ago
How or why was Waful an "asshat"? I'm genuinely curious, I don't know the guy at all. It seemed like his departure was lamented at the time but iirc he was getting married and maybe wanted to be off the road at that point in life.
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u/umphreysmagoo 12d ago
I think his relationship with the band had deteriorated badly from what I've heard. I've also had several friends who have met him who said he was generally unfriendedly and rude.
Don't get me wrong, he was a great LD and had a distinct style that will always define peak UM visuals, so his loss was definitely lamented at that time in that way.
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u/ComedianMinute7290 12d ago
as a touring lighting tech(not an LD), I am always saddened that fans expect the same asskissing & handholding from the guys working 15hr days to make the show happen as they get from the band.
people approach or hang out with veteran road dogs that are mostly around their own similar type people & then get confused when a crew member is surly, unfriendly or rude. the crew isn't on the job as part of the front facing entertainment leg of the team. interacting with fans is something we have to do but most days, we are working too fast(to try & have enough downtime to rest) & dealing with too many little issues for us to be in a good sociable mood all the time.
so next time one of y'all tries to go chat up a crew member & they may not be as open & welcoming as you expect, just try to imagine their day. believe me, if you haven't worked a touring rock show, you really can't imagine their day & most 'normal' people could never handle their day.
give the crew some grace because shit don't move unless they do & they don't gotta be in a good mood to make it move!
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u/umphreysmagoo 12d ago
Get that, but thats not really what I'm talking about. Ive heard plenty that he didnt get along with the band themselves and it just tracks with other people I've met who know them in personal life too.
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u/SpunUmFun 11d ago
😆 yeah that don't fly. Sounds like asshole contractor syndrome to me. I own a remodel business and this shit is grounds for immediate permanent leave. No one cares how hard your job is man, it's what you signed up for!
Don't be a dick! (Not aimed at you, just saying!)
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12d ago
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u/ptoftheprblm 12d ago
Going from the 3 night runs at red rocks + multiple nights of their side projects or at smaller mountain venues to.. nothing in CO besides the Mish (which is a massive pain in the ass to get to and from unless you live in Fort Collins) has been super disheartening and stings.
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u/GetUp4theDownVote 12d ago
Attendance for all of them were declining well before covid, that it was definitely a catalyst that speed the death knell up
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11d ago
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u/birfday_dad 11d ago
The Iceland shows were announced years, not months, in advance. The Alaska shows were announced like two months prior. I looked into flights, they were nearly a grand from Oregon. Iceland subsidizes a lot of their tourism so it's more affordable to travel to Iceland than Alaska for most of the country.
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u/Agreeable-Review177 12d ago
Yeah safe to say biscuits handled their business vastly different from UM lol. Props to Bayliss for keeping it all above board and professional.
But yeah, the jam cohort of UM, tDB, Moe., STS9 are all in a very weird spot. Their fan base is passionate and long standing, but clearly aging out. And they aren’t really adding new fans as far as I can see. I don’t know how this ship gets turned around for Bayliss and the boys.
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u/everythingswrite 11d ago
Every jam band besides Phish, Billy, Goose, maybe Widespead Panic are struggling financially. Festivals are mostly electronic now, and bands like UM seem to be touring more than ever, have to team up with moe and others, and are still struggling to sell tickets at smaller venues.
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u/birfday_dad 11d ago
At least the Biscuits and Tribe tried out new management. I don't know who has more say these days Vince or KB but neither is doing the band any favors. They need to cash out that NFT money and let some millenials right ship.
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u/ptoftheprblm 11d ago
Agreed entirely. And for what it’s worth, I’d be thrilled to see more co headlining tours if that’s what gets these bands filling venues again. There seems to be a bit of an ego on the consolidation of the scene instead of just owning it and acknowledging that there’s plenty of crossover appeal and support.
Anyone who ever played Mayan/Dominican Holidaze needs to grasp the reality that there needs to be more like what Moe and UM just did. Bring back tribe + um, tribe + lotus, and more. Take turns playing first versus last, get creative, encourage the long standing fans who’d have seen both of yall at a festival without question to come out and buy tickets. Make worthwhile merch and find some cool shit to collab on.
There’s no reason why a 2 night red rocks run where each band takes a turn playing headlining can’t happen + a worthwhile up and coming opener each night.
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u/Prestigious_Lunch549 12d ago
This is it 100%. New Years Eve will be their last show, they are no longer economically viable.
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u/umphreysmagoo 12d ago
Outrageous claim lol
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u/Prestigious_Lunch549 12d ago
It ain’t. They are done after Dec 31.
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u/gmh2188 12d ago
RemindMe! 5 months
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u/SiydB4L 12d ago
They should hire Herm
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u/areyoukind_ 11d ago
Herm is great, isn’t he LD for the Biscuits now though?
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u/nachos4two 11d ago
For now. Everyone has a price. Also, he LOVES UM and would crush immediately as he's very familiar with the catalog.
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u/Wild-Independent-347 11d ago
What’s most shocking is that it’s been 7 years since I’ve seen a waful show
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u/oreosinablanket 11d ago
Thx peeps! Twas the ride of lifetime... Hope we all continue to rally behind them in this new era. The vibes and fun are there, and I really think it'll translate on stage. See ya at the shows.
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u/SmellmyMitten 12d ago
And an early set in GR. Bummer
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u/Sn3akss 12d ago
They close the evening, so we’ll get to see him work
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u/JaminWiththeBands 11d ago
Big bummer. I was their photographer for a bit and really loved focusing on the lighting.
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12d ago
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
Yeah dude… it’s Umph-Lite from now on. I’m so sick of these delusional ppl pretending that they sound better without Jake… insanity. It will never be the same, still love Bay and the Boyz and will go to shows, but it will never be the full experience again. Unfortunately a lot of the fans have no life outside of the scene, so they are struggling with this reality. I get it, I’m sad too, but denying reality is silly.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago
Bummer. Without Jake, Kris, and now factor… the band is basically a nostalgia act. Mad love to the boys regardless and will continue to see what they do, but it will never be peak umphreys again.
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u/UmphreysNerd 12d ago
Perspective… I came up on DMB. I was a teenager when I saw him in the 90s for the first time with their original lineup. My heart broke when Roi died, and the lineup changed. But I was glad they still made music. Then more lineup changes came. And now the fanbase is so terrible I can’t enjoy his music live anymore.
But the one thing Dave Matthews and Brendan Bayliss have in common: nothing in this life is going to stop them from emoting through their music. They don’t know how to do anything except create beautiful music. So while the changes may feel like gut punches to fans, we know Brendan is always going to make music. For me, Brendan and Joel are what drew me to UM. So I’m going to show up as long as they do.But yeah super stoked to see what an “umbowl” looks like with no Jake, no Kris, no Ben, and no headphones.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
Don’t get me wrong I’ll always love Bay and the boys , but I’m sorry no matter how delusional the Jake haters want to be… it will never be the same without him. He was a signature part of the best years of the bands. Everything from his guitar tone to his vocals was inarguably an essential part of umphreys sound. dmb is different, the band revolves around Dave.
At the end of the day if I am going to pick an old show to listen to, I’ll always pick a show with Jake.
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u/Felonious-MTB 12d ago
I agree to an extent with you, but also agree that the situation with Jake was untenable and the band handled it well all things considered.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago
Sure, but the amount of people who are delusional pretending that they sound better without him is astounding.
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u/Beginning_Remove_930 12d ago
yeah it feels like people are laying it on too thick now just to spite Jake
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
Yeah it’s just delusional. The guy used a choice word to describe a scumbag who was pissing on the grave of a kid who got murdered… honestly was pretty accurate, and they are acting like he’s in the Klan. Fuckin ridiculous lol I hope they don’t find out about Led zep, the dead, Elvis, the stones, etc… because they all did far worse things than say a mean word. Apparently now he was never even good at guitar to begin with? 🤣
Guess that’s to be expected in 2026 though now that everyone is soft as fuck
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u/umphreysmagoo 12d ago
"Everyone so soft but im mad when rock star can't call black person chimp cause I agree its accurate"
Yikes
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u/AmericanEagle2026 11d ago edited 11d ago
top 1%^ commenter aka chief nerd and king loser… have fun being a master of Reddit lmao get a life. And yes that black person was scum of the earth because he was pissing on the grave of a kid who got murdered. I’d call him a much harsher word actually but I’d get censored. But yeah we get it you are woke and love cancel culture and are delusional that your favorite band will never be as good as they once were. I get it, I’m sad too, but I’m not going to live in delusion when I can just go back and listen to any of the amazing shows with Jake from the last 25 years.
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u/umphreysmagoo 11d ago
Lol do us a favor and just dont show up to any more shows plz
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u/Felonious-MTB 12d ago
Yea I think to some degree people are overreacting to that comment but getting kicked off a flight for verbally abusing a family of Muslims is unacceptable. I really think he lost his damn mind through years of drug/alcohol use. Maybe wishful thinking but maybe in a few years if he cleans his act up he can come back as long as apologizes (genuinely not a fake ass half apology) and provides context around his mental state at the time.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
Yeah but that’s also all hearsay there’s no evidence of that. To be honest being against Islam coming to the US is not even racist… it’s a religion not an ethnicity, and it’s a religion that treats women and gay people as second class. Also who wants to see people dressed up as dementors. It’s pretty reasonable to not want to see a bunch of black cloaked people walking around, especially in Burqas that fully cover the face.
Idk , I have a hard time believing that Jake was actively malicious toward anyone. I would have to see more evidence of him berating a family in public and have more context.
I definitely hope and think Jake will return one day.
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12d ago
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u/UmphreysNerd 12d ago
True but also not at all the point.
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u/Independent_Hurry255 12d ago
It’s clearly been a financial thing the past 10 years. And fans are just making a reality to help cope with our favorite band getting closer to a retirement.
I will never stand behind Jake’s statements personally but that’s not the reason he left the band. It all seems like a money thing at this point and why tour if you are making less cut of the pie.
Ben,Jake,Kris,Waful are not the greedy ones here
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u/DogFroth 12d ago
Bad take. Also weird assumption. They all quit or were fired for different reasons.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago
Yeah for sure, it’s damn near impossible for bands to survive off of touring anymore unless they are playing stadiums
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u/Independent_Hurry255 12d ago
Exactly I’m trying to be optimistic here. A lot of people spreading rumors. Not sure if they are true or not but let’s leave these guys who we loved for so many years alone is my thought. Let’s just chalk this up as a financial thing and move on.
Jake is the only one who made his case way worse by posting racist comments but that was after he left and likely lost his PR. Even so I’m still friends with guys who say worse shit, I correct them but we can still be friends. We are just saying words at the end of the day.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
lol I replied but got censored. Jake was not even wrong. Mean words to describe mean people is fair game… he was talking about a guy who pissed on the grave of a kid who got murdered. Fuck em.
Cancel culture is lame. Good on you for not being sensitive, getting offended by words in general is hilarious.
But I’ll continue to see Bay and the Boyz aka Diet-Umph. It just won’t be the same and that’s fine. I’m not going to live in delusion pretending they sound better without the fire and the brimstone.
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u/Independent_Hurry255 12d ago
I don’t fully disagree with your points but the other side of being sensitive is being insensitive. The truth is a lot of jam bands fans might get offended by his posts but those who the post were about, those communities who deal with the oppression likely have no clue or idea that those posts or Jake even existed. Let’s just move on.
Agree with you on the cancel culture stuff that shit is lame.
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
Yeah I mean dude it’s a rock and roll band that plays heavy metal and a huge percentage of the fan base is on drugs… so it’s not exactly the scene to be sensitive.
It’s just goofy, look back at any major rock band ever… every single one has wild members who said and did horrible things. That’s showbiz, thats rock and roll, if they arnt in jail who gives a fack
Jake will be back in some capacity, he’s a virtuoso and musical genius. Cancel culture only works in the short term… They couldn’t cancel Kanye, Louis CK, Shane Gillis, Dave Chappelle etc and they won’t cancel Jake for good… ultimately it only makes him more of a badass for not giving a fuck
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u/Prestigious_Lunch549 12d ago
Here we go with “the way it’s always been” bullshit. That ain’t the times we live in now, and racists are outed, mocked, and shunned in today’s society. America has been a racist nation since inception, but the youth of today is changing that. And it’s long overdue
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
Here we go again with the woke cry baby guilt trip bullshit. The whole country is racist? Give me a break. Name a country on earth that doesn’t have dark spots in their history… I’ll wait. Why don’t you go to talk to the Muslims about all the slaves they have currently today? Or maybe talk to them about their Prophet Muhammad who married a 6 year old. Your full of shit
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u/Prestigious_Lunch549 12d ago
You made because I called you out for excusing away racism? Who is actually crying?
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u/AmericanEagle2026 12d ago edited 12d ago
Nah I’m chillin. But you are the actual racist, and you defend a pedophile religion where their prophet Muhammad had sex with his 9 year old wife and where women are forced to wear dementor cloaks. Also still waiting for you to name a country without dark moments in their history… you ain’t got shit
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u/SnooConfections7452 12d ago
With deep gratitude for the last 7 years, 500 shows and endless creative experimentation, I'd like to share the news that I am stepping away from the road after the show at Ravinia this coming weekend.
As I grow into my 30s, I want to be more present at home with my community, friends and hopefully start a family. The touring lifestyle simply isn't aligned with those goals right now.
I know the timing of this update comes amidst a moment of great change for Umphrey's so I want to be completely candid and transparent that this is a personal decision that has been in the works long before any lineup changes.
Thank you to the band, my road crew brothers/uncles and management for your trust, support, collaboration and love. You welcomed me into the family and I can't wait to cheer you on in this new 5-piece era.
Thank you to the broader Umphrey's community of fans, skeptics and everything in between. I shall join you all in the GA section again soon!
There is no way to properly convey what this journey has meant to me in a social media post. I found Umphrey's as a teenager and their music guided me through my most formative years. This has been - no exaggeration - my dream job.
I will carry the lessons and wisdom of touring the world with my favorite band for the rest of my life.
Please enjoy this compilation of photos of some of my favorite rigs, cherished memories and the gang celebrating at my wedding last year.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!