Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey’s McGee

When Brendan Bayliss, of Chicago's own Umphrey's McGee, was born on August 11th, 1976 in Annapolis, Maryland, it was immediately speculated that Brendan would become a tennis champion. While his father went on to an illustrious, successful career in tennis as a university head coach, Brendan’s future shifted to music as soon as he picked up the guitar in high school.

After being kicked out of three bands, he met Ryan “Pony” Stasik one night at a party. Weeks later, they started Tashi Station, which would grab original Umphrey's McGee Drummer Mike Mirro and Cummins’ attention. Brendan convinced Ryan that they should start a band together with Mirro & Cummins.

Brendan studied some classical guitar while playing with the band early on, and shortly after taking a couple of lessons from local guitar wizard Jake Cinninger before Jake was in the band, Brendan was writing guitar riffs like the main one from DBK. And once Jake was joined the band, Brendan’s dual guitar lead songwriting expanded to places he couldn’t have possibly imagined. Brendan has become an outstanding vocalist, guitarist, improviser, and composer over the years, when he’s on, he’s unstoppable. Maybe even impervious, as Mike Tyson would say.