Umphrey’s McGee, Chicago’s favorite eclectic jam band, returned to DeKalb after a four-year absence, uniting the full capacity crowd at The Egyptian Theatre Tuesday night.

Hemp necklaces and knotty dreadlocks overwhelmed the theater as college students, older adults and hippies all partied to the smooth grooves of Umphrey’s while the rain poured outside.

Like all Umphrey’s shows, this was one big, extended, prog-rock jam session that included elements of improvisation and just plain, old-fashioned rocking out, which had the sea of people in the crowd cheering every time a sudden change of musical styles occurred.

The band opened the set with “Push The Pig,” and followed that up with an uninterrupted trek through “Atmosfarag,” “Slacker,” “Passing,” “Get In the Van” and “Fearless.” Using only hand signals as communication, the members of Umphrey’s McGee changed up each style and song effortlessly, going from chill reggae riffs to wailing guitar solos in a matter of seconds.

Umphrey’s shows usually have two long sets separated by an intermission, and this show was no different. When “Nothing Too Fancy” opened the second set list, the crowd erupted with cheers. With the relaxed rendition of “Hajimemashite,” smoke clouds billowed out on top of the crowd while a significant number of people sat down to enjoy guitarist Jake Cinninger’s infectious shredding.

While everyone threw up their hands and made their last “U” of the night, the band closed the show with an encore of “Wizard Burial Ground,” the epic ten-minute song that has more style changes than Madonna’s career. The song was an appropriate way and equally satisfying choice to end an absolutely mind-blowing show.

Judging from the jam-packed crowd at The Egyptian, Umphrey’s McGee was one of the better entertainment offerings DeKalb has had in quite some time. And the most amazing thing is no one had to book Soulja Boy to have a good time.

Also on the show was a stand-up comedian named Hannibal, who tried his best to get an uninterested crowd into his material (including a bit on kicking pigeons) but the crowd just wasn’t digging his vibes. After every punch line, there was more screaming and chanting for Umphrey‘s than there was laughter.

A portion of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the Feb. 14 Scholarship Fund.