Denver's Underground Music Showcase Reveals Initial Lineup For 2024

April 28, 2024

Summertime on South Broadway is synonymous with one thing and one thing only….The Underground Music Showcase, a three day celebration of musical bliss that takes over as the streets are lined with packed venues and makeshift stages that feature some of the best local and national indie acts. This yea’rs lineup boasts some amazing headliners along with 150+ local acts. From surf rock to hip hop, The UMS has a genre for everybody. With co-owners Youth on Record the festival continues to lead community based focused initiatives with more diversity, artist development, impact days and more.

Tickets are currently on sale and the festival runs from July 26th to July 28th.

Check out our 2023 Recap!

Our Favorite Moments and Things You Missed From The 2022 Underground Music Showcase

August 26, 2022

Crowds gather around the Underground Stage during The UMS (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

UMS weekend came and went, and our biggest complaint? Three days of the Underground Music Showcase was not enough for us! Denverites came out in droves to South Broadway for this year’s UMS despite the August heat.

This year’s UMS saw some growing pains, and some venues experienced long lines managed by stressed bouncers trying to keep under capacity. The festival’s growth has continued to fulfill the mission of its founders: giving local bands their deserved visibility. Friday and Saturday night were particularly fraught as South Broadway buckled under the traffic of thousands vying to get inside the small, packed venues.

The Underground Music Showcase was founded back in 2001 as a single day festival to promote and support budding Denver artists, and to showcase the talented musicians that make our city unique. Since 2001, UMS has grown into a three-day affair that balances local acts with nationally recognized headliners. The beauty of UMS is that while you might be drawn to the festival by a band you’re listening to on a daily basis, you’re subsequently drawn into a small, intimate venue by the sound of some local act that quickly becomes a staple in your daily rotation.

Packed crowds spilled over to the club venues each night during The UMS (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

The original ethos of the festival is alive and well, but as it grows in size and popularity, we’re curious to see if South Broadway will still be capable of hosting its favorite.

Some venues allowed wristband-clad folks entrance to acts they had expected to draw smaller crowds. This unfortunately contributed to the capacity issue, as lines were nearing thirty to forty five minute waits at various open door venues. Requiring wristbands for all venues participating in UMS during the festival might streamline things.

But on the other hand– who doesn’t love the egalitarianism of free things? The price of admission could be a limiting factor for some. Venues which took an open door approach feel aligned with the festival’s ethos, and it’s arguably more fair anyway, allowing those who might not be able to afford a full ticket to still attend some shows.

Anyway, we’re going to break down our stand-out local acts before getting into our favorite headliners.

Audrey Nuna headlines the first night of this year’s The Undergorund Music Showcase. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

Friday:

The annual Denver independent music mainstay returned to South Broadway, where more than 150 artists descended on 14 venues from Friday through Sunday. And just as complimentary as the brewski-soaked Bud Bronson Skylark set, new festival co-owners Youth on Record provided sober activation spaces throughout the weekend, including an Artist Care Lounge at Chaos Bloom Theater, as an alcohol-free alternative that didn’t lose its edge.

Levi Double U

Producer for breakout Denver acts Neoma and Adiel Mitchell, Levi Double U is a force in his own right. And though the free donuts may have been the lure, it was the tasty house music of his outdoor Friday set at northernmost outpost Banded Oak Brewing that got festgoers kicking off the night at 128 bpm.

Cheap Perfume

“Just be mindful … of everyone’s space around them,” Cheap Perfume’s Stephanie Byrne reminded the crowd at HQ before launching into the next song of the feminist punk band’s intense and unrelenting set. From fan favorite “It’s Okay to Punch Nazis” to guitarist Jane No’ scorching implore to burn it all down on “Put the Devil to Bed,” it was a fitting powderkeg of a throwback to the space of 60 South Broadway’s roots as legendary punk and metal venue 3 Kings Tavern.

Plasma Canvas

Holy shit, self-styled “loudest band in the world” Plasma Canvas lives up to the billing. Exploding through tracks from Side One Dummy debut KILLERMAJESTIC (recorded/produced at The Blasting Room by punk rock royalty Bill Stephenson), the Hi Dive shook from their fuzzed-out combo of Strung Out, Less Than Jake and a cinder block to the face.

Green Druid

You can almost see the edges of the amps glowing like embers in a pipe during a Green Druid set. The Denver doom/stoner stalwarts dredged the transfixed audience through a reverb- and fuzz-soaked landscape that keeps breaking down even when you think it can’t break. Down. Any. Further. Weed not required - but it doesn’t hurt.

Native Daughters

Surprise! Fresh off their Bluebird Theater headliner and recent Meow Wolf show, Native Daughters are officially back from the beyond. With two drum kits front and center, the Denver heavyweights pull no punches about what you’re about to get pummeled by. As surprise headliners to close down UMS Night One, they delivered with trademark precision and aggression… you know you’ve been to a Daughters show when you leave ears ringing, even after wearing earplugs.

The Champs. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

BBGT

As an embrace to the next chapter of normalcy, UMS Night 1 felt like a kind of surrender. Only fitting, then, that the back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back*-to-back-to-back UMS champs implored the crowd to launch into their best Rick Nielsen, sore and soaring into a temporary orbit above the reimagined Skylark’s Bobcat (née Pool) Room to close out Friday:

“Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright, they just seem a little weird…”

In an extended outro that was more than a Cheap Trick, they barked back in staccato that “IT’S-ALL-ALRIGHT.” And though it indeed may not have been in the grander sense of the word, for one beautiful mess of a weekend, it was about to be.

Front row crowd for The Knocks (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Saturday:

Saturday’s lineup was jam-packed with some of our favorites. We had to strategize and make sure we caught glimpses of all their sets. Temperatures were high but so were all the acts that took up residency along South Broadway. Here are some of our favorites.

Kid Astronaut

Jon Shockness has been a member of the Denver music scene for quite sometime now, honing his chops with Air Dubai back in the day, to being a featured on many projects among some of Denver’s best. Kid Astronaut is a culmination of years of hard work. The set was groovy, hyped, and a perfect way to get our day two started. A natural showman, Shockness tore through his set of introducing many to the future soul vibes that played out to his spaced themed moniker.

Ritmo Cascabel

A band we were anticipating the most was Ritmo Cascabel. Blending elements of cumbia and chicha, the music transports you to a tropical paradise, in this case the paradise was smack in the middle of South Broadway. Listening, all you want to do is dance. The band has a slew of shows coming up in the next months and we highly recommend catching their vibe.

The Knocks

New York part starters The Knocks proved worthy of their headlining set time on Saturday. The duo of James Patterson and Ben Ruttner unleashed their uncanny array of dance jams that has become synonymous with the band and their penchant for mixing genres such as disco, electronica, indie and more. Highlight of the night was their mashup of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” that erupted into a full on dance party in the Goodwill parking lot.

The Mañanas

The Mañanas drew a huge crowd to Skylark Lounge with a line trailing around the block. Their energy was infectious and their set was danceable and fun. The crowd was ready to reciprocate the good vibes during their Saturday night 10 p.m. slot, and we’re keeping our eyes on The Mañanas, excited for what’s up next for them.

Pink Fuzz

Pink Fuzz, the “high speed desert-rock” brain-child of The Velveteers’ Demi Demitro’s siblings John and Lulu drew a huge crowd at Hi-Dive. Pink Fuzz is clearly a local favorite. P.S., John Demitrio’s partner Ida, proprietor of local vintage clothing retail Ida and Moon, deserves a shout out as well. Check out her shop @Idaandmoon on Instagram for handmade leather goods and recycled western clothing.

Flaural

Flaural remains a long-time Denver staple. Their complex, intricate layering and pedal work were evidence of a band that cares deeply about the music they’re making. Straying awaw from cheap tricks to motivate the crowd, Flaural played a studio-quality set at Hi-Dive right after Pink Fuzz on Saturday night. Both Flaural and Pink Fuzz played great sets despite the delay from Rahmakhandra, whose harpist struggled to load and unload their harp on Hi-Dive’s lofted stage and set back the schedule a bit.

Kaitlyn Williams

Kaitlyn Williams’ brought the energy to HQ on Sunday afternoon. The crowd sang along with Kaitlyn, whose stunning vocal riffs and pop-soul melodies made for a fantastic set. Her back-up singers and supporting band were a perfect complement to Kaitlyn, and the professionalism of their set felt both wholly authentic and finely tuned.

An all too familiar sign. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Sunday:

The beauty of UMS is that it strengthens our local music community and it brings musicians together. Geese, a New York based psych-rock-jam band, played without a drummer who evidently slammed his finger in a door in the days leading up to the festival. A friend of a friend of mine named Andrew jumped up on stage and volunteered to step in for the rest of the set. At the end of the set, the crowd was chanting Andrew’s name. Moments like this are what makes UMS distinct from other festivals: it’s a festival that, despite its growth in popularity, remains an event for and by Denver’s homegrown music community.

By bringing together local musicians and nationally recognized acts, there’s an artistic leveling. Smaller acts perform on the same stage as the bands playing hits you’ve heard on the radio, and the core integral values that UMS was founded on remain intact twenty years later.

Crowds gather at the entrance to the The Underground Stage. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

Taking Back Monday on A Sunday (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Taking Back Monday (UMS Edition)

Sunday we decided to head out early in hopes of reliving our inner Emo pasts. The crew from Taking Back Monday brought their party to The UMS and we are glad they did. Playing a mix of the music that defined our youth, the party had nerf guns, piñatas, super soakers and more. If you missed their set be sure to catch them this weekend at Colorado is for Lovers Fest at Levitt Pavilion.

Don Chicharon

The latin vibes were alive and well during this years Underground Music Showcase as bands such as Neoma, Ritmo Cascabel, The Mañanas, Soy Celesté, DJ Polyphoni, Tres Leches, Bailey Elora, Jen Korte and The Loss, Los Mocochetes and Don Chicharon all graced us with their traditional sounds blending culture and music. Don Chicharon is no exception as the band encompasses vibrant sounds blended with a dose of afro-cumbia that makes us dance as we were filming a Tic-Tok video. Their mid-day set was enough to make it one of our favorites and we highly suggest catching them at their next show.

Bully

Bully also known as Alicia Bognanno has been around for awhile now (surprisingly only her second time performing in Denver). We discovered Bully at SXSW a few years back at a small venue on Rainey Street and instantly fell in love. The love affair got lost during the years but was rekindled when their latest album SUGAREGG dropped, we were once agin reminded of why we fell in love. A culmination of all the hard work put in over the years the album played out live just as we expected. Denver hopes we can see the band again soon and we will be waiting with open arms.

Fay Webster had us catching feelings. (Phot Credit: Robert Castro)

Faye Webster

A perfect Sunday night set the vibe for one of the festivals closing sets. Faye Webster’s emotionally charged set brought about an eerie vibe to close out the 2022 rendition of The Underground Music Showcase. A blue-moody stage complimented her style as she tore through her hour plus set with her penchant for delivering her customary delicate well thought out lyrics and emotional undertones that brought random moments of silence to those witnessing her set. A perfect way to end a crazy three days of amazing music.

Until next year UMS…….

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos: Aly McClaran

Photo Credit: Robert Castro

Words: Robert Castro, Kendall Morris, and Cory Phare.

Q & A With The Talent Team Behind The Underground Music Showcase

July 18, 2018

The 2018 edition of The Underground Music Showcase is mere days away and set forth to take over the streets of South Broadway once again. Under new leadership by Two Parts the festival is one of the ever-growing music events in our country. The talent team behind the event has been hard at work booking bands, creating daunting schedules and working on making it one of the most exciting years for the fest itself. Introducing new elements while maintaining the core of the music festival will be one of the highlights this year. An array of new stages are set to debut and provide for a true music festival experience. We had a chance to chat with the amazing team behind bringing and coordinating the amazing talent we will get to see. Tickets are still available and we also have a discount code for your three day pass. Use code: ULTRA5280 for $25 off a three day weekend pass.

TOBIAS KRAUSE / UMS EVENT DIRECTOR

U5280: Who are you excited to see this year? 1 local and 1 national.

TK: National - I am over the moon excited about seeing Parallelephants and Deezie Brown. Both from Texas, they are two of the most unique acts on the bill. Locally, Motion Trap, RUMTUM, Nasty Nachos, wait... you said one?

U5280: Moving from a 4 day fest to a 3 day fest, did that make it easier for
booking?

TK: Not necessarily. With shortening the festival a day, we also decided to grow and expand within the three-day period. The allowed us to focus our efforts on packing in programming within those three days!

U5280: What new elements is UMS bringing this year as opposed to years past?

TK: Stay tuned... there will be a ton of new features, activations, pop-ups and more. But, we have a dream partner in Oskar Blues -- they are an ideal partner for the UMS, and have been incredibly helpful and supportive throughout this process.

U5280: Is there plans to feature music panels, guest speakers, workshops in the future?

TK: Yes. Hell yes.

U5280: In the past it seems like crowds wouldn’t venture farther north than say The Hornet, what do you haven place that will make them want to go further out this year?

TK: Multiple venues, and two outdoor stages. There’s a ton of stuff to do up North, and I encourage EVERYONE to check out what we’ve got in store. (See map layout info here)

U5280: How has the Baker community response been to this years festival and what are some of the more common issues you face with putting a festival of this nature in the neighborhood?

TK: They’ve been great, and super supportive.

U5280: With Two Parts taking over now, what does the future of The UMS look like going forward?

TK: Stay tuned...

JAMES IRVINE / HEAD TALENT BUYER / THE UMS

U5280: Who are you excited to see this year? 1 local and 1 national.

JI: Tough call choosing one band out of this meaty lineup…but…I’m excited to see Alvvays headline our main stage on Sunday. They were the first act we confirmed this year. Personally I’ve been following the band for a few years now. Their trajectory is astonishing; selling out 1,000 cap rooms across the country. I think their vibe and aesthetic fit UMS to a T. Also, they’re Canadian. I love hockey.

Hands down the local band that I’m dying to see is Tarmints. I was very excited when Kurt Ottaway reached out for a reunion performance at UMS; anything Ottaway touches is gold. This band blew me away when they played Larimer Lounge. I expect nothing less. I hope I have the legs to make their performance at Hi-Dive on Sunday night.

U5280: What challenges do you face when booking the national acts?

JI: Our biggest challenge this year was simply the shortened timeline that was given to book the nationals. Previous years we start the booking process in October/November, but with the transition over to Two Parts, we had only 3 months to pull it off. Even with those time constraints, we all feel extremely proud with the work we have done.

Another challenge worth pointing out is we are throwing a summer festival not on a coast. 99% of bands/agents aren’t routing thru Denver in July. They typically hold off on summer touring, to focus on soft ticketed and/or festival plays. Meaning we are booking one-offs, which can really raise the price tag to make it worth their while. However, bands/agents WANT to play the festival, so that can also even things out. Denver in late July is an attractive destination for a band.

U5280: What new elements is UMS bringing this year as opposed to years past?

JI: Two Parts added three additional stages this year, “Imagination Stage”, “Sesh Stage” and, “Comedy Stage”. These stages are loaded with both national and local talent including White Denim, Night Beats, Kadhja Bonet, Holy Wave, Brothertiger, Slow Caves, Casey James Prestwood & the Burning Angels, Duckwrth, Oka Tygra , The Builders and the Butchers and many more. I’m excited to see the footprint of this festival grow, and see how it’s received.

U5280: In the past it seems like crowds wouldn’t venture farther north than say The Hornet, what do you have in place that will make them want to go further out this year?

JI: See question #6.

U5280: With Two Parts taking over now, what does the future of The UMS look like going forward?

JI: Very, very bright. The entire Two Parts team is dedicated, ambitious, incredibly intuitive, and responsible. It’s been a pleasure working with them this year. I truly see this becoming a national destination festival on a larger level very soon. If we keep doing things the correct way, the press will catch up. UMS is unique; I don’t know of any other festivals that combine a hard ticketed main stage, with a street fest. I see it as a mashup of Northside Festival or CMJ (RIP), and a traditional fest such as Hopscotch or Osheaga. It’s really ‘the best weekend of the year’. I’m honored to be part of it.

KENZI EVERITT / TALENT BUYER / THE UMS

U5280: Who are you excited to see this year? 1 local and 1 national.

KE: Locally, I can’t wait for Wheelchair Sports Camp. It’s their first time playing the festival in quite a few years, and they are such a Denver staple. Rapping over electronic beats, a trumpet run through countless FX pedals, and live drums makes for an incredible show. Catch them playing at 12am on Saturday night (technically Sunday) at Gary Lee’s!

Nationally, PPL MVR is going to be wild. If you’ve ever wanted to see three people in the Denver heat wearing yeti suits, shredding, and head banging, then you’ll want to be at the Main Stage at 4:20pm (yes) on Sunday.

U5280: What challenges do you face when booking the national acts?

KE: We work to provide them with some extra resources especially since this isn’t a typical show on a tour – What does lodging look like? How can we get them a burrito at Illegal Pete’s? How can we help with backlining gear so they don’t have to lug everything they have with them to the venue? And what can we do to make this experience special so they come back to Denver?

U5280: What challenges do you face when booking the local acts?

KE: There are SO MANY incredible bands in this state. I am always blown away by how much talent there is, and how many bands/musicians I discover on a consistent basis. I wish we could put everyone into UMS, but I think it would literally be two weeks long. On that note, scheduling is a whole beast because of how active all these musicians are. I’m calling you out, Carl Sorenson. We have a whole google doc just with bands Carl is in.

U5280: How many bands are playing this year?

KE: Somewhere between 300 – 350 bands/artists. We’ve still got some surprises coming your way!

U5280: Is there plans to feature music panels, guest speakers, workshops in the future?

KE: The intersection of music with other art forms is always incredible, and it’s going to be a focus this year. Stay tuned for more schedule details!

U5280: How has the Baker community response been to this year’s festival and what are some of the more common issues you face with putting a festival of this nature in the neighborhood?

KE: One of the main goals of UMS across all parties that have directed it has been to work with the neighborhood. We couldn’t do this without the support of the Baker neighborhood, and I think everyone involved has worked hard to make it something that is kind and welcoming to its neighbors through everything from neighborhood discounted tickets to cleanup crews leaving the grounds better than we found them.

U5280: With Two Parts taking over now, what does the future of The UMS look like going forward?

KE: UMS has always been such a unique opportunity for music discovery, and I think Two Parts has fully embraced that idea while adding in food, beer and spirits, even more visual arts, comedy, with even more to come. The festival feels like it has an incredible energy backing it up, and the future looks pretty swell.

KYLE HARTMAN / TALENT BUYER / THE UMS

U5280: Who are you excited to see this year? 1 local and 1 national.

KH: Local- The House of Aura. Losing Trish Keenan was a huge loss for music culture, and the shadow of Broadcast still looms large over modern indie rock. Everyone from Melody’s Echo Chamber to Toro Y Moi was influenced by her. Deerhunter’s own Bradford Cox (headlining this year’s UMS) considered her his mentor. On a personal level, I’m constantly looking for artists who capture her spirit and continue building on the path she started. After hearing The House of Aura’s debut album that’s due in the fall, I think I’ve found an artist who is interested in going deeper into some of the realms she visited. The new project from wunderkinds Derrick Bozich (Sound of Ceres), Anna Smith, and Julia Mendiolea is an ethereal beam of light straight to the brain that will send you floating off into a crystalline dream. Do not miss their debut performance at UMS.

National- Kainalu. Hailing from Madison, Wisconsin, is the recording project of Trent Prall, a former research geneticist who started Kainalu as a way to regain control of his own identity. His unique blend of tropidelic space funk crafted around masterful songwriting makes the pleasure center in your brain explode and creates a headrush that captures what it might feel like to walk into the ocean and suddenly find yourself not in the water, but flying through space. He’s assembled a four piece act to bring these songs to life on stage and the results are spellbinding. His first ever performance in Colorado is going to be something you won’t be able to get out of your head.

U5280: What challenges do you face when booking the national acts?

KH: Booking national acts usually adds some additional hurdles as you have to figure out a lot of logistics that are not as big of a deal with local acts. For example, transporting tons of gear across the country can be tricky and requires working with our production team to figure out what gear we can provide to make it easier for artists everywhere to come out for the festival.

U5280: What challenges do you face when booking the local acts?

KH: Always and forever scheduling. We are so lucky to have an abundance of talented musicians in our Colorado community. The biggest double-edged sword is that many of them play in multiple bands. When we are scheduling performances we always have to take this into account. We want to ensure that musicians in multiple acts have enough buffer in between sets to relax and not have to worry about rushing their gear from one venue to the next.

U5280: How many bands are playing this year?

KH: The number is in flux as we are still adding a few more acts, but we’ll have around 330+ artists this year.

U5280: In the past it seems like crowds wouldn’t venture farther north than say The Hornet, what do you haven place that will make them want to go further out this year?

KH: This year we have two additional outdoor stages, the Imagination Stage on 2nd ave at Import Warehouse, and the Sesh Stage on 4th ave at Fentress Architects. This is going to create a very cohesive festival footprint for UMS this year. On every block from Alameda to 6th there will be something exciting happening. People are going to want to check out the beer festival happening inside the Sesh Stage, while others will be entranced by the art installations that will be springing up all around the Imagination Stage. Around the Sesh stage we have Moe’s BBQ, Banded Oak Brewing, and Baere Brewing, all fantastic venues that are going to see a lot more foot traffic.

U5280: With Two Parts taking over now, what does the future of The UMS look like going forward?

KH: It looks unbelievably bright, Two Parts creates experiences that are so intertwined with the identity Colorado is cultivating. UMS has always been a celebration of Colorado’s music and a DIY festival created by fans and artists who are truly passionate about music. These guys are master craftsmen at making DIY style events with character and that fill you with a sense of discovery. This was such a perfect fit for what UMS is about. They can make people say, “I’ve never seen this before and it’s wonderful.” With Two Parts helming UMS, the possibilities are limitless.

Robert Castro / Editor in Chief

303 Music Fest Is Just Around The Corner

May 8, 2018

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Our friends at 303 Magazine have always been supporters of the Denver local music scene and this year they are taking things up a notch by putting on this amazing event. We suggest purchasing tickets before this thing sells out. Trust us with this lineup you wont want to miss it.

303 Music Fest will feature performances by headliners STéLOUSE and Trev Rich. Also on the lineup The Other Black who will be leading our Colorado SuperJam, CITRA, Ray Reed, Eldren, church fire, Jay Triiiple, MILKY.WAV, Ghost Tapes, Impact, boyhollow, DJ Simone Says and Ru Johnson as your host. Be on the lookout for many more to be announced soon!

The Church Nightclub, one of Denver's hottest nightclubs, has hosted industry giants from Anjunabeats to Jack Novak and Deorro, and we can't think of a better place to party. In addition to the silent disco, Super Jam and meet and greet we'll be selling "303 Music Vol. 1" at the event. Eighty percent of all record profits will go to Youth on Record, creating a better tomorrow for local youth and in turn, the Colorado community as a whole. "303 Music Vol. 1" is a Colorado compilation record printed by “the best damn record club out there,” Vinyl Me, Please. Featuring strictly Colorado musicians, the ALBUM features beloved local artists like GRiZ, Trev Rich, Wildermiss, an exclusive track by Flobots and more — only on vinyl.

Record Features: Limited to 1,000 copies on vinyl only, an exclusive track by Flobots, a photobook featuring quotes and photos of all participating artists, exclusive album art by Denver artist John Vogl, colored-splatter wax and a FREE download code for a Youth on Record album.

GRANDOOZY Announces Initial Lineup

March 20, 2018

The initial lineup for this years Grandoozy lineup has been announced and it's a doozy (we had to). Headlining the three day event is Kendrick Lamar, Florence & The Machine, and the legendary Stevie Wonder. The festival is set to take place September 14-16 on the grounds of Overland Park. We will be your go to source for all the latest info so stay tuned. Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Two Parts Purchases Underground Music Showcase from The Denver Post

January 24, 2018

Two Parts, the Denver-based marketing and experiential agency, has purchased the Underground Music Showcase (UMS) from The Denver Post Community Foundation. The UMS has been the city’s largest, annual multi-day indie music festival for more than 17 years.

The UMS mission to promote local, underground music by hosting hundreds of performances across dozens of venues is a testament to Denver’s vast and vibrant music scene, which made Two Parts want to get more deeply involved.

“We have developed some of the city’s most unique craft beer, food, and maker-focused events,” said Casey Berry, co-founder of Two Parts. “We are excited to incorporate all of these experiences as we jump into planning UMS with full force. The UMS is a staple event among the city and was built on the same local-first mentality that we have at Two Parts. We look forward to carrying the torch for the next generation of UMS.”

Colfax Speed Queen slaying during last years UMS (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

This is a major achievement for Two Parts and further shows their commitment to showcasing and supporting Denver’s growing small business industries. Two Parts will continue to build on 17 years of fantastic Colorado-focused lineups, and add to the experience with some exciting new components in 2018.

Providing Denver with the best experiences around locally-driven products and quality establishments has always been Two Parts’ mission—and taking over the UMS further expands on that promise. They have previously injected music into the events they produce; the addition of UMS to the portfolio marks their first major music festival, one they are excited to pour their love and expertise into with the goal of creating the ultimate Denver weekend.

Thee Oh Sees perform at UMS (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

“I am excited to see what Two Parts does with the UMS. Their reputation for executing quality events and their commitment to craft makes them the ideal team to lead the next phase of the festival,” said Kendall Smith, former director of UMS.

The 2018 UMS will feature hundreds of bands from July 26 - 29. In addition to local music, the 2018 UMS will feature national acts, even more craft beer, food, spirits and beyond. Two Parts is excited to create a live music experience that immerses both festival newbies and seasoned veteran attendees.

“As someone who has attended and been apart of the UMS for years—it’s always been a dream of mine to run the festival from the ground up,” said Tobias Krause, event manager and Two Parts’ choice to lead the UMS. “I started out covering the festival as a journalist, and eventually worked my way into the fold to become the local talent buyer and showcase coordinator. With Two Parts purchasing the festival, I’m excited to have the opportunity to take the festival to the next level. Denver’s music scene is and has been producing some of the best acts around, and we’re excited to showcase that talent in 2018 and into the future.”