Music | SHOW ALERT: Red Bull Sound Select Presents: Cloud Nothings, In The Whale, and The Epilogues | January 21 | Hi-Dive

This is going to be a hell of a show and we can't wait to check it out. As always The UMS curated lineups bringing some amazing bands.

Hot off the heels of our two-night extravaganza in December, Red Bull Sound Select -- an artist development program that works with the best curators in local music scenes to bring fans unique shows -– is proud to announce our first Denver show of 2016 in partnership with The UMS.

On January 21st, Cleveland hell-raisers Cloud Nothings headlines a show at Hi-Dive with Red Bull Sound Select acts In The Whale and The Epilogues performing in support. The show is 18+ and are only $3 with RSVP below: http://win.gs/JanDen

In The Whale https://www.redbullsoundselect.com/artists/InTheWhale

The Epilogues: https://www.redbullsoundselect.com/artists/TheEpilogues

Do yourself a solid and go back and check out Cloud Nothings most recent Here And Nowhere Else as well as their split record No Life for Me with Wavves. If you like quality American rock music, they’ve got exactly what you’re looking for. Not to be outdone, both of the Sound Select acts are worthy of your attention on a “I saw them before they broke big” level and will provide a great party. Not familiar? Listen to their music below:

Music | The Underground Music Showcase | July 23-26 | Review and Photos

STRFKR performing to a packed house. (Photo Credit: Andrew Rios)

We survived this year's UMS with minimal casualties. Despite almost losing an ear and a few bumps and bruises in the mosh pits, we made out like music-loving bandits. We added an astonishing amount of new artists to our Spotify playlists (ahem...we mean Apple Music) and ate one too many Ortega street tacos... UMS you wily minx you've done it again. There is no easy way to review 4 days of complete bliss, but let's start with the music. 

SPELLS getting personal. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Crowd participation was a common theme this year at UMS (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The lineup this year included a couple surprises and a lot of veteran artists. The veterans of course being our hometown favorites like: CRL CRRLL, In The Whale, Rose Quartz, Gin Doctors, Champagne Charlie, Kitty Crimes, Covenhoven, Rossonian, Povi, Wild High, Bud Bronson, Sun Boy, (not local but still a staple) Residual Kid, Dragondeer, Spells, Inner Oceans, Ned Garth, Slow Caves, Shady Elders and lots more. Amongst the national acts a big surprise was the band Diiv, who has been a recluse since gaining popularity amongst hipsters and experimental-indie-rock addicts. Coming in off the bat with a few pranks (div, dive) and melodramatic tude they played one of the best sets this UMS and left us in anticipation of their next Denver show. But who knows when that will be... I mean we should be happy we got at least one. Another surprise was STRFKR, a popular artist among the old, the young and girls who only want to have fun they rounded out the lineup and made it appeal to the masses. With headliners like Diiv, STRFKR and hometown hero TENNIS coupled with all of our local dive bar dwelling musicians there was no way not to enjoy yourselves. 

The lovely Tennis. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The lovely Tennis. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Rowdy Shadehouse before the infamous "Tuck of 2015". (Photo Credit: Andrew Rios)

A great compliment to the music of UMS is the people of the UMS... They range from infants in stylish headphones to hobos who found a wristband on the ground and snuck in. The audience is so diverse it makes people watching and band watching an equally entertaining sport. One thing that makes festivals like this so special is that one moment you're watching a band on stage and the next you could be standing in line by them for the port-a-potties or watching another band with the same admiration next door. Everyone's a fan and everyone's an artist. *UMS artists--they're just like us, except they sweat more.

The worst band in Denver In The Whale. (Photo Credit: Maddie Casey)

Cool clouds as we exited another year of UMS (Photo Credit: Maddie Casey)

In summation, we had an amazing 4 days, drank too many beers and took too many photos... Until next year. Oh and we can never unsee what Rowdy Shadehouse did on stage, it will forever be known as the "the great tuck of 2015". Be sure to check the rest of our photos here.

UMS BY THE NUMBERS

  • 94 Instagram photos 
  • 6 Poop Talk stories (http://talkingshitpodcast.com/)
  • 14 Ortega Tacos (not sure to feel shame or pride about this)
  • 52 Deep Eddy Drinks 
  • 61 Breckenridge Brewery Beers
  • 1 almost lost ear
  • 1 Jessie Ware cover from local R&B queen Povi
  • 1 stage dive at the Hi Dive
  • 1 fall on stage during The Yawpers...cough cough Andrew Rios
  • 25 times our UMS app crashed and made us curse relying technology
  • 2 late night street dance parties 
  • 4 the number of times Castro hit on Povi
  • 26 mistaken thunderstorms from the lightening at the entrance to the main stage
  • 11 Illegal Petes burritos consumed obnoxiously to the tune of heavy metal
  • 1 bottle of Gold Bond
  • 4,006 number of photos taken
  • 13 Red Bulls drank
  • 18 "where are you" text messages
  • 0 group photos of the staff
  • countless memories... *cue the Awwws* 

Music | New Music Tuesday featuring In The Whale | Radio

Our good friends In The Whale have been busy touring the country and as we mentioned last week will be playing at this years Lollapalooza. They just celebrated their new album this past week at a sweat soaked packed Hi-Dive crowd. Luckily for us we get the exclusive stream of the single "Radio" off the self-titled album. After all sometimes we need something new to listen to at the office with our pants off.


Riot Fest Denver | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | September 19-21

The Riot Fest crowd catching 3OH3! (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

RIOT FEST 
Ahh, Riot Fest. A weekend filled with punk mutants, vomiting girls, carnies and "under-butt". For those of you that don’t follow us on Instagram and Twitter, "under butt" is what happens when girls wear high wasted shorts and half their butt hangs out. Why do we mention this? we love it. With asses and beer galore, we were able to sit back, relax (with Slayer blaring) and take in yet another beautiful Riot Fest. This weekend officially marked the end of festival season for the year, and we certainly made the most of our final hours with funnel cake and turkey legs.

This was Denver's second year hosting Chicago's rowdy punk festival, and despite the change of scenery, some may argue that this year got it right. 

Radkey one of the days surprise sets. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The biggest change to the festival this year was the location. After a bout of petitions and protests from a few unhappy members of the Byers community, the city voted to not allow the punk rock festival back within county boundaries. Riot Mike and the rest of the festival's team decided to take this the only way they know how, with salt on the rim, and fire in their loins. Determined to win back the heart of Byers, Riot Fest themed this year's festival around the little country town. Offering discounted tickets to the residents of Byers, filling the venue with tractors and hay bails, and naming all the stages after Byers city landmarks (Country Feed Store, May Farms, etc), it was apparent the festival wished it was out east at its inaugural location instead. 

Matt Berninger of The National closing out the final night of a cold, rainy Riot Fest (Photo Credit: Matt Smith)

Despite the forced change of scenery, we were pleasantly surprised by the use of Mile High's parking lot. Denver is used to seeing this as the Warped Tour venue, so it was hard imaging the layout being able to differ greatly, but what a pleasant surprise this weekend was. The venue's traffic flow was fantastic, the lines for bathrooms nominal, and bands promptly started one after another, avoiding the much dreaded festival "lag time" all have come to expect. There is something magical about being out in a corn field miles from civilization, but the layout at Mile High just....worked. The decision is up to Riot Fest (after they win in court against Arapahoe County), but we're very curious to see what venue is used in 2015. 

We’ve summed the entire weekend up into a few different categories:

Riot Fest 2014 (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The Crowd:
From air fisting cowboys to cape-wearing WuTang super fans and green mohawks, the crowd at Riot Fest did not disappoint. We believe that people watching at Riot Fest should be considered as an Olympic sport. Is there a way to vote that into existence? When we weren’t busy ogling our childhood heroes, we were taking in the wonderful scenery. We saw a woman eat a sword, a man dance around on his torso, and a girl barf something bright red all over the grass and then proceed to lay in it. It was perfect. 

TV on The Radio (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Our Favorite Acts:
City and Colour, TV On The Radio, Weezer, NFG, Taking Back Sunday, In The Whale, Manchester Orchestra, 3OH3!, Radkey, Dum Dum Girls, Descendants, Me First and The Gimme Gimme's.


By the Numbers:
$1 - the amount of money made at the “Watch This Video for a Dollar Truck!” - Somethings you can’t unsee. 
4 - the number of times we watched someone puke after The Zipper Ride
6 - trench coats
2 - nours amount of time Robert cried at The Cure
12 - the number of people we saw get dropped after crowd surfing
1 - the amount that the Broncos lost to the Seahawks :(
24 - cans of Red Bull we drank collectively as a team
1.1 Miles - the length that you would have to walk around Mile High if you missed the entrance and proceeded to walk aimlessly around Invesco

Check out our Riot Fest photos courtesy of Matthew Smith and Robert Castro