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 gave us two doses of dance vibes. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
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 put on one of favorite sets of the weekend. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)
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 taking us to another planet. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
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 bringing the cambia vibes. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)
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 takes the stage at The Underground Music Showcase. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)
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
Photo Credit: Robert Castro
Words: Robert Castro, Kendall Morris, and Cory Phare.
