The Underground Music Showcase takes the stage one last time, in its current form, for a summer sendoff and celebration of 25 years.
UMS 2022
25 Years Loud. No Regrets. All Encores.
DENVER, CO — July 1, 2025 — It started in a dive bar basement. A handful of bands, a few dozen fans, and one loud idea: make space for Colorado’s music scene to grow. 25 years later, the Underground Music Showcase (UMS) is the state’s largest and longest-running independent music festival—and it’s never forgotten its roots.
This summer, UMS celebrates its 25th anniversary with a powerful message: 25 Years Loud. No Regrets. All Encores.
After 25 unforgettable years, UMS will take its final bow — at least in its current form — this summer. The festival will take over South Broadway once again from July 25–27, 2025 for one last weekend of discovery, celebration, and legacy.
UMS has become synonymous with Colorado’s independent spirit — a festival where careers launched, memories were made, and a region’s sound found its stage. For over two and a half decades, UMS has grown from a local showcase into one of the most beloved independent music festivals in the country, presenting more than 10,000 performances, amplifying thousands of artists, and generating millions in economic impact.
As the community looks toward what’s next for Colorado’s music scene, UMS owners, Two Parts and Youth on Record, will be reaching out to the incredible artist community for ideas, opinions, and inspiration about what comes next. But for now, UMS as it’s been known is taking the stage for the last time.
Don’t cry into your vintage UMS t-shirt just yet! This summer’s event promises to be unforgettable. As the music scene shifts and the ecosystem changes, UMS is choosing to go out loud — with a festival weekend designed to celebrate everything that made this movement matter.
“We’ve poured our love, sweat, and tears into this festival. Year after year, giving it everything we’ve got. The 25th Anniversary will be no different,” said Casey Berry, co-owner of UMS. “No regrets, no pity parties — just a celebration for the ages!”
To mark this milestone, UMS is launching “The Final Countdown: 25 UMS Moments to Remember” — a celebration of the upcoming shows, pop-ups, some throwbacks, and unforgettable energy that has made UMS a movement. From July 1–25, fans can follow 25 daily moments across UMS Instagram that capture the heart and soul of the festival, culminating in the main event: UMS 2025, taking place July 25–27.
Highlights include:
25 Legacy Artists and Reunions — a look ahead at the talent that built UMS, with rare sets and surprise appearances that are coming to South Broadway this summer
DeVotchKa headlines Sunday night — the band that played the very first UMS returns to close it out, full circle and louder than ever.
Dunk-a-Musician returns to raise funds for Youth on Record
Get Loud Music Summit connects artists with funders, policymakers, and music industry leaders. A don’t miss moment for artist to get loud about their needs
Sober Garden, Silent Disco, Margarita Minute, Throwback Merch Drops, and more.
Sunday Birthday Bash — Is this the final birthday bash? Maybe. Fans are invited to help torch the candles with surprise guests, sweet tributes, donut drops, and a dancefloor full of love. This full-circle finale will close out UMS 2025 with joy, nostalgia, and groove.
The Legacy of UMS
For a quarter century, UMS has grown up with the city. It’s weathered recessions, booms, busts, cultural shifts, and a global pandemic. As Denver’s music scene changed, so did UMS—evolving into a nationally respected festival that amplified Colorado talent, brought international artists to South Broadway, and fostered community from the sidewalk to the stage.
UMS was born from grassroots grit. In 2001, Denver Post music critic John Moore asked, “Who are the underground bands in Denver?” and launched a quirky poll that sparked something much bigger. With Ricardo Baca, Kendall Smith, and Will Dupree, they transformed backyard shows and basement sets into a movement. The Denver Postplayed an early role in scaling the fest while preserving its DIY spirit. In 2018, Two Parts stepped in to carry the torch — taking over the festival and expanding the footprint and programming. When COVID-19 threatened festivals nationwide, Two Parts did everything to keep UMS alive.
“We created a Covid variety show and music showcase not just to raise money, but to lift spirits and bring our music community together. 2020 was one of the toughest stretches for artists, venues, crews, and festivals, “says Casey Berry, majority owner of UMS. “That was our way of showing up, giving back, and reminding everyone that we’re in it with them.”
When the live music industry was decimated, Two Parts kept UMS engaged through unprecedented times. Their efforts laid the groundwork for a bold new vision.
A Festival That Grew With Its City
UMS dared to be different and to endure despite the carnage of dying festivals across the country. It survived by being nimble, creative, and rooted in values. In 2022, UMS entered a new era through an innovative co-ownership model between Youth on Record and Two Parts. This powerful partnership blended impact and mission with the rowdiness and robust music that made UMS an icon. The two groups aligned the festival while ensuring its legacy lived on. Together, they created a rare and effective ownership structure: a nonprofit and a creative agency co-producing a major independent festival.
With Youth on Record’s leadership and background in delivering community programming, UMS evolved into a mission-driven discovery festival rooted in equity and artist care. UMS began publishing Impact Reports, focusing on their commitment and action on accessibility, thriving artist wages, artist mental health care, sober support, and artistic development. Youth on Record launched the Get Loud Music Summit (formerly Impact Days), designed to give UMS artists the kind of networking opportunities and training they needed to launch careers. This bold co-ownership experiment proved that cultural production could be mission-driven, and that legacy can be built without selling out.
As one of South Broadway’s anchor events, UMS contributed meaningfully to the economic vitality of the neighborhood — filling bars, boosting local businesses, and turning the district into a haven for independence, counterculture, and discovery. This stretch of Denver became synonymous with DIY spirit and artistic experimentation, with UMS serving as a pulse point for cultural momentum. Its heartbeat became the rhythm of South Broadway, and its presence helped shape the neighborhood’s identity as a home for artists, dreamers, and music lovers alike.
The Changing Landscape of Festivals
Festivals are incredibly difficult to sustain—especially those without corporate and government backers. For over two decades—and for the past four years in particular—UMS didn’t skimp on mission. It doubled down on what matters: thriving artist pay, festival accessibility, a free music conference (owned and operated by Youth on Record, who plan to continue producing the conference each year), safety and harm reduction strategies, mental health supports, climate change preparedness, and more, And, mission takes money, especially from government and philanthropic sources. Even if tickets sell out, festivals that do it right need subsidies from sources who recognize the inherent mission, impact, and value of these cultural stewards.
Nationally, festivals are folding or downsizing due to rising costs, shifting audiences, and lack of systemic support. As reported by CNN and NPR, independent music festivals are at a critical crossroads—and without support from public funders and philanthropy, their futures remain uncertain.
But UMS Co-Owner Casey Berry and Youth on Record’s Jami Duffy say that 25 years is something to be proud of. As music ecosystems continue to evolve and new generations of creatives make their mark, UMS will also need to evolve. With 25 years of legacy behind, UMS now enters a moment of reflection, imagination, and reinvention—an exciting opportunity to build what’s next
“UMS was never just a weekend. It’s been a movement. A launchpad. And a love letter to Denver’s music community,” says Jami Duffy, “We don’t have a crystal ball, and can’t predict the future – especially in this current landscape. But this year? We need you to be there with us. To torch these birthday candles. To show Denver what Colorado music is all about. Let’s make this final bow the loudest yet.”
Feeling Nostalgic? We've got you covered! UMS Through the Years: Goodwill Legacy Window
All of July, fans can visit a special retrospective window installation at Goodwill on South Broadway, showcasing 25 years of fashion, photography, and memories from Denver’s iconic DIY discovery festival. And, of course, make sure you’re there all UMS weekend!
UMS 2025 - No Regrets. All Encores.
📍 South Broadway, Denver, CO
📅 July 25–27, 2025
🎟 Tickets, lineup, and schedule: undergroundmusicshowcase.com
📲 Follow the countdown daily on Instagram: @theums
