mehro | Summit Music Hall | March 13th, 2024

Photo — Juli Yanai (@jbelle.photo)

DENVER, CO — On Tuesday, March 13th, Summit Music Hall was buzzing with energy as a crowd gathered for mehro’s 2024 “Reason To Live” tour, featuring special guest King Isis. mehro (pronounced “marrow”) is a Los Angeles native who began writing their own music as a young adult. The singer has gone on to release several albums and EPs with a distinct sound and penchant for writing lyrics that cut to the core of matters. 

Their Denver set featured music from mehro’s latest album, “Dark Corners and Alchemy”, an indie album that’s equally playful as it is vulnerable. The artist also played a range of songs from their catalog including their latest release, “Ketamine”, a soft indie track that bleeds true to mehro’s track record of producing songs that lyrically and sonically condense emotional experiences in a captivating manner. 

The show was held at an intimate venue, and mehro’s capacity to engage in an intentional way with the audience struck fans. From the start of the show, they brought an energy of care and chose to start the show with a breathing exercise, and periodically checked in with the audience by sharing the vulnerabilities behind their music and pulling the crowd in with fun quips. 

The set was enigmatic with fun twists and turns, from sweet moments shared between audience and band members to explosive performances with special sneak-peeks of unreleased songs. 

Even after stepping off the stage, mehro maintained their thoughtful composure and took time to engage with each fan, showing genuine interest. And from the interactions between the show and after, it’s evident that mehro’s fans feel a strong affinity to their conscientiousness as an artist and individual. 

mehro is definitely an artist to watch in 2024, and we look forward to seeing them continue to evolve as an artist and person.

-Words and Images: Juli Yanai

Bless This Mess It's UMS 2023: The Recap

Spill Tab performs at this years Underground Music Showcase. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

For three glorious days in July, the Underground Music Showcase hits South Broadway, transforming mild-mannered restaurants, bars and storefronts into a supercharged Voltron of noise assembling annually in Denver’s Baker neighborhood. 

The 2023 UMS fully embraced the annual pilgrimage of revolution, evolution, and collective catharsis. From Banded Oak to the Skylark, revelers traversed the crooked pavement passed the zeroed-out cardinal heart of Broadway and Ellsworth to catch the amalgamation of rock, hip hop, metal, cumbia, shoegaze, and whatever the fuck Rad Dudes is this year. 

Jami Duffy of Youth on Record speaks during one of many panels at Impact Days. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The festival has served as a launching pad for local talent and national artists alike since 2001. Homegrown music education nonprofit Youth on Record joined forces with Two Parts as co-owners in 2022, and in their sophomore outing, a clear commitment to community came into focus: Accessible spaces were at the center of planning efforts, as well as drawing visibility to sober initiatives, opening up of Impact Days professional development to the public, and literally crafting an Artist Care lounge replete with a meditation space, vitamin B-12 replenishments, and Dayglo-adorned textile installations from Meow Wolf artist, Andrea Fischer. 

UMS directors Jami Duffy and Casey Berry with Jessica Wallach. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

From the first notes of Friday, the UMS (lovingly and accurately also known as “you-a-mess”) was evident that it serves as a kind of Land-of-Misfit-Toys high school reunion. Though the absence of some notable buds was felt, at the heart remained the music. And, similar to the city itself, it remains a source of renewal, joyously chasing that promise of redemption by reinvention to create something new again. 

Here’s some highlights that you may have missed from UMS 2023

Friday:

Levi Double U rocking the 1’s and 2’s. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Last year, Levi Double U brought donuts to open up the UMS - and though there weren’t any honey glazed at the Oasis Stage this time around, festival goers were definitely getting in the hole-y spirit dancing to the Denver producer, DJ, and drummer. Yum. 

Deva Yoder’s brand of dreamy Opry felt right at home at the Skylark on Friday early evening. Her spacey psych-country featured well-crafted harmonies and vocals channeling Bonnie Raitt, fittingly culminating in a proper late-’70s jam sesh to end the set on a soaring note. 

Jen Korte and the Loss occupied a similar orbital vibe at the newly christened UMS House (previously a distillery and … other establishments). Korte’s songs soared like sonic paintings, with each dynamic meticulously placed with purpose, her uber-talented backing musicians filling the space with their complementary brushstrokes and comets. Korte and crew are Americana Gothic at its finest. 

Speaking of spacey landscapes, UMS vets Corsicana (the project of Ben Pisano) creates shoegaze that feels like floating on a cloud, lulling an afternoon crowd at HQ into what can only be described as “the Denver sway.” It served as a lighter aperitif to the fuzzed out garage-folk of Becky Hostetler’s bellhoss, which rocked the rafter of Stoney’s as a cathartic Dinosaur Jr.-inspired dance party. 

Pink Fuzz bringing the rock to the Underground Music Showcase on day one. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

When it comes to crunch, Pink Fuzz is aptly named. In the first of two UMS sets, the Denver-based power trio brought their high-octane-buzzsaw-muscle-car sound to the Showcase Stage on Friday night. Pulpy Lemmy-esque riffs and pumping Pumpkins Siamese nightmares pummeled UMSers on a stage fit for the sound; their Saturday set also pounded eardrums numb in an unrelenting sweat-drenched set. Pink Fuzz has established a distinctive tone that, alongside literal sibling band The Velveteers, is something that can be thought of as “the Demitro Sound” - a Monster-Zombie motorcycle magnetar that leaves the throttle open the entire performance. 

It was a fitting transition to Des Rocs, another nonstop three-piece and one of the standouts of UMS 2023. Described by a bystander as “heavy metal Lost Boys,” the high-energy show smacked of Ram Jam and Queens of the Stone Age riffage, occasioning new-wave with a slight gothic bent while also evoking REM and Elvis (both Presley and even Costello, if you squinted hard enough). Needless to say, Denver slurped up the psychedelic Palm Desert puree without hesitation

Jamila Woods delivering on the soul vibes. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Sultry, silky and smooth would be one of many ways to describe Jamila Woods. Her main stage set provided for a groovy and sensual set that brought out a close to the first day of the festival. The Chicago native shined as evident with her poetry background that translated over to her live set flawlessly. Woods has been making music on and off since about 2016 and we hope she continues to bless us with her soulful voice for years to come.

Last year’s mystery headliners Native Daughters once again closed out the night - and for those in the know, it was no surprise they scorched the inside of HQ to a well-done crisp, the scene of an infamous late-night Sailor Records show at 3 Kings Tavern (RIP). Returning to 60 South Broadway, the dual-drummer instru-metal volcanographers blasted their distinctive percussive assault again into the night. And as the final notes erupted in a conflagratory blast, both band and venue reminded UMSers that it’s possible to rise from ashes anew.

Photo Gallery: Robert Castro

Saturday:

It’s hard not to join in the movement at a Los Mocochetes show. And at the packed Underground Stage, it’s exactly what the crowd was called to do. An eclectic mix of cumbia, rock, funk and more, the genre-bending Denver group harnesses music as advocacy, their very name an amalgamation of “mocosos” (or “brats”) and “machete”, a tool that can be used for both cultivation and destruction, fitting for using dance as simultaneously healing and weapon. 

Hex Kitten kept the party going on the Oasis Stage on day 2 of UMS. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

During a break between songs, N3PTUNE shared a memory of his last-minute UMS set from 2021 that lit the fuse of one of Denver’s breakout creatives on the ascendancy. Flash-forward and a vision’s realization was evident on the 2023 UMS Showcase Stage. Flanked by backup dancers, choir singers, and accompanist Rusty Steve, the energy spilled into the crowd multiple times and reinforced what those lucky few knew back then - that N3PTUNE (don’t forget the ‘3’) is a consummate boundary-pusher whose continued rise feels foretold. 

Love or hate it, the re-emergence of pop-punk has also felt inevitable, like snakebite piercings eating their own. It wasn’t hard to walk by several venues to discover Manic Panic at the Drive Thru-inspired takes to pogo your heart-sleeved tattoos to. Take Provo, UT-based 19 Miles Per Hour, whose head-nodding set at the L evoked early-era Allister and Homegrown, culminating with bubble-blowing into the adoring crowd. 

Or Denver’s Bury Mia, whose Sugarcult-tinged vibes invited Stoney’s to look back at those Warped Summer Extravaganzas ($10 bottled waters notwithstanding). And though labels are useless for Plasma Canvas, the self-proclaimed “loudest, gayest band in the world” - who recently released their “Dusk” LP on vaunted SideOneDummy Records - lived up to their billing with blistering odes to skate punk-shred, lighting up HQ with their afternoon set that left ears ringing and transphobes running. 

Snotty Nose Rez Kids got the mosh pit started at The Underground Stage. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

Saturday was also a night of hip-hop at the Hi Dive. Set off with the Southern stylings of RO$$AY and smooth storytelling of Lane-O, the stacked lineup gave way to Snotty Nosed Rez Kids, hyping the room less than 90 minutes after their equally engaging Underground Stage set. 

Seattle’s Oblé Reed delivered smoothly crafted messages drenched in ‘90s influences, setting up the frenetic psych-freak-hop of surgical weirdos The White Moms. Closing down the night, 7 South Broadway was worked into a lather as Dirty Rotten Rhymers took the stage, tongue firmly in cheek, to announce their upcoming release “Bong Island” - a hit in the making.  

Photo Gallery: Robert Castro

Sunday: 

Kenny Cornbread is a ChatGPT combination of Ted Nuget and Bo Burnham. The line between tribute and parody can be a fine one, and the real-life Team Amerca’s pseudopatriotic dirges served as buzzing half-empty reminders of not to take fun seriously, knocking off the cobwebs and cracking open Day 3.

Crowds cheer on the return of Air Dubai. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

Denver welcomed back travelers Air Dubai with open arms at UMS 2023, their performance marked the hip/rock group’s first since going on indefinite hiatus seven years prior. The in-flight entertainment didn’t disappoint, either: A perfect mix of energy and chill, it was a fitting Sunday Showcase Stage return that left the crowd hoping for more arrivals than departures in the future.

Spacecorpse giving UMS goer’s a heavier dose of music. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

Nothing like beating back the Sunday Scaries with a dose of its own medicine, and that’s exactly what the brutal daylong lineup at Hi Dive delivered. Self-described “dystopian cyberpunk death metal” of Spacecorpse opened up the pit and Cobranoid tore through their hell-escaping high-octane speed doom, while the relentlessness of Denver monoliths Abrams and Cloud Catcher closed down it all down, leaving the room bruised whiplashed. 

Green Druid. (Photo Credit: Aly McClaran)

Speaking of heavy, stoner stalwarts Green Druid rolled up and smoked the Underground Stage at the conveniently timed 4:35 set. It’s a deserved step-up for the group, whose previous UMS performances left the Hi-Dive ablaze in a haze of breakdowns that Keep. Breaking. Down. True to their name, 2023’s set was all power-flower, no stems or seeds, culminating with a two-ton cover of the Nirvana classic, “Breed.” 

Within the darkness, there is also light. And though it’s tempting to write-off Skank Williams as a gimmick - ska-themed classic country might elicit eyerolls from the too-cool-for-school set - one listen to the group reveals a deep dedication and appreciation for both. Turns out combining The Slackers and George Jones results in one son-of-a-gun fun fusion dish. It was a fitting finish for the festival, an annual Jambalaya fit for kings and queens and in-betweens, proclaiming loudly and proudly that yes - UMS is still the best kind of mess. 

Virgi Dart was our breakthrough performer of the festival this year. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

We also had our chance to host our first ever UMS Day Party on Sunday and we discovered a gem after some last minute shuffling from our artist. Our Selena Tribute party wouldn’t have been possible without the talented Virgi Dart who was able to fill in last minute with her amazing tribute to Cumbia Queen Selena. Big thanks to our other artist Miggy Camacho who is the ambassador of salsa, cumbia, and latin music dj’s in our city. Our special guests The Mañanas and Neoma kept the party going with dance inducing bangers who had everybody twerking and more.

Homework: 

“Tecnicolor pop-witch” Cain Culto

Night Fishing, a mishmash of “jazz fuzz” 

Multi-instrumentalist namebackwards

Words by Cory Phare and Robert Castro

Photo Gallery: Aly McClaran

Lights All Night Is Upon Us!

Lights All Night is the mother of all electronic music festivals, the longest running of its kind in the great state of Texas.

This year’s edition is a neon fueled, dance music paradise boasting a genre-bending Texas sized lineup across four different stages: The Watering Hole, Metroplex, The Lonestar, and Disco Rodeo. From dance music royalty like Porter Robinson and the hotly tipped DJ and producer Gordo (recently produced Drake’s ‘Honestly Nevermind’ album) to astonishing, larger than life art installations, including the debut of Moouis Vuitton, Lights All Night is the place to be to cap off 2022.

We will be in attendance and check back next week for our full review and photo gallery.

Tickets

Ticket Link

Hours

Festivities take place this New Year's Eve Weekend on Thursday, December 29th and Friday, December 30th, with performances beginning in the evening and running all night.

Day 1: Thursday, December 29th

  • Parking lots open at 5:00 PM

  • Box office open at 5:00 PM

  • Gates open at 6:00 PM

  • Event ends at 2:00 AM

Day 2: Friday, December 30th

  • Parking lots open at 5:00 PM

  • Box office open at 5:00 PM

  • Gates open at 6:00 PM

  • Event ends at 2:00 AM

Map

Parking

If you plan to drive, there will be ample parking at the venue.

Parking lots open at 5:00 PM on Thursday and Friday. Parking is $25 plus tax, per day.

NO CASH! Credit and debit cards, and Android and Apple Pay payments are accepted.

HOPS & DROPS Lineup Announcement!!!!

Lineup has been announced and we see a couple of our favorites on this list. If you haven’t purchased your tickets here are some amazing options to consider.

General Admission + Beer Tasting tickets are now on sale for $55 at www.hopsdropsevergreen.com. To stay up-to-date on all future Hops Drops announcements, please follow Hops Drops on Instagram @HopsDrops_Evergreen.

All ticket options include:

  • General Admission: Starting at $30

    • Entry into the festival

  • GA + BeerBeer Fest Admission: Starting at $55

    • Entry into the festival

    • Souvenir tasting glass

    • Unlimited tasting from 12-4 pm

  • VIP Bergen Peak Club: Starting at $150

    • Entry into the festival + Beer Fest

    • Premier viewing of main stage

    • Designated area with private bar

    • Private bathrooms

    • Free food & beverages

    • A photo booth and gifts from our partners

High Ground Music & Art Festival Taking Place October 2nd

With festival season in full swing, one that we are looking forward to is taking residence on the grounds of Levitt Pavilion on October 2nd. This will be our first time covering this one and judging by the lineup it should be pretty amazing.

Levitate Events presents High Ground Music & Arts Experience, Denver’s first one-day festival that centers on melodic, live-performed electronic music and the natural beauty of the Colorado outdoors. The inaugural 18+ event takes place on October 2nd, 2021 in the grass amphitheater of Levitt Pavilion at Ruby Hill Park, minutes away from the heart of Denver. Attendees (referred to as “Revelers”) will enjoy two stages with local and international musical performers, as well as installations and activations to highlight Colorado’s culture, food, cannabis, and art.

On the High Ground Stage, headliners Snakehips and Kasbo will join acts like Louis Futon, Haywyre, Chet Porter, and Pluko alongside Colorado favorites Bass Physics, JackLNDN, Lucy Daydream, Shae District, and Who’s Calling. The Levitate Stage will feature 12 additional entertainers including Kid Astronaut, Laszewo, w/out, and more, with the majority of performances to be live. With 23 acts playing, High Ground Music & Arts Experience is set to be Colorado’s largest single-day independent music festival this year.

Created by Noah Levinson of Levitate Events, High Ground Music & Arts Experience is a culmination of his extensive and varied background as a music industry entrepreneur. A recent graduate of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, Levinson honed his skills as a promoter and event producer at Insomniac Events. Together with his business partner (and mother) Jobi Halper, he developed the idea for an outdoor music festival that celebrates his love for the environment and chill electronic music.

Tickets are available here, starting at $85 USD for General Admission, and $175 for VIP Access. For more information please go to the festival’s website at highgroundfest.com.

New Headliners Announced For This Years Westword Music Showcase

The Westword Music Showcase has just added to its impressive lineup with the announcement of three new headliners including Treepeople, Phantoms, and St. Lucia. The three acts join an already impressive lineup that includes Galantis, Bonobo, Joywave and more. Tickets are currently on sale an as an added bonus if you use promo code ULTRA5280 you will score discounted tickets. 

Treepeople was an alternative rock band from Boise, Idaho, although it spent most of its time and was officially based in Seattle, Washington. The band was composed of Pat Brown, Wayne Rhino Flower, Doug Martsch, and Scott Schmaljohn.

A Los Angeles-based EDM duo featuring the talents of Kyle Kaplan and Vinnie Pergola, Phantoms deliver icy/hot electro-dance beats with a dash of techno and heavy dose of pop hooks. Friends since the age of 15, the pair dabbled in the Disney side of the television and film industry -- Kaplan was featured in Hannah Montana and 10 Things I Hate About You while Pergola appeared in That's So Raven and Miss Behave -- before shifting all of their focus onto music. After honing their chops as DJs, the duo began producing their own music under the Phantoms moniker, releasing their eponymous instrumental debut EP via OWSLA in 2013-

-All Music

Essentially the solo vehicle for singer/songwriter Jean-Philip Grobler, the Brooklyn-based St. Lucia make shimmery, '80s-influnced, synth-driven pop. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Grobler grew up singing in the Drakensberg Boys Choir School, which found him touring and performing around Europe, Japan, and Australia. After leaving the choir, Groblerattended music school in England before relocating to New York City. Once there, he began writing his own pop songs and recording under the name St. Lucia. The band's self-titled EP appeared on Neon Gold in 2012. In 2013, St. Luciareleased their full-length debut album, When the Night, featuring the single "Elevate." The album entered the Billboard 200 and hit number six on Billboard's Top Heatseekers Albums chart. Grobler and his band then spent the better part of the next few years touring, playing summer festivals and opening for other artists including Charli XCX and Ellie Goulding. In 2016, St. Lucia returned with their sophomore full-length album, Matter, which included the singles "Dancing on Glass," "Physical," and "Love Somebody."

-All Music