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)
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*