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The Underground Music Showcase (UMS) is back… Kinda.
UMS is returning for its 26th year — but it’s the first time the three-day festival will be in the RiNo Arts District neighborhood instead of the South Broadway stretch it sat on for a quarter of a century. Therefore, parking, locales and deals have changed.
Here’s what you need to know before the music festival kicks off in its new location between July 24-26.
Map map!
The festival will take place on Larimer Street between 32nd Street and 24th Street. The two outdoor stages will be on 25th Street and 31st Street holding the majority of the larger acts.
The indoor venues include Improper City, Ratio Beerworks, Finn’s Manor, Beacon, Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Larimer Lounge, Campground and Matchbox.
Two Moons Music Hall will also be hosting shows despite officially closing back in June.
Tickets
The festival will feature over 160 bands across two outdoor stages and nine indoor venues over the three-day period, with some after parties and indoor performances stretching into the early morning (2 a.m., to be exact).
Tickets range between a full weekend pass covering all days and passes for each individual day. Individual passes get you into all of the venues and stages for that specific date. The full weekend passes start at $120 and the daily passes are $75 over at UndergroundMusicShowcase.com.
Local businesses and restaurants that are not direct venues will also be joining in on the party, according to Keanan Stoner, director of the festival. These things include discounts on certain beverages, meals and sales at retail stores. All these offers can be found on the festivals dedicated app.
Parking
If you’ve ever hit up the RiNo area for a nightly outing, you know parking is… not great.
“I recommend not driving because hopefully you’re enjoying yourself,” Stoner tells Westword. “There’s a lot of places to eat and drink throughout the district, so probably better to get a safe ride home or figure out a different mode of transportation.”
If you do need to park, though, UMS has teamed up with the Colorado Rockies’ garage at 27th Street and Blake Street. Stoner also recommends hitting up other parking garages instead of bogging down street parking for nearby residents.
UMS has also teamed up with Veo (Denver’s designated scooter company) for a specific promo code to use during and around the event — that of which will be located on the app. There will also be old fashion bike parking in the festival area, according to Stoner.
Who to see
With over 160 bands, it’s physically impossible to see them all. It’s also impossible to know them all. While finding new gems — especially those from Denver — is part of the fun, here are a few we are excited about.
Soy Celesté is a Mexican folk-punk band we’ve raved about many times before. They are feminist punk keeping the riot grrrl movement alive right in Denver and they will be playing their fifth UMS at Beacon on July 25.
Areymá is a UMS first-timer who is based in Denver. The singer-songwriter blends together a mix of lo-fi spirituality and grandiose R&B vocals, with the artist directly defining her genre as “therapy.” She plays at Finn’s Manor on July 26.
BLXCKPUNKS is a rap duo that sounds like Flatbush Zombies fell in love with Slipknot, keeping the often-underrated nu-metal genre alive. The brash instrumentals come together with the raspy rapping of IAMTOPP and Jang the Goon. They are playing at Two Moons on July 24.
Destino is like being smacked in the face with a synthesizer. The Denver pop artist layers heavily produced vocals over an eclectic mix of crunchy, shiny instrumentals to create for a damn good dancing time. They are playing at Campground on July 25.
Pout House does not only have a cool name. The Denver rock quartet uses distorted punk vocals over bouncy, bass-driven songs that end up sounding a bit ska, a bit punk, and a whole lot of fun. They play at Beacon on July 24.
Niis is a must-see. The Los Angeles foursome combines hardcore and early grunge with outrageous performances and too much energy for Larimer Lounge to truly contain on July 25.
