48 different acts in 36 hours. That’s a lot of UMS.
48 different acts in 36 hours. That’s a lot of UMS.
The 2016 chapter of the Underground Music Showcase may be history, but the sonic residue (among other detritus) is still ringing in the ears down South Broadway between 5th and Alameda.
Celebrating its 16th anniversary, the UMS has grown into the largest music festival in the Rocky Mountain Region. As signature event of the Denver Post Community, the UMS celebrates the eclectic and phenomenally innovative music scene of the region we’re lucky enough to call home.
From punk to funk to electronic, hip hop, and every subgenre you can Cusack, UMS 2016 truly did have it all. And what better way to cool off the sweltering heat than by sinking your favorite singer in the Youth on Record dunk tank?
The sheer scale of the UMS was monolithic: 400 performers in 20 different locations. It’s physically impossible to see everyone, everywhere.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, though.
For brevity’s sake, you’ll find three-word (more or less) synopses/impressions/takeaways below for each of the 48 acts I saw at the 2016 UMS. This included everything from brief snippets to full sets, with the average being around one to two songs--so really, it’s more of a pulse-check than comprehensive analysis. And as with most things you read on the internet, it’s helpful to take with several hefty grains of salt.
Personal favorite performances (in no specific order) were Eros and the Eschaton, Poliça, Andy Hamilton & the Rocky Mountain Contraband, QBala, Atlas, Bark Wilson, and Bright Light Social Hour. Though each performer isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea/tallboy, I can’t express enough gratitude to each individual who got onto a stage. Please keep doing that.
A huge thank you to the UMS/Denver Post Community, Youth On Record, Schomp Mini, and every sponsor, volunteer, and neighbor who made this possible--you’re the best!
Friday
Mile High Soul Club @ Main Stage: Boogie woogie kickoff
Plum @ Main Stage: Fuzzy psychedelic harmonies
Emerald Siam @ Skylark: Kill Bill (vol. 2) metal
Codename Carter @ Irish Rover: Spy-rock in an IROC
Colfax Speed Queen @ Hi-Dive: Wow, that line!
Dressy Bessy @ Irish Rover: Mod dance party
The Cabin Project @ Hornet: Melodically textured arrangements
Saturday
Slow Caves @ Irish Rover: New wave jams
Open to the Hound @ Blue Ice: Modern rock radio
theMOVED @ Hornet: Fleetsteel Woodmac-y Dan
Atlas @ Irish Rover: Arpeggiated post-rock dreamscapes
Residual Kids @ Main Stage: Save rock, please!
Poison Rites @ Hi-Dive: Angry speed punk
Automatic Iris @ Hornet: 2-car garage pop
Jeffrey Dallet @ Baere: Sweaty dude folk
Church Fire @ Irish Rover: Xmas lights + Sleigh Bells
Bark Wilson @ Illegal Pete’s: Fedora beach party!
The Born Readies @ Skylark: Molly Hatchet + Poison
Bright Light Social Hour @ Main Stage: A.M. Gold Skynard
Eros and the Eschaton @ 3 Kings: Sonic Yo-uth La Tengo
Luke Schmaltz @ Think Tank Tattoo: Rodentia royalty, raw
Thee Oh Sees @ Main Stage: Garage bandsaw growl
Wez @ Irish Rover: One-man disco
Venus Cruz & What Young Men Do @ Hornet: Silky smooth soulectronica
Covenhoven @ South Broadway Christian Church: OpenAir orchestral omnipotence
Sunday
DeCollage @ Main Stage: Spooky cello afternoon
LodosMusic @ Hornet: Belted it out
Left Hand Shakes @ Punch Bowl: Dapper Maroon voicings
Bahnseye @ Hornet: Is that...vibraphone?
Qbala @ Blue Ice: Ginsu-precision flow
Beautiful Machines @ Skylark: Synth rock enormity
Adia Victoria @ Main Stage: Gravelly, bluesy Portishead
Shady Elders @ 3 Kings: Dark Blondie-esque pop
Marshall Poole @ Irish Rover: Blended vocal grunge
Set Sail @ Hi Dive: Falsettos and feel-goods
Yawpers @ Main Stage: Bluesy, boozy, fuzzy
Sunflower Bean @ Main Stage: ‘70s-inspired jams
San Fermin @ Main Stage: Genre-blending arrangements
Poliça @ Main Stage: Haunting, tribal Sugarcubes
HR People @ Gary Lee’s: Rough-edged indie
Andy Hamilton & the Rocky Mountain Contraband @ Skylark: Waylon blues; Haggard livin’
The Raven & the Writing Desk @ 3 Kings: Textured, psychedelic L7
Ancient Elk @ Irish Rover: Jammy, noodly smorgasboard
BANDITS @ Hi Dive: Fuzzy sound sandwich
*Not Music
Gildar Gallery: Inside Stay-Puft’s stomach
First pop-up Dixieland band: Play my funeral, please!
Second pop-up Dixieland band: This already happened
Bloody Guy on the Street: Don’t do drugs
About Cory Phare
Formerly a touring punk rock musician, Denver-based writer Cory Phare now covers design, creativity, and education. Find more of his work here or at coryphare.com