The UMS Saves the Denver Music Scene!

The Underground Music Showcase – now known simply as The UMS – is excited to welcome over 300 local and national bands, singer-songwriters, and comedians to 30 of the best local venues when The UMS takes over 10 blocks of Denver’s South Broadway from July 22nd thru July 25th. The UMS, which has grown to be the largest indie music festival in the Western United States in just 10 short years, started as a one day event featuring five local bands. Now “the little fest that could”, as it is referred by Denver Post Pop Music Critic Ricardo Baca, focuses on both national and local independent artists in its tenth year.

Last year’s event left a mark on the music community in Denver, including Tiffiny Holiday of AmericanIndie.net (now What The Ruckus) when she reviewed the festival she said, “this really is Denver’s best summer event, and I can’t say that there was a time when there wasn’t a show going on that I didn’t want to see…I will be clearing my schedule for next year’s showcase”. Heather Browne, editor of the popular music blog, I Am Fuel, You Are Friends, calls it “the South By Southwest of Denver”, and for good reason. Artists featured at the festival over the past few years have gone on to become quite notable stars, such as Matt Morris who performed at last year’s event leading up to his album release, landing him a number one spot on iTunes.

The four day event will feature food, beverage and retail vendors on-site, offering product samplings, giveaways and other promotions all weekend long. A four-day wristband will only cost you $25, if you buy now – prices increase as the festival nears – and VIP Badges, offering access to three late night parties with hosted food and bar, ability to skip lines at the venues, and other VIP amenities (such as free parking), run you only $60 through June 30th. Tickets and badges are available for purchase at www.theums.com.

This year’s lineup includes the best independent local bands and artists, as well as talent from all over the country. For the complete list of artists, visit the Artist page at the www.theums.com.

Confirmed Denver artists include:
Paper Bird (Denver); Lilly Scott (Denver) of this season’s “American Idol”; Snake Rattle Rattle Snake (Denver); Munly and the Lupercalians (Denver); Houses (Denver); Bad Weather California (Denver); TaunTaun (Denver); The Knew (Denver); Young Coyotes (Denver); Achille Lauro (Denver); Git Some (Denver); Epilogues (Denver); The Hollyfelds (Denver); Ian Cooke (Denver); Natural Selection (Denver); Kingdom of Magic (Denver); Air Dubai (Denver); Andrea Ball (Denver); Dust on the Breakers (Denver); Gangcharger (Denver); Glass Hits (Denver); Hello Kavita (Denver); The Pirate Signal (Denver); The Swayback (Denver); Danielle Ate the Sandwich (Denver); Lion Sized (Denver); Widowers (Denver); The Jim Jims (Denver); Jim McTurnan and the Kids That Killed the Man (Denver); Churchill (Denver); Astrophagus (Denver); D.Biddle (Denver); Hot White (Denver); Joe Sampson (Denver); Mehko and Ocean Birds (Denver); Murder Ranks (Denver); Overcasters (Denver); Pawn Ticket Trio (Denver); Porlolo (Denver); Rob Drabkin (Denver); The Still City (Denver); Ukulele Loki (Denver); Wentworth Kersey (Denver); Wire Faces (Fort Collins); Dovekins (Denver); Fire Drills (Denver); John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light (Denver); Hideous Men (Denver); Accordion Crimes (Denver); Speakeasy Tiger (Denver); Wire Faces (Fort Collins); Overcasters (Denver); Porlolo (Denver); A Mouthful of Thunder (Denver) Feat. Members of Hearts of Palm; A. Tom Collins (Denver); Bad Luck City (Denver); Brothers O’Hair (Denver); Cannons (Denver); Casey James Prestwood and The Burning Angels (Denver); Paean (Fort Collins); Nightshark (Denver); Molly Cherington (Boulder); Cougar Legs (Denver); Fierce Bad Rabbit (Fort Collins)

Confirmed National Artists Include:

The Beaten Sea (Dallas, Texas); The Delta Mirror (Los Angeles, California); Dances With White Girls (Brooklyn, New York); Rumanian Buck (Brooklyn, New York) featuring Giraffes lead singer Aaron Lazar; The Bloodsugars (Brooklyn, New York); Tea Cozies (Seattle, Washington); Follow That Bird! (Austin, Texas); KaiserCartel (Brooklyn, New York); The Black Atlantic (Groningen, Netherlands); Romantica (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Finn Riggins (Boise, Idaho); Smug Brothers (Dayton, Ohio) featuring Guided by Voices/Swearing at Motorists drummer Don Thrasher; Remma (Cork, Ireland); Kid Dakota (Minneapolis, Minnesota); One Wolf (Lubbock, Texas); Maudlin (St. Paul, Minnesota); Thrift Store Cowboys (Lubbock, Texas); Angela Jane (Astoria, New York); The Melismatics (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Eastern Sunz (Portland, Oregon); Wussy (Cincinatti, Ohio); Quiet Company (Austin, Texas); The Whisperlights (Tempe, Arizona); Eliza Blue (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Mark Mallman (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Mishka Shubaly (Brooklyn, New York); Red Eye Gravy (Tahlequah, Oklahoma); Lee Penn Sky (Boise, Idaho); The Poison Control Center (Ames, Iowa); Oh! Wild Birds (Salt Lake City, Utah); Tim Pourbaix (Brooklyn, New York); Melesmatics (Minneapolis, Minnesota); J Shogren & the Shanghai’d (Centennial, Wyoming); The Product (Phoenix, Arizona); The Seedy Seeds (Cincinnati, Ohio); Tobie Milford (Phoenix, Arizona)

Thanks to The UMS, Denver is going to rock this summer and I can hardly wait! I’ve got my badge – late night parties, free parking on-site, and skipping lines?? Hell yes! – now it’s your turn to get it done!  Join me at The UMS this year, July 22nd-July 25th!   I hear there is only a limited amount of the badges left, so click here to buy your badge now, before they’re sold out!