Congratulations! You made it through the first night of ! And was it as amazing as we’d promised? Yes. I know. Pretty great. And thanks to , you already have a pretty good idea which acts you’re going to catch tonight.
But I wouldn’t leave you hanging. I know you’re making that UMS mixtape to impress your girlfriend or your ignorant out-of-state friends who don’t understand why you’d live in Denver. And I also know that we’re blessed with just far too many great bands for anyone to go it alone. Don’t worry. I’m here to help. Let’s bust out , and see what we can find.
Once again, I’m highlighting the acts below only because you can easily give yourself a little audio primer by checking out their music via . These selections are NOT meant to be definitive recommendations. After all, there are simply a ton of amazing bands who haven’t yet been featured in Steal This Track. Make sure you spend plenty of time perusing , visiting the and doing your homework. Let’s go!
Saturday:
If you get started early tomorrow night, you can catch — a Denver singer-songwriter who’s been living in Brooklyn for the past year — at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design Stage at the Walnut Room Pizzeria. If you miss him, though, you’ll have the chance to catch him on Sunday at the South Broadway Christian Church.
At 6:30, you can pop over to the Marquee Magazine Stage at Indy Ink to catch the bizarre charm of , before sprinting up the street to catch at the Evergroove Stage at 3 Kings Tavern at 7.
When 7:30 rolls around, you’re going to have to make a tough choice between at Indy Ink and at the CarToys Stage in the Goodwill parking lot. However, you’ll have a second chance to catch Snake Rattle at 10 p.m. on Sunday at 3 Kings, in case that helps your decision.
You might choose to get your polka on at 8:00 with the , who are playing the Beonair.com Stage at the Irish Rover. You could also catch them on Sunday at 3 at Club 404. Bop over to South Broadway Christian Church at 9 to hear ‘s set.
At 10, there’s Eolian at Club 404 and at the Heineken Stage at Import Warehouse, followed by at the Irish Rover.
Will you end your third night of UMSing at Club 404 with , with the on the Verizon Droid Stage at the Skylark, or one of the other amazing bands taking us into Sunday?
Sunday:
Speaking of Sunday, don’t think we let up just because it’s the last day. Things kick into gear at 3 p.m., when you might want to check out the riotous rock of at the Floyd’s 99 Barbershop Stage at TS Board Shop, or opt for something poppier with at the Skylark. Either way, you’ll be free by 5 to catch at the Walnut Room Pizzeria.
At 6:45, the Floyd’s Stage at TS Board Shop will host the newly rechristened Vicious Women, formerly known as . Their garage bombast should get you plenty ready for the headier, heavier sounds of at the Evergroove Stage at 3 Kings Tavern.
By 9 on Sunday night, your eyes will be burning, your feet will hurt and you’ll be grinning from ear to ringing ear. Power through, though. You have a good four hours of Colorado-grown music left to enjoy. You’ll have a tough choice at this point, among the radio-ready sounds of the in the Goodwill parking lot, the psych-country of at the Skylark and the acid-damaged pop of at Club 404.
As with every choice you’ll have to make during your four days of UMS-induced bliss, it’s hard to go wrong. And the venues are close enough together that you might choose to catch a bit of each set. But be forewarned. The night is still young. And bands are taking the stage until 11:55 p.m. The festival ain’t over until those final bands unplug, you close out your bar tabs, the long weekend slouches slowly into Monday, and we tuck the 10th Annual Denver Post Underground Music Showcase cozily into bed.
Eryc Eyl is a veteran music journalist, critic and Colorado native who has been neck-deep in local music for many years. Check out every Tuesday for local music you can HEAR, and the every Friday. Against his mother’s advice, Eryc has also been known to .
