For the past five years, a shady backyard behind a yellow house on 1st and Acoma in the Baker Neighborhood has provided some of Denver’s finest music memories.
There was the time gave The band’s horn section bravely climbed onto the roof, which sagged under the weight of the brass and Aaron Collins acting as a human mic stand. And the time — right as — played an entire set of Fleetwood Mac covers. And the time announced that it would once again.
All these moments come from a free party that Nate and Patrick Meese have thrown each year during (and inspired by, though not officially affiliated with) the
In its five years, whether it intended to or not, the has acted as a tiny weekend-long microcosm of the Denver music scene. The Night Sweats have gone on to receive and . Churchill () went and . And Tennis is back at The UMS this year, headlining the main stage.
“I think itap a testament to how lucky we are to live in Denver and how lucky we are to be in this music scene and itap more of a happenstance of our friendships,” Nate Meese said.
Though the party has made its mark — and even legitimized itself with a sponsorship from The Denver Film Society — this weekend will be its final bout. In the face of rising rents in Baker, Nate and Patrick are moving out of their “beloved Banana Stand.”
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Blue Rider, The Other Black, The Royal, Kitty Crimes, Machine Gun Blues, Photo Atlas, The Knew, Porlolo, Gun Street Ghost and Tyler Lee Holter are on the lineup this Friday and Saturday for the last-ever Centennial party.
In the last half-decade, the party has been one of the leaders in a trend of unofficial parties during the UMS — like the annual or the backyard party.
“I know that we were one of the first that started this. And I think itap awesome, man. And I think it really legitimizes the festival and makes it more of a community,” Nate Meese said.
The Centennial party might not be continuing in its current state, but Nate said the guys are interested in continuing to have a presence during The UMS, whether they’re living in the area or not.
“We want to continue to do something during the UMS, and whether thatap with the festival proper or we continue to do our own thing at a different site, it would feel weird to have late-July come along and not do something,” Nate Meese said.
The Centennial Party 2015 lineup:
Friday
NATHANIEL RATELIFF AND THE NIGHT SWEATS 8:30-9:30pm
BLUE RIDER 7:30-8pm
THE OTHER BLACK 6:30-7pm
THE ROYAL 5:30-6:00pm
Saturday
KITTY CRIMES DOUCHEY BRO BEACH PARTY 7pm
MACHINE GUN BLUES 6:00 – 6:30
PHOTO ATLAS 5:00 – 5:30pm
THE KNEW 4:00 – 4:30pm
PORLOLO 3:00 – 3:30pm
GUN STREET GHOST 2:00 – 2:30pm
TYLER LEE HOLTER 1:00 – 1:30pm
