As the sun sets on another year of the UMS, we have all the expectant bruises, pizza-soaked shorts and sore legs to show for it.
We pressure-cooked in the mosh pits, got , smuggled pizza into the Hi-Dive, and drank just enough beer to stave off the insanely hot weather.
As always, there was just too much for any one of us to see. So, we polled some of Reverb’s contributors to get the pulse of their favorite sets this year.
Gander on those, and our photo recap, below.
Dylan Owens
1. Thick Business on Saturday at the Hi-Dive
Boise, Idaho’s is your 2016 UMS’s Most Likely to Succeed. Their set on Saturday oozed style, and lead singer Sarah Pincock hit some of the weekend’s sweetest and furthest-reaching notes. Their merch game (whitey-tighties emblazoned with “Thick Business” on the rump) ain’t shabby, either.
2. Sur Ellz on Thursday at the Irish Rover
It somehow took me this long to catch , and he didn’t disappoint. He could have stripped away the pomp (back-up dancers, Bieber-worthy dance moves and lemon-lime hair) and still have put on a deliriously captivating show. But he didn’t, and it was even cooler because of it.
3. Rumtum on Saturday at the Irish Rover
Maybe it was because I’d just come off of what felt like 48 hours of buzzing garage-party rock, but ‘s 1 a.m. club set at the Irish Rover on Sunday morning hit like a cold shower. That’s a good thing — a block-rocking shock to the otherwise all-analog system. Lesson here: Variety is the spice of UMS life.
Related:
Ryan Murphy
1. Izcalli on Sunday at the Irish Rover
is the full package. Looks, showmanship, and Latin-rock chops that would make Led Zeppelin proud.
2. Shady Elders on Sunday at 3 Kings Tavern
Don’t make the mistake of sleeping on like I did. Great songs, tight arrangements, and singer Fox Rodemich is a striking stage presence.
3. Codename: Carter on Saturday at Irish Rover
60s surf-inspired CIA spy-rock? should be an entire genre, but I’ll take these guys in the meantime.
Bethany Ao
1. Kid Astronaut on Friday at Blue Ice Lounge
vocal prowess, acoustic sound and shy banter with the audience made his show the realest of the weekend for me.
2. Leon & the Revival on Friday at Gary Lee’s
This put on the most dancing-friendly show all night and had a ball doing it–perfect for music fans of all ages.
3. Chemistry Club on Friday at the Hornet
The of Chemistry Club’s performance captivated fans and brought a jolt of much-needed energy to sleepy UMS-ers.
Related:
Stephanie March
1. Holly Lovell on Saturday at The Irish Rover
Holly Lovell with her honest lyrics and intensely vulnerable voice; she convinced the audience that even if we’re a mess inside, we can throw on some lipstick and still kick ass.
2. Bright Light Social Hour on Saturday at The Goodwill Main Stage
I officially have a crush on bass player and vocalist Curtis Roush, and the Steve Miller Band sound these fellas belt out is truly — they have pure, unbridled talent seeping out of their scruffy pores.
3. Morningbear on Saturday at South Broadway Christian Church
Morningbear’s soft, eloquent style paired with his band of strings broke up the loud, hot day in way only songs about love can do.
Related:
Joshua Winer
1. Ultimate Painting on Saturday at 3 Kings Tavern
With off the cuff congeneality soft-served in British accents, found the perfect mix of cool ambient and full force guitar licks.
2. Playboy Manbaby on Saturday at Hi-Dive
With the slotted act reportedly too drunk to perform, stepped in to deliver their punk-funk vibes to an elated crowd. The highlight of the show was the shirtless, sequened sax player and his electric energy.
3. Residual Kid on Saturday at the Main Stage
hit the stage looking like they just snuck into their first R-rated movie, slaying the crowd with authentic enough grunge rock to make Courtney Love jealous.
