This year’s Underground Music Showcase, July 25-27, 2025, is the last one! It has come to my attention that, as a fan of local music in Denver, I should have big feels about the end of UMS.
My feelings are of gratitude, not sadness.
In my defense, I didn’t even pay attention to UMS until 2022 and I didn’t go to it until 2023. I’m sure if I had been more involved earlier and made it into a 20+ year tradition then I’m sure I’d be more sad about it ending.
Generally we don’t like it when things we like end, but we also don’t like it when the things we like go on for too long and turn into something we don’t like.
Even in 2022, I heard “UMS is great but it’s not as good as it was”. I hear some folks say that it’s not “underground” enough because it brings too many bigger names from out of Colorado to play. Then I hear that UMS doesn’t have the draw that it used to because the bands from out of Colorado that are brought in to play during UMS aren’t big enough. It’s like a lose-lose for organizers either way!
The way I see it, 25 years is a long time to run music festival. I am impressed that UMS has been able to coordinate with bands, venues, vendors and everyone else it takes to run a 3 day music festival and I’m grateful to have been able to experience it, even only for the last 3 years of its existence.
What does make me sad though is the effect this has on the perception of South Broadway. With some effort, I think the area of South Broadway that hosts UMS (Generally from Alameda to 5th Avenue) could be a fun party every weekend. It could be Colorado’s version of Nashville’s Honky Tonk Highway (which is, ironically, also Broadway). However with Mutiny Café moving to Englewood and the recent news of Trve Brewing and Banded Oak Brewing closing down and now the end of UMS, it’s starting to feel like it’s possible that the wheels on the scrappy wagon that is South Broadway could be falling off. I think there is hope though.
We don’t need UMS to go see great bands at Hi Dive, HQ, Bar 404 and the rest of the fun venues along South Broadway and the announcement from UMS does have the caveat that UMS is ending “…as we know it” so here’s what gives me hope:
I’m encouraged by the caveat
Since I’m impressed with the organizations that run UMS (Two Parts and Youth On Record, I’m encouraged by the “…as we know it” caveat. I think Youth On Record especially could bring us something fun that benefits local musicians and our community in a different way. We can also help be that change by supporting and volunteering with Youth On Record.
UMS is not the only game in town (or in the state)
This year we’re seeing new indie festivals starting up like Swallow Hill Music’s Indiewood and Indie 102.3’s IndieVerse. We also have so many great organizations and festivals that give love to local music like FoCoMX in Fort Collins, Roots Music Project in Boulder, Steel City Music Showcase in Pueblo, Levitt Pavilion in Denver, not to mention all the genre-related festivals for blues, bluegrass, jazz, etc. that happen around the state! To be entirely honest, it’s very overwhelming but in a good way.
The new Colorado Music Tourism Strategy
The Colorado Music Hall of Fame, with support from the Colorado Tourism Office and people and organizations around the state are starting a Colorado Music Tourism Strategy initiative to bring more awareness to the Colorado music scene and I think if done right that it could do a lot of the things we expected from UMS but for the whole state! (I plan on writing an entirely separate post about this very soon)
South Broadway Endures
South Broadway is scrappy. It’s not trendy like RiNo. I’d even say it’s not even as cool as Colfax. But I love it and I have faith that the scrappiness will keep things going.
I hope to see you at UMS this year. We can trade stories and tell each other about our favorite local bands knowing this won’t be the last time or only place to trade stories and tell each other about our favorite local bands. Our local music scene is strong and growing and I’m grateful that we’re part of it.