BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
Over the years, Denver has settled into its own, when it comes to being the birthplace for some really cool music. When you look at DeVotchka, Tennis, The Lumineers, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, The Fray and Gregory Alan Isakov it’s clear to see how we got on the map. And this list only scrapes the surface of amazing musicians to surface from Colorado. To get a glimpse of where the Denver music scene is heading, it makes sense to look to the Underground Music Festival for insight. With over 100 bands playing this month, a whopping 90% are local. It should go without saying, that music is universally loved without reservation. It offers people an outlet to express their creativity and passion. And it is creativity and passion that is the heart and soul of the UMS. We sat down with Creative Director, Keanan Stoner, and Production Manager, Sophie Franczyk to learn more about this year’s shows and how they will look different from years past.
Not many people realize that the Underground Music Showcase has been going strong for over two decades. Can you tell us how it began and how it’s evolved into what it is today?
KS: Funny you should ask! We actually just had coffee with one of the original founders the other day – Ricardo Baca. He and his buddy John Moore started the festival a little over 20 years ago and it’s been going ever since, morphing in size, changing management a few times, etc. but always with a lot of the same core ideas and principles. The current rendition started in 2018 when Two Parts acquired the festival from the Denver Post Foundation. We injected a few more bands, a few new outdoor stages, and did a little brand refresh, but kept a lot of things the same. Broadway is still the home of the fest, it still features mostly local bands, champions music discovery over a packed summer weekend, and still has shows at a lot of the same venues from way back. Our goal was to try to inject some new energy, but not forget the festival’s roots!
The lineup has been announced and we’d love to learn more. Who’s playing and of the bunch, how many are local bands?
KS: Too many acts to list here! And over 90% are local bands! We’re really proud of how the lineup turned out. It’s a very wide ranging mix of styles of music, and we’re really excited to get back to Broadway with live music. Our talent team works really hard to book a good mix of seasoned Denver bands that are breaking out, as well as get some new faces in the mix, too, so they can be discovered. It’s always tough to not be able to accept all the applicants, but we hope it’ll still be a good reunion of sorts for all Denver musicians.
We thought last year’s virtual UMS was a great compromise considering we were collectively longing for live music. You were able to showcase the bands and raise money to support these musicians in need. Can you tell us about that experience and how it has informed the future of UMS?
KS: At its core UMS obviously couldn’t exist without the bands! We’ve always tried to use the festival as a way to promote them, get new fans to discover them, and have also always tried to make sure they are compensated for their sets. Last year, we pivoted even more into trying to raise money for the bands to make sure they could survive what we all know was an incredibly rough year for music. Just because UMS couldn’t throw a party on Broadway, didn’t mean we couldn’t showcase a few acts and pay a bunch more acts what we and the Colorado Music Relief Fund could through the funds raised. In the end, the live broadcast was a super challenging pivot to pull off, but all the more rewarding.
With COVID in mind, what new steps are you taking to keep the bands, attendees and businesses safe? What changes can we expect at this point?
SF: The health & safety of the UMS artists, attendees and local businesses is our top priority. We are working with local and state officials to create a safe environment based on best practices suggested and/or required, and will communicate safety protocols on our website as they are finalized closer to the festival weekend. So keep on the lookout for changes as they happen.
I see a lot of enthusiasm for the future of live entertainment in general. Some people are even predicting a “roaring 20s” comeback. Do you have a vision for what this will look like?
KS: The roaring 20s sounded so fun, so I definitely hope we get a taste of that time! I think we’re just excited to get people together again to party in the streets, discover some new music, or have a beer with a new friend. After a year at home, I think our social sides are all craving some fun on Broadway, and we are just happy to be able to help Denver scratch that itch.
Is there someone in particular you are most excited to see?
KS: I’m really stoked about some of the headliners of course (Allah-Lahs were one of my top streams in 2020, Remi Wolf looks like she’s gonna throw an electric set, Yoke Lore has been a fave for a while now…), but I always like catching random unplanned shows, too. So I try to just pop in to venues as much as I can and see what I find. Fun off-the-cuff discoveries from years past introduced me to The Corner Girls, Retrofette, Bud Bronson & The Good Timers, and more. So as much as I recommend planning a few shows to hit, leaving some flexibility for spontaneous stopovers is clutch, too!
What do people need to know as far as purchasing tickets, navigating the many venues, etc?
KS: Tickets are currently available on our website. We will also have a brand spankin’ new app this year that will help people keep track of their schedule, the many venues, and navigate the blocks of Broadway all weekend long. Before the fest, check out our Spotify-powered discovery tool, too! It allows you to connect your Spotify account, and then generates a custom, personalized playlist for you, based on your listening history that features bands from this year’s lineup you might like. You can find all of this and more on our website.
Thanks, Keanan and Sophie, we are more than ready to fill our live music void with the UMS weekend, and the customized lineup via Spotify, sounds rediculously helpful in taking out any of the guess work. To purchase your tickets and get all of the details for the weekend, visit www.undergroundmusicshowcase.com.