Something Like Sound

Day four of the UMS began for us a little later than the day before. The rest of the festival was wearing on us, and we struggled to get to the Baker Neighborhood by 4:00pm. Once we got there, however, the music got us excited again. The day started off with The Conjugal Visits at TS Board Shop. This punk band didn’t have a huge crowd, but those of us who were there really enjoyed the sincere and energetic and incredibly catchy punk music we heard. Next up was The Photo Atlas at the Goodwill stage, filling in for an illness-riddled Hello Kavita. Dancy and passionate, The Photo Atlas is always enjoyable to see. We were sad to miss Hello Kavita’s last show for awhile, but the set put on by The Photo Atlas was a nice consolation.

Next, we crossed Broadway to The Irish Rover, to see Bela Karoli. We hadn’t seen Julie Davis and company for quite a while, and were happy to enter the, literally, overflowing bar to see them. Charming as always, the group always delights with it’s musicality and its relaxed attitude. After a fun and relaxing set, we walked down to the Hi-Dive for some auditory whiplash with Tjutjuna. Loud and weird, we loved this set. Their epic soundscapes filled the venue and the audience seemed to deeply appreciate the music. The only problem was the mere half-hour set, which left us calling for more.

Next, we trekked the 10 minute walk to Club 404 to see Old Radio. This shoegaze group was absolutely excellent. Powerful and well-crafted songs made Old Radio one of our new favorite Denver bands, and we hope they continue to play.

After this set, however, the festival caught up to us and we were too tired to continue. As I drove back to Golden after the Old Radio set, feet and back aching and my ability to appreciate live music temporarily destroyed, it struck me how amazing the Denver music scene really is. Certainly at this year’s UMS, we saw bands which are always fun to see and which we’ll check out every time we can. But there were also bands we’d never heard of that kept us more than entertained. I don’t think we saw a single bad set all weekend, and we certainly saw a fair share of amazing ones. Denver has an amazing set of creative and motivated musicians which make it possible for something like the UMS to be as successful as it was.