2018 Underground Music Showcase

BJ The Chicago Kid performs at the UMS Main Stage

Boss Eagle performing at the Blue Ice Lounge in a Motown inspired suit.

2018 Underground Music Showcase

2018 brought some major changes to the one of the best music experiences Denver has to offer. The first, Two Parts bought the event from the Denver Post. Second, The once 4 day event changed into a packed three day event with venues centrally located on South Broadway, and not to mention the creative ways Two Parts worked in two more outdoor stages and a mini beer fest (Who doesn't like live music and beer)!! Covering this event over the years has brought some great memories ranging from seeing Itchy-O shutting down Broadway as they marched to an unaffiliated Mutiny Block party to Speed Queen shutting down The Hi Dive. In years past, venues would be stretched out north and south making it hard to get to bands you wanted to see before venues became too packed to get any kind of view! This year, the venues were still packed, the crowd was still hyped, but it was definitely easier to get around!

The biggest change for me this year was transitioning from a volunteer photographer rushing around to cover as many bands in an hour, to sitting back and taking in the music, the scene, and the festival itself, still as a photographer just not as a volunteer! Two Parts pulled off a great event, and will definitely be looking forward to covering this event again in future years!

Friday was launch day for the festival and they definitely made up for cutting the usual Thursday start of the event. Crowds seemed to be larger and bands were definitely engaged. See photos from the bands I was able to cover below! band coverage is left to right.

Bison Bone - Hi Dive

Bison Bone is an Americana style rock band from the Denver Metro area. Westword writes "WHEN WHITEHEAD WRITES ABOUT LOSS, LOVE AND RESENTMENT, THERE IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL AWARENESS THAT INFORMS THE LYRICS WITH AN UNCOMMON HUMANITY AND COMPASSION THAT TRANSCENDS GENRE. BECAUSE OF THAT AND THE GROUP'S INNOVATIVE SOUNDS AND SONG STRUCTURES, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PIGEONHOLE BISON BONE AS JUST ANOTHER AMERICANA BAND." -Bison Bone Website
Click on an image to bring up larger gallery image!

Izzcali - 3 Kings

3 Kings Tavern was the hottest venue in town during the festival weekend, literally not metaphorically! There was no air circulation, air conditioner, or anything to do with moving the air except for some guitar riffs or flying hair from guitarists or drummers getting down!

I digress! I've caught snippets of Izzcali's performances around town at different events I've covered and always enjoyed their stage presents and the crowds they not only draw but also get them engaged. This was definitely one band I was willing to brave dehydration, heat exhaustion and sweaty clothes for! You can learn more about Izcalli and their transition on there website.

Ya$i - Skylark

Yasi is another artist I try to check out every year, this year as stated before, I was able to check out more of her set. Her style is best labeled as an R&B Hip-Hop mix. She started her solo career around 2016 and has been using her vulnerable experiences to help form her artistry and music. You can learn about this Iranian American artists on her website

Boss Eagle - Blue Ice Lounge

Boss eagle is a Illinois native living in northern Colorado. He states he jumped into the Hip-Hop genre at a later age but has enjoyed every minute of the journey. He proclaims "Self-described as 'Entre-tainer,' Jamaal Curry is an actor, dancer/choreographer, filmmaker, Hip-Hop artist (stage name: Boss Eagle) and business owner. He is the owner/founder of 8199 Entertainment, a film, fashion & music brand company. His debut album entitled, The Firebird Album(released November 2017), debuted on the Billboard® charts, and is picking up steam in Colorado, the U.S. and abroad."

I was dissapointed I wasn't able to adequately cover Boss Eagle as he has a few fun concepts ranging from Motown inspired suit for this Motown inspired song to his Drago inspired robe for a song he is actively pursuing to have in Creed 2, due to the venue not lighting their stage area at all! The quote above and more info can be found on Boss Eagle's website.
View larger gallery images by clicking on an image below.

Digable Planets -
UMS Main Stage

Digable Planets was the opening night headliner for UMS. They are best described as a group with heavy Jazz and Hip-Hop influences. They are probably best known for their song Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) and also received a Grammy for Best New group for the album Reachin' in 1993. More info on Digable Planets can be found on their Facebook Page

The Other Black - 3 Kings

After After watching 3/4s of Izzcalli set, I went outside to cool off for a bit. This ended up being a bad idea as it seemed half the town wanted to pack into 3 Kings to see this set! I found a slight sliver of eye space where I could watch this Denver Soul/Hip-Hop/funk band perform! As they started the set, I knew I made the right choice to stick around for a little bit of the show. That was until I couldn't take the heat and the not so great view. This is a band I would definitely add to my "make sure to catch next time" List. You can learn more about The Other Black on their Facebook page. Click on a gallery image to view larger image.

CRL-CRRLL

CRL-CRLL is another artists I try and catch every year and was a good way to end my night one coverage of UMS. Each year he has presented something different both auditory and and visually. First year, he had a great drummer providing some of the beat, while he did the rest with electronics. The past two year he's had a vocalist make a guest appearance. This year he also set the mood using a projector overlaying what appeared to be ocean waves over the stage. Talk about tricky lighting to work with! Learn more about this self described visionary artist at his website. Click on a gallery image to view larger image.

Saturday morning was a struggle! Almost felt like i was hungover after being put the 3 Kings dehydrator and sore from all the walking and angle moving from the night before! Saturday was definitely the headliner day for the event. Throughout the day Two Parts and the presenting sponsors provided secret events that were either announced earlier in the day or shortly before they happened via text message for those who signed up for the alerts. My plan for the day was to check out a few artists I hadn't heard of/followed as well as some of those can't miss bands.

The Velveteers - Sesh Stage

There were a few bands that I would have liked to catch earlier in the morning, but the motivation wasn't really there. However, after watching the Velveteers open for Itchy-O during their NYE show, I wanted to see how they would do on a stage that wasn't 20 feet away from the crowd! As during the NYE show, this unsigned (?) Boulder, CO Rock band did not disappoint. Find out more about The Velveteers on their Facebook page. Click on an image to view larger gallery images.

Poppet - Irish Rover

Poppet was one of the secret sets of the weekend and had to be the most unique set I witnessed. It's hard to describe as i'm not familiar with the genre. As stated on her website, "Poppet is the alter-ego of California raised musician Molly Raney. With a background in classical voice, piano, and violin, and an affinity for divadom, Poppet makes fully-orchestrated electro pop for the Age of Sincerity.
Noise for an infinite future." Click on a photo to view larger gallery images.

Khadja Bonet - Sesh Stage

Khadja Bonet was one of the artists from the weekend that folks suggested I should attend her set. I would say her style is somewhat folk and soul mixed together. Crowd started small but definitely grew throughout her set as her unique style shined! Learn more and give Khadja a listen on her website. Click image to view larger photo.

Rotten Reputation - Hi Dive

Rotten reputation is a colorful female lead punk band that is two years in the game. in 2018 they completed their first tour and also had their first radio rotation. If I recall, this was their first year performing at UMS and definitely had the crowd engaged. Learn more about the bad on their Facebook page. Click image to view larger gallery photo.

BJ The Chicago Kid -
Main Stage

.BJ The Chicago Kid was the Saturday night Main Stage headliner. BJ started in the church choir at a young age and later became a backup singer for the gospel group Mary Mary after moving to LA as a late teen. After appearing on many big name artist's songs he would begin his solo career in 2012. Learn more about this 4 time Grammy nominated R&B artist on his Facebook page. Click image to view larger gallery photo.

The Yampers - Sesh Stage

After Eldren, the listing only stated super secret headliner. Glad I stuck around for the full set previously to learn the headliner was The Yampers. This was a band I had only heard about and seen the name over the years, and was glad I was able to see them perform in person. The Yampers are best described as an American Rock-n-Roll band, summed up best by Consequence of Sound - "The Yawpers come out of some beer-drenched hole in Denver, full of fuzzy slide guitar with one ear towards 1970s rock and roll and another towards 1960s Delta blues.” - Yampers Website

Every year there is a shot I either wish I would have taken or would have come out better. This year belonged to the Yampers as the lead singer comes out smoking a cigarette and playing the guitar. A classic photo that sums up the past of Rock-n-Roll in it's glory days!

J. Hoard - Imagination Stage

he is Stumbled upon J Hoard while wondering around the festival checking out the different venues. This stage and area was definitely an artistic outlet ranging from a walkway featuring sports car on display on either side to a station where attendees could interact with touch pilars and create their own music! Once you exit the walkway to the artists and stage area, you come to stage that has probably never been like this before.

As for the artist J Hoard, his style is a mix of soul & gospel with a little flair. As I caught the very end of his set, he is one I will definitely try and catch at future events. He can learn more about his background on his Facebook Page. Click image to view larger gallery photo.

Hot 8 Brass Band - Sesh Stage

The Hot 8 Brass band is the formation of two former Frontier High school student groups, and at times can have 10+ members in their group performances. This makes for not only a great listening experience, but also a visual. Learn more about this Grammy nominated band on their website! Click image to view larger gallery photo.

Eldren - Sesh Stage

Eldren is a pop rock group from Denver, CO. In their Facebook page bio, they are labeled as a Psychedelic Space Pop genre. Learn more about this group and upcoming shows on their website. Click image to view larger gallery photo.

Mawule - Skylark

Mawule is a Ghana Born, Colorado living artist. He too was active in his church choir when younger. This has helped him create a refined ear for melody and harmony which he continues to incporporate into his music. Find out more about Mawule and his music en devours on his Facebook Page.

Wheelchair Sports Camp - Gary Lee's

My Saturday coverage of UMS ended with Wheelchair Sports Camp at Gary Lee's. Gary Lee's is one of the most intimate venues of many. With the few years of coverage at this venue, I don't recall it being as packed as it was WSC. Not only were there people packed in from the front of the stage area to the bar, but people were jockeying for a view through the garage door at the back of the stage area! This was another group I have been interested in covering. Even if you have not heard of Wheelchair Sports Camp, you have definitely heard of the main artist if you have followed any political activities or disabilty rights in the Denver Metro area. Learn more about Wheelchair Sports Camp on their Facebook page. Click on an image to view larger gallery image.

Ahh Sunday the final day for the Undergroud Music festival. In previous years the event would wrap up around 8pm and anyone still left standing from exhaustion would say their goodbyes and see ya next year! Not this year! UMS ended with Decollage, Ned Garthe Explosion, and Kinky Fingers all playing sets at 1am Monday morning! If it wasn't for a normal day job, I would have definitely stuck around for the closing acts. As usual, I stopped shooting around 7pm and left for home around 8ish... Lame, I know!

This year, The Sunday sessions started early with a Youth on Record Day party where several youth who are part of the organization were given their chance to perform at Illegal Pete's, as well as some DJ sets and other performances at a few other venues up and down Broadway. I decided to start my coverage later in the afternoon where the Hi Dive was hosting a secret selection showcase (first three bands below).

Master Arrow - Hi Dive

Master Arrow seemed to be a newly formed Denver area band, testing out their stage presence and building a crowd following! They did well drawing in folks from the bar to stage and put on a good show. Will be interesting to see how this band grows and gains a following. Click on an image to view larger gallery Photos.

Kid Austronaut - Hi Dive

Kid Austronaut was the last performance in the secret selection shows at the Hi Dive. John Shockness AKA kid Austronaut is a Denver Native who has also created his own label to publish his music. He is best described as a Soulful R&B Singer. Definitely a set I would recommend checking out whenever his performances are listed at events. Learn more about Kid Astronaut on his Facebook Page. Click on an image to view larger gallery Photos.

Lilly Fangz - Hi Dive

Lilly Fangz, a soulful singer similar to Amy Weinhouse scratchy like Joss Stone, and mixed in with some hip-hop R&B influences , brought two other musicians from the Denver area on stage for an experimental, almost all impromptu, jam like session with a few of her completed songs mixed in. She stated that the trio recently met and formed the trio, and they seemed to vibe well from the get go. This was definitely one my favorite sets to experience from the weekend showcase.

As she puts it on her Facebook page, "Lily Fangz is about fully engaging in the creative explorations of life, biting down, infecting those around with passion" Click on an image to view larger gallery Photos.

J. Rene - Skylark

J. Rene was one of those artists that you scroll through the lineup and see an artist you know is going to be good. Every now and then I strike out this approach, but this wasn't one of them. According to her Bio, she has been singing since a kid in, and cites a CeCe Winans concert as inspiration as a way to perform and connect/draw the crowd in. This could definitely be seen/felt in her R&B performance. You can learn more about J.Rene, hear her music, and Lost Art Productions on their website.

For whatever reason, this set didn't draw much of a crowd but many missed out a great artists with a great voice.