Who to see at UMS, from our very own music nerds

Broadway's best weekend of the year is nigh, dear Denverites: The Underground Music Showcase returns with its takeover on Friday.

I'll be buzzing around with a camera. But before things kick off, we polled our colleagues to see who they're excited to see. It might be helpful as you plan your own experience.

You can see the full lineup and schedule on the UMS website.

Interested in a more musical guide? Check out these ten music videos our friends at Indie 102.3 gathered to get you pumped up for the action.

Fans crowd around the Underground Music Showcase's main stage in the South Broadway Goodwill parking lot. July 30, 2022.

What the experts say:

The good folks at Indie 102.3 have been our cousins since Colorado Public Radio absorbed us in 2019. They eat, sleep and breathe this stuff, so we're billing their suggestions first.

⭐️ Alisha Sweeney, host and Indie's local music director:

Bluebook at 11 p.m. on Saturday at the Skylark Lounge.
Kiltro at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Showcase Stage.
Neoma at 5:40 p.m. on Saturday at the Underground Stage.
Cherokee Social at 6 p.m. on Friday at Banded Oak Brewing.

Of Bluebook, she said: "I will never miss their dreamy live show. It truly is from another world."

As for Cherokee Social: "I got a chance to see this young band at FoCoMX 2024 and the energy of this duo transcended beyond what I have heard on record from them. I was drawn to how wildly playful and improvisational they were, and I knew I wanted more."

⭐️ Dana Meyers, host of The Morning Show and The Punkyard:

Amyl and the Sniffers at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday at the Showcase Stage.
The Trujillo Company at 11 p.m. on Friday at Bar 404 and at 10 p.m. Saturday at Sportique.
Horse Bitch at midnight on Saturday (read: Friday night) at the Hi Dive and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Underground Stage.
The Frickashinas at midnight on Sunday (read: Saturday night) at The Hornet.
Cheap Perfume at 3:20 p.m. on Sunday at the Showcase Stage.

"Of the headliners, I'm most excited to see Amyl and the Sniffers again," she told us. "My first time seeing them live, at the Ogden last year, was one of my highlights of the year."

"The thing I most want to improve upon is exploring the entire festival this time around. Last year, I didn't check out all the outdoor stages, and I didn't venture north," she added. "I'm vowing not to make that mistake anymore."

⭐️ Shawn Lucero, host and Indie's promotions coordinator:

Cobranoid at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bar 404.

"If Motorhead and High On Fire hooked up and spawned a loud screaming speed metal baby, it would be Cobranoid," Lucero wrote us, graciously, on her way out of town. "Proof is in their new single Flesh and Bone. Don’t miss the chance to add maximum metal madness to your UMS experience. Cobranoid lives!"

⭐️ Jason Thomas, Indie's music director:

Ill Peach at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at the Underground Stage.

“A band that we've been playing for you recently here on Indie 102.3,” Thomas told us. “Ill Peach is a duo that originally started writing songs for other artists. According to the band, a few publishers told them that their stuff was a little too out there and that they should just write songs for themselves. The band took their advice, eventually finding a home on Sub Pop imprint, Hardly Art. Give a listen to songs like ‘Bloom’ and ‘Hush’ and you might wonder what those publishers were thinking when they passed on their music for being too weird.”

The bottom line, they told us, is to go in with an open mind.

"The one thing I did right," Meyers told us, "is keeping my schedule super fluid and flexible. Some of the best parts of the weekend are the bands you didn't know you'd love until you stumbled upon them!"

"UMS is about discovery," Sweeney wrote us. "I'm already looking forward to who I will discover this year."

Our colleagues at Indie 102.3 at various points during the Underground Music Showcase.

What the rest of us normies have to say:

⭐️ Ryan Warner, host of Colorado Matters:

2MX2 at 2:20 p.m. on Sunday at the Underground Stage.

"Denver hip-hop & pop band 2MX2 is all about blending," he wrote us. "Blends of Spanish and English. Blends of male and female vocals. And blends of genres. Founding member Owen Trujillo says the group takes inspiration from cumbia, bachata, and salsa. To some extent, we owe his brother’s cleft lip for 2MX2’s presence in Denver. The family came here from Mexico to seek better health care."

⭐️ Alex Scoville, CPR audience editor:

Big Dopes at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Backyard Stage.
Nina de Freites at 7 p.m. on Friday at Illegal Pete's and at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday at the Showcase Stage.

"I always try to catch Big Dopes at UMS for toe-tapping indie dad rock and a vibe that can only be described as delightful," she said, adding: "I saw Nina for the first time this summer at SarahFest and fell in love with her soulful, transporting vocals."

⭐️ Brittany Werges, CPR's director of partnerships and promotions:

Erin Stereo at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Oasis Stage.
DJ DemiGod & Retrofette's Silent Disco at 10 p.m. on Saturday at the Backyard Stage.
Kid Astronaut & The Nebula at 4:35 p.m. on Saturday at the Underground Stage.

"After more than 10 years attending the festival, I still believe this is one of the best weekends in the city. There is nothing like the buzz of Broadway as more than 150 bands and musicians take the stage," she wrote us. "Also, if you want to kick-off the weekend right, come to Indie 102.3's Pre-Game Party on Friday from 4-6 p.m. at Hi-Dive. Taking Back Monday will play throwback hits while the bar doles out frozen margaritas. Need I say more?"

⭐️ Kyle Harris, Denverite reporter:

Kayla Marque at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday at the Showcase Stage and 7 p.m. on Sunday at Baere Brewing.
2MX2 at 2:20 p.m. on Sunday at the Underground Stage.
UMS Next Gen Underground Party, with Youth on Record, at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Oasis Stage.

"Youth on Record, one of the co-organizers of UMS, has put together a Sunday afternoon showcase of some of the best young artists coming up. For those looking to see the future of Denver music, this is the place to be. Youth on Record, a music education nonprofit, has incubated some of the city’s most talented acts. Whoever’s playing is likely to be someone to watch into the future," he wrote us.

⭐️ Sam Brasch, CPR climate reporter:

Vacations at 7:35 p.m. on Friday at the Showcase Stage.
Beach Fossils at 8:45 p.m. on Friday at the Showcase Stage.
Reyna Tropical at 5:40 on Sunday at the Underground Stage.

OK, so he admitted these recommendations come from his partner, Lindsay, but we trust her. She said she'll be camping out at the Showcase Stage on Friday for those first two acts.

"Vacations brings an upbeat take on 'sad boy' with their soulful indie rock (think of a moodier Mac Demarco), while Beach Fossils doubles down on the shoegazey goodness. A great soundtrack for those endless, yearning nights of summer," she said.

⭐️ Kevin Beaty (me!), Denverite photographer:

Los Mocochetes at midnight on Saturday (read: Friday night) at HQ Denver and 4:25 p.m. on Saturday at the Showcase Stage.
Wheelchair Sports Camp at 8 p.m. on Sunday at HQ Denver.

Like our Indie colleagues said, wandering around to find something new is my favorite part of the UMS. That said, I always try to catch these two local mainstays.

Both bands have been around for years, and their members are part of so many other facets of the life of our city. Wheelchair Sports Camp lead Kalyn Heffernan ran for mayor and participated in protests at Sen. Cory Gardner's office in 2017 when health access for people with disabilities was on the line. Los Mocochetes show up at events all over the city; band member Diego Florez-Arroyo has also made some recent waves in the local theater scene.