For the past couple of years the UMS (Underground Music Showcase) has touted itself as the “South by Southwest of Denver” and has certainly gained enough credibility to do so. While the comparison may not be entirely true to those who have seen the behemoth that is SXSW, the goal remains the same. Lots of bands, lots of booze and lots of traffic dodging is about the best of ways to describe either. It still sticks pretty heavy on the Indie-rock idolization that’s popular with today’s festivals, but also diversifies themselves adding hip-hop, singer-songwriters, assorted DJs and additional genres that will give it a reach to broader audiences.

Taking a rather unique approach to revealing the lineup, the UMS posted a Dylan inspired video of a few dozen local artists unveiling the names of said acts in a 7 minute promotional video. While Colorado local outfits densely occupy the list, the festival does sprinkle in a few nationals here and there to add more firepower to the schedule. The soiree starts on July 18th and carries through to that Sunday the 21st. Tickets have been known to sell out in the past for select dates, but are generally cheaper buying them early on or with one of their packaged deals. —Brian Frederick