Festivals are cultural phenomenons; festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo are worlds of their own in which people buy special outfits and spend hundreds of dollars making the trip across multiple states.
For those who are looking for local escapades, there are a few options that aren’t as well known, but will deliver quality music for a quality price.
Underground Music Showcase (UMS): July 23-26
What started as a single-night festival at the Bluebird Theater in Denver has grown to a four-day event that will showcase 400+ performances on South Broadway. UMS features a wide variety of indie talent and tries to incorporate as much local music as possible while still bringing in out-of-state artists to provide a large array of artists.
UMS, in order to build excitement for the festival, holds events leading up to the showcase like releasing a vinyl at local record store Twist & Shout and being affiliated with the Twin Peaks show at the Hi-Dive.
The showcase will feature local bands such as Rose Quartz, Bud Bronson & The Good Timers, Shady Elders and Plum and will also hold performances from out-of-state bands such as DIIV and Brick + Mortar. The best part of the festival is the price; it’s only $50 for a four-day pass. Snag tickets at theums.com.
Westword Music Showcase: June 20
Self-proclaimed as “Colorado’s largest one-day music festival,” the Westword Music Showcase will feature 100+ local acts in a wide variety of genres, such as rock, avant-garde, folk, hip-hop and others. The festival will take place on multiple stages, including a main outdoor stage (all ages) and stages at various restaurants and bars in Denver.
Acts playing the main stage include Flume, The Black Angels, MisterWives, Robert DeLong, Wave Racer and Roadkill Ghost Choir, with more to be announced.
Tickets are $35 for general admission and $85 for VIP tickets, which include a designated VIP area at the main stage and complimentary drink and meal tickets. Buy tickets on the official Westword Music Showcase website.
Riot Fest: August 28-30
Riot Fest is up there in the big league festivals, but comes without the insanely expensive tickets or need-to-impress outfits. Riot Fest started in Chicago, but now also holds separate festival weekends in Denver and Toronto, each with its own lineup. This year’s bill won’t be released until sometime early this month, but last year’s promises a quality future.
Riot Fest Denver 2014 featured acts like Weezer, The Cure, Wu-Tang Clan and Rise Against. The festival’s previous location, Byers Farm, refused to have them back last year due to questionable reasons, so Riot Fest has selected the National Western Complex for some rodeo-themed rowdiness; however, country acts will not be playing. Regular general admission tickets aren’t for sale yet, but when they are, prices will begin at $99 and rise to $180 as price tiers sell out, so keep checking riotfest.org to grab the cheapest option.
Big name festivals will leave your wallets aching for money and your heart missing the mountains, so stick with these local fests and get satisfaction without sacrifice. More musicians may be added to each bill, so watch the respective websites and social media.
