The 2015 UMS has turned into a music festival with no end in sight. The behemoth has grown leaps and bounds from what it was originally fifteen years ago. However, the sustainability of John Moore’s (UMS creator) love child is in question since the exponential growth has sprouted further north and south with the passing of every year. Fans took in the last day party at the “banana stand” this year. A wonderfully curated lineup took place over at Moe’s BBQ, a venue with the distinct honor of being the venue furthest north from all of the action. The trek up to Moe’s felt like a complete death sentence and immediately ruled out all acts up there due to the lack of proximity to the main stage. Instead of growing north and south, maybe look into more house shows since the Centennial party is going the way of VHS. Some people need to step up and fill the void.
Over the span of four days, I was able to make it to Friday night and Sunday afternoon. In the small sample of acts that I caught, the Blue Rider catapulted to the top of my favorite local acts making the rounds. The psych rock aesthetic is perfectly encapsulated by the raw power exuded Alex Eschen and the boys exuded one of pure garage madness. The Blue Rider tamed a raucous crowd with the sound of the Zombies on steroids. Between the Blue Rider and the neo soul of Nathaniel Rateliff & the Nightsweats, my UMS was made.
