Your Daily Guide

🎸 UMS Announced This Music Hall as a Venue. Now, It’s Closing.

Two Moons Music Hall, which just last week appeared in an announcement of venues hosting the Underground Music Showcase in RiNo this July 24-26, is closing. Venue owner Jake Soffes confirmed on Monday that the business is shutting down less than two years after opening.

• The show must go on: According to Keanan Stoner of Two Parts, which co-owns UMS, the team remains “hopeful” that the venue will still be a part of UMS, and they’re “actively working through options with the ownership team.” Stoner added that “Any artists originally slated for Two Moons will still perform at UMS as planned.”
• Recent troubles: The annual celebration for Denver’s local music community saw rising tensions between the South Broadway business owners, local neighbors, and the owners of UMS — who at that time was Youth on Record, an arts non-profit, and Two Parts, an events production company. Ahead of the 2025 festival, Youth on Record’s executive director Jami Duffy announced that it would be the last one on Broadway. [Westword]
• BID funds move to RiNo: In February, Two Parts and the RiNo Business Improvement District announced the festival was moving to RiNo. As UMS’s presenting sponsor for the next three years, the BID will commit $250,000 annually. “The BID saw this partnership as an intentional way of investing in RiNo’s creative ecosystem, not just funding a festival, but actively stewarding it,” said Terry Madeksza, the RiNo BID’s executive director. [Underground Music Showcase]
• A Tale of two fests: A separate festival, Blucifer’s First Rodeo, will take place July 23-26 at venues along South Broadway, the same weekend as UMS in RiNo. Blucifer, which is run by local artists, is taking over the neighborhood, hosting concerts everywhere from bars and clubs to DIY venues and backyard stages. [Underground Music Showcase, Blucifer Fest]

🚫 Do Pool Closures Point to Neighborhood Inequalities?

Curtis Park, Ruby Hill, and Sunnyside all have neighborhood outdoor pools, but none of them will be open this summer. The Mestizo-Curtis Park outdoor pool closed in 2023 and is not expected to reopen until 2028.

• The lack of a convenient place to cool off highlights greater inequities in the city. Residents of these communities say they did not feel included in initial design talks about the pools; meanwhile, wealthier neighborhoods have stayed open. “We still deserve the best — and so do our kids," said a longtime Curtis Park resident. [9News]

🚗 11 People Indicted in Organized Vehicle Theft Plot

Denver could become a safer place to park your car, now that the city has cracked down on a “motor vehicle theft ring” that spanned seven counties. The group targeted trucks, trailers, and off-road vehicles at airport parking lots, hotels, and other locations. Officials say the 41 stolen vehicles were involved in other crimes before being sold to cartels in Mexico. [Denver Post 🔐]

🧊 Increased Regulations Pass for Aurora ICE Facilities

ICE detention facilities in Aurora could now be subjected to random inspections and increased health reporting requirements, thanks to two ordinances passed by Aurora City Council. The ordinances are in response to a March report that revealed concerns with medical treatment along with sub-par living environments at the GEO Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Aurora; however, the new rules will apply to all of the city’s detention facilities. [Denver Gazette]

🍽️ Many Local Restaurants Struggle. Others Thrive. Why?

Three eateries in Denver closed their doors in a single week, highlighting the difficult economic landscape that many local restaurants face. Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Church and Union, and 1up’s LoDo location are all ceasing operations — though 1up Arcade Bar’s other locations will remain open. [Business Den]

• We chatted with Johnny and Kasie Curiel of Fonda Fina Hospitality to understand how they’ve found such success winning two Michelin stars and opening six restaurants (with two more on the way!) in three years. [🎧City Cast Denver; Westword]