OpenAir’s UMS venue guide: Illegal Pete’s South Broadway

(Photo: CPR / Kegan Warner)

The Denver Post Underground Music Showcase is just around the corner, taking place July 24-27. With 18 venues in Denver’s Baker district joining in on the live music and panels, it can be hard to find your way around on the festival weekend, especially for first-time UMSers.

That’s why OpenAir will preview select venues on South Broadway leading up to the UMS! Take a glance at our trusty guide to the in’s and out’s of the most happening spots at UMS, and in no time you’ll be navigating South Broadway way better than your GPS could.

Photo: Illegal Pete's logoNext up in our UMS Venue Guide is Illegal Pete's on South Broadway, whose owner Pete Turner has lent support to local artists like Ark Life, Esme Patterson, and Ian Cooke and provided the Colorado community with Mexican cuisine of the highest quality.

The South Broadway Pete's is one of six locations in the Denver/Boulder metro area owned and operated by Turner, and it recently celebrated its one-year anniversary since opening.

Turner is also the mastermind behind Denver indie label Greater Than Collective, home to the aforementioned Colorado musicians along with Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, A. Tom Collins, The Epilogues, and comedians Adam Cayton-Holland, Andrew Orvedahl, and Ben Roy.

During UMS, Illegal Pete's will once again open its doors and rearrange its dining room to set the stage for acts like Flashbulb Fires and The Outfit to perform inside, a practice that the restaurant continues throughout the year for free live music events.

Additionally, OpenAir will present the UMS Kickoff Party at the restaurant, featuring performances from Lilly Scott of Varlet, Ian Cooke, and Ark Life! For this special event, which is free and open to the public, the music will be played outdoors on the patio to kick off the weekend of great live music.

Take a peek inside and outside Illegal Pete's South Broadway with our photo slideshow below, and read up on some info on the venue, including useful UMS tips from their marketing director Virgil Dickerson!

  • Address: 270 S Broadway, Denver, CO (intersection: S Broadway & Alameda)
  • Neighborhood: Baker
  • Capacity: 132 inside, 166 outside
  • Vibe: Casual Mexican dining, patio bar
  • Music focus: Local
  • Nearby locales: Bardo Coffee House, Li'l Devils Lounge, Adrift Tiki Bar, Broadway Book Mall
  • Noteworthy UMS performances: The UMS Kickoff Party presented by OpenAir with Ark Life and Ian Cooke, Safe Boating is No Accident, A Mouthful of Thunder, The Other Black, Flashbulb Fires, The Outfit, The Baltic, Bear Antler, We Like Monsters (see the UMS schedule for set times)
  • UMS tips: From marketing director Virgil Dickerson:

The Denver Post UMS runs from July 24-27 in Denver's Baker district. Tickets and a full schedule are available via the UMS website.