A dilemma of not very epic proportions (not epic at all)

Of all the conundrums I’ve dealt with in the past, this one is completely inconsequential, yet it really has me worked up. As of late, I feel as though I’ve been caught up in a whirlwind (“dust devil” for West Texan readers) of new music and good live shows. The Denver area music scene goes back and forth with periods of no good live shows, and then periods of too many to attend (or afford). New music releases have a similar ebb and flow in my experience.

I’m starting to feel like new music burnout is just down the road, yet I can't stop myself from really wanting to go check out the Denver Underground Music Showcase this year. Not only are there a ton of good local bands I’d like to see, I know there are many I don’t even know about, and said showcase would afford me the opportunity to begin filtering through those and deciding who is worth a longer listen. Nothing wrong with any of that.

Photo credit: Mark Holthusen via Wovenhand's myspace

Enter David Eugene Edwards. It so happens that one of Colorado’s most compelling artists is playing a show in Boulder (i.e., about 5 minutes from my house, no less), on Friday night, the same night when there are a number of bands I’d like to see at the UMS. Not that I haven’t seen him before -- quite the contrary -- but I hate to miss his show at the Fox Theatre, because at least according to a 16 Horsepower fan site, DEE has only played Boulder 3 times, ever (two with 16 HP, and one with Wovenhand). And it's a very reasonably priced show for Boulder ($10, or $14 DOS).

Even as I write this, I’m leaning back and forth on what I think I should do. I’m not sure I have the energy to make all 4 days of the UMS, but if I had to choose, I wouldn’t purposely make Friday one of the ones I missed.

Can anyone talk me through this one?