One of Greater Nashville’s most exciting opportunities for emerging hip hop artists is back for another year.
Barz in the Boro — a monthly showcase held at Cedar Glade Brews in Murfreesboro — returns tonight (Jan. 3) with an all-new lineup featuring some of Nashville’s most notable emcees.
The showcase, hosted by Nashville hip hop veterans E.T. and Raw Proof, is “designed to shine a light on performers, build connections within the culture, and bring something fresh and exciting” on the first Saturday of each month. Barz in the Boro features a curated lineup of performers, a freestyle cypher, and DJ Know Name on the 1s and 2s.
A New Year has begun, and with it, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to connect with the music industry (and the creative world at large) throughout 2026.
We have seen first-hand that venturing out into the world and exploring the greater creative landscape can be transformative, leading to new ideas, partnerships, and collaborations that will elevate not only your creative platform, but those of the people around you. Not to mention, traveling gives you an opportunity to see new places, meet new people, and create unforgettable experiences.
With that, we’re here to give you a list of some of our favorite music industry conferences and festivals that will be well worth your time to check out in 2026.
You know about this one, right? Going strong since 1987, SXSW is the crossroads where creatives from all over the world come together to push creativity, technology, and society forward. Music is still very much a core component of the annual conference and festival.
The networking opportunities at SXSW — and all throughout Austin that week — are second to none. In our travels last year, we connected with so many new friends and collaborators whom either led to or enhanced our involvement in some of the other events on this list. If you’re looking for a tone-setter to kick your year into overdrive, this is the one!
A brand-new conference from the folks at Jump Global, Hits Home bills itself as “your space to reconnect — with the music, the mission, and the community that makes it all possible.” While speakers and schedule details are still forthcoming, the conference promises an alternative approach, pledging to“feature people and perspectives instead of topic-specific panels” alongside surprise moments peppered throughout the experience. Color us intrigued!
This also fills an important need in the Nashville landscape. With Music Biz migrating to Atlanta last year (and with other planned locations in the works), Nashville was left without a music conference that isn’t genre-specific. Hits Home has the potential to become Music City’s signature industry event.
Now in its second year as the re-imagined Canadian Music Week, Departure presents an opportunity to learn everything there is to know about the music industry North of the Border. The conference’s programming continues to expand, with seven planned conference tracks spanning music, technology, marketing, and more. Speakers at last year’s conference included Bryan Adams, Shaggy, Lindsay Ell, Chantal Kreviazuk, and many more.
In similar fashion to its U.S.-based cousin, SXSW London provides a global stage for the creators driving society forward. Based in Shoreditch in the heart of East London, this event (and the city in which its based) provides you and your music a gateway to the other side of Planet Earth, as well as an opportunity to discover new artists and iconic venues.
Musikfest (Bethlehem, PA) July 31-August 9 (Conference Aug. 2-4)
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival (and the pride and joy of our original hometown)!
Now in its 43rd year, Musikfest features close to 500 free performances by independent artists from over the world, as well as a full slate of renowned headliners every year. This year also marks the return of the Musikfest Music Industry Conference, a three-day opportunity to network, learn, and connect within the music industry. (Did we mention that we’re already planning to be involved?)
Heading a bit further into Ontario, this three-day, all-indie festival has become a staple of our year. A community-grown effort started by Russ and Valerie Robson, Gussapolooza features three stages, a vendor and artisan village, educational opportunities, on-site camping, and plenty of opportunities to connect before, during, and after festival hours. Not to mention, the lineup always provides a healthy sampling of North America’s hungriest, most talented independent artists. Our summer simply wouldn’t be complete without this one!
The Queen City is alive with arts and culture, and Confluence does an excellent job bringing the region’s top creative minds together to explore the many gems Charlotte has to offer. Of course, this occurs within the greater context of music industry education, with Charlotte’s reputation as a financial powerhouse playing a key role in helping independent artists and other changemakers move toward building sustainable careers.
NOLA MusiCon (New Orleans, LA) Dates TBD (Late October)
For the past two years, NOLA MusiCon has served as our grand tour finale. You can bet that we’ll be back again for the third consecutive year!
NOLA MusiCon brings professionals from across the musical world to the Big Easy. Attendees have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the city’s unique culture while learning from some of the best and brightest the industry has to offer. Overall, NOLA MusiCon combines New Orleans’ rich cultural heritage with the latest industry knowledge, all while advocating for a richer and more diverse music ecosystem.
Previous speakers include Nardwuar the Human Serviette, Dawn Richard, Samantha Fish, Todd Rundgren, and many more.
Join us tonight for one more shot of holiday cheer!
We’re hosting our first-ever Holiday House Party tonight at The Nash Nest in East Nashville. This intimate gathering — held at a top-secret location provided only to those who RSVP — will feature acoustic performances from a variety of standout Nashville artists, as well as a Holly Jolly Open Jam to round out the night!
Back home in the Christmas City of Bethlehem, PA, our friends at Your Next Favorite Band are ready to express gratitude and honor the guests they’ve had throughout the year. They’ve invited more than a dozen of their closest friends back to the show tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, where they will share messages for the season and perform a holiday tune.
Tonight’s special broadcast features messages and songs from:
Kyle Lacy & Amanda D’Amico
Hermosa
Lia Menaker
Avery Ballotta of Damn Tall Buildings
John Kim Faye
The Flying Vees
Koyal
Zach Miller of Dr Dog
Gina Zo
Nervous Nikki & the Chill Pills
Kahone Concept
Galen Deery
TIOGA
The Hot Mamas
You’ll also see highlights from last year’s Winter WonderJam event, featuring Joe Edelmann and Emma Bockrath, as they get set for this year’s annual fundraiser, taking place at the legendary Godfrey Daniels listening room in Bethlehem this Saturday, December 6 at 7 p.m. ET.
Did we mention it’s all for a cause? Your Next Favorite Band will honor and raise awareness for homeless shelters and food banks in our home community of the Lehigh Valley, including New Bethany Ministries and national non-profit Feeding America.
Without question, 2025 has been a year for the ages. In fact, we’ve proclaimed it the best year of UMC’s life (so far), and we’re in a mood to celebrate.
Whether you’re near or far, we’re going to keep things festive around here until the ball drops to ring in 2026. And, to show you how epic this year has been, we have an entire backlog of content captured throughout the year that we haven’t even rolled out yet!
We’ve got some catching up to do — and it gives us the opportunity to relive some of the year’s most magical moments with a series we call 2025’s Greatest Hits.
We have festival photos from Canada to New Orleans. We have special insights to share on the moments and lessons that made 2025 special. Throughout December, we’ll be popping in to give you a few last glimpses of this incredible year, while also providing a taste of what’s to come.
Stay tuned, because we’ll begin dropping these Greatest Hits later this week. We invite you to sit back, reflect, and appreciate the year that was!
Since we arrived in Nashville about seven years ago, we have known Broadway as a place where musicians go to break in. Seven days a week, you’ll find the city’s working musicians making their living along the street’s iconic strip of honky tonks, performing in 4-hour blocks from mid-morning until the wee hours of the evening.
Some work doubles (and even triples), fielding song requests from tourists who have emerged from all corners of the globe to take in the city’s culture. Once in a while, these performers will sneak in an original tune, giving revelers and passers by a glimpse into their artistry.
On Wednesday nights, however, those who head to the top floor of JBJs on Broadway can catch more than a glimpse. Original music has the floor from 6-10 p.m. during the Rock ‘n Roll Opry, a weekly showcase which gives Nashville’s emerging artists center stage.
Started by a group of Nashville-based musicians, the Rock ‘n Roll Opry gives Nashville’s artists a place to hang out, network and, of course, perform. The house band consists of multi-instrumentalists Mic Guy (vocals/bass/guitar), Rob Talton (vocals/keys/bass), Rory Kennedy (vocals/guitar/bass/drums), and Thomas O’Brian (vocals/drums/bass), who support aspiring performers during the open jam portion of the evening at the end of the night — after a genre-diverse lineup of rising stars have the opportunity to showcase a few of their strongest tunes, to the delight of anyone who ventures up to the top floor in search of something new.
As for the lineup this past Wednesday night, we caught sets from country rock artist and Texas native Hannah Bell, pop rock songwriter extraordinaire J4, and funk-pop powerhouse Ginn. Each artist brought their own brand of thunder to the evening, providing a compelling sample of the talent that resides in every corner of Music City.
Want to learn more or submit? We encourage you to head to rocknrollopry.com — and then come out in support of some of Nashville’s best every Wednesday night!
In addition to our official, kick-up-your-heels-and-sing-some-karaoke UMC holiday mixer on Dec. 3 (location to be announced this week), we have more yuletide fun on tap.
And this time, it’s for a cause!
We’re partnering with our new friends at The Nash Nest — a sweet luxury Airbnb in East Nashville — on our first-ever Holiday House Party! On Thursday, December 11 from 5-10 p.m., a musical lineup of Nashville locals will join us to perform live, while we collect warm clothing and non-perishable food donations for those in need this holiday season.
Entry is free with your donation. Stay tuned for lineup details, which will be announced the week of December 1.
As for the location? It’s a secret… and the only way to get in the know is to RSVP. Reserve your spot here!
(Note: Specific location details will be sent to attendees within 24 hours of the event.)
If you’ve been following our journey around here, you’re probably well aware that we took the UnderDogs on down to New Orleans to participate in this year’s NOLA MusiCon. We had a wonderful time connecting with the creatives in this vibrant community, and we look forward to spending a lot more time together in the months and years ahead.
We were also fortunate to have Nicolas Soul with us. In addition to being an UnderDog and NEXT2RISE artist, Nicolas documented the entire trip through his media company, NuRenaissance. He caught all of the action — from time spent at the conference, to the diverse talent on display during its showcases, to after-hours hangs from the studio to Bourbon St.
It’s an incredibly fun watch — one which illustrates what it means to be an UnderDog by providing a genuine view into the joy of the experience. Sit back and enjoy!
Thanks to NOLA MusiCon for having us, DAWn Audio for being our NOLA-based family, and our sponsors at Guidance Whiskey and Ether Nashville for their support.
Note: This episode is released in loving memory of our original ProFX12 mixer, which perished during the making of this episode after 11 loyal years of Quinn Spinn service. Unfortunately, these technical issues mean that a couple of AWESOME interviews were compromised beyond reasonable repair and did not make this episode, while parts of others may be missing. We look forward to re-doing those at the next available opportunity!
Here it is — the long-awaited conclusion to our trilogy from Gussapolooza 2025!
This episode — coming to you from the final day of this year’s festival — touches on the creative journey, and the lessons it teaches us as we embark and continue on the path. We sit down withCo from Barrie Millennials, Jade Hilton, Sean William Dawson, & Francesca Panetta, giving you a full view of Ontario’s creative landscape.
Barz in the Boro— a monthly hip hop showcase just down the road from us in Murfreesboro, Tennessee — will close out the year with a stacked lineup on Saturday, December 6 from 8-11 p.m.
The showcase — which occurs on the first Saturday of every month at Cedar Glade Brews (906 Ridgely Rd., Murfreesboro) — is hosted by E.T. and Raw Proof, with support from DJ Know Love on the 1s and 2s. Barz in the Boro is a platform for local and touring hip hop artists alike. Each month’s showcase features a uniquely curated lineup, along with an open mic portion, which provide aspiring performers with a chance to impress for a future opportunity.
The showcase’s official website offers this description:
Barz in the Boro is a monthly hip hop showcase and cypher where raw talent, sharp lyricism, and real culture take center stage. From local spitters to nationally touring acts, this is the spot where the underground and the spotlight meet. This event is designed to shine a light on performers, build connections within the culture, and bring something fresh and exciting to the Murfreesboro / Nashville music scene.
Presented and hosted by E.T. & Raw Proof and powered by the skills of DJ Know Love, every show is built to give you that authentic hip hop vibe, no gimmicks, just beats, barz, and energy. This ain’t just another show, it’s for the artists, for the fans, and for the culture. Pull up, bring your skillz, and be part of the movement.
The December 6 event will feature performances from UnderDogsYonna Jones and Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess, alongside My Friend Wiley and New Orleans’ own Alfred Banks. Those interested in learning more or being considered for a future showcase are encouraged to reach out via Instagram.
