For those of you who have purchased festival wristbands in advance, we thank you profusely.

Wristbands for the festival can be picked up Thursday, Sept 17^th through Saturday, Sept 19^th at the Lobby of the Overture Center, located at 201 State St. (on the corner of State and Dayton). Forward Fest will have a table in the Overture Center Lobby staffed during the following times:

Thursday, Sept 17: 3pm – midnight

Friday, Sept 18: 9am – midnight

Saturday, Sept 19: 9am – midnight

Two important things: festival wristbands will NOT be available for pickup at any other location, including participating FMF venues. Apologies for this inconvenience. You absolutely must bring a valid ID with you when picking up your wristbands. Presenting us with a print-out of your email purchase confirmation without also presenting a valid ID will not get you your festival wristband.

For Andrew Bird ticket buyers: please bring  your voucher from the Overture Center Box Office. For those of you that purchased a  weekend pass upgrade, we will be confirming whether you have purchased an Andrew Bird ticket before giving you your weekend wristband.

We’ve been hearing buzz– on forums, via our email inbox, and in person– that it would be great if FMF 2009 could offer just a few tickets in advance solely for the specific showcase of one’s choosing.

We at Forward Music Fest are real people, and true music fans.  We talked it over and decided, hey, why not?

We know how it is. Whether it’s due to lack of funds, your cousin’s wedding out of town on Saturday, or simply your desire to be guaranteed admission to that one showcase you really want to see, we wanted to offer the option. We’re opening up a very limited amount of tickets to the select showcases we’ve heard people buzzing about, available here.

Please pass this information along to your friends and fellow fans if you think they’d prefer to see one show this weekend instead of awesomely infinite other options. Check out our full schedule here at the site. And feel free to let us know if you have any other feedback.

See you this weekend!

The showcase will include sets from YACHT, Rory Kane, Das Racist, Baaad Boiz, Purple Crush, French Horn Rebellion, Problem Child, Terrior Bute, The New Loud, and Pezzetino. For more info, check out the Facebook event page for the show.

Dane101’s video preview

• 6:00
• The Great Flood
• Project Lodge
• Poster release show for this year’s festival.

• 9:00
• Wednesday Warmup Free Show!
• The Wisco
• Zebras
• Czarbles
• Kitty Rhombus
• Suicide TXT

Thursday, September 17th

• 6:00
• Majestic Theatre
• Richard Buckner
• Blake Thomas
• [ facebook ]

• 7:00
• MuzzleOfBees.com Showcase
• High Noon Saloon
• Megafaun
• Juniper Tar
• All Tiny Creatures
• Cedarwell
• [ facebook ]

• 7:30
• Reverence Showcase
• The Frequency
• Gentleman Loser
• Dark Clan
• The Atomica Project
• Glassghosts
• [ facebook ]

• 9:30
• Majestic Theatre
• Reverend Peyton & His Big Damn Band
• Davila 666
• Gold
• A Night in the Box
• [ facebook ]

Friday, September 18th

• 4:30
• Overture After Work
• Capitol Theatre
• Blueheels
• [ facebook ]

• 4:30
• The Frequency
• Tyrone Wells
• Denison Witmer
• Brooke Wagonner
• John Statz
• [ facebook ]

• 4:30
• High Noon Saloon
• Gomeroke
• [ facebook ]

• 5:00
• Majestic Theatre
• Dan Wilson
• Jeremy Messersmith
• [ facebook ]

• 5:30
• AbsolutePunk.net Showcase
• Orpheum Stage Door
• Between the Trees
• Farewell
• Punchline
• Action Item
• Start From Scratch
• Invade Rome
• [ facebook ]

• 6:30
• Wongz Walk Showcase
• Orpheum Lobby
• YACHT
• Rory Kane
• Das Racist
• Baaad Boiz
• Purple Crush
• French Horn Rebellion
• Problem Child
• Terrior Bute
• The New Loud
• Pezzetino
• [ facebook ]

• 6:30
• Amble Down Records Showcase
• Overture Rotunda
• The Daredevil Christopher Wright
• The Wars of 1812
• Meridene
• We Are the Willows
• The Cloud Hymn
• [ facebook ]

• 7:00
• Project Lodge
• Daniel and the Lion
• Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel
• [ facebook ]

• 8:00
• JustSayinIsAll.com Showcase
• Capitol Theater
• Atlas Sound
• Cougar
• Collections of Colonies of Bees
• El Valiente
• [ facebook ]

• 8:00
• High Noon Saloon
• Ra Ra Riot
• Sleeping in the Aviary
• Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s
• Flatbear
• Princeton
• [ facebook ]

• 9:00
• The Frequency
• Decibully
• Icarus Himself
• Early Day Miners
• Jeremiah Nelson & the Achilles Heel
• [ facebook ]

• 9:00
• Majestic Theatre
• Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
• [ facebook ]

• 10:00
• JBalt.com showcase
• The Corral Room
• Worrier
• Direct Hit
• Team Band
• [ facebook ]

• 10:30
• Reverence Showcase
• Orpheum Stage Door
• Delta 9
• Caustic
• Cyanotic
• Los Bastardos Guapo
• [ facebook ]

Saturday, September 19th

• 4:00
• The Frequency
• Pronto
• Filligar
• The Pomegranates
• Crane Your Swan Neck
• Little Red Wolf
• [ facebook ]

• 5:00
• High Noon Saloon
• Low
• The Antlers
• [ facebook ]

• 5:00
• Reverence Showcase
• The Inferno
• Parasite Twin
• Captive Six
• CTRL
• Sensuous Enemy
• Null Device
• Alter Der Ruine
• The Gothsicles
• Iszoloscope
• [ facebook ]

• 5:30
• The Corral Room
• Maps and Atlases
• Nuclear Woods
• The Hussy
• [ facebook ]

• 5:30
• JustSayinIsAll.com Showcase
• Project Lodge
• Laura Barrett
• Joe Pug
• The Chairs
• [ facebook ]

• 6:30
• Orpheum Stage Door
• Fruit Bats
• Iran
• Kevin Warner
• BLK JKS
• Occidental Bros. Dance Band Intl.
• This Bright Apocalypse
• [ facebook ]

• 7:00
• Overture Hall
• Andrew Bird
• Pale Young Gentlemen
• [ facebook ]

• 9:00
• Corral Room
• Wavves
• Ganglians
• Eat Skull
• Blackwell Beauties
• [ facebook ]

• 9:00
• The Frequency
• Garaj Mahal
• The Hue
• [ facebook ]

• 9:00
• Wongz Walk Showcase
• High Noon Saloon
• Solid Gold
• Exceptor
• Salem
• Peaking Lights
• Savoir Adore
• DJ Real Jaguar
• [ facebook ]

Flatbear is a four-pc indie folk/rock band based in Madison, WI.  The ensemble, formerly known as Jentri Colello, has garnered local praise from all corners including Muzzle of Bees, The Onion’s AV Club, ISTHMUS, and the Madison Area Music Awards.

Find out more about them on their MySpace page and read about why they changed their name on Local Sounds.

Andrew Birdofficial, @andrewbird, myspace, wikipedia

Lowofficial, facebook, myspace, wikipedia

Cougarofficial, myspace, wikipedia

Dan Wilsonof Semisonicofficial, @DanWilsonMusic, myspace, wikipedia

Margot & the Nuclear So and So’sofficial, facebook, myspace, wikipedia

YACHTofficial, @teamyacht, facebook, flickr, myspace

Ra Ra Riotofficial, @rarariot, facebook, myspace

Fruit Batsofficial, @fruitbatsmusic, myspace

Iranmyspace, wikipedia

Richard Bucknerofficial, wikipedia

Garaj Mahalofficial, @garajmahal, facebook, flickr, myspace, wikipedia

Prontoofficial, facebook, myspace

Punchlineofficial, @punchlion, facebook, myspace, youtube

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universeofficial, @KarlDenson, facebook, myspace

Action Item

Kevin Barker

Between the Trees

Farewell

Davila 666

Savoir Adore

Rock Plaza Central

Princeton

Wavves

BLK JKS

Jeremiah Nelson & The Achilles Heel

Daniel and the Lion

Blueheels

Cartwalkers

Flatbear(formerly Jentri Colello)myspace

Homeownered

Nuclear Woods

All Tiny Creatures

Terrior Bute

Start from Scratch

This Bright Apocalypse

Icarus Himself

Peaking Lights

Sleeping in the Aviary

Little Red Wolf

Collections of Colonies of Bees

Cedarwell

Maps and Atlases

Solid Gold

Denison Witmer

Joe Pug

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

Occidental Brothers Dance Band Intl.

Ghetto Division

The Hue

Decibully

French Horn Rebellion

Zach Vinson

The Chairs

Pezzetino

Pomegranates

Amble Down Records Showcase

The Cloud Hymn

We Are The Willows

Meridene

The Wars of 1812

The Daredevil Christopher Wright

We’re pleased to announce a second year of Midwest-centric music at venues that include the Overture Center, High Noon Saloon, Majestic Theatre, Frequency, Inferno, Corral Room, Project Lodge, and Orpheum Theatre Stage Door and Lobby, as well as additional spaces throughout the city.

Chicago’s own Andrew Bird will headline this year’s festival with a Sept. 19 concert at Madison’s Overture Hall. Madison-based chamber-pop act Pale Young Gentlemen will open the show.

Forward Music Festival 2009 will also feature local and regional bands at each of its showcases, plus more than two dozen national touring acts–many with Midwestern roots. Current touring acts confirmed include Low, Cougar, Dan Wilson (of Semisonic), Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, YACHT, Ra Ra Riot, Fruit Bats, Iran, Richard Buckner, Garaj Mahal, Pronto, Punchline, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Action Item, Kevin Barker, Between the Trees, Farewell, Davila 666, Savoir Adore, Rock Plaza Central, Princeton, Wavves, and BLK JKS.

Madison bands confirmed for FMF09 at press time include Jeremiah Nelson & The Achilles Heel, Daniel and the Lion, Blueheels, Cartwalkers, Flatbear, Homeownered, Nuclear Woods, All Tiny Creatures, Terrior Bute, Start from Scratch, This Bright Apocalypse, Icarus Himself, This Bright Apocalypse, Peaking Lights, Sleeping in the Aviary, and Little Red Wolf.

Regionally based acts include Collections of Colonies of Bees, Cedarwell, Maps and Atlases, Solid Gold, Denison Witmer, Joe Pug, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Occidental Brothers Dance Band Intl., Ghetto Division, The Hue, Decibully, French Horn Rebellion, Zach Vinson, The Chairs, Pezzetino, and Pomegranates. Countless additional artists will be announced in the weeks and months leading up to Forward Music Fest 2009.

Amble Down Records, an Eau Claire-based independent record label and management firm started in 2007 by young musician Kyle Frenette, will hold a showcase at this year’s Forward Music Fest featuring most of its current and active roster: The Cloud Hymn, We Are The Willows, Meridene, The Wars of 1812, and The Daredevil Christopher Wright. The entire Amble Down catalog will be available for sale (all nine releases from 2007 and 2008) at the showcase.

In addition, the Forward Collaborative has partnered with local promoters Wongz Walk, local music blog JustSayinIsAll.com, and Reverence Fest organizer Matt Fanale to curate FMF09 showcases, which will be unveiled in the near future.

General Admission badges go on sale July 11 at noon and will be available through the Forward Music Festival website and at the Overture Center box office.

Madison’s Own Pale Young Gentlemen to Open

Indie-pop phenomenon Andrew Bird will bring his eclectic style to Overture Hall at Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State Street, on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 8 pm as the featured performance of the second annual Forward Music Festival.

Chicago-based Bird is a multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, and whistler. He woos both the young at heart and old souls by adding depth and grace to folk rock.  The New York Times notes, “Mr. Bird spins existential doubts into elegant confections,” singing quirky melodies about falling planes, ancient empires, and dancing bears.

Forward Music Festival shattered expectations in 2008 when its inaugural effort brought over 2000 fans to see more than 70 bands, including Neko Case, Killdozer, Dan Deacon, Monotonix, Detroit Cobras, Dillinger Four and Bob Mould.

In keeping with Forward Music Festival’s mission to showcase local acts alongside Midwestern based national talent, Madison band Pale Young Gentlemen will make their Overture Hall debut supporting Andrew Bird.

Tickets for the Andrew Bird show will be available for $25 and $35 at the Overture Center ticket office, by phone at 608.258.4141 or online at overturecenter.com beginning at 10 am on July 11, 2009.  Andrew Bird ticket buyers will also be able to purchase a pass for the rest of Forward Music Festival for an additional $10.

There will be an early schedule posted here on Tuesday and a quick list of the bands playing added too.