Forward Festival Kick-Off: Thursday Plans

I'm kicking off my Forward Music Fest experience this year with Richard Buckner and Blake Thomas at the Majestic Theatre on Thursday Sept 17th, starting at 7pm.

I first saw Richard Buckner at the High Noon Saloon in early 2007 backed up by The Six Parts Seven. I became an immediate fan of both that night.

Earlier this year, Richard returned to the High Noon Saloon for a solo show. He basically sat down started playing and didn't stop until the show was over. It was a simply beautiful performance.

To me Buckner is the epitome of "alt-country." His voice is pure country. But there is nothing cheesy about his emotional or musical expression.

His songwriting is real deep, and I love his rhythms and melodies. His music is melancholy and that soothes me. Trust me, you won't see any line dancing here.




Hope you can make it out for this artist, and get your fest off to a great start.

Madison's own Blake Thomas starts things off.

Forward Music Festival Schedule

I had a really great time last year at the inaugural Forward Music Festival. I spent my time bumping on foot between the downtown venues on Friday night and saw lots of bands that I had not heard before. And that's what is so sweet about music fests. One ticket provides access to lots of music. You can't really go wrong.

In this case, it's a low cost ticket at that - single day passes are only $15 for Thursday, $25 for Friday/Saturday, or $45 for all three days! Such a deal. Buy advance tickets here.

Thursday, September 17th
Majestic Theatre - 6 pm
* Richard Buckner
* Blake Thomas

High Noon Saloon - 7 pm
* Megafaun
* Juniper Tar
* All Tiny Creatures
* Cedarwell

The Frequency - 7:30 pm
* Gentleman Loser
* Dark Clan
* The Atomica Project
* Glassghosts

Majestic Theatre - 9:30 pm
* Reverend Peyton & His Big Damn Band
* Davila 666
* Gold
* A Night in the Box

Friday, September 18th
Capitol Theatre - 4:30 pm
* Blueheels

The Frequency - 4:30 pm
* Tyrone Wells
* Denison Witmer
* Brooke Wagonner
* John Statz

High Noon Saloon - 4:30 pm
* Gomeroke

Majestic Theatre - 5 pm
* Dan Wilson
* Jeremy Messersmith

Orpheum Stage Door - 5:30 pm
* Between the Trees
* Farewell
* Punchline
* Action Item
* Start From Scratch
* Invade Rome

Orpheum Lobby - 6:30
* YACHT
* Rory Kane
* Das Racist
* Baaad Boiz
* Purple Crush
* French Horn Rebellion
* Problem Child
* Terrior Bute
* The New Loud
* Pezzetino

Overture Rotunda - 6:30 pm
* The Daredevil Christopher Wright
* The Wars of 1812
* Meridene
* We Are the Willows
* The Cloud Hymn

Project Lodge - 7 pm
* Daniel and the Lion
* Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel

Capitol Theater - 8:00
* Atlas Sound
* Cougar
* Collections of Colonies of Bees
* El Valiente

High Noon Saloon - 8 pm
* Ra Ra Riot
* Sleeping in the Aviary
* Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s
* Flatbear
* Princeton

The Frequency - 9 pm
* Decibully
* Icarus Himself
* Early Day Miners
* Jeremiah Nelson & the Achilles Heel

Majestic Theatre - 9 pm
* Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

The Corral Room - 10 pm
* Worrier
* Direct Hit
* Team Band

Orpheum Stage Door - 10:30 pm
* Delta 9
* Caustic
* Cyanotic
* Los Bastardos Guapo

Saturday, September 19th
The Frequency - 4 pm
* Pronto
* Filligar
* The Pomegranates
* Crane Your Swan Neck
* Little Red Wolf

High Noon Saloon - 5 pm
* Low
* The Antlers

The Inferno - 5 pm
* Parasite Twin
* Captive Six
* CTRL
* Sensuous Enemy
* Null Device
* Alter Der Ruine
* The Gothsicles
* Iszoloscope

The Corral Room - 5:30 pm
* Maps and Atlases
* Nuclear Woods
* The Hussy

Project Lodge - 5:30 pm
* Laura Barrett
* Joe Pug
* The Chairs

Orpheum Stage Door - 6:30 pm
* Fruit Bats
* Iran
* Kevin Warner
* BLK JKS
* Occidental Bros. Dance Band Intl.
* This Bright Apocalypse

Overture Hall - 7 pm [This event requires a separate ticket!]
* Andrew Bird
* Pale Young Gentlemen

Corral Room - 9 pm
* Wavves
* Ganglians
* Eat Skull
* Blackwell Beauties

The Frequency - 9 pm
* Garaj Mahal
* The Hue

High Noon Saloon - 9 pm
* Solid Gold
* Exceptor
* Salem
* Peaking Lights
* Savoir Adore
* DJ Real Jaguar

Monte MontgomeryComing to High Noon SaloonSaturday, October 17, 2009

I hadn't heard of Monte Montgomery before, but when I watched this video I knew I had to get to this show. Hendrix' Little Wing has always been a favorite of mine, and this "acoustic" version is pretty amazing.

Monte was named by Guitar Player magazine in 2004 as one of "The Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitarists." He also won the "Best Acoustic Guitar Player" award at the SXSW Festival’s Austin Music Awards seven years in a row (1998-2004), the only artist to have ever done so. It's not hard to see why.

He shares the bill with Backyard Tire Fire. Show starts at 9pm. 21+ Only $15!

Should be a fun night. Hope to see you there!

Circulatory System - Signal Morning (2009)

Coming soon is an album that I have been anticipating for about 8 years now...seriously. It is by the band, Circulatory System. As some of you already might know most of the members of the band used to be in Olivia Tremor Control; another amazing band that ended in 2000. Those members created Circulatory System in 2001 and have not put out a release since then. Signal Morning is the second studio album by these psychedelic rockers. It is to be released September 8, 2009 on the Cloud Recordings label. It is rumored that the album leaked to the internet in late May.

Here is a Track listing...

All tracks composed by Will Cullen Hart
Side One
1. "Woodpecker Greeting Worker Ant" - 3:22
2. "Rocks and Stones" - 2:42
3. "This Morning (We Remembered Everything)" - 2:43
4. "Tiny Concerts" - 2:04
5. "Electronic Diversion" - :47
6. "Overjoyed" - 2:29
7. "The Breathing Universe" - 1:09
8. "News From The Heavenly Loom" - :23
9. "The Spinning Continuous" - 5:36

Side Two
1. "I You We" - 1:31
2. "Blasting Through" - 4:15
3. "Solid Forms Dissolving" - 4:44
4. "Gold Will Stay" - 3:37
5. "The Frozen Lake / The Symmetry" - 2:38
6. "Until Moon Medium Hears The Message" - 3:17
7. "(Drifts)" - 2:04
8. "Signal Morning" - 2:54

TOUR DATES
Sept. 7 - Chapel Hill, NC - Nightlight *
Sept. 8 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie *
Sept. 9 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge *
Sept. 10 - Worcester, MA - The Grind at Clark University *
Sept. 11 - Purchase, NY - The Student Center at SUNY Purchase *
Sept. 12 - Monticello, NY - All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival
Sept. 14 - Boston, MA - YMCA Theatre *
Sept. 15 - Geneseo, NY - Union Plaza at SUNY Geneseo *
Sept. 16 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop *
Sept. 17 - Pontiac, MI - Pike Room *
Sept. 18 - Chicago, IL - Chopin Theatre *
Sept. 19 - Lexington, KY - Al’s Bar *
Sept. 20 - Knoxville, TN - The Pilot Light *
Oct. 10 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt (with FAUST)
* = with Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't and Nesey Gallons opening