How do you best yourself after planning a massively successful two day festival that spread across Madison’s downtown? Answer: You make it a three-day festival utilizing almost every free space downtown and even stretching into Maple Bluff. The Forward Music Festival is back and, judging by its 50 confirmed acts, the organizers are looking to top the excitement from last year.

The collaborative behind FMF have enlisted the help of a number of new friends to make this year’s line-up even more eclectic and local. One of the new additions is Wongz Walk, a Madison based group of artists and musicians who have recently gained notoriety for their dance and techno parties at the Corral Room. While no longer an organizing member of the FMF, Kyle Pfister returns to represent his blog, Just Sayin’ is All. Pfister had been schedule to host shows at Gates of Heaven and Café Montemarte. With this morning's announcement that the Momo would be closing the venue for that showcase is up in the air.

As previously reported by Dane101’s own Emily Mills, Matt Fanale (better know as Caustic and for curating the annual industrial festival Reverence) will be joining the festival as well. Fanale had previously stated he was taking a sabbatical from planning Reverence but was convinced over the course of one happy hour to take his festival out of the moth balls and combine forces with FMF.

Other changes to the festival include additional venues. The Overture Center will feature headliner Andrew Bird with local openers Pale Young Gentlemen. The Inferno is where Fanale more than likely will have his showcase. Last year’s venues are coming back for more, including Project Lodge, High Noon Saloon, Corral Room, Majestic Theatre, and the Orpheum Theatre which includes the Stage Door and lobby. Basically if you have a place to play, Forward will fill it.

FMF producer Bessie Cherry says the loss of Montmartre as a space shouldn't have a direct impact on the festival. "I was unaware that Momo was closing until this morning and still have no firm details as to why/how/etc.  I'm slightly in shock," she said.

"It's the end of an era, for sure, and from a very personal standpoint I am surprised and upset," Cherry went on to say. "But as far as the festival goes, we are actually expanding to include more venues this year so I am not concerned with capacity issues or logistics so much as I'm sad to lose a place that has so much history and character-- as well as a staff that really rocked last year (their awesome sound guy Andy, the ever present bartender Richie). And since we were going to do two fundraiser shows there in the upcoming months, I suppose I will be touching base with Bricco (another beloved Momo stalwart) on rescheduling those."

Along with headlining multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird, Forward is bringing slo-core pioneers Low to the High Noon stage along with noise-pop group Wavves. Thanks to this story, Wavves have been the talk around the ol' hipster water cooler. Previously announced on dane101 and Decider are Ra Ra Riot, Maps and Atlases, Margot and the Nuclear So-So’s, Garaj Mahal, Princeton, Cougar, and Solid Gold.

As the late Billy Mays would say, “But wait, there’s more!” Up and coming label Amble Down Records will be showcasing with most of its current roster, including The Cloud Hymn, We are the Willows, Meridene, The Wars of 1812, and the always entertaining Daredevil Christopher Wright. And if you are looking for local love, Forward has plenty of it. They have confirmed Jeremiah Nelson & The Achilles Heel, John Statz, Little Red Wolf, This Bright Apocalypse, El Valiente, Blueheels, Daniel and the Lion, Flatbear, Icarus Himself, Nuclear Woods, All Tiny Creatures, plus many more regional acts.

Personally, my first impression is excitement, but I can’t help but feel the roster is lacking something. Last year saw the reunion of seminal sludge rockers and Madison natives Killdozer. Where is Forward Music Festival’s Killdozer? I’m not saying a reunion show is needed, but it would be nice to have something mind blowing, unique, and something that can’t be missed.
 

Josh Trinkner

contributor

Joshua James is the pseudonym for Joshua Trinkner, a small town boy with big city dreams that eventually failed and led him to Madison. Along with being the music editor for Dane101 Josh is the co-host of the internet talk/sketch comedy show Drunk Dial 101 with fellow contributor Adam Schabow. When he isn’t pontificating endlessly about the sound of tin can Josh is taking care of his son and making sweet sweet love to his wife down by the fire with a snifter of brandy and Lou Reed’s ‘Metal Machine Music’ on the stereo because that’s how he rolls.