Have you always envied the hippies of Woodstock for having such amazing access to live performances by soon-to-be rock ‘n’ roll legends, yet can’t make the trip out to the middle of nowhere for today’s versions at remote campsites or spend a week tripping on acid? Well, now is your chance to live the dream and experience the stars of tomorrow during the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival. For over 29 years, the music-savvy staff at CMJ has brought new, talented, undiscovered, and/or up-and-coming musicians into the spotlight of New York City, helping to launch the musical careers of iconic artists, including Ben Harper, The Black Eyed Peas, Daft Punk, David Banner, the Fugees, Green Day, LL Cool J, Jimmy Eat Work, Talib Kweli, Sufjan Stevens, Weezer, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the list continues…

From October 20th to the 24th, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Hoboken, N.J. will be home to 1,000 bands selected from a pool of over 4,000 applicants to sing, play, rap, or spin their hearts out for the lively and seasoned crowds of the Big Apple. As always, this year’s lineup offers a great mix of rappers, DJs, rock bands, female crooners, jazz ensembles, hip-hip artists, and everything in between! Venue locations are all over the place, but if you’re not sure where to begin, the Lower East Side seems to be a ubiquitous hub for the music scene, with locations concentrated on and around Thompson Street, Ludlow Street, West 3rd Street, Delancey Street, and Washington Square.

While their claim-to-fame may be the music marathon, CMJ’s film festival started fifteen years ago, in 1994, with an early screening of Pulp Fiction, and has been going strong ever since. The film side of the festival kicks off with the New York premiere of The Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll on October 20th, starring Kevin Zegers, Jason Ritter, Taryn Manning, Kelly Lynch, and Peter Fonda, but critics and moviegoers alike are eagerly awaiting the NYC premier of The Men Who Stare at Goats on the 21st, with celebrated big-name actors George Clooney, Ewan MacGregor, and Kevin Spacey. Along with the mainstream commercial films, expect plenty of indies and documentaries focusing on topics from the Memphis Sanitation Worker’s strike for civil rights, to interviews with music legends Joan Baez and Judy Collins; there is even a musical about jailed teenagers on the road to redemption!

Along with the films and musical performances, keep an eye out for insane parties, environmentally-conscious panels, and discounts at many major retailers and restaurants with the presentation of your CMJ badge!

Listen to a free music sampler to get a preview of what’s in store at Here…and if you like what you hear, download it for free!

GetWize: Don’t waste too much time deciding if this concert extravaganza is for you, the last chance to register for your CMJ 09 badge is October 19th! There are tons of free/inexpensive parties and events to celebrate the music event happening all over the city, We've gathered these two parties we think will be especially rockin'.... Busta Rhymes and A-Trak @ BB Kings and Roger Sanchez @ Pacha NYC. We'll see you there!