Every fall New York looks forward to the CMJ Music Marathon, one of the longest running music events ever, with a selection of performances, panels, and discussions that take place over the course of five days. The 26th year promises to be just as packed with musical info and personalities as the previous ones, and as usual, one of the best parts of the event is the selection of panels available to CMJ attendees. Artists and industry figures from every genre show up to discuss the latest issues in music or reminisce about past musical happenings.

This year, all panels will take place at the Tower Records store in Lincoln Center, at the corner of Broadway and West 66th. Highlights include:

Tuesday, October 31

Acting Up: Music Activism 2006: What happens when artists become politicians? Ask Chuck D, Steve Earle, and others about the price they pay artistically for taking a stand politically.

Wednesday, November 1

Ozzfest 10th Anniversary Reunion: With the metal scene undergoing resuscitation, panelists share memories of the famed festival, from those experiences covered on MTV to those completely hidden from the media.

Digial Domination: The Guru’s Guide To Music’s Latest High-Tech Media: Music tech experts from companies like Napster and MP3.com explore the possibilities and questions about digital media as the new medium for the century.

Thursday, November 2

CBGB: The Ultimate Reunion: Hilly Kristal, founder of the legendary club, is joined by others in this look back at how CBGB changed lives, a particularly charged topic seeing as the club is set to close its doors on October 31, 2006.

Friday, November 3

Lollapalooza 15th Anniversary Reunion: It’s a year for reunions and reminiscing, and here’s another one. The famous festival’s secrets and memories are discussed, and the panel is joined by none other than Parliament/Funkadleic leader George Clinton.

Saturday, November 4

Battle of the DJs and Remixers: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not: To DJs and remixers present their work and talk about the mission behind the music. The audience chooses who they like best.

With over 100 panels, we can’t possible list them all, so check the marathon’s website to see the full lineup.

Stay tuned for more CMJ news during the month of October.
cmj.com