This year’s Atwood Music Festival is booked and ready to rockthrough May’s Memorial Day weekend heat and haze with up-and-comingcountry musicians mostly booked straight from Nashville, organizerssaid.

Atwood Entertainment Chairwoman Cindy Carr said the 35-year-oldevent will feature nine musical acts, ranging from locally bredsongwriters to record-producing groups from the country musiccapital itself.

The festival will kick off early this year on Wednesday, May 20,with a guest performance by Christian rock band DecembeRadio. TheAtwood Idol talent show will be held the following night, and thetwo-night concert event begins Friday, May 22.

Friday night’s lineup begins with Brookhaven’s Chad Simmons, whowill be followed by The Last Trailers and Jamey Johnson, twoNashville-based bands who have had songs reach the Top 10 charts.Brookhaven’s Ghost Town will close Friday night’s performances.

Saturday night’s performances begin in the early afternoon withlocal entertainment, and the Starkville-based band Nash Street,which consists of students from Mississippi State University, willopen the lineup. The students will be followed by Nashville’s TheLoCash Cowboys, whom Carr said recently signed a record deal; andthe Honky Tonk Tailgate Party, a group of artists assembledannually by promotion company Buddy Lea Attractions.

Collins’ Cowboy Blues Band will close Saturday night. Theweekend will also feature a golf tournament on May 16, and a tennistournament on May 22-23.

Carr, a self-proclaimed “country music nerd,” said shepersonally chose the lineup after researching the bands duringtrips to Nashville, and each was picked because of its status as apotential star in the making.

“These are people who put on a good show,” she said. “They werepicked mainly because they were up and coming. We want someone whois going to get out there and entertain the crowd.”

Atwood’s multiple band lineup in 2009 is a direct departure fromlast year’s main performer, the Charlie Daniels Band, whom Carrsaid cost more to book than all four of 2009’s Nashville-basedartists combined. By booking up-and-coming bands, Carr said shehopes to fill the lineup cheaply and have the bands’ popularityincrease by the time of the festival. She said she studies herchoices by following the bands’ songs on the charts and radio.

“We can get more for our money with these guys, and hopefullyafter my nerd research I can pick somebody who will be hitting ithard by the time of the festival,” she said. “There’s a little bitof a gamble – there always is, no matter if you get an establishedartist or someone who is brand new.”

Atwood Chairwoman Angela Calcote, now in her second year ofheading up the festival, said she hopes the nine-band lineup willattract more visitors from Southwest Mississippi, leading to abigger, better festival in 2010. She pointed out that Atwood, a$50,000 festival, is self-supporting, with all proceeds going backinto the following festival.

Sponsorship opportunities for local businesses are available,Calcote said. Local businesses may sponsor the certain bands, acts,programs or the festival in general, with the smallest amount at$25.

Plenty of festival-goers will be on hand this year, MonticelloMayor Dave Nichols said. He expects anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000people to visit Monticello for the event.

“It’s a positive impact for our community,” Nichols said. “Wecan’t buy the kind of publicity the festival brings to ourtown.”

Adult weekend passes for the festival are $30, and nightlytickets are $20, she said, with kids’ passes selling for $25 and$15, respectively. Tickets will soon be available for purchase fromthe festival’s new Web site, www.atwoodmusicfestival.com. Ticketsmay also be purchased at businesses around Monticello, Carrsaid.

For more information on tickets or sponsorships, interestedpeople may call the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce at601-587-3007.