Never Say Never fest bringing more than 40 of nation's hottest young bands to Mission

Prepare yourselves for a marathon of music at the second annual Never Say Never festival Wednesday, March 17, at Las Palmas Race Park in Mission.

More than 40 bands will perform on three stages at the day-long festival of pop/punk, hardcore, powerpop, acoustic and hip hop music. Most of the acts playing at NSN are also showcasing at South By Southwest, Austin’s premier music, art and film festival, and joining the Vans Warped Tour. So this is your chance to get a sneak peek at some of today’s rising pop stars before the rest of the world discovers them.

Festival organizers announced that 100 percent of the profits from Never Say Never will be donated to the Haiti Relief Fund through the American Red Cross and UNICEF.

In addition to the endless music, there will be three carnival rides, a half-pipe and tables of merchandise from the artists performing.

If you’re waiting for your favorite band to take the stage, there will be some shopping to keep you busy while you wait. NSN’s “Vendor Village” will feature artisans selling handmade crafts, jewelry and clothing, including monikapolitan.com, an online store that sells vintage and new clothing, jewelry and accessories.

For more information on NSN, visit www.neversayneverfestival.com.

If you’re interested in renting a table in the Vendor Village, contact monicaycavazos@aol.com by Monday, March 15.

Never Say Never

• WHEN: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 17
• WHERE: Las Palmas Race Park, 7509 N. Taylor Road, Mission
• COST: $32.50, advance; $40, at the door
• BUY TICKETS: (877) 993-8499 or online at ez-tixx.com

THE SCHEDULE

A Skylit Drive

• GENRE: Post-hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/askylitdrive
• HOMETOWN: Lodi, Calif.
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 5:15 p.m.

Alesana

• GENRE: Post-hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/alesana
• HOMETOWN: Raleigh, N.C.
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 6 p.m.

Artist vs Poet

• GENRE: Pop
• MYSPACE.COM/artistvspoet
• HOMETOWN: Dallas
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 1:50 p.m.

Asking Alexandria

• GENRE: Hardcore/screamo
• MYSPACE.COM/askingalexandria
• HOMETOWN: United Kingdom
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 6:40 p.m.

Attack Attack

Attack Attack! is a sandwich of electronic and hardcore music. With one full-length album out (Someday Came Suddenly), a second on the way and the headlining spot on several national tours, Attack Attack! has scooped up lots of fans on the road and online. The band played last year’s Vans Warped Tour and will join the tour again this summer. Following the NSN gig, Attack Attack! will head up to Austin to perform at the 2010 Artery SXSW Showdown at Red 7.

• GENRE: Synthcore
• MYSPACE.COM/attackattack
• HOMETOWN: Columbus, Ohio
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 7:45 p.m.

Breathe Carolina

• GENRE: Electronic/pop/screamo
• MYSPACE.COM/breathecarolina
• HOMETOWN: Denver
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 7:20 p.m.

Bury Tomorrow

• GENRE: Metalcore
• MYSPACE.COM/burytomorrowband
• HOMETOWN: United Kingdom
• STAGE: Hi 5’s and Stage Dives
• TIME: 5:40 p.m.

Cady Groves

Cady Groves is sort of the female counterpart to Never Shout Never. She loves her ukulele and she “super loves you.” Along with her friend and guitarist Evan Duncan Taylor, Groves makes sweet and simple pop music with lyrics drawn from life experiences. She makes good use of Twitter, MySpace, Stickam and other various methods of social networking to connect with her fans. A Month of Sundays, Groves’ first EP, was released in October last year. The Life of a Pirate, her second self-released EP, will be available March 23. She is scheduled to perform a few shows at SXSW after her NSN gig.

• GENRE: Indie/pop/acoustic
• MYSPACE.COM/cadygroves
• HOMETOWN: Oklahoma City
• STAGE: Hi 5’s and Stage Dives
• TIME: 6:20 p.m.

Envy on the Coast

• GENRE: Rock
• MYSPACE.COM/envyonthecoast
• HOMETOWN: Long Island, N.Y.
• STAGE: Main stage
• TIME: 3:15 p.m.

Every Avenue

• GENRE: Pop
• MYSPACE.COM/everyavenue
• HOMETOWN: Marysville, Mich.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 6 p.m.

The Fall of Troy

The post-hardcore trio The Fall of Troy has spent the past nine years touring and recorded five full-length albums. The band’s gig at NSN will be its final performance in South Texas. The band members announced through a MySpace blog that they will be going their separate ways at the end of their current tour. The Manipulator, The Fall of Troy’s 2007 album, cracked the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart. In the Unlikely Event is the latest album from the band. The band will also play a show at Opal Divine’s Freehouse during SXSW in Austin.

• GENRE: Post-hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/thefalloftroy
• HOMETOWN: Mukilteo, Wash.
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 4:35 p.m. 

Foxy Shazam

A dizzying blend of genres and energy make up Foxy Shazam’s sound. Lead singer Eric Nally is like a dramatic, colorful character from a bizarre, glamorous musical – but that is not to say the rest of the band is a bore. The buzz around Foxy Shazam is loud, and its live show at NSN shouldn’t be missed. Welcome back, rock ‘n’ roll. Also, Foxy Shazam will be playing SPIN magazine’s SXSW showcase in Austin.

• GENRE: Pop/rock
• MYSPACE.COM/foxyshazam
• HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, Ohio
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 4:10 p.m.

Hey Monday

Fans of Blink 182 might want to check out Hey Monday at NSN. The female-fronted powerpop band cites Blink as a huge influence, though Hey Monday usually gets compared to Paramore. Hey Monday has worked hard, but also had a lot of breaks right out of the gate. The band signed with Columbia Records in 2008, and then toured like crazy, including a world tour in support of Fall Out Boy. Now the band is slated to play a SXSW showcase and join the Vans Warped tour this summer.

• GENRE: Pop
• MYSPACE.COM/heymonday
• HOMETOWN: West Palm Beach, Fla.
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 3:55 p.m.

I See Stars

• GENRE: Hardcore/electronic
• MYSPACE.COM/iseestars
• HOMETOWN: Detroit, Mich.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 5:20 p.m.

Never Shout Never

A MySpace fairy tale come true, Never Shout Never, a.k.a. Christofer Drew, has finally released his debut What is Love? this year on Warner Bros. Records (which has peaked at No. 24 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart). The 19-year-old teen heartthrob knows his fan base well and gives them what they want – a new song every month, constant updates on Twitter, MySpace and Facebook and Stickam chats that make the teen girls feel a little bit closer to “superduper cute” Drew.

Never Shout Never made it into Rolling Stone magazine this month and is featured on the Alternative Press April issue. The pint-sized singer also contributed to an exclusive Hot Topic version of Almost Alice, the companion CD to the highly anticipated film Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton.

Austin’s annual music, film and art monster festival, South by Southwest will feature Never Shout Never in a showcase Thursday, March 18, at Cedar Door. Never Shout Never continues a U.S. tour through the spring, and then joins the Vans Warped Tour for the summer.

• GENRE: Acoustic/pop
• MYSPACE.COM/nevershoutnever
• HOMETOWN: Joplin, Mo.
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 8:45 p.m.

Of Mice & Men

• GENRE: Hardcore/rock
• MYSPACE.COM/ofmice
• HOMETOWN: Costa Mesa, Calif.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 2:25 p.m.

Oh Snap!

• GENRE: Electronic/indie/rock
• MYSPACE.COM/daworldfamousohsnap
• HOMETOWN: Baltimore, Md.
• STAGE: Hi 5’s and Stage Dives
• TIME: 4:20 p.m.

Pierce the Veil

• GENRE: Post-hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/piercetheveil
• HOMETOWN: San Diego
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 6:45 p.m.

Places and Numbers

• GENRE: Electronic/rock
• MYSPACE.COM/placesandnumbers
• HOMETOWN: Seattle
• STAGE: Hi 5’s and Stage Dives
• TIME: 12:20 p.m.

The Ready Set

• GENRE: Electronic/pop
• MYSPACE.COM/thereadyset
• HOMETOWN: Fort Wayne, Ind.
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 2:35 p.m.

Secret Secret Dino Club

• GENRE: Indie/hip hop/pop
• MYSPACE.COM/secretsecretdinoclub
• HOMETOWN: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 3:35 p.m.

Shwayze

The acoustic-hip-hop blend that made Shwayze famous in 2008 is long gone. The rapper, plus Cisco Adler, who produced Shwayze’s tracks, broke into the pop Top 40 charts almost two years ago with the song “Corona and Lime.” But the party-rap duo didn’t stop at beachy tunes for Spring Breakers. Now they’re showing the flip side of Shwayze with the latest album Let It Beat. The higher energy CD full of club beats and party songs was released last year. Shwayze is scheduled to perform at SXSW Friday, March 19, at The Phoenix in Austin.

• GENRE: Hip hop/pop
• MYSPACE.COM/shwayze
• HOMETOWN: Malibu, Calif.
• STAGE: Main
• TIME: 9:45 p.m.

Skeet Skeet

• GENRE: Electronic/club
• MYSPACE.COM/djskeetskeet
• HOMETOWN: Los Angeles
• Playing in between sets

Stephen Jerzak

• GENRE: Acoustic/pop
• MYSPACE.COM/stephenjerzak
• HOMETOWN: La Crosse, Wis.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 4:45 p.m.

The Summer Set

• GENRE: Pop
• MYSPACE.COM/thesummerset
• HOMETOWN: Scottsdale, Ariz.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo
• TIME: 3 p.m.

Swimming with Dolphins

• GENRE: Electronic/pop
• MYSPACE.COM/swimmingwithdolphins
• HOMETOWN: Minneapolis, Minn.
• STAGE: Hi 5’s and Stage Dives
• TIME: 7 p.m.

Thy Holy Martyr

• GENRE: Hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/thyholymartyrmusic
• HOMETOWN: McAllen

Twin Atlantic

• GENRE: Alternative/rock/progressive
• MYSPACE.COM/twinatlantic
• HOMETOWN: Scotland
• STAGE: Hi 5’s and Stage Dives
• TIME: 11:40 a.m.

We Are the In Crowd

So what if We Are the In Crowd has a female vocalist? It doesn’t mean the band sounds anything like Paramore or Hey Monday. Well, maybe a little bit like Hey Monday. The pop band caught the attention of Hopeless Records last year and now, two singles and a few news releases later, We Are the In Crowd is scheduled to play a SXSW showcase in Austin, and the band will join the Vans Warped Tour this summer.

• GENRE: Pop/rock
• MYSPACE.COM/wearetheincrowd
• HOMETOWN: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
• STAGE: Hi 5’s and Stage Dives
• TIME: 2:20 p.m.

We Came As Romans

• GENRE: Hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/wecameasromans
• HOMETOWN: Troy, Mich.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo stage
• TIME: 1:15 p.m.

The Word Alive

• GENRE: Hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/thewordalive
• HOMETOWN: Phoenix, Ariz.
• STAGE: DontGetEmo stage
• TIME: 12:40 p.m.

LOCAL BANDS ON THE LINEUP

The Early Release

• GENRE: Powerpop
• MYSPACE.COM/theearlyreleaseband
• HOMETOWN: Harlingen

Fallen Empire

• GENRE: Metalcore
• MYSPACE.COM/fallenempiremetal
• HOMETOWN: Edinburg

Ideophonic

• GENRE: Indie/rock
• MYSPACE.COM/ideophonicmusic
• HOMETOWN: Brownsville

Lay In Ruins

• GENRE: Metal
• MYSPACE.COM/layinruins
• HOMETOWN: McAllen

Madore

• GENRE: Pop/rock
• MYSPACE.COM/madoremusic
• HOMETOWN: McAllen

Methmare Motorcade

• GENRE: Rock/metal
• MYSPACE.COM/methmaremotorcade
• HOMETOWN: McAllen

The Requested

• GENRE: Hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/therequested
• HOMETOWN: McAllen

Scarlett O’Hara

• GENRE: Hardcore
• MYSPACE.COM/scarlettoharamusic
• HOMETOWN: McAllen