MTV's "Ulalume" Halloween festival coming to Maryland

MTV will unearth explosive performances by Paramore, AFI, Dead By Sunrise, KID CUDI and more in its first-ever Halloween festival, “Ulalume” on Friday, October 23, 2009 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Under a gray autumn sky with withering leaves, the festival grounds will transform into a ghoul haunted woodland featuring a costume contest and more tricks set to unfold throughout the night. Performances straight from “Ulalume” will air during a Halloween-themed week on MTV, MTV.com, mtvU, and mtvU.com, with more details to be announced.

Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “Ulalume,” possesses a rhythmic sound and repetition that gives the ballad a musical quality, inspiring the name for MTV’s festival. Packed with the hottest music, the all-star lineup of performers will head straight into the lair of the lion and set the stage on fire with their latest tracks.

Paramore, nominated for a 2009 MTV Video Music Award in the “Best Rock Video” category for “Decode,” the lead single from the film Twilight, will treat fans to their power-punk rock sound. The band’s latest album, “brand new eyes” is slated for release on September 29th and viewers can also tune in this fall to MTV “Unplugged” for a stripped down, acoustic version of Paramore’s songs.

AFI, who previously won MTV’s VMA “Best Rock Video” for “Miss Murder,” will unleash pure mayhem as they take the stage. The band recently released the new single “Medicate,” and will let its eighth album “Crash Love” loose on September 29th, following two consecutive platinum albums.

Dead By Sunrise, the long-anticipated new project from Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, featuring members of Orgy and Julien-K, will set the mood by performing songs including their hit single “Crawl Back In,” off of their dark, moody debut album, “Out of Ashes,” due out October 13th.

KID CUDI, a 2009 MTV VMA nominee for “Best New Artist” whose multi-format format hit single “Day ‘N’ Nite” entranced audiences around the country, is also set to perform his game-changing melodies at the Festival. KID CUDI plans to release his latest album “Man on the Moon: End of Day” on September 15th.

What demon has tempted you here? MTV has… For more information on MTV’s first annual “Ulalume” or to purchase tickets, head to www.halloween.mtvU.com.