Forget those finals! It's Movin' On season!

The 32nd annual Movin' On festival -- the year-capping all-day free concert held on the HUB lawn -- is upon us. Featuring two stages and 12 solid hours of music, this year's Movin' On highlights acts from across the musical spectrum, from emo-poppers RX Bandits to underground hip-hopper Talib Kweli.

Kicking off the side-stage entertainment will be local act Katelyn & Maria.

The deceptively named act -- it is, in fact, a four-piece band -- have gained a downtown following through their weekly gig at the Lion's Den, 118 S. Garner St. But making the jump to the Movin' On stage has Katelyn Clapham feeling emotions.

"We're all very, very, very excited," Clapham said. "We've been practicing constantly ever since. Honestly, when I found out we were going to get to play, I cried."

The acoustically oriented group defeated a handful of more energetic acts to secure its spot in the Movin' On lineup. Clapham said she feels that the band's connection to its songs is readily apparent to listeners.

"I think people can tell we really feel our music, that we're really into it," Clapham said. "We're pretty emotional musicians, and I think that comes through."

Known for their marathon sets, Katelyn & Maria defy another State College convention by sticking mostly to songs they've written themselves. Clapham said she thinks the group's own songs should drawn in new admirers.

"Our originals are generally very catchy," Clapham said. "I think our fans grab onto those more than the covers."

Chris O'Connor, drummer for Chicago-based pop-punks The Audition, will immediately follow Katelyn & Maria as the first main-stage act of the day.

"We haven't played that many festivals, but we're really excited about this one," O'Connor said. "It's great to be on the same bill as both Talib Kweli and the RX Bandits."

As a relatively young band -- the oldest member is 21, and the youngest is just out of high school -- The Audition has boundless energy both on and off the stage. As O'Connor said, its early-afternoon gig should give the members plenty of time to enjoy the amenities of playing in a college town.

"We're definitely a band that likes to have a good time after the shows and party," O'Connor said. "A lot of our songs are about parties and having a good time, unlike a lot of other bands that might sing about sadder things."

The Audition's debut album, Controversy Loves Company, was released last fall on Victory Records, and the band has toured with a number of the most popular acts of both emo and pop punk. O'Connor thinks being surrounded by an upsurge of Chicago talent is a good thing.

"There's so many bands there, and lots of big things happening there: Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is..., all these bands from Chicago getting lots of recognition," O'Connor said. "It doesn't hurt, you know?"

Another Chicago band with Fall Out Boy connections, The Hush Sound will also perform on the main stage. As guitarist Bob Morris said, its rise to fame has been surprisingly quick.

"We recorded an album last April and May after being a band for a month, month and a half," Morris said. "We put it out on our own just to put it out. Anyway, Pete [Wentz] from Fall Out Boy heard it, liked it and put it out on his label."

Having just wrapped up a stint opening for Fall Out Boy, Morris said it's finally occurring to him how famous The Hush Sound has become.

"I just realized that yesterday, actually," Morris said. "We got home from a tour around 3:30 in the morning, and someone from my old job had called -- I used to work in Oak Park, Ill., as a lifeguard -- and two girls came in and applied because they thought I still worked there."

But Morris is quick to point out that luck has played as much a part in the band's success as talent.

"No matter how good or bad you are, if you're in the right place at the right time, that's the key," Morris said. "If you try to deny that, you're lying."

Still, with a new album, Like Vines, set to be released June 6, and new songs being written all the time, Morris said he is finally getting comfortable with his role as rock star. Which is not to say he sees his band as the next Led Zeppelin.

"We're not a rock-out band," Morris said. "We don't do back flips; that's just not who we are. Although that's not to say we don't rock."

You might know Pete Francis as a member of the highly popular, now-defunct Boston band Dispatch. He explained that Dispatch's decision to disband was amicable and has allowed him and the rest of the former members to be able to expand themselves musically.

"Dispatch played together from 1995 to our final concert on July 31, 2004," Francis said. "So we'd been working together pretty intensely for nine years, but we got to the point where, creatively, everybody was going in different directions."

On his own, Francis said he brings out different sides of his musical personality that he might not have displayed through Dispatch's music.

"When I'm making records, I guess I'm going for more of my slower, more contemplative side," Francis said. "But live, I still wanna rock."

Francis warns: When he and his band take the stage Saturday evening, expect to bounce.

"We stretch it out," Francis said. "The songs rock pretty hard; we get a good vibe going. There should be tons of jamming, and people should be jumping."