FOURTH ANNUAL FODFEST SCHEDULED FOR
OCTOBER 10-26, 2008
MUSICIANS GATHER TO HONOR THE LATE DANIEL PEARL


FODfest is the annual concert tour honoring the life and ideals of the late Wall Street Journal reporter DANIEL PEARL, who lost his life to terrorists in Pakistan in 2002 at the age of 38.  Daniel Pearl made international headlines when he was kidnapped on January 23, 2002, only to be executed nine days later.   A video tape of the beheading rocked the world and made Daniel Pearl a household name.
In addition to being an award-winning journalist, Daniel was also an extremely talented musician, a classically trained violinist who played a variety of instruments.  Wherever he lived, Daniel was actively involved in the local music scene, and wherever he traveled, he sought out local musicians and "jam" sessions.  Daniel believed in the power of music to bring people together regardless of their differences.  

"FOD" is an acronym for "Friends of Danny" that began when friends of Daniel came together around his 1999 marriage to Mariane Van Nevenhoff, who would later be portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the movie "A Mighty Heart."

FODfest began in October of 2005 as part of Daniel Pearl World Music Days, which is organized by the Daniel Pearl Foundation and celebrates Harmony for Humanity. The tour is organized by musician, songwriter, and producer Todd Mack, a former band mate and close friend of Daniel's. Now in its fourth year, FODfest has grown considerably from its humble beginnings as an informal backyard jam session to a full-blown, three week tour which will include nearly 20 shows on the East and West coasts.  FODfest is presented in a unique performance format: part song-swap, part jam session, and part concert.  The tour features several musicians who knew Daniel and played music with him while he was alive and many who never knew him, but who connect with his story.  Most of the participating musicians will meet for the first time on stage the evening of the concert.

At press time, FodFest is still seeking local musicians to perform.  Interested parties should contact Todd Mack at info@fodfest.org.   Venues interested in hosting this year's tour should contact Bruce Houghton at Skyline Music.  The agency is the co-sponsor of the tour.
 
FODfest is a non-profit organization and all concerts are free and open to the public.  In lieu of an admission charge, donations are collected at each performance to help offset tour and production costs.  For more information please visit the links listed below.


FODfest 2008 Tour Schedule:
10/10 – Mahaiwe Theater, Great Barrington, MA
10/11 – • Narrows Arts Center, Fall River, MA
10/12 – • Acoustic Café, Bridgeport, CT
10/13 – • Sullivan Hall, NYC
10/14 – IOTA, Washington, DC
10/15 – The Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC
10/16 – The Handle Bar, Greenville, SC
10/17 – Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
10/18 – Smith's Olde Bar (Atlanta Room), Atlanta, GA
10/ 19 – The Basement, Nashville, TN
10/20 – Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
10/21 – White Eagle Pub, Portland, OR
10/22 – Axe and Fiddle, Cottage Grove, OR
10/23 – Somewhere in CA, TBA
10/24 – Starry Plough, Berkeley, CA
10/25 – Somewhere in CA, TBA
10/ 26 – Hotel Café, Los Angeles, CA

• denotes a show where Nik Rael or Nik Rael & Steve Petrone will appear.

For more info, please visit:

http://fodfest.org
http://myspace.com/fodfest
http://youtube.com/fodfest