Music in Common announces national 20th anniversary FODfest concert tour, Lilburn, GA on the list

ATLANTA– Atlanta-based nonprofit, Music in Common, announces a month-long nationwide tour to commemorate the 20th Annual FODfest, the organization’s flagship concert event. FODfest (Friends of Danny Festival) honors the life of slain Wall St. Journal Reporter, Daniel Pearl, who was abducted and murdered by extremists while on assignment in Pakistan shortly after 9-11.

Mosier Brothers, SONiA of Disappear Fear, Cathy Fink, Soul Food Cypher, and an all-star “FODband” led by Michael Gill are just a handful of the more than 100 musicians who will perform at one or more of the 12-city stops happening from Oct. 5 – 28. Lilburn, GA in Gwinnett County is one of the scheduled stops.

Singer-songwriter and producer, Todd Mack, started FODfest in 2005 as a way to honor his friend’s life and celebrate his Oct. 10 birthday. In addition to being an exceptional reporter, Pearl was a fiercely talented musician who believed fervently in the power of music to connect people regardless of their differences. Wherever he traveled on assignment, Pearl would bring his fiddle and find local jam sessions to sit in on. He and Mack met in Atlanta in 1990 and became fast friends playing in bands together. They played at each other’s weddings and remained close up until Pearl’s tragic end.

“Danny’s unconscionable murder was a call to action for me to harness the power of music to combat and prevent the acts of hate that took his life,” Mack stated.

From its humble beginnings in Todd’s back yard, FODfest quickly grew into a globally-serving nonprofit organization that curates experiences for people across social divides to find common ground through facilitated conversation and music. Music in Common’s mission is to strengthen, empower, and connect communities. To date, MIC programs have directly served more than 10,000 people in over 400 communities worldwide bringing together and deepening understanding between Christians, Jews, and Muslims; liberals and conservatives; Israelis and Palestinians; and Black and white Americans, among many others.

FODfest will kick off in Boston on Oct., wind its way South and finish up on the West Coast in southern California on Oct. 28. While most of the lineup has been finalized, in the open spirit of FODfest organizers invite musicians interested in performing to fill out a brief form on the MIC website and promise to do their best to accommodate as many requests to perform as possible.

All FODfest shows are free. Tickets can be reserved on the Music in Common website, where ticket-holders can also make a donation to support the tour. Tour dates include:

• 10/05 @ Village Social Club in Brookline, MA
• 10/06 @ The Barn in South Egremont, MA
• 10/07 @ Studio 9 in North Adams, MA
• 10/09 @ LBCC in Long Branch, NJ
• 10/10 @ Hill Center in Washington, DC
• 10/12 @ Doodad Farm in Greensboro, NC
• 10/19 @ Music on Main St. in Lilburn, GA
• 10/22 @ Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, CA
• 10/23 @ The Melon Ball in Davis, CA
• 10/25 @ Soka University in Aliso Viejo, CA
• 10/28 @ University of California in Irvine, CA

For more information, including sponsorship inquiries, contact Music in Common Community Engagement Coordinator, Simone Alse, at simone@musicincommon.org | 404-458-7982.