FODfest is a living celebration of community and friendship through music honoring the life & ideals of the late Wall St. Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was abducted and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002. In addition to being a journalist, Danny was a talented musician who played a variety of instruments including fiddle & mandolin, and was a classically trained violinist. Wherever he lived Danny was actively involved in the local music scene, and wherever he traveled he sought out local jam sessions. Danny was a firm believer in the power of music to bring people together regardless of their differences. FODfest celebrates that ideal through multi-media presentations and an annual concert tour that takes place every October as part of Daniel Pearl World Music Days, which is organized by the Daniel Pearl Foundation.

FOD is an acronym for Friends of Danny and the concert tour features musicians who played in bands or jammed with Danny while he was alive, and many who never knew him but connect with his story and share his belief in music as a universal language. FODfest is a unique performance format: part song-swap, part jam session, part concert. Most of the participating musicians are meeting for the first time on stage. The entire tour is filmed and recorded and its message of hope is shared around the world through a variety of multimedia projects.

Now in its fifth year, FODfest has grown considerably from its humble beginnings as an informal backyard jam. FODfest founder Todd Mack is a musician, songwriter, and producer, and a former band mate and close friend of Pearl’s. FODfest co-producer Lynnette Najimy serves as tour manager and media producer, and together they work with a team of volunteers to produce the annual tour and related multimedia projects. All concerts are free and open to the public, and in lieu of an admission charge, donations are collected at each performance to help offset tour & production costs.

FODfest is booked by Skyline Music. Please direct all venue booking inquiries to bruce@skylineonline.com. Musicians interested in performing should click here. The tour is promoted by Michelle Roche Media Relations. Please direct all publicity inquiries to michelle@michelleroche.com.

FODfest, Inc. is a Massachusetts non-profit corporation. We rely almost exclusively on individual contributions. Donation information can be found at http://fodest.org.