20th Annual FODfest (Free with RSVP)

FODfest (Friends of Danny Festival) honors the life of Daniel Pearl, the Wall St. Journal reporter who was abducted and murdered by extremists in Pakistan shortly after 9-11. In addition to being an exceptional reporter, Danny was a fiercely talented musician who believed fervently in the power of music to connect people regardless of their differences. Wherever Danny traveled on assignment, he’d bring his fiddle and find local jam sessions to sit in on.

In that spirit, FODfest features local, regional (and occasionally national) artists performing together in a unique format that is part concert, part song swap, and part jam session. It is living demonstration of the power of music to connect people, generating a sense of community, hope, and healing. FODfest is free & open to all and takes place each October in honor of Danny’s birthday. This year is the 20th Annual FODfest. The Studio 9 show is particularly meaningful because Danny started his journalism career in the Berkshires at the North Adams Transcript and the Berkshire Eagle. He broke the story about MASS MoCA for the Eagle.