Archive for the ‘music’ Category

Dawkins tix for Charlotte NC still available

Friday, October 9th, 2009

As you may recall, Richard Dawkins will be speaking this Wednesday, October 14th, at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of an arrangement with Charlotte Pop Fest.  A few tickets are still available for an exclusive meet-and-greet with Prof. Dawkins before his lecture.  Also, if you missed CPF, you can still buy the 23-track compilation CD, with contributions by bands like The Smithereens, The Posies, The Spongetones, Jill Sobule, and CPF organizer James Deem performing the XTC classic “Dear God.”

To buy tickets to the Dawkins event, or to order the compilation CD, visit CharlottePopFest.com.

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Charlotte Pop Fest happening now!

Friday, September 25th, 2009

The Charlotte Pop Fest is underway right now, September 24-26!  Proceeds from this non-profit fest will benefit the Richard Dawkins Foundation.  If you’re within striking distance of Charlotte, NC and want to attend, there’s more info at CharlottePopFest.com.

Not surprisingly, CPF has stirred up a bit of controversy, mostly thanks to news reporters who smell a juicy story, and from religious locals who don’t like that somebody’s raising money for a-t-h-e-i-s-t-s in a public way.

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Freethought Film Festival

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Hey, how cool is this?  The Freethought Film Festival Foundation (FFFF) is a newly-launched non-profit organization based in–where else?–Florida (the only state that begins with an “F”).  They’re shooting for November 2010 in Tampa.  If you’re a budding filmmaker, or just a lover of freethought who wants to show some support, check ‘em out at FreethoughtFilmFest.org.

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Rift Valley Drifters

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

Here’s the latest from troubadour extraordinaire Roy Zimmerman.  You can listen to our podcast interview with Roy here.

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Knack out, Smithereens confirmed for Charlotte Pop Fest

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

For those disappointed that The Knack have bowed out of Charlotte Pop Fest (due to lead singer Doug Feiger’s battle with cancer), you’ll be excited to hear that legendary rock band The Smithereens have been confirmed as the headline act on Saturday, September 26.  Proceeds from Charlotte Pop Fest (the power pop music festival set for September 24-26 in Charlotte, NC) will benefit the Richard Dawkins Foundation.

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A Freethought Manifesto

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

I thought this was too cool not to pass along.  I got an email from fellow freethinker Brett Milner (check out his blog at alienlogic.wordpress.com), who says:

I put together a “Freethought Manifesto”, timeless quotes set to music, as a gift to my brother for his birthday earlier this month.  We both thought it should be shared with anyone who might be interested, so here you go.

For his version, I found a nice slim Avery three-ring binder, put the coversheet in front, and included a CD.  You might come up with a more inventive presentation, but in any case, feel free to distribute or share as you please.

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Podcast #62 – Freethought and Power Pop

Friday, August 14th, 2009

We talk to James Deem, organizer of Charlotte Pop Fest (Sep 24-25), a power pop music festival in North Carolina.  Why should freethinkers care about a pop music fest?  Because in an unprecedented partnership, proceeds from CPF will benefit the Richard Dawkins Foundation.  In fact, Richard Dawkins himself will speak in Charlotte in October.

After the sign-off, stay tuned for James Deem performing the XTC classic “Dear God.”  Visit JamesDeem.com for info on how to download a copy for yourself!

Also, David asks for advice on behalf of a friend in what we’re calling The Texas Preschool Dilemma.

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icon for podpress  Podcast #62 - Freethought and Power Pop [69:22m]: Download (3369)
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Meet and greet Richard Dawkins

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

As we reported earlier, the proceeds from this year’s Charlotte Pop Fest (September 24-26, 2009) go to the Richard Dawkins Foundation.  In an associated event, Mr. Dawkins will be lecturing at Queens University of Charlotte (North Carolina) on October 14th.  Now a limited number of VIP tickets are available, which entitle the holder to preferred seating during Mr. Dawkins’ lecture, and access to a special meet-and-greet.  When we say limited, we do mean limited, so don’t delay!

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Science music for the kiddies

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

One of my favorite bands of all time is They Might Be Giants (the NYC duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell).  They’re indie rock gods best known for their 80s albums Flood and Lincoln.  If you’re never heard of them, you’ve still heard them: they wrote the theme songs for the TV shows Malcolm in the Middle and The Daily Show!

In addition to their alt-rock oeuvre, TMBG also performs shows for all-ages audiences (which means “kid friendly”), and they’ve released three albums for kids so far: No! (2002), Here Come the ABCs (2005), and Here Come the 123s (2008, which won a Grammy for Best Musical Album for Children).

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Podcast #59 – Bill Maher Stand-up Tour

Thursday, July 16th, 2009

David gives us a report on Bill Maher’s stand-up tour; specifically, Maher’s recent appearance at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta.

We also give listeners a heads-up on several upcoming events, including:

Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention (Oct 2-4 in Los Angeles) featuring Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Brian Keith Dalton (”Mr. Deity”), Lawrence Krauss, Eugenie Scott and more.  (Say “hi” to David Driscoll, since he’ll be in attendance as well.)

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icon for podpress  Podcast #59 - Bill Maher Stand-up Tour [61:58m]: Download (621)
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