"The Golden Age of Wireless" was one of the first cassette tapes I ever owned, and was one of my most treasured possessions throughout my teenhood. Long ago digitized, the original tape is still somewhere in my home, tucked in its clamshell, safe from ever being thrown or gifted away; a powerful talisman from my years of awkwardness and exploratory nerdness.
Trapped in the amber of my mind as that era may be, Dolby himself has never kept still as an artist. As he continues to expand his storytelling to additional media, his music remains a recognizable thread through his explorations, as does his love of technologies past and future.
Thomas Dolby, my patron saint of the Cool Nerd.
THOMAS DOLBY PERFORMS
ONE-OF-A-KIND,
LIVE CONCERT/FILM IN NATIONWIDE U.S. TOUR
Live music and film merge in presentation
of DIY Film Festival Award-winning The Invisible Lighthouse
Official Trailer:
Performance Trailer:
NEW YORK, New York — Thomas Dolby, the multi-Grammy™ nominated artist and producer, takes his new live show — part film, part concert, part transmedia event — on the road this fall. Each show will be a unique event that cannot be replicated outside of Dolby's theater performance.
In a 20-date tour of historic arthouse cinemas and independent film festivals, Dolby will perform a live narration and musical score in front of a projected film image, accompanied by Foley artist/musician/sound designer Blake Leyh. Between them they will bring to U.S. audiences an innovative hybrid of documentary and art installation, as they manipulate sound, music and lighting to dramatic effect.
The Invisible Lighthouse is a new film that Thomas shot and edited entirely himself, detailing the closure of a beautiful lighthouse on the tip of a mysterious ex-military island off the East Coast of England. Thomas has known the evocative flash of this lighthouse since he was a child. Moved to pick up a film camera and document its imminent closure, he received little co-operation from the authorities. So he risked a clandestine dawn raid on the island in an RIB (rigid inflatable boat), and captured the eerie atmosphere of the island and the final flash of its iconic landmark using a remote controlled drone and a selection of high-tech spy cameras.
Also on the road will be The Time Capsule, an intriguing 1930s teardrop trailer bristling with high-tech equipment. VIP guests will be invited to step into the trailer and ask Thomas a question in person. The best conversations will be instantly uploaded to Dolby's YouTube channel.
The Invisible Lighthouse live dates:
Thurs., Oct. 10 MILL VALLEY, CA Mill Valley Film Festival
Sun., Oct. 20 ORLANDO, FL Orlando Film Festival
Wed., Oct. 23 SELLERSVILLE, PA Sellersville Theater
Thurs., Oct. 24 PHILADELPHIA, PA The Trocadero Theatre in association with the Philadelphia Film Festival
Fri., Oct. 25 ALBANY, NY Swyer Theater
Sat., Oct. 26 SOMERVILLE, MA Somerville Theatre
Mon., Oct. 28 NEW YORK, NY Gramercy Theatre
Tues., Oct. 29 CARNEGIE, PA Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall
Wed., Oct. 30 TORONTO, ON 99 Sudbury
Fri., Nov. 1 GLOUCESTER, MA Cape Anne Film Festival
Sun., Nov. 3 ROYAL OAK, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
Mon., Nov. 4 CHICAGO, IL Mayne Stage
Tues., Nov. 5 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Cedar Cultural Center
Wed., Nov. 6 MADISON, WI Majestic Theatre
Thurs., Nov. 7 MILWAUKEE, WI Shank Hall
Sat., Nov. 9 ST LOUIS, MO Blueberry Hill in association with the St. Louis Film Festival
Mon., Nov. 11 LAWRENCE, KS Liberty Hall
Tues., Nov. 19 PORTLAND, OR Alberta Rose Theater
Thurs., Nov. 21 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Swedish American Music Hall
Fri., Nov. 22 LOS ANGELES, CA Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Sat., Nov. 23 SACRAMENTO, CA Crest Theater