For many of us, the Big Ears Festival includes known and lesser or unknown names. Anticipating the artists with who we are familiar is balanced with anticipating the artists with whom we will soon become familiar and, hopefully, learn to love and find in their music a new path in our personal musical journeys. Today’s announcement brings another more familiar name to this year’s proceedings as David Byrne, most widely known for his work with Talking Heads, is added to the mix.
From the release:
Reasons to be Cheerful was founded by artist and musician David Byrne, who believes in the power of approaching the world with curiosity—in art, in music, in collaboration and in life. Under the banner of Byrne’s non-profit organization, Arbutus, Reasons to be Cheerful embodies this sensibility, applying it now to the future of our world. Through stories of hope, rooted in evidence, Reasons to be Cheerful aims to inspire us all to be curious about how the world can be better, and to ask ourselves how we can be part of that change.
At Big Ears, Byrne will discuss the goals and effects of solutions-based journalism and speak with two inspiring regional activists and changemakers who are committed to creating practical, effective solutions to problems in their communities. You can learn more here.
Also as a part of today’s announcement, new artists have been added to the line-up, including Lee Renaldo, Dave Eggar, David Virelles, Luke Schneider, and SUSS.
Finally, I’ve been asked when the detailed schedule will arrive so fans (and reporters!) can start planning for the festival and it is coming Thursday. Watch for it here. Along with that promised delivery were other teasers, “Christian McBride in conversation with John Zorn? Ann Powers in conversation with Rickie Lee Jones? The films of David Byrne? Sound diffusions by Stephen O’Malley and Kali Malone? There’s even more…!”
Buy weekend and single-day passes for the March 30 – April 2 event here!