Laina Dawes has been blowing open an explosive discussion of race and gender in the metal scene with her widely celebrated What Are You Doing Here? A Black Woman’s Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal. After honing her platform with appearances including the Noctis Festival in Calgary, the Intl. Conference on Heavy Metal and Popular Culture in Ohio, and the Three-Minute Story series in Brooklyn, Dawes has scheduled a slew of new U.S. events, starting with two appearances in Austin, TX, and one in Chapel Hill, NC. But she needs your help to carry on.
Saturday, Oct. 26, MEOW Con (the Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women Conference), at the Renaissance Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd, Austin, TX:
1:00 PM: “I Am Metal (And So Can You!)” panel. Dawes joins What Are You Doing Here? interviewee Militia and others for a discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing women in the music industry.
3:30 PM: Reading and signing session.
http://www.meowcon.com
Sunday, Oct. 27, Housecore Horror Film Festival, Austin, TX:
Dawes has been invited to Phil Anselmo’s film/music festival for a book signing. This will not be Laina’s first meeting with the outspoken Pantera/Down frontman, who also makes an appearance in her book. The Housecore festival will also feature 124 horror films, plus a gruesome lineup of metal bands (including Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook contributors Eyehategod, Gwar, and Repulsion):
http://www.housecorehorrorfilmfestival.com/
Tuesday, Nov. 5, Bulls Head Bookshop, 207 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC:
3:30 PM: What Are You Doing Here? book discussion with author Laina Dawes. Presented in conjunction with the Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film’s 7 PM screening of A Band Called Death. This event is free and open to the public.
https://www.facebook.com/events/280664645405895/
And the open road beckons! Looking beyond these high-profile appearances, Laina Dawes has arranged the bones of a North American What Are You Doing Here? event tour that will include reading, signings, and discussion, with local bands providing a live soundtrack at each stop. For this step, Laina needs your help, and has stage-dived into the wild world of crowdfunding with her own Indiegogo campaign. Please contribute to keep the wheels laying rubber on the highway, and reap these awesome rewards:
Laina Dawes: Event Tour for What Are You Doing Here?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
