Thomas Dolby's Time Capsule tour in progress

In the wake of his critically acclaimed 2011 album "A Map of the Floating City" and the groundbreaking FloatingCity.com TransMedia game he co-designed, Thomas Dolby just embarked on a North American tour with an unusual vehicle in tow (pictured below).

The Time Capsule is a chrome- and brass-plated road trailer that seats three. With handcrafted leather and wood fittings, and complex electrical wiring that could have been designed by Nikola Tesla, it resembles a Jules Verne/HG Wells-inspired time-travel machine.

Inside is a high-tech video recording suite that allows a music fan or guest artist to upload a personal video message to the Future. The Time Capsule will be parked in the street outside each venue on Dolby’s month-long tour and in front of select local radio and TV stations. It will capture hundreds of 30-second clips over the course of the tour, assembling them into an online video montage.

Fans will be able to walk up and step into the Time Capsule to make their own fully produced and effected digital 30-second video clip. The clips will then be automatically uploaded and viewable on a brand-new YouTube channel time-capsule.tv along with the individual user’s own Facebook and Twitter pages. The most viewed clips will win prizes. Dolby’s label Lost Toy People Records is in discussion with several potential sponsors for the project.

“If you had 30 seconds to explain to an alien visitor what went wrong with our civilization, what would you say?” said Thomas Dolby. “Our species may not be around on this planet much longer, so you might as well leave a welcome message for the next guys!”

Dolby news, merchandise and additional perks are available at the Flat Earth Society fan club and thomasdolby.com

Tour dates:

March 20 ATLANTA, GA The Loft 
March 21 GREENVILLE, SC Handlebar
March 23 ANNAPOLIS, MD Ram’s Head 
March 24 PHILADELPHIA, PA World Café 
March 25 ALEXANDRIA, VA Birchmere 
March 28 SELLERSVILLE, PA Sellersville Theater
March 29 NEW YORK, NY Canal Room
March 30 NORTHAMPTON, MA Iron Horse
March 31 RIDGEFIELD, CT Ridgefield Playhouse 

April 1 MONTREAL, QC L’Astral
April 2 TORONTO, ON Mod Club
April 4 DETROIT, MI Royal Oak
April 5 CHICAGO, IL Park West
April 6 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Cedar Cultural Center
April 10 VANCOUVER, BC Rio Theatre
April 11 SEATTLE, WA Showbox at the Market
April 13 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Red Devil Lounge
April 14 SACRAMENTO, CA Harlows
April 16 SAN DIEGO, CA Anthology
April 17 LOS ANGELES, CA Largo (2 shows at 8 & 10:30 p.m.) 

Thomas explains the “Time Capsule Tour concept” to Angelenos on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/lvzghnj3fLs 

Listen to the NPR Weekend Edition piece:
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/23/141557689/thomas-dolbys-floating-city

Time Capsule photo by Paul Sizer