For decades, geeks were ostracized, picked on, laughed at and punished by the sun’s harmful UV rays. But there is only so long that a people can be kept down before they rise up against their oppressors; and, indeed, the dawn of the 21st century has seen the ascendancy of geeks and geek culture.

We now celebrate that rise to power–and let’s face it, nerds pretty much run everything now–with w00tstock, a special event for geeks of every stripe. Television host/special-effects artist Adam Savage (“MythBusters”), actor/author/blogger Wil Wheaton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”, “Stand By Me”) and music-comedy duo Paul and Storm (hey; that’s us!) present a night of songs, readings, comedy, demonstrations, short films, special guests, and other clever widgets born from and dedicated to the enthusiasms, obsessions, trials and joys of geek pride.

This is the dawning of the Age of Geekdom–and its voices will ring true at w00tstock.

w00tstock v2.2

Sunday, June 6

Park West, Chicago, IL

TICKETS: http://bit.ly/w00tchicago2

Special Guests:

w00tstock v2.3

Monday, June 7

The Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN

TICKETS: http://bit.ly/w00tminneapolis

Special Guests:

So if you live in or near those cities, go get your tickets now (or later this month for Chicago/Mpls., obviously). If you don’t, then tell all your friends who do live there to go; because if these do well enough, we hope to do more of them! Go forth, geeks, and spread the good word!

NOTE: You can avoid Ticketmaster extortion surcharges by purchasing tickets at the venue box offices. Contact The Moore, The Aladdin, directly for details.

Adam Savage has spent his life gathering skills that allow him to take what’s in his brain and make it real. He’s built everything from ancient Buddhas to futuristic weapons, from spaceships to dancing vegetables, from fine art sculptures to animated chocolate — and just about anything else you can think of.

The son of a filmmaker/painter and psychotherapist, Adam has been making his own toys since he was allowed to hold scissors. Having held positions as a projectionist, animator, graphic designer, carpenter, interior and stage designer, toy designer, welder, and scenic painter, he’s worked with every material and process he could get his hands on — metal, paper, glass, plastic, rubber, foam, plaster, pneumatics, hydraulics, animatronics, neon, glassblowing, mold making and injection molding, to name just a few.

Since 1993, Adam has concentrated on the special-effects industry, honing his skills through more than 100 television commercials and a dozen feature films, including “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” and “Episode II: Attack of the Clones”, “Galaxy Quest”, “Terminator 3”, “A.I.” and the “Matrix” sequels. He’s also designed props and sets for Coca-Cola, Hershey’s, Lexus and a host of New York and San Francisco theater companies.

Not only has he worked and consulted in the research and development division for toy companies and made several short films, but Adam has also acted in several films and commercials — including a Charmin ad, in which he played Mr. Whipple’s stock boy, and a Billy Joel music video, “Second Wind,” in which he drowns.

Today, in addition to co-hosting Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters”, Adam teaches advanced model making, most recently in the industrial design department at the San Francisco Academy of Art. Somehow he also finds time to devote to his own art — his sculptures have been showcased in over 40 shows in San Francisco, New York and Charleston, W.Va.

Wil Wheaton’s successful acting career began in 1986 with acclaimed roles in “Stand By Me” and “Toy Soldiers”. He continued to build his resume through his teen years as series regular “Wesley Crusher” on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and opposite Robin Williams in “Flubber”. But Wil is much more than just an actor; he’s an author, blogger, voice actor, Columnist for the LA Weekly and Suicide Girls, widely-followed Twitter user, and a champion of geek culture.

Wil currently splits his time between acting and writing. He has recently appeared as serial killer Floyd Hansen on “Criminal Minds”, comic book publisher Miles Sklar on “NUMB3RS”, and as the voice of Ted Kord, the Silver Age Blue Beetle, on “Batman: The Brave and the Bold”. He’s published three acclaimed books: “Just A Geek”, “Dancing Barefoot”, and “The Happiest Days of Our Lives”. His latest book is “Sunken Treasure”. All of his books grew out of Wil’s immensely popular, award-winning weblog, which he created at WIL WHEATON dot NET and currently maintains at WIL WHEATON dot NET: in Exile. While most celebrities are happy to let publicists design and maintain their websites, Wil took a decidedly different turn when he started blogging in 2001. He designed, coded, and maintained WWdN entirely on his own, until he “blew up” his sites’ database in 2005 and moved his blog to the TypePad service. In 2003, Forbes.com readers voted WWdN the “Best Celebrity Weblog.” Wil’s blog was chosen by C|Net for inclusion in their 100 most influential blogs, and is an “A” lister, according to Blogebrity.com. In the 2002 weblog awards (the bloggies) Wil won every category in which he was nominated, including “Weblog of the year.” In 2007, Wil was nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Bloggie, alongside Internet powerhouses Slashdot and Fark. In the 2008 weblog awards, Wil was voted the “Best Celebrity Blogger,” and in 2009 Forbes named him the 14th most influential web celebrity. This is all amusing to Wil, who doesn’t think of himself as a celebrity, but is instead, “just this guy, you know?”

WIL WHEATON dot NET: In Exile started out as a backup blog for WIL WHEATON dot NET. Until Wil gets busy repairing and rebuilding WWdN, it’s his home away from home, where he is not a number, and is a free man.

Paul and Storm

Paul and Storm have been writing and performing funny songs together for a long, long time, starting with their stint together in a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook. Their music tends to make people laugh and feel good, and Paul and Storm believe that this makes their pursuit noble, right and just.

BONUS: their live show is better than 1,000 Fonzies, and more spellbinding than Mr. T on a unicycle.

Anyone with ADD will appreciate the broad range of territory that Paul and Storm cover in their music… Chicken nuggets. Love. Boxing nuns. Relationships. Pirates. Friendship. If James Taylor were on fire.

Catchy melodies and well-constructed music underpin the comedy, and in live performance their harmonies draw comparisons to the Everly Brothers, while their stage presence evokes the Barenaked Ladies. They will do nearly anything to win the hearts and minds of their audiences, and often throw Twinkies, Moon Pies and/or other snack cakes into the crowd to help seal the deal. Occasionally, panties are thrown back.

Paul and Storm often tour in support of Jonathan Coulton, and their music is often heard on the “Bob and Tom” syndicated morning radio show, and has been featured on “The Drew Carey Show”, Comedy Central, XM Satellite Radio’s “Dr. Demento” show, on the popular web cartoon site Homestarrunner.com, and throughout the YouTubes and internets.