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Taken from The West Australian (April 20, 2015)
Franti lets the sunshine in
Michael Franti headlined roots rock concert at Red Hill
by Ara Jansen
Michael Franti leads his band Spearhead at Red Hill Auditorium. Picture: Court McAllister |
CONCERT
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Red Hill Auditorium
Saturday, April 18
Review Ara Jansen
Barefoot musical preacher Michael Franti never fails to bring the sunshine.
On Saturday night, before the Californian took the stage with his band Spearhead, there were three perfect openers to dance us through a beautiful sunset and into a cool but cloudless night at an outdoor venue which is quite breathtaking.
In fact, it was an almost perfect bill in terms of musical matches — complimentary styles, plenty of variety with a high danceability and sing-along factor.
The Tijuana Cartel’s mix of electro and house-meets- Spanish-flamenco makes them a band worth watching. They’re innovative and their instrumentals are as engaging as their vocals.
Of all the surfers who insist on making music as a second career, Donavon Frankenreiter continues to be one of the best. A unique voice and a smooth style which covers roots through to the odd retro disco moment, Frankenreiter is likable but unfortunately has close to zero stage presence.
Blue King Brown proved why they have become one of the country’s most popular festival inclusions. Politically charged and energetically faultless, singer Natalie Pa’apa’a got us singing, dancing and thinking as the urban roots band fired through a set pumped by killer percussion.
Spearhead played their first few songs as if there was a race on, making them a little hard to savour, but they settled in and kept up their energetic and peacenik ways.
Latest album All People got a good working over with 11.59, I’m Alive and the jaunty Life is Better with You mixed seamlessly with older favourites like Yell Fire! and Hello Bonjour. Franti also dug all the way back to 1994 debut Home, if only for a handful of bars.
Highlights included the endlessly happy The Sound of Sunshine and Everyone Deserves Music as Franti partied and danced with us through a tight and uplifting set exploring his on-going quest into the politics of being human.
The singer, who turns 49 tomorrow, believes fervently in the power of love and positivity, constantly reminding us there is always hope in the world, despite the crappy things humans do to each other.
As Franti would say: “That’s the sound of sunshine coming down”.
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