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Taken from Daily Press (May 28, 2015)
Michael Franti opens his tour in Norfolk, looking to change lives.
by Mike Holtzclaw
Michael Franti will play the Norva in Norfolk on Wednesday with his band, Spearhead. (Danny Clinch photo) |
The first show of a tour always feels special to singer-songwriter Michael Franti.
"For obvious reasons," he said in a recent phone interview from his home in California's Bay Area. "You're getting started on something new, and it just feels fresh and exciting."
Franti and his band, Spearhead, kick off their summer tour in Norfolk next week, with a Wednesday show at The Norva. The centerpiece of the show will be Franti's new single, "Once a Day," which has the introspective philosophy and up-tempo rhythms that have become his trademark.
"It's about unexpected moments in life," Franti said. "Sometimes we have unexpected moments of great joy — just sitting somewhere in the middle of a business district and you'll see a circle of leaves swirling around and you'll be mesmerized by that. Other times, there are things that challenge us — my son last year was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, and that tore our hearts apart but it also brought our family together closer.
"The song is about taking those unexpected moments and transforming them into things that are positive for our lives."
Franti, 49, said he was inspired by other songwriters who were able to combine socially conscious lyrics with catchy melodies. Among his influences he cites Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Marvin Gaye and The Clash.
"These are artists who are able to write songs about the world and how much passion they have for the world being a better place," Franti said. "And then they could put a song right next to it about how much they love their girlfriend, and next to that about partying on Saturday night. They could combine all of those elements, and that's what I want to do as well."
Franti sets his lyrics to an infectious fusion of reggae, hip-hop, folk and jazz. Last year Rolling Stone magazine reviewer Will Hermes called his music "well-crafted and unfailingly likable," and concluded: "The music hints at his activist-sage roots; for those who plan to go down dancing, he's a solid man to have on the mic."
On stage, he takes that style even further. He performs barefoot and on past tours has conducted yoga sessions in the afternoons before shows.
In 2011, Daily Press music writer Sam McDonald picked Franti's show at Portsmouth's Harbor Center amphitheater as one of the year's top local concerts. McDonald wrote: "Franti's show was an instant celebration and — for those, like me, hearing him for the first time — a revelation. Spearhead's upbeat music and Franti's on-stage energy were captivating and refreshing. Reggae, rock, Latin music and hip-hop swirled together as the party raged."
Franti said he composes songs with live performance in mind. When he crafts a melody, he is not only thinking about how it will sound on a recording, but also about how he will bring it to life on stage.
He interacts quite a bit with the audience at each show.
"When I perform, I try to take myself back to the place I wrote it — what was happening in my life, in my heart, at the time I wrote it," he said. "I'm very mindful when I'm doing songs about current social issues, about being very clear with what I want to say. I want my perspective to clear and not misconstrued, so I'm always thinking, 'What can I say before that song, even if it's just two sentences — the Twitter version of what the song is about.'"
One thing he makes clear: Whether a song is a celebration or a contemplation, he likes to see people dancing to it.
Franti has been performing live music for almost 30 years now, dating back to his days with the punk and spoken word band Beatnigs. He has been playing with Spearhead for more than two decades.
But he said his approach to music has changed very little.
"I feel the same enthusiasm as when I first started doing it," he said. "I look out into the crowd, and some of the audience has grown older with us. But there are lots of new faces, too. The main thing is, I've become more mindful and grateful of what it is that I'm doing, and the opportunity I have every night.
"We try to create an atmosphere where people walk out feeling transformed. They came into the show with whatever stresses and concerns they have in their lives, and maybe they walk out feeling a little taller and ready to go back into their lives with a new vision and perspective. That's what concerts have always been for me — whether it was a reggae band, or punk, or hip-hop, that idea of walking out feeling like the world was something that I was a part of. That's what we hope to bring every night."
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