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Taken from Petoskey (July 06, 2017)
For the love of music
Michael Franti and Spearhead bringing love and music to Blissfest
by Cala James Graphic Writer
Courtesy photoMichael Franti and Spearhead |
It’s Blissfest this weekend, which means lots of food, time spent with friends and family, but most importantly, lots of music.
Michael Franti and Spearhead will headline Saturday night of this year’s Blissfest Music Festival at 10 p.m. on the main stage.
“I think the main thing is that we are going to bring the best that we’ve got and hope that everyone comes with love in their hearts while we will do the same,” said Franti.
Franti is well known for his 2009 top billboard hit, “Hey (I Love You)” and is currently on his Love Out Loud tour. The Love Out Loud tour name was inspired by Franti’s desire to unify the world through music.
“Right now we are living in a time where there is so much division in the world,” Franti said. “In religion, politics, sexuality. The people who care about the world need to speak up and speak out, but even more, they need to take the time to listen to each other with an open heart and an open mind. That’s the road map to the future.”
Franti and Spearhead will be sharing their new song, “Summertime is in Our Hands,” an uplifting, feel-good song.
“I really encourage everyone to watch the music video that came out,” Franti said. “It’s about how summer is a time of emotion in our lives. The woman in the video goes through something powerful after a great loss and she’s creating a new life around it.”
Franti shared that the inspiration for a lot of his songs comes from his everyday experiences.
“I take in everything that is happening around me, with friends and family and the fans that I meet along the way and I put those feelings into music,” Franti added.
Franti grew up surrounded by a diverse, music atmosphere. His mother is Irish, German and French and his father is African-American. He was also adopted by the Franti family.
“I grew up in a very diverse household,” Franti said. “So there was every kind of music experience you could think of. We also went to church, where I was surrounded by voices and the power of people singing at the same time.”
Franti said that there came a point where he realized music was something bigger for him, which is when he became interested in being in a band during high school.
“We played little gigs, crashing at friends’ places and we slept on people’s floors with nothing more than $50 in our pockets,” Franti said.
When asked what he is most excited about to be at Blissfest, Franti said, “I love seeing new music and being around other artists, but the main thing is summer is the time for people to get outside and get together and listen to music. Music really unifies us and we can all enjoy music together. If there is one thing I’m looking forward to most, it’s experiencing music.”
Other goals and aspects that Franti is looking forward to in the near future is expanding his yoga studio in Bali and hosting yoga retreats. He is also a filmmaker, creating a film about how music helps people get through challenges in their lives, whether they be personal or larger scale issues. Franti and Spearhead will also be recording a new album after the tour, early next year.
Franti also encourages everyone to visit doitforthelove.org which he and his wife created. It allows children, adults and veterans with mental or physical challenges to attend any live concert in North America. They are about to send their 1,000th recipient in four years. Anyone can nominate a friend or family member by sending a message at their website.
“I want music to inspire people's lives, to have them come to a show and feel free to laugh and cry and dance or meet a stranger,” Franti said. “I want them to leave feeling a little bit taller, feeling like they can handle more, have the fire and courage to approach life.”
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