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Taken from Synthesis (March 26, 2004)
Ziggy Marley, Michael Franti & Spearhead
BMU Auditorium, California State University, Chico
Story by Kozmic Kev
Photo by Teresa Ensslin
If you attended the recent Spearhead / Ziggy Marley show at the BMU Auditorium last Friday, you were greeted by a crowd reminiscent of a Grateful Dead show. People were holding up one finger in the air, begging for extra tickets. Once you made it past ticketless hippies, you were patted down by AS security. Following the pat-down, you were eyeballed by several members of Chico's finest. I got the impression that a proactive approach to security was CSUC's answer to the kind of behavior one might expect to encounter at an airport, a heavy metal concert or a gun show.
Spearhead's sound was tighter than usual. They started mellow with "Crazy, Crazy World," then picked up with "We Don't Stop" and "Stay Human." Franti broke into Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World," followed by "People in the Middle." He came on like a Baptist minister, replacing "Amen" with "How you feeling out there?" He was quick to point out the injustice of laws regarding alcohol versus cannabis, and also said there needs to be a "separation of oil and state." He exalted religious tolerance, saying, "I believe God is in every cell of every being on the planet, but no being has the right to tell other people that they can't know God in the way that they choose."
Spearhead's musical style is a combination of rhythm and blues, hip-hop and folk. A little bit of reggae was added to the mix with their version of "Ring the Alarm." They ended their set with "Everyone Deserves Music" and encored with "It's Never Too Late."
Before Ziggy even began, a man came out and chanted an inaudible prayer that sounded like gibberish till he got to the "Jah Rastafari" ending. Ziggy opened up with "Dragonfly" from his album of the same name, against a backdrop including a rainbow with a dragonfly underneath it. He then went into "Melancholy Mood," followed by an uplifting version of "Justice." Marley appeared subdued compared to Franti. His vibe was either tired or of calm reverence, yet his band was top notch. Kudos to an excellent guitarist that invoked sounds ranging from reggae to Middle-Eastern. In fairness, I must compliment Ziggy's covering of his late father's songs, including "War," "Jamming," "Is This Love" and "We Don't Need No More Trouble." Other memorable moments included the Israeli-Palestinian call for peace titled "Shalom Salam." Marley wrapped up the show with "These Are The Good Ole Days"; he wasn't able to do an encore because the clock read 13 minutes after midnight, and the lights went on.
All-in-all, it was a decent act, but I had several regrets. The first was that Franti and Marley never got on stage together to pump out a tune like "Three O'clock Road Block," which Franti performs and Ziggy's dad wrote.
My second regret was that Spearhead didn't headline. Michael Franti is a much more engaging performer and has a way of working the crowd until everyone is singing together, arm-in-arm.
My final regret was the Associated Students' policy of no ins and outs, and no smoking areas. When one hosts two bands that actively advocate the use of the herb, fans are going to want to medicate themselves in like manner. I noticed or heard of several instances of the aforementioned proactive approach to security. The ugliest scene was seeing one guy tied with straps from his neck to his arms and legs. The cops led him to another room for what only God and he could tell.
Many people go to see reggae shows, jam bands and other bohemian types of events because they represent a dissident culture. Some fans will say it's all about the music. Some go to dance and others to look and be looked at. Spearhead and Ziggy Marley represent freedom to worship and use your body in whatever way you see fit. They prefer peace over war and are willing to speak out against government and corporate corruption. Their love of freedom may be considered dangerous in a jittery and paranoid post 9/11 America.
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