Hardly Strictly Bluegrass presents Michael Franti & Spearhead
2015-10-02
Banjo Stage, Hellman Hollow
Golden Gate Park, 50 Overlook Dr, San Francisco, CA 94122
5:45 PM, Friday, October 2, 2015

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2015 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2015 event list! ☸ On to the next event!

[5:45 PM lights down, announcements]

1. [5:45 PM] Hey Hey Hey
2. [5:50 PM] Let It Go
3. [5:55 PM] All I Want Is You
4. [6:01 PM] The Sound of Sunshine
5. [6:08 PM] All People
6. [6:13 PM] My Favorite Wine Is Tequila
7. [6:17 PM] Life Is Better With You
8. [6:24 PM] ? “Every day I wake up and turn my apple on” (brand new tune, MF solo acoustic)
9. [6:30 PM] ? “My lord, show me the things I need to know” (another new tune)
10. [6:38 PM] 11:59
11. [6:45 PM] Say Hey (I Love You)
12. [6:50 PM] Once a Day (w/unidentified percussion player) »
13. [6:58 PM] I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)
14. [7:05 PM] Three Little Birds
    [set ends 7:07 PM]

• Mike Blankenship: keyboards, samples;
• Justin “J Boogie” Boland: acoustic guitar, guitar;
• Michael Franti: acoustic guitar, vox;
• Manas Itene: drums, harmony vox;
• Carl Young: bass, harmony vox.

During the break while the stage crew got things ready for his set, Michael Franti street team members began handing out swag – towels, t-shirts and placards – the first indicator to me that things might be different from what I expected from tonight's closer. When was the last time an entertainer gifted you at a free show?

Although I was carrying baggage regarding Franti before the show (acoustic hip-hop-pop? Meh; backing tracks? Boo!), I have to admit that he won me over with the sheer force of joy and love that he put out for the crowd while wrapping up the first day of the festival. As expected, the crowd had grown to gargantuan size by the time his set began, but happily, it wasn't all that crowded in our space along the center rail in front of the soundboard, which seems to me to say something about the loving peaceful vibe we enjoyed this afternoon. Love and peace? Good stuff! I'm all for it!

As part of the pre-show preparations, several benches had been placed along the center aisle running between the sound board and the stage. I'd assumed that these were to give the photographers a height advantage over the now-standing crowd, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It turns out that these aids were placed to allow Franti to climb out into the crowd and mingle with us while performing, something he did repeatedly throughout the show. Truly a man of the people!

Likewise, the addition of a set of stairs offered easy access from the meadow to the elevated stage; I trust you won't be surprised to hear that Franti invited audience members up to sing and dance with him on multiple occasions, with the finale, a heartfelt but sloppy sing along to Bob Marley's Three Little Birds seeing the stage crowded by at least 50 people.

Was I won over? Sure! Will I go see him again? Heck yeah! Will it be soon? Hard to say…

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2015 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2015 event list! ☸ On to the next event!