Michael Franti and his band, Spearhead, bring their optimistic sound to Juneau on Tuesday.
A free meet-up with the artist will happen at Sealaska Plaza at 3 p.m. Then, his uplifting mix of rock, rhythm and blues and hip-hop will be in concert at Juneau Douglas Highschool. Opening acts are Qacung and Radiophonic Jazz.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with a prior VIP event. Visit michaelfranti.com for tickets and details.
The show is dedicated to the memory of the late Woody Guthrie of Douglas, Buddy Tabor, who, along with Franti, played for incarcerated people at New Folsom Prison in California.
In a phone interview with KRNN volunteer DJ Katie B., Franti discussed his Togetherness Tour and the power of music to heal division and bring people together.
Listen to Katie B.’s full interview with Michael Franti here:
Here’s an excerpt of the interview:
Katie B.: You’re on a long tour that is taking you all over the country and as far away as Australia. Togetherness is the theme. In this lead up to the next presidential election, it feels like anything but.
Michael Franti: When you look on social media or the news, you feel like, man, the world is so divided. And then you get out in the street and you meet people, and you realize that we’re all just trying to get through the same stuff. Keep a roof over our heads, get our kids to school on time, make sure that we’ve gotten the things that we need to survive. The things that make us different are our culture, our dance, our music, our song, our food, the way we eat, and sometimes the way we vote. But it doesn’t mean because we have those differences, that we have to hate each other. It’s possible to still be connected to people despite those differences. Unfortunately, politicians and marketing people understand very well how to divide people to seek political gain. It’s really damaging.
Katie B.: It seems like the politicians and the socials, as it were, are winning. You sing “dont let the system get you down” on your new album Big, Big Love. I hate to be such a downer, but what do you mean by the system, and how can we keep our spirits up?
Michael Franti: The system is something different to everybody. For me as a kid, the system was always like corporate greed, politics, school systems, places that try to define who we are and make us think and feel and act a certain way that is contrary to our own beliefs. But for other people, it’s their parents. For other people, it’s the church. For other people, you know, their job, their boss, whatever. I’m somebody who believes that through the power of optimism, we can get through things. Optimism isn’t just blindly saying, oh, today’s gonna be a great, great day, and just whatever happens is gonna be great, because most days aren’t. Most days we’re gonna face challenges. Optimism is when you see that there are challenges ahead. And say, you know what, I’m still gonna approach this with a positive attitude. I’m still gonna approach this feeling like I can make an imprint in the world that is leading to better than when I got there. And I really believe in that power. Listening is one of our greatest superpowers. And I believe that there’s no one that you wouldn’t love if you knew their story. You’re giving somebody the greatest gift that they could ever receive, which is to be heard.
Disclaimer: KTOO is a sponsor of Tuesday’s show.