Spearhead at Britt
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Michael Franti and Spearhead
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It was a warm summer night in Jacksonville, Oregon on Friday, September 11, where hundreds of people flocked to the Britt Festival Gardens. Many had waited since 8 that morning--braving the heat--all to get a good seat for the Michael Franti and Spearhead concert. Excitement bustled in downtown Jacksonville, which had been packed with cars and street vendors since early in the afternoon. People were so excited that they didn’t even notice that the man himself, Michael Franti, was sitting on the top steps leading up to the Britt Amphitheater, lazily playing his guitar and talking to those who dared to approach him.
When the Britt doors finally opened around 5:45 p.m., a mob of middle-aged fans was unleashed upon the seating grounds, fighting for blanket spots in front of the stage. Contrary to the practices in the past, this year Britt put up barriers all around the pit in front of the stage to keep those who did not wait in line out.
First to the stage was Cherine Anderson, who warmed up the crowd singing a beautiful rendition of Redemption Song, accompanied by guitarist David Shul. Once darkness fell, Franti danced onto the stage and the audience exploded. People frantically hurdled the barriers that Britt put up and filled up the pit with dancing fans.
Throughout the show, Franti incorporated the crowd into his performance by pulling up audience members to dance on stage and having them sing parts of his songs. At the end he brought to the stage a large group of children, as he always does to end his concerts. Notorious for his energetic stage presence, Franti uses music to bring people together and to shed light on serious world issues. Although he has strayed away from his radicalism, he still puts on one heck of a show!
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