Terminal 5 upcoming shows
Barefoot Concert Series
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Bobby Long
- Venue:
-
Terminal 5
- Date:
- Thu 10/28
- Notes:
- all ages
- Doors: 8:00 PM / Show: 9:00 PM
- $35 advance / $40 day of show
- Michael Franti & Spearhead
- official website
- myspace
- Michael Franti is a very big man who has always dared to say very big things through his joyous and passionate music during an unusually diverse and highly impressive career.
Yet for all the wide-ranging, yet consistent excellence of his body of work, what’s most impressive about Michael Franti as a recording artist and live performer is his ability to inspire. Ultimately, the heartfelt music that Franti makes and his dedication to greater understanding on a global level, are not two aspects of his life, but very much one and the same.
The Bay Area born Franti has been bringing our world exceptionally powerful, deeply felt music under a variety of names and in a wide range of genres for twenty years. From the intense punk rock of the Beatnigs, to the deeply political rap he made with the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy to his joyful and meaningful modern soul music with Spearhead, and now as Michael Franti & Spearhead, this still young man has released an impressive series of recordings that have vividly reflected his status as a musical citizen of this world.
Consider Franti’s most recent musical masterpiece, All Rebel Rockers, an album featuring the legendary production team of Sly & Robbie that reinforces his place as a global force and a true musician of his time. Recently, Franti’s latest release entered the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart in the Top 40 and hit #4 on the Top Independent Album Chart, and further demonstrated that Franti remains very much at the height of his artistic powers.
“As a musician and a man, I more than anything else want to be a unifier,” Franti explains. “I want to bring people together through music and its unique power. And I hope that somehow that sense of unity extends beyond the music.”
To see Michael Franti play for people anywhere in the world is to realize that music is the driving force in his creative world. “Above almost any thing else on earth, I love songs,” he explains. “I love songwriting myself, but in listening to the songs of others, I’ve learned that a great song is an incredibly powerful thing. I really believe that music can bring people together because I’ve seen it. To me, music is much more than the way I happen to make my living. It’s the thread that’s gone through my life and given it so much meaning.
Franti’s own performances today are marked by a genuine openheartedness, a commitment to communication and a greater sense of community. “The people who come to see us seem to love the experience of the party as well as the message and the music,” he says. “Increasingly over my life, I have less interest in being part of the fighting between parties. I’m interested in bringing people together on the left and the right, to face the issues of the day. The problems from global warming to the economy that we face today are so clearly universal that we need to address them together.”
- Barefoot Concert Series - Soles4Souls
- Michael Franti today announced his partnership with Soles4Souls, the international shoe charity dedicated to providing free shoes to people in need around the world. In an effort to collect/sponsor 100,000 pairs of shoes, the campaign will serve to raise awareness of the need for footwear both nationally and internationally in order to enhance the lives of families worldwide through a cooperative effort to distribute critically needed footwear.
In addition, nine cities along Franti’s “The Sound of Sunshine Tour” this Fall will be designated as part of The “Barefoot Concert Series” (see dates below) where fans can donate/sponsor shoes and learn more about the programs at Soles4Souls. Fans will also be able to donate funds via text message by texting keyword “FRANTI” to 20222 or via www.michaelfranti.com and www.soles4souls.org. Local distributions, as well as additional promotions (including impromptu “busking” performances by Franti), will be held in select cities throughout his tour.
The two will partner to raise money through the charity's “$1 equals 1 pair” program. For every dollar that is raised, Soles4Souls will donate a pair of shoes to someone in need. The partnership is especially significant for 2010, as it marks anniversaries for both Soles4Souls (the distribution of its 10 millionth pair of shoes) and for Franti, who decided to go shoeless 10 years ago.
A musician, poet, social humanitarian and activist, Franti is recognized as a pioneering force in branding music as a vehicle for global social activism. In 2000, while traveling the globe, Franti saw unfathomable poverty, which amongst other things, had children and adults walking barefoot.
Upon his return to his home in San Francisco, Franti decided to give up shoes for three days to learn what it would be like to be constantly barefoot, and his trial period turned into a 10-year campaign. He can only be seen wearing flip-flops when boarding a plane or in a restaurant.
“Ten years ago I made a decision to go barefoot after playing music for kids in many countries who could not afford shoes,” said Franti. “I know some of the aches and pains that go along with being barefoot, but have no idea what it’s like to not be able to afford them. Partnering with Soles4Souls is a way of putting my experience to use helping families take a first step out of the cycle of poverty.”
"We're honored that Michael is joining with us to give shoes to people in need," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. "It's not everyday that you have such a dynamic artist willing to take time out of their busy schedule to become personally engaged in our mission, and we are delighted to be a part of it," he said.
Michael is the founder and lead singer of Michael Franti & Spearhead. For over two decades, the Bay Area born Franti has been bringing our world exceptionally powerful, deeply felt music. The Sound of Sunshine is Michael Franti & Spearhead’s seventh studio album and the follow-up to 2008’s Top 40 hit All Rebel Rockers. The album is set for release on September 21st and the album’s title track and single is currently #1 on the AAA chart. In addition, Michael is the creator of the Power to the Peaceful (PTTP) festival in San Francisco. This year’s 12th annual festival will take place on September 11th and is a part of “The Barefoot Concert Series”. PTTP is one of the nation’s largest free annual music festivals with over 50,000 attendees and serves to promote change through music, art and action.
Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people around the world. The shoes are distributed, free of charge, to people in need across the globe. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 10 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently distributing one pair every 7 seconds). The shoes have been distributed in 125 countries, including Haiti, Kenya, Nepal, and the United States. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages.
- Bobby Long
- official website
- myspace
- British singer-songwriter Bobby Long has been writing his keenly-crafted songs since taking up the guitar at age 16. After relocating from his native Wessex, he became a fixture at open-mic nights around London while attending university there. Among his companions on the circuit were fellow musicians Marcus Foster and Robert Pattinson, the former with whom he co-wrote a song that the latter would sing in the film phenomenon “Twilight.” Long’s intensely personal songs resonate with audiences (not surprisingly, he credits Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith and Leonard Cohen as key influences), expanding his fan base exponentially during the massive six-month 2009 Dangerous Summer tour that comprised over 100 shows in cities across the U.S. and Canada.
His 10-song Dirty Pond Songs CD was recorded in his London bedroom to make available at his shows. The CD’s debut single, “Left to Lie,” topped the site’s Unsigned chart and climbed to No. 8 on the Folk chart. Other popular tracks are the ballad “Who Have You Been Loving” and the atmospheric story-song “The Bounty of Mary Jane.” Bobby Long returns to the U.S. to tour in March, including his debut at SxSW in Austin. He plans to release his first studio album—produced by Liam Watson—In early summer, 2010.
OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS FROM THE BOWERY PRESENTS
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