By JOHN DALY
Michael Franti & Spearhead have added New York, Philadelphia and Nashville dates to their Stay Human tour.
Starting Oct. 4 at The Paramount in Huntington, N.Y., the new tour dates include performances at Philadelphia’s The Fillmore with Thievery Corporation, Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse, The Cowan in Nashville, Champions Square in New Orleans with Trombone Shorty, The Gates Hotel in Key West and more.
Dustin Thomas and Victoria Canal support all October headline dates.
Tickets are available for purchase beginning and for most dates include a download of Franti’s upcoming record, once available. Franti offers fans his new VIP Experience on select dates, including a Q and A, acoustic performance, photo with Michael and an autographed VIP item. For tickets go here.
The tour promotes the album Stay Human 2, due soon. The record is influenced by Franti’s self-directed, award-winning documentary Stay Human, which has been on the festival circuit.
The film will screen at Woodstock Film Festival in Woodstock, N.Y., and Mill Valley Film Festival in San Rafael, Calif.
“I’ve traveled the globe making music and throughout the years I’ve always hoped that it could inspire small steps towards making the world a better place,” Franti said. “Struggling with the challenges of the world I began filming my new documentary, Stay Human, telling the stories of heroic everyday people who helped me to discover more deeply what it means to be and STAY HUMAN.”
Franti: Born in the Bay Area, Travels the World
Franti was born in the Bay Area and his music reflects this. He started songwriting to process the political situation developing in the 1980s.
In 1994, Franti formed Michael Franti & Spearhead. The band released the album Stay Human in 2000, as an expression to his opposition of the death penalty among other themes.
Franti released his first self-directed documentary, I Know I’m Not Alone in 2005. The calls for for peace in the Middle East. Franti visited war zones in Iraq, Israel and Palestine to find a common connection, playing music to both soldiers and civilians.
Franti and wife Sara started the foundation Do It For The Love, a wish-granting nonprofit helping those with life-threatening illnesses.
Franti’s recent musical projects have included the Billboard #1 single “The Sound of Sunshine” (2010) and full-length releases All the People (2013) and SOULROCKER (2016), which topped the Billboard rock album charts at #4 and #5, respectively.
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD LIVE
*VIP Experience available
August 22— Billings, MT—Pub Station Ballroom*
August 24— Moorhead, MN—Roots on the Red
August 25—Apple Valley, MN—Weesner Family Amphitheater, Minnesota Zoo*
August 31—Aspen, CO— Jazz Aspen Snowmass
NEWLY ADDED –
October 4—Huntington, NY—The Paramount*
October 5—Ithaca, NY—State Theatre*
October 6—Freeport, ME—L.L. Bean Discovery Park
October 7—Rutland, VT—The Paramount Theatre*
October 11—Port Chester, NY—Capitol Theatre*
October 12—Kingston, NY—BSP Kingston
October 13—Philadelphia, PA—The Fillmore*
October 14—Silver Spring, MD—The Fillmore Silver Spring*
October 17—Atlanta, GA—Variety Playhouse*
October 18—Nashville, TN—The Cowan*
October 19—Jackson, MS—Duling Hall*
October 20—New Orleans, LA—Bold Sphere Music at Champions Square
October 22—Key West, FL—The Gates Hotel, Sunset Green Lawn
October 24—Fort Lauderdale, FL—Revolution*
October 25—St. Petersburg, FL—Jannus Live*
October 26—St. Petersburg, FL—Jannus Live*
October 27—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre, Backyard Stage*
November 3—Savannah, GA—Forsyth Park