Michael Franti
Thursday- October 5th, 2006

Michael Franti and his band Spearhead played in Tokyo for the first time on Thursday night, October 5th. Despite wet weather, seven-hundred or so fans turned up at the Liquid Room in Shibuya to welcome them. No one went home disappointed.

Franti often leads his electric band on acoustic guitar. He often uses rhythms and textures that suggest reggae in a rock context. His lyrics are smart, thought provoking, and political. None of these things in themselves make Franti especially original but when you combine the things he isn’t, you get someone who is unique in 2006.

He isn’t EVER pretentious (Ben Harper, I’m looking at you). He isn’t indulgent. He isn’t one-dimensional (Apologies to Jack Johnson who we all enjoy). Nor is he commercial, jive, overly derivative (Is this Xavier Rudd?), or unimportant.

He is a charismatic, artist with a gift for making people move their hips while delivering memorable and often brilliant songs that speak of humanity and peace. Franti as well as guitarist Dave Shul and bassist Carl Young are from around San Francisco but the message is without boundaries. Young was so genki to come to Japan he got on a plane only a couple of days after knee surgery. He played sitting down but otherwise made no concessions. This enthusiasm was palpable in the Liquid Room and led to the magical phenomenon that can occur at a show when the audience feeds off the energy of the performers and vice-versa. From the yakuza-ppoi guys who dared to smoke a little herb in the back to the kawai-sugiru girls dressed to be seen at the front, all were engaged.

Franti indicts any nationalism or religion that is exclusionary.

Is there any reason behind the colors that you fly
Love just one nation, and the whole world you divide

God is too big for just one religion

Spearhead’s secret weapon is drummer Manas Itene. Hailing from Nigeria, he brings an authentic reggae pedigree as he was a member of the Mandators and has played with everybody from Sugar Minott to Majek Fashek. His playing is effortless and ebullient and provides a rub-a-dub anchor to this accomplished quartet.