Michael Franti Offers Up More 'Power to the Peaceful'

Posted on Jul 29th 2010 11:07PM by Benjy Eisen
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On the heels of the best summer of his career, Michael Franti will bring his annual 'Power to the Peaceful' festival back to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on September 11. As always, the free event will spotlight a variety of social and political causes and communities, as well as just giving folks a laid back day of duty-free music, no strings attached.

Back in 2008, when the upcoming presidential election was a hot topic that seemed to divide much of the country, Franti told Spinner, "I'm here to play for everybody." After all, despite its serious lineup of speakers and activists -- who are given a soapbox between musical acts -- the festival is first and foremost intended to unite and bring people together.

In the past, that meant crowds in excess of 50,000; this year, the numbers should be even greater given that Franti is currently at No. 1 on the AAA charts. In addition to a headlining set by Michael Franti & Spearhead, other acts slated to perform this year include Rebelution, the Fort Knox Five and Rupa & the April Fishes.

The festivities will kick-off with an intimate pre-party at the Fillmore on Friday, Sept. 10, where Franti will give a solo, acoustic interpretation of his latest release, 'The Sound of Sunshine.' The Fillmore will also host the official late-night party on Saturday, where he'll pay tribute to the Talking Heads with a rotating cast of special guest musicians under the moniker the Rocking Heads. For complete details, visit the official website. As with all things Franti, expect lots of yoga workshops, heady food options and an endless amount of free hugs.