What does sunshine sound like? I think if you are close enough, it would probably sound like explosions and burning houses and stuff like that. But hear on earth, it is virtually silent (and also a silent killer! Wear sunscreen kids…). If you were to ask Michael Franti and Spearhead what sunshine sounded like, I’m sure they’d be like “it’s all about the earth, man, the earth and good vibes and loving one another.” And you would probably be stoned out of your mind.
Well, find out for yourself what sunshine sounds like as Michael Franti and Spearhead releases The Sound Of Sunshine, to be followed with a full tour aptly named The Sound Of Sunshine Tour. I’m thinking guitar up-strums, break beats and burning zigzags are just some of the sounds you’ll hear, along with breaking glass bottles, a couple poorly timed cell-phone rings and maybe a crying baby. But you also know it will be a damn fun time.
The album will be released via Capitol Records on September 21st, with the tour beginning a couple days before. Franti had this to say about the upcoming dates: “I’m so excited to be hitting the road again this fall and sharing our new music live with our fans. To play music that makes people feel energized and passionate about life in these stressful times, is a privilege that I’m grateful to have. We’ve been doing a lot of acoustic street performances these days outside the venues we’ve been playing in and I look forward to seeing longtime fans again and meeting new ones in every city we play in.”
Jokes aside, you can’t deny the man’s sincerity or that he is a captivating performer with thousands of adoring fans. If you are anyway into this type of thing, you should probably buy your tickets pronto. Then get back to me about this sound-of-sunshine riddle.
Tour dates are listed below. Tickets are available starting Friday, July 30th via Ticketmaster.com.
Michael Franti and Spearhead 2010 Tour Dates:
07/22 – Edmonton, AB @ Winspear Centre for Music
07/23 – Calgary, AB @ Calgary Folk Music Festival
07/24 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theatre
07/27 – Park City, UT @ Deer Valley Resort
07/29 – Aspen, CO @ The Belly Up – Aspen
07/30 – Aspen, CO @ The Belly Up – Aspen
07/31 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
08/01 – Durango, CO @ Animas Cliffs
08/04 – Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
08/05 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater
08/06 – Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheater
08/07 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater
08/10 – Eagle, ID @ Eagle River Pavilion
08/11 – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma Theatre
08/12 – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma Theatre
08/13 – Sandpoint, ID @ The Festival at Sandpoint
08/14 – Billings, MT @ Magic City Blues Festival
08/21 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Beach at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
08/26 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
08/27 – Live Oak, FL @ Black Water Sol Revue
08/28 – North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
08/29 – Richmond, VA @ The National
08/31 – Charlotte, NC @ The Neighborhood Theatre
09/02 – Sailing Southern Ground
09/19 – Laytonville, CA @ EarthDance: United Beats of Peace Festival
09/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
09/23 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
09/24 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
09/25 - Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
09/26 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater
09/28 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Events Center
09/29 - Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
09/30 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
10/01 - Little Rock, AR @ Stone Hill Ranch
10/02 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/05 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10/06 - Lincoln, NE @ Rococo
10/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
10/08 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
10/09 - Madison, WI @ Overture Center for the Arts
10/13 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
10/14 - Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theatre
10/15 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10/16 - Pensacola Beach, FL @ De Luna Fest
10/19 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
10/20 - Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird Nightclub
10/22 - Covington, KY @ Madison Theatre
10/23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
10/24 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
10/25 - Albany, NY @ Northern Lights
10/28 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
10/29 - Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
10/30 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
11/01 - Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre
11/02 - Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre
11/03 - Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre
11/05 - Providence, RI @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
11/06 - Portland, ME @ State Theatre
11/07 - Concord, NH @ Capitol Center
11/09 - New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
11/10 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
11/12 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
11/13 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
11/14 - Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak
