These days, Michael Franti knows that every summertime means a long tour across America, about 60 dates timed to coincide with as many outdoor amphitheater show opportunities as possible, mixed in with club and theater dates, too. This year’s warm-weather tour brings Franti and his longtime band Spearhead, who specialize in an eclectic mix of hip-hop, alternative rock, reggae, folk and jazz, to Atlanta for a stop at the Eastern on May 13.
The five-dozen or so shows this time of year allow him to make it across much of this country, while maintaining his interests around the world. Not many musicians, for example, can claim a business in Bali, but Franti’s one of them. He’s committed a chunk of his creative life to an ever-growing hotel and service industry role there.
Bouncing between “being an artist and an entrepreneur,” as he puts it, is a challenge.
“We have a hotel in Bali that I started in 2008. We started with five rooms and we’ve gotten to 32 rooms, two restaurants and a nightclub there,” Franti said. “I shift gears between everything that has to do with the hotel and everything else I do in music and film — and now, with media and writing. With the hotel we have over 100 employees now, and a lot of what I do is working with the team there. It’s incredible to work with people and (to be) empowering them to use their own creativity to find solutions to problems we’re facing at the hotel. My job there is to do the big picture stuff, to think about what’s next.”
Credit: (Courtesy of Nathan Thoen)
Credit: (Courtesy of Nathan Thoen)
The retreat he and his family run is called Soulshine Bali, and the vibe is definitely in line with the messages that Franti and Spearhead have been channeling over the years, a positive approach to life and the human connection.
His live shows with his band Spearhead, he said, are intended to hit a sweet spot with the audience, no matter how familiar they may be with the band’s material. Of course, many will be super fans. Others will leave as fans.
“I’m super passionate about both,” Franti said. “I do feel that the ultimate pinnacle of music, where the rubber meets the road, is when the music is played to an audience and you see the reaction and feel the reaction. It’s humbling. … Every time I’m writing a song, I’m thinking about how it will be played live. There’s the draw.”
Franti says that despite the amount of time spent on the road, there’s always time for a bit of remote studio work, even if it’s just plugging in his guitar to a simple recorder.
“I love the studio,” he said, estimating he puts thoughts and music down some 250 days a year.
Some of that creative work found its way onto his 2023 album, “Big Big Love.”
“Togetherness is the central theme in all the songs on ‘Big Big Love,’” Franti said. “How do we get that feeling of togetherness, that feeling of closeness, that we so often overlooked and took for granted, but now has become so important? How do we bridge these gaps so that people can feel close to one another again? I want to really use my music and my time in my life to bring closeness to people and help them feel like they’re not alone in this world.”
The excitement and sense of community that comes with being able to get back on tour post pandemic was something Franti felt deeply.
“It’s one of the great passions of my life,” Franti said. “I went from touring half the year, to mostly the summer months, to not being able to tour at all with COVID. That was a very emotional time for me. I have this thing that I always thought would be there and is so integral to who I am as a person and suddenly it was pulled out from under my feet. It really made me think about who I am in the world. I’ve always known why I do what I do. I love connecting with people and seeing them bring their emotions to the joy of our music. I always thought that would be there. But when it was taken away, I went into a dark place for a while. Now on the other side of that, I have this incredible gratitude to do this thing we do.”
That’s reflected in his new album, “Welcome to the Family.” Franti’s website describes it as an album “for all of us — because family isn’t just about where we come from, it’s about who we stand with, who lifts us up, and who we choose to walk this life with.”
Franti’s music has taken him through a variety of settings, from early punk and industrial bands (like the Beatnigs, 1986-90), to hip-hop (notably the short-lived Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, 1991-93) to Spearhead, which brings a host of influences to the group’s shimmering, summery sound.
All of those experiences, Fanti said, have allowed him to travel the planet in a way that few get to experience.
“I’ve always had a lust for finding a new corner of the world, meeting people and experiencing new cultures,” he said. “Architecture, art and natural wonders … I’ve had an incredible opportunity to see these places and play.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
Michael Franti & Spearhead
May 13 at the Eastern. Doors at 7 p.m., all ages show at 8 p.m. Niko Moon opens. $45-$75. 800 Old Flat Shoals Road, Atlanta. easternatl.com.
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