Michael Franti with Spearhead and Tre Hardson from Pharcyde blew away the crowd at 32 Bleu, the first night of business for this new modern restaurant and nightclub in downtown Colorado Springs.
The place was filled with an eclectic crowd, from the floor to the high ceilings, bouncing to every beat, screaming along to each song, and gleaming with smiles while they shook their bodies in utter jive delight. Tre Hardson and his group did a fabulous job of warming up the crowd, and his performance is a tell tale sign that he’s definitely got a great road ahead of him as an artist who can hold his own apart from his Pharcyde crew.
Michael Franti and the Spearhead musicians herded the mass of heads and flailing arms into their positive energy with songs their fans were singing verbatim along with new material. In his tell tale fashion, Michael explained how he was inspired by a trip to Cuba and the culture of the country, how our government and the political activities of today have encouraged Americans to retreat into the “safety” of our own environment, discouraging an outreach to other cultures other than our own. The mood went from introspective and opinionated to the simple emphasis on the groove, where Michael and the beatbox dude (not the one featured on their web site), rallied as one in a tribal dance that seemed to have a domino effect as the funk flowed into the crowd below.
During the time between encores, the man with the throat performed his beatbox skills even further, disconnecting the microphone and seemingly connecting it to his throat, emanating the most un-human sounds that got the crowd going in a frenzy.
On Wednesday, they announced a spoken word performance Michael Franti, which will take place in Boulder at Tulagis from 4pm – 6pm.
Tonight they’re performing in Ft. Collins at the Aggie, Friday at 8150 in Vail, and Saturday and Sunday at the Fox in Boulder. This is one show you don’t want to hear about from your friends; you have to experience it yourself. And look closely at the flag that drapes over the keyboard to get a good idea of where these guys stand politically. Let’s just say they weren’t shocked when corporate executives started getting arrested for fraud, embezzlement, and insider trading.
