By Jim Stanford on March 30, 2008
“Wyoming, are you feeling the dance?” Michael Franti shouted near the end of his show Saturday at the Jackson Hole Mountain Festival.
Were we ever! Slipping and sliding in the Teton Village parking lot, a crowd of perhaps 3,000 or 4,000 grooved beneath the stars as Franti closed out a joyous evening with his dance anthem “Everybody Ona Move.”
“We don’t stop,” he sang. “And we don’t quit.”
No, Franti and Spearhead would not relent, much like a winter that has brought 550 inches of snow to the Tetons. Dreadlocks flying from beneath his cap, the towering singer and guitarist bounced across the stage as if flying down the Alta Chutes. His set spanned 20 songs and more than two hours.
The most indelible image I have from the night: wisps of steam rising from Franti’s head each time he stepped to the microphone.
We’ll have much more to report from Saturday’s Mountain Fest as well as a preview of Franti’s documentary, “I Know I’m Not Alone,” which is showing at 7 p.m. Monday at Center for the Arts.
Check back Monday for more photos and a cool video by Tony Birkholz.
Posted under festivals, michael franti, music, reggae, rock, teton village
I think the concert was one of the best events in Jackson Hole over the past several years! Outdoors, Free, under a star filled sky… The music was upbeat, charismatic and intelligent. I know people enjoyed it who hadn’t ever heard of Michael Franti before!
The fireworks were pretty decent also!
Micheal Franti and his band are absolutely the best entertainers of live music with a message that I have ever experienced. Even though we experienced this on a cold spring night, I do have to say it was a very warm and exciting experience. Micheal has a world vision of how we should not treat each other due to different beliefs and religions. As he says in his lyrics, we are all one and made from this world so we should not let our prejudices become the cause for war and violence to each other. Micheal is a great person with an incredible message to be taken to heart. Peace and love to everyone in this world.