Jackson Hole Underground

(Photos © Jim Stanford — click to enlarge)

It’s a good bet that at some point during Jazz Fest, you’ll find yourself listening to the most incredible music in the most unlikely of places. So it’s smart not to plan too much and instead go with the flow, freeing yourself up for moments of serendipity.

Last Friday, one of the biggest days of the festival, forced me to choose between Michael Franti and Stevie Wonder, who were playing simultaneously on different stages. Having seen Franti and promoted his movie in Jackson in March, I opted for Stevie, who I had never seen. (He busted out all his funk hits, but more on that later.)

During the afternoon, beneath the Wyoming flag, we got word that Franti and Spearhead were going to play a free concert that night in the Ninth Ward, the neighborhood most devastated by the flood. Rumors of guest jams and secret shows pop up all the time, but this one sounded like Franti’s style. He confirmed it during his performance at the Fairgrounds.

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(Ed. note: This is the second in a series of posts from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Click on photos to enlarge.)

Jackson Hole is to natural beauty what New Orleans is to soul.

Down here, we subsist on music as much as oxygen. So when I arrived sleep deprived and feeling nearly dead, I decided to head out to the Fairgrounds to catch the last few hours of the festival. Sunday service would be celebrated by the Rev. Al Green.

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Here’s the rest of our interview with Michael Franti at the Jackson Hole Mountain Festival, plus a few outtakes.

This video was filmed immediately before Franti went on stage with Spearhead to perform for about 4,000 people huddled in the cold at Teton Village. Two nights later, we showed his anti-war documentary, “I Know I’m Not Alone,” to raise money for the Middle East Children’s Alliance, a charity he supports.

Franti talks about his trip to the Middle East, electing a new U.S. president and the fact that he was wearing shoes for the first time in eight years.

The first part of the interview can be seen here.

Thanks again to everyone who turned out last night for the showing of “I Know I’m Not Alone” at Center for the Arts, and to everyone who pitched in to make it possible, especially the Art Association and the center.

Looks like we’ll wind up raising nearly $3,000 for the Middle East Children’s Alliance.

I couldn’t help but notice the profound impact the movie made on the faces of people leaving the theater. There were several filmmakers in the audience who left feeling the bar had been set higher for their work.

If you couldn’t make the showing, check out the movie some other time. It’s available on Netflix and Michael Franti’s Web sites. I have a couple of copies people are welcome to borrow to have a screening with friends.

In the interview posted yesterday, Franti said of his motivation for traveling to Baghdad and working to make peace, “If I don’t do this now, who else will?” It’s the question at the heart of activism.

Looking up at the packed theater last night, I thought we had an answer for Michael: We will.

Tonight is the screening of Michael Franti’s documentary “I Know I’m Not Alone” at Center for the Arts. The movie follows his trip to Baghdad, Israel and Palestine in 2004, when he and a group of friends set out to explore the war zones armed only with video cameras and a guitar.

Here is an excerpt from our interview with Franti, in which he talks about his motivation for going to the Middle East and recounts his first attempt at snowboarding in Jackson Hole.

We will be showing this interview tonight before the film, as well as a special message from Franti to the audience. Showtime is 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6, and pizza and beer will be available for purchase.

Tickets cost $10. Proceeds will benefit the Middle East Children’s Alliance, a charity Franti supports that is working to make peace in the Middle East by improving the lives of kids. Click here to purchase tickets.

On Saturday, Franti and Spearhead came to Teton Village to share the gift of music. Here’s our chance to return the love.

(Still photography by David Stubbs; Filmed by Peter Pilafian and Tony Birkholz)