MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD
RELEASE NEW VERSION OF
POLICE-AND-COMMUNITY-THEMED VIDEO
“SAME AS IT EVER WAS (IT STARTS TODAY)”
Above: Michael Franti & Spearhead, Credit: Chelsea Klette
“When we used to have a problem, we used to call the police
But who we gonna call when the police make a problem
I’m not saying that they all bad, I’m not saying that I’m any better
All I’m just trying to say is we could all do a lot better”
—“Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today)”
In late 2014 MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD released the police-and-community-themed video for their powerful song “Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today),” with RollingStone.com noting that “the lyrics to the song call for change and a better understanding between police and communities.” As events have worsened since then with tragic outcomes in the United States, MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD yesterday (7/21) released a new version of the video, adding the lyrics onscreen to further illuminate the song’s sentiments and urgency for change. FRANTI recently (7/15), spoke with Billboard Live about his inspiration to create the video and acoustically performed the song live (watch here).
Click here to watch the “Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today)” video.
Notably, a group of fourth graders at Roberto Clemente School No. 8 in Rochester, New York joined together last year–with the help of their teacher Josh Cornue and colleague Dominic Pickard who helped with audio and visual–to movingly create their own video of “Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today)” with them singing all the words (watch here). The original post of video noted that the students “decided to apply it [the song] to their own lives in an attempt to spread messages of justice and peace with their school community, as well as the world beyond.”
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD are now touring behind their new album SOULROCKER–their ninth and first for Fantasy Records.
Here are the in-progress dates for MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD on tour.
DATE CITY VENUE
|
~~Fri
|
7/22
|
Nashville, TN
|
War Memorial Auditorium
|
|
~~Sat
|
7/23
|
Louisville, KY
|
Iroquois Amphitheater
|
|
~~Sun
|
7/24
|
Columbus, OH
|
Express Live!
|
|
~~Tue
|
7/26
|
Birmingham, AL
|
Avondale Brewing Company
|
|
~~Wed
|
7/27
|
Mobile, AL
|
Saenger Theatre
|
|
Fri
|
7/29
|
Kaslo, BC
|
Kaslo Jazz Festival
|
|
*Wed
|
8/3
|
Costa Mesa, CA
|
Pacific Amphitheatre
|
|
Thu
|
8/4
|
Mammoth Lakes, CA
|
Mammoth Festival
|
|
**Fri
|
8/5
|
Flagstaff, AZ
|
Pepsi Amphitheater
|
|
**Sat
|
8/6
|
Durango, CO
|
Three Springs
|
|
**Sun
|
8/7
|
Morrison, CO
|
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
|
|
Tue
|
8/9
|
Salt Lake City, UT
|
Red Butte Garden
|
|
**Thu
|
8/11
|
Bend, OR
|
Les Schwab Amphitheater
|
|
**Fri
|
8/12
|
Troutdale, OR
|
Edgefield
|
|
Sat
|
8/13
|
Tamarack, ID
|
The Huckleberry Jam
|
|
**Tue
|
8/16
|
Missoula, MT
|
Big Sky Brewing Company
|
|
**Wed
|
8/17
|
Spokane, WA
|
Knitting Factory Concert House
|
|
**Fri
|
8/19
|
Lake Tahoe, NV
|
MontBleu Resort & Casino
|
|
Sat
|
8/20
|
Lincoln, CA
|
Thunder Vibes
|
|
**Sun
|
8/21
|
Saratoga, CA
|
The Mountain Winery
|
|
**Tue
|
8/23
|
Rohnert Park, CA
|
Sonoma Mountain Village
|
|
~Wed
|
8/24
|
Lancaster, CA
|
Antelope Valley Fair
|
|
**Thu
|
8/25
|
San Luis Obispo, CA
|
Avila Beach Resort
|
|
**Fri
|
8/26
|
Las Vegas, NV
|
Brooklyn Bowl
|
|
Sat
|
8/27
|
Tucson, AZ
|
The Rialto Theatre
|
|
!Sun
|
8/28
|
Santa Fe, NM
|
The Santa Fe Opera House
|
|
Fri
|
9/2
|
Seattle, WA
|
Bumbershoot
|
|
Sat
|
9/3
|
Jacksonville, OR
|
Britt Pavilion
|
|
Sun
|
9/4
|
Arcata, CA
|
Van Duzer Theatre
|
|
Sept
|
15-18
|
Victoria, BC
|
Rifflandia
|
* w/ G. Love & Special Sauce
** w/ Zella Day
~ w/ Iration
~~ w/ Marc Scibilia
! w/ Lila Downs
For more information on MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD, visit:
