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Lawrence Kansas screening of Michael Franti film, I Know I'm Not Alone
Click pictures to see full size ~ many have mouseover captions.
Mass Ave before the show Michael Franti signs autographs for friends from Spearhead Vibrations discussion board. Taking questions from the crowd after the showing. Franti did a long accoustic set after the showing
Drove the 90 miles from home to Lawrence, Kansas for a showing of Michael Franti's award winning film, "I Know I'm Not Alone". The world-renowned musician and human rights worker, traveled to Iraq, Palestine and Israel to explore the human cost of war with a group of friends, some video cameras and his guitar. Not a political film, it is a poignant study of people living in war zones, their fears, desparation, hopes, dreams, and music.
A few members of the audience were invited onstage to act out a song.  Vivian dances!
Franti was on hand to introduce the film and after the screening took questions from the audience, which was largly college age but ranged from 13 to 55 (yeah once again i was the oldest!). I was able to hook up with some fellow members of Spearhead Vibrations and made a few new friends too. Also ran into a couple of people I met on the road last summer at festivals. It truly is a small world.

After the discussion we pushed aside the chairs and Michael rocked the house with a long accoustic set.
Moving the chairs aside we all joined in, played, danced and sang.  happy spearites!
Here's a review of the show by jamieson,
a young spearit who was seeing Franti for the first time.

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:52 pm Post subject: My first Franti show

So Tuesday night in Lawrence I saw Michael Franti for the first time. Lurker, who you probably know from these boards, met us outside and we talked with him for a while. Then we started to walk to dinner and my friend Kyle turned around and said, "Some huge barefoot guy with dreds just walked out of the theatre,'' so we turned around and theres Michael Franti standing outside talking to Lurker.

We starting walking really fast over to them and when we got back I was thinking, this is amazing. We started talking to him and Lurker introduced me, but Michael already new who I was cause of my email to him. I got my wallet signed and my ticket stub, I got another autograph for my dad, cause if it weren't for him I might not even know who Spearhead was. My dad really wanted to be there but he had to work. After we talked to him for a bit we walked to get dinner. Then we got back and got so seats. We had just sat down when Lurker walks up and says, ''I saved you guys seats in the front row if you want them," and of corse we went up there and sat down directly in front of the middle of the stage.

Michael came out and talked to us about I Know I'm Not Alone. Then he went backstage and it started, it was amazing I'm sure you all know what it about. www.iknowimnotalone.com So after the movie he came back out and started taking question from the audience and I asked,"Because I'm one of the youngest ones here what do you think, or what have your kids done at school, to help this cause?"and he said,"well atually my son organized an all school walk out........and then he got arrested.......twice," then he went on to tell us about how we can do our own screeings of I Know Im Not Alone. After Q&A he started playing, solo acoustic. He started with Pray For Grace and I was singing along the whole time, he played a few more then play Yes I Will and broke into everyone deserves music. It was amazing.

Afterwards he came down into the audience and my friend Kaevan got a CD signed and we waited around until after most people were gone and then we started talking to him. He told us about a tattoo that went for his arm to the tip of his pinky, it started out as birds then turned into fish then turned into arrows. He said in Tahiti the birds dive down into the ocean and catch fish. So the fishermen follow the birds, beacause they know where the fish are. He said the tattoo is a symbol of prayer and following your guide. I got two hugs from Michael and he really is an amazing person. I told my dad all about it and gave him his autograph, he was so happy and amazed.



Here's the links:
"I Know I'm Not Alone" the film website has vid and music clips besides detailed info on the making and makers.
Spearhead Vibrations Michael Franti and Spearhead homepage. Check out the Message Board
Upcoming Screening Dates and Cities
Spearhead-Home A German Michael Franti and Spearhead fansite of particular interest.
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