You Know You're Not Alone - Michael Franti at Malkin Bowl

When the rains came people danced harder, jumped higher

Michael Franti and Spearhead played the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park last night despite the rain. Hitting the stage at eight o'oclock on a warm August evening Spearhead lost no time in getting the crowd jumping and lifting their arms to the heavens.

And for the next two hours the energy never stopped from the stage or the crowd. Franti's music invites people to sing along, to clap, or to twist and turn like an ecstatic hippy.

At about nine o'olcok the clouds had thickened and it started to mist. The rain was so light I could only feel an occaisional drop on my bare foot but I could see the rain reflecting the multi-coloured stage lights. As the rain increased in strength and then began to pour Franti and Spearhead, undaunted, stepped forward on the stage away from the roof of Malkin Bowl and into the rain.

But as we all know, a little bit of water only destroys wicked witches of the West - Vancouverites are pretty much used to it. Everybody embraced it. Franti - Rain or Shine.

In two hours Franti and Spearhead covered most of the Yell Fire album, some of Everbody Deserves Music - they also covered some Marley and did a rocked up version of the Theme from Sesame Street - with two thousand vocal accompanists.

I was soaked through and delighted at the end of it.

Thanks Michael and Spearhead. Thanks Rick for the ticket. Hey to Linda, Laura and Andrew. Ian, call me.

Everybody deserves music, sweet music. Even the quiet ones in our family, they deserve music.

xoxo

MVL