Michael Franti & Spearhead "Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today)"

Article Contributed by SRO | Published on Friday, July 22, 2016

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

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