Michael Franti Brings Heartstrings, Dynamite and a Little Sunshine to Fort Lauderdale
All images by Larry Marano
Michael Franti has spent decades making music that asks people to move closer: to the beat, to one another and, sometimes, to a more hopeful version of themselves. His Heartstrings & Dynamite trio show came to Revolution Live at the Backyard in Fort Lauderdale on September 22 with Wheeland Brothers on the bill, bringing that big-hearted outlook into a more intimate setting.
Wheeland Brothers were a natural match. Their Southern California mix of acoustic rock and reggae carries the loose, sunlit spirit that Franti has long welcomed into his own music. They helped shape a bill built around rhythm, warmth and the uncomplicated pleasure of being together for a night.
The trio format put a fresh frame around Franti’s strengths. His songs have always crossed freely between folk, hip-hop, reggae and pop, but their center is the connection between a singer and the people listening. With the arrangements pared back, there is more room to hear how he builds an invitation into a melody and gives a simple phrase emotional reach.
That instinct is what makes songs such as “Say Hey (I Love You),” “The Sound of Sunshine” and “I Got You” endure. Their optimism is catchy, certainly, but it has a purpose. Franti writes as though joy is something people can make together, one chorus at a time. In a smaller outdoor space, that idea feels close enough to touch.
Heartstrings & Dynamite is an apt name for this chapter of his live work. The heartstrings are in the openhearted writing; the dynamite is in the rhythmic lift that keeps the sentiment from sitting still. Franti’s music can be tender without losing its bounce, and celebratory without forgetting why celebration matters.
In Fort Lauderdale, the pairing with Wheeland Brothers made for an evening with a clear point of view: bring your whole self, find the groove and let the music do some good. Franti’s gift is making that invitation sound as easy as the first beat of a song.
Michael Franti:
Wheeland Brothers:
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