The Michael Franti Workout program

I have made no secret about the fact that the Franti and Spearhead show in the Orange Peel this Late Feb 2009 is the best show I have ever been to in my life. I have seen all manners of show. Crazy huge rockin shows, quite small introspective listen and appreciate it shows. All points in between. And I rate each one of them for what they are. I don't just rate the big time noisy shows as tops. Any show is up for grabs for top honors. If sitting and listening is the order of the day then I look and see how amazing it is. A dead quiet audience that does not make a peep and then erupts in applause between songs can be what is called for.
This show that I went to was amazing for 3 reasons.
1. The band was on and expected Asheville to really bring it.
2. The audience knew that they knew they were in Asheville and brought more energy.
3. The interaction between the two was unprecedented in my experience and they built on each other.

The Band asked us to jump, we jumped. Hands in the air? Done. Clap? done. Sometimes just clap even when nobody told us to. Sing the song for the band, done well, done LOUDY LOUDY LOUDER.

So, here is what I learned about such a show. In order to fully prepare for it, you need to train. I consider myself in roughly average fitness for myself all time which puts me top 95th percentile of all Americans my age. My friend Charley was at the show with me and she too is of similar fitness. But I must admit, the show was physically taxing for us.

So if you wanna see what it's like to be at this show do the following things.
1. Set a timer for 120 minutes.
2. Once every 12 minutes, jump up and down for 4 minutes.
3. Once every 6 minutes put your hands up in the air, wave them, swing a towel or a shirt around. Something, or another, for 3 minutes.
Note that sometimes these things over lap.
4. During the times when you might not be jumping. You are probably going to be shaking your ass and dancing pretty hard. So do that in between. 3 times during the show... tops, keep standing and just sway for 3 or 4 minutes.
5. During all of this, be prepared to scream really loud, or sing some song lyrics as loud as you can quite often.
What I learned,
You need to come to the show with the following.
1. not much clothes.
2. a hand towel to wipe sweat and to swing around in the air.
3. it. Bring "IT"
The audience did all of this together for two hours plus. The show ended around midnight.
I noticed some odd and amazing things.
1. Not much beer being bought because the show is so intense, the front is packed and you really don't want to leave to buy beer or then the peeing that follows. I left the front once I think.
I saw this show with 2 glasses of wine and a beer and a half in me total. Which means hardly buzzed. Which only enforces how good the show was.
I could go on and on about amazing moments during the show. All of the fun interactions and give and take of the band and the crowd but words would not do. But it was really special.
I'll close the reasons that this was the best show with the following.
1. After the encore, curtain calls, and bows. Mr. Franti hopped down into the pit and then walked across the front and touched hands, high 5's, clasps, the occasional word he took a solid 7-10 minutes to get from one edge to the other.
2. It was midnight, and Charley had to get up in six hours and go to work. We had to leave after Michael came by where we were. But as we left we saw something else amazing. Even after that 2 hour workout, nearly everyone was staying and music (Franti songs that we had not heard live) were playing on the PA system, AND everyone was dancing their ass off. House lights up and all. We danced our way through the crowd and had to go home. I wonder how many more songs were played and how long everyone stayed and danced. It was amazing and we hated to leave.

It was an amazing show. I just got a total since of truth and purpose from Michael. At one point I leaned into Charley's ear and yelled, "This must be what the crazy Jesus people feel when they are jumping up and down and singing!" I totally get it. Because Michael is just a man and he'd be the first to tell you that i bet despite how amazing he is. Imagine you are jumpin around like that for someone that you really feel is saving your eternal soul. That must really be something.