MICHAEL FRANTI RELEASES POWERFUL NEW VIDEO FOR
“THE SYSTEM” & UNITES LAST PRISONER PROJECT, HEADCOUNT, EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY AND ADDITIONAL CAUSES ON TOGETHERNESS TOUR
60+ Date Tour Kicks Off Tonight in Grand Junction, Colorado;
View Additional Dates at MichaelFranti.com
“The message of ‘The System’ is more soul, less scroll…be ever curious of the world outside our screens and pursue connection to it with vigor.” – Michael Franti
With the release of his powerful new video for “The System,” acclaimed musician and social activist Michael Franti launches a worldwide initiative to incorporate a host of vital causes into his upcoming Togetherness Tour by harnessing the power of music and community to drive positive change across various social and environmental fronts.
Known for his impassioned performances and unwavering commitment to social justice, Franti has long used his platform to advocate for meaningful causes. With the Togetherness Tour, he is taking this mission to new heights by collaborating with Propeller, a leading advocacy platform, along with select organizations from all over the world to amplify the impact of his message, including Do It For The Love, Last Prisoner Project, Bamboo Foundation, HeadCount, Everytown For Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Conscious Alliance.
Via the $1 a ticket program, every fan who buys a ticket to a Franti & Spearhead show will automatically be supporting Do It For The Love, a wish-granting nonprofit created by Franti and wife Sara 10 years ago that sends people with life threatening illness, wounded veterans or individuals with special needs to concerts worldwide. In addition, the organization and Franti have teamed up with Alltroo to give away an exclusive trip to the Franti’s five-star sound and wellness resort in Indonesia, Soulshine Bali. Fans can enter to win this fully funded trip by donating to Do It For The Love in any increment HERE.
Renowned for its ability to mobilize individuals for social good, Propeller has partnered with Franti to engage fans in advocacy efforts throughout the tour. Together, they will support Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to criminal justice reform, with a focus on securing the release and reentry of individuals incarcerated for cannabis offenses. Franti is an artist advisory member for LPP. Fans can text ‘FRANTI’ to 99126 to donate via the Propeller platform. Concert attendees who donate from the show will have a chance to win a signed setlist at each show. To kick start this campaign, the Activist Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Activist Artists Management, Franti’s management team, has agreed to match up to $10,000 donated.
The tour will also lend support to vital advocacy organizations such as HeadCount, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Conscious Alliance at select Togetherness Tour stops. HeadCount volunteers will help register people to vote and inspire participation in democracy, while Conscious Alliance will collect nonperishable goods to fight hunger in exchange for a custom poster as fans enter select venues. Franti and his fans will also join Everytown for Gun Safety to support National Gun Violence Awareness Day and Wear Orange Weekend June 7-9. By standing in solidarity with these organizations, Franti underscores his commitment to promoting civic engagement, addressing food insecurity and gun violence prevention.
Franti’s dedication to environmental sustainability continues in his partnership with REVERB, as the tour will implement a comprehensive carbon offset plan to minimize its environmental footprint. Fans can purchase select merchandise items at shows going towards the offset program. Proceeds from these efforts will be directed to the Bamboo Foundation, supporting reforestation and conservation projects worldwide.
As a culmination of these collective efforts, Franti releases the music video for “The System,” a powerful narrative created through numerous visuals on multiple screens that sheds light on the systemic issues afflicting our society while calling for meaningful action to drive systemic change. “The System” encourages listeners to recognize the flaws and injustices inherent in societal systems while empowering them to work towards creating a more equitable and just world for all. An excerpt from Franti’s explanation of the video follows; his full quote is available at the bottom of this press release:
There’s an obvious irony that isn’t lost on me, in making a video about watching less video. I would respond by sharing that this song is a message to myself as much as it is to the world…I believe that there is a very important conversation taking place online about the direction of the world and our personal wellbeing…I also believe in the power and importance of storytelling, music, movie making for enjoyment, to move us to tears, inspire us and make us laugh.
Look at the world
Outside your phone
Look at the world outside
And know you’re not alone,
Oh, oh,
Don’t let the system get you down.
Look at the world
Standing tall
Climbing mountains
Rising even when we fall
Oh, oh
Don’t let the system get you down.
Don’t let
The f**king system
Get you down
Kicking off tonight in Grand Junction, Colorado, the Togetherness Tour isn’t just about music; it’s about coming together as a community to create a better world for all. Through the power of unity, advocacy, and collective action, Franti and his partners are paving the way for a brighter, more equitable future. Join Franti, Propeller, Alltroo and a coalition of change-makers on the Togetherness Tour and be part of the movement for good.
About Michael Franti:
Michael Franti is a globally acclaimed musician, filmmaker, and social activist known for his inspiring music and unwavering commitment to positive change. Through his artistry and advocacy, Franti seeks to unite communities, uplift spirits, and catalyze social transformation. Learn more at www.michaelfranti.com.
The Activist Foundation X Michael Franti:
The Activist Foundation, Inc., started by Activist Artists Management, is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was formed with the purpose of funding advocates and initiatives that protect our vulnerable communities and the environment. More info HERE.
Propeller X Michael Franti X Last Prisoner Project:
Propeller is a leading advocacy platform that empowers individuals to take action on important social and environmental issues. Through campaigns, petitions, and engagement tools, Propeller mobilizes supporters to drive meaningful change and make a difference in the world. Last Prisoner Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to criminal justice reform, with a focus on securing the release and reentry of individuals incarcerated for cannabis offenses. Through advocacy, legal assistance, and reentry support, Last Prisoner Project works to right the wrongs of the past and create a more just and equitable future.
Alltroo X Michael Franti X Do It For The Love:
Alltroo is an innovative social technology platform that harnesses the power of community and collaboration for social good. With its user-friendly interface and robust features, Alltroo enables individuals and organizations to connect, engage, and take action on pressing social and environmental issues. Do It For The Love is a wish granting organization that sends individuals with life threatening illnesses, wounded veterans, or people with special needs to concerts around the world. The mission of Do It For The Love is to inspire hope and healing through the power of music by supporting clinical and community-based music therapy, evidence-based research, and providing live music experiences.
Alltroo X Michael Franti X Do It For The Love campaign info HERE.
About HeadCount:
HeadCount is a nonpartisan organization that promotes participation in democracy through voter registration and engagement. By harnessing the power of music and culture, HeadCount mobilizes young voters and empowers them to make their voices heard in the political process. Learn more at www.headcount.org.
About Everytown for Gun Safety:
Everytown for Gun Safety is a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities. Through advocacy, education, and grassroots mobilization, Everytown advocates for common-sense gun safety measures and supports survivors of gun violence. Learn more at www.everytown.org.
About Conscious Alliance:
Conscious Alliance is a nonprofit organization committed to fighting hunger and poverty in underserved communities. Through food drives, community outreach, and partnerships with artists and musicians, Conscious Alliance provides nutritious meals and essential resources to those in need, fostering a sense of community and empowerment. Learn more at www.consciousalliance.org.
In our hyper speed, social media world, where the algorithm feeds us what to consume and who to compare ourselves to, pitting left against right, rich against poor, neighbor against neighbor, ethnicities, gender, sexuality and religions against one another, while rewarding extremism over nuance, hate over kindness, and dollars over feelings, it’s easy to become frustrated, angry, depressed, paralyzed or worse.
The term “The System” means something different to everyone. Governments, schools, religious hierarchy, corporate greed, media, war, racism, etc. All of us live our lives within some organized system of perceived authority, that tries to create outcomes by shaping the way we think, feel and behave, often for profit, political gain, or apparently, just to be a pain in our collective asses.
Today our dopamine inducing screens often leave us feeling damaged, saddened, sleepless and hopeless about the world and our ability to shape it for good or survive in it at all. Machines that were designed “to bring us closer together” end up dividing us from each other and ourselves from our souls.
In 1993, I put out a song called “Television The Drug Of The Nation,” examining the harmful effects of TV in that era (I sampled some of it in “The System” video). Never in my life did I imagine living in a world where the vast majority of us literally carry around a TV in our hands or on our wrists 24/7. One that is calculating everything we do, like or dislike, every waking moment, and even calculating the hours we sleep and perhaps what we dream (cue conspiracy theorists). It then skillfully feeds back more of what we want and sells that data to the highest bidder, in order to get us to consume and purchase more.
There’s an obvious irony that isn’t lost on me, in making a video about watching less video. I would respond by sharing that this song is a message to myself as much as it is to the world. I’ve personally felt the harmful effects of screen addiction on my mental health, my family and close friends, and I’ve experienced the positive effects of using my screen less. Removing apps that suck me in and reinstalling them only when I need to use them, powering my phone off until I need it, has unlocked spending more time in nature, walking, having face to face conversations, family time and shared meals. All greatly contributing to my mental health, creativity and the quality and clarity of my life.
I believe that there is a very important conversation taking place online about the direction of the world and our personal wellbeing. Conversation that deserves to be amplified. I also believe in the power and importance of storytelling, music, movie making for enjoyment, to move us to tears, inspire us and make us laugh (I love a hilarious cat video, skateboard wipe out compilation or binge series). To all of that I say this…be ever curious of the world outside our screens and pursue connection to it with vigor.
I believe there is no one you wouldn’t love if you knew their story, and there is no greater gift than taking the time to sit with someone and deeply listen to their life’s journey and share yours with them. It heals us.
Photo Credit: Bali Image
To put it succinctly, the message of “The System” is this: MORE SOUL, LESS SCROLL.
Look at the world
Outside your phone
Look at the world outside
And know you’re not alone,
Oh, oh,
Don’t let the system get you down.
Look at the world
Standing tall
Climbing mountains
Rising even when we fall
Oh, oh
Don’t let the system get you down.
Don’t let
The f**king system
Get you down
Don’t give up the fight for what you believe in, listen to others whose opinions may differ and remember to laugh, cry and smile as needed.
– Michael Franti
Follow Michael Franti Online:
Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.