Michael Franti & Spearhead to play Vail’s Ford Amphitheater on June 7

Michael Franti & Spearhead will play Vail’s Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on Sunday, June 7.

That’s the Sunday of the GoPro Mountain Games, scheduled for June 4-7 in Vail, and although the Michael Franti concert will be, in spirit, part of the Mountain Games, the show is ticketed as part of the Vail Valley Foundation’s summer music lineup at the Ford Amphitheater in partnership with AEG Presents.

That concert series is no longer using the Whistle Pig Vail moniker.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 7 and start at $49.95 plus fees. Stay informed and get eligible for early ticket options by signing up for the VVF’s summer concerts email list at grfavail.com. 

For more information, see the below press release.

Michael Franti & Spearhead announce 2020 Work Hard & Be Nice Tour

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Acclaimed artist and humanitarian Michael Franti and “Say Hey (I Love You)” singer radiates positivity on stage and off; AXS notes, “Michael Franti & Spearhead are on a mission: to make the world a more positive place, one note at a time.” With that mission in mind, Franti takes to main stages in 90-cities with support acts Bombargo and Satsang, as well as joining Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and Old Dominion on Chesney’s Chillaxification Tour in 2020.

USA Today proclaims Franti is “an artist who’s clearly interested in making deep connections with listeners, speaking powerfully through his music and living by his mantra that ‘there is no one in the world that you wouldn’t love if you knew their story.’”

“I’m super excited about touring this year because now more than ever, we all need music that helps us get through challenging times and brings people together,” says Franti. “I love playing music, whether it’s in my living room, on a street corner or the amphitheaters and stadiums we’re going to be in this year. Regardless of the scale, music is the sound of feelings and the energy that we create with the audience, which makes us all believe that regardless of what we carried into the gig, we can walk out of the experience feeling ready to take on whatever the world has to throw at us next.”

Franti, a San Francisco native for the last 36 years, who is revered for his thoughtful lyrics and high-energy shows, says he is energized to hit the road with Bombargo, a Canadian rock band from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, known for their distinctive “vintage-pop” sound laced with soul and Satsang, a power trio offering a unique blend of soul, folk rock and hip hop. “Both of the bands we have opening for us this year share our musical mission of optimism, high energy and taking the time to connect with the fans wherever we are. I’m sure there’s going to be some great collaborations that happen between all of us!”

Of the tour’s moniker, Franti explains, “On last year’s tour, I made a tee shirt that said, ‘Work Hard & Be Nice To People.’ I feel in this world, we are constantly trying to divide the human family into groups that we can refer to as ‘other.’ It’s important to stand up for the values of embracing our differences, being our authentic selves and accepting others for being themselves as well. Sometimes that’s hard work. Somewhere along the way, our society seems to have forgotten that working hard and being kind to other people, regardless of what their story or beliefs are, is still important. Actually, it’s more important than ever.”

Also joining Chesney on his 2020 Chillaxification Tour, Michael Franti & Spearhead will act as the exclusive opening act on Chesney’s amphitheater dates and will join Florida Georgia Line and Old Dominion for 23 stadium dates.

“Few artists provide the kind of energy, good vibes and awesome music that Michael and Spearhead do,” says the high energy songwriter from East Tennessee. “To be able to share his songs with No Shoes Nation makes me really happy, because I know they’re going to love his show and his music as much as I do.”

Michael Franti & Spearhead’s latest album, Stay Human, Vol. II, debuted in January 2019. Relix opines Franti “writes songs with the aim of uplifting his audience.” A remix of Vol. II was released late last year and is available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pandora. It features four songs from the original album, including “This World Is So F*cked Up (But I Ain’t Ever Giving Up on It),” a surprisingly uplifting take on life today, where, Franti says, “there are more good things happening than bad things by a billion times over.”

The SOULROCKER FAM pre-sale begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. local time at www.soulrockerfam.com.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 7 at 10 a.m. local time, unless otherwise noted. VIP Experience upgrades will be available at all headline shows which include a pre-show Q&A with Michael, acoustic jam, Meet & Greet photo, a signed commemorative photo and a collectible wristband. Visit michaelfranti.com for more information, VIP upgrades and more.

2020 Michael Franti & Spearhead’s Work Hard & Be Nice Tour dates are as follows:

*denotes dates supporting Kenny Chesney | Festivals are listed in italics | ^On-sale date TBD

4/3/20 – North Carolina Azalea Fest – Wilmington, NC

4/18/20 – AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX*

4/19/20 – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater – Austin, TX

4/22/20 – Mars Music Hall – Huntsville, AL

4/23/20 – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – New Orleans, LA

4/25/20 – Miller Park – Milwaukee, WI*

4/26/20 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI

4/27/20 – Englert Civic Theater – Iowa City, IA

4/29/20 – The District – Sioux Falls, SD

5/2/20 – U.S. Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, MN*

5/7/20 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL*^

5/8/20 – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL

5/9/20 – Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL*

5/10/20 – The Gates Hotel – Sunset Green Lawn – Key West, FL

5/12/20 – Soul Kitchen – Mobile, AL

5/13/20 – BankPlus Amphitheater – Southaven, MS*

5/14/20 – Brandon Amphitheater – Brandon, MS*

5/15/20 – Iron City – Birmingham, AL

5/16/20 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA*

5/22/20 – Minute Maid Park – Houston, TX*

5/23/20 – Alamodome – San Antonio, TX*

5/24/20 – BottleRock Festival – Napa, CA

5/28/20 – Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH*^

5/30/20 – Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA*

6/4/20 – Coastal Credit Union Park – Raleigh, NC*^

6/6/20 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

6/7/20 – Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater – Vail, CO

6/11/20 – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR*^

6/12/20 – First Financial Music Hall – El Dorado, AR

6/13/20 – Busch Stadium – St. Louis, MO*

6/14/20 – Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY

6/17/20 – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater – Virginia Beach, VA*^

6/18/20 – Jiffy Lube Live – Bristow, VA*^

6/25/20 – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC*^

6/26/20 – The Caverns – Pelham, TN

6/27/20 – Nissan Stadium – Nashville, TN*

6/28/20 – Salvage Station – Asheville, NC

7/2/20 – Harveys Outdoor Amphitheatre – Stateline, NV*

7/3/20 – Harveys Outdoor Amphitheatre – Stateline, NV*

7/5/20 – Bobcat Stadium – Bozeman, MT*

7/6/20 – The Pub Station Ballroom – Billings, MT

7/8/20 – Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua – Bayfield, WI

7/9/20 – Door Community Auditorium – Fish Creek, WI

7/11/20 – Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO*^

7/15/20 – The Cuthbert Amphitheater – Eugene, OR

7/16/20 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR

7/17/20 – Les Schwab Amphitheater – Bend, OR

7/18/20 – CenturyLink Field – Seattle, WA*

7/23/20 – Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN*^

7/24/20 – Howard Park – South Bend, IN

7/25/20 – Soldier Field – Chicago, IL*

7/29/20 – Isleta Amphitheater – Albuquerque, NM*^

7/30/20 – Ak-Chin Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ*^

7/31/20 – Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill County Park – Flagstaff, AZ

8/1/20 – SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA*

8/2/20 – Humphreys Concerts By The Bay – San Diego, CA

8/4/20 – The Cuthbert Amphitheater – Eugene, OR

8/5/20 – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater – Boise, ID*^

8/6/20 – USANA Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT*^

8/11/20 – Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts – Salina, KS

8/12/20 – Rose Park – Columbia, MO

8/14/20 – Hensville Park – Toledo, OH

8/15/20 – Ford Field – Detroit, MI*

8/18/20 – Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJ

8/19/20 – College Street Music Hall – New Haven, CT

8/20/20 – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview – Syracuse, NY*^

8/21/20 – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – Hampton Beach, NH

8/22/20 – MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ*

8/24/20 – Seacrets Nite Club – Ocean City, MD

8/25/20 – Seacrets Nite Club – Ocean City, MD

8/26/20 – Merriweather Post Pavilion – Columbia, MD*^

8/27/20 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY

8/28/20 – Gillette Stadium – Foxboro, MA*

8/29/20 – Gillette Stadium – Foxboro, MA*

9/19/20 – Santa Cruz Mountain Sol Festival – Felton, CA

9/28/20 – Vicar Street – Dublin, Ireland

9/29/20 – Saint Lukes – Glasgow, UK

10/1/20 – o2 Academy 2 – Manchester, UK

10/2/20 – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – London, UK

10/4/20 – Ancienne Belgique – Brussels, Belgium

10/5/20 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands

10/6/20 – Oosterpoort – Groningen, Netherlands

10/7/20 – Doornroosje – Nijmegen, Netherlands

10/9/20 – Maassilo – Rotterdam, Netherlands

10/10/20 – Gretchen – Berlin, Germany

10/11/20 – Luxor – Cologne, Germany

10/13/20 – New Morning – Paris, France 

10/14/20 – Bierhübeli – Bern, Switzerland

10/15/20 – Alcatraz – Milan, Italy