Basilica Block Party 2011: Michael Franti spearheading change

Despite his recent bubbly radio hits about sunshine and love, Michael Franti is still a man of action.

Case in point: When he heard about calls to boycott the Basilica Block Party over Catholic Church support for a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage, Franti worked out a solution. He's taking a pay cut to raise money for the other side of the fence.

"I'm taking 10 percent of the fee that we're getting, and I'm donating it to a pro-gay-marriage organization," said Franti, 45, who performs Friday at the block party with his rock/reggae/rap hybrid band Spearhead. Franti called us from the road last week.

Q: You seem to step into firestorms in the Twin Cities. How do you look back on playing the Republican National Convention in 2008?

A: Four years previous when I was at the Republican convention in Philadelphia, we got right up close to the actual convention. In St. Paul, we couldn't get within several miles [laughs]. But I also remember performing on the steps of the Capitol, and there were lots of great people and a positive energy to it.

Q: Where do you stand on this Basilica boycott idea?

A: We agreed to do this show many, many months ago before there was any controversy. Everybody is welcome to attend or not attend based on their personal beliefs. I think it's important for people to raise their voice in whatever way they see fit. They can do that by staying away, or they can do that by coming to the show and wearing a T-shirt that expresses their views, or by finding some other positive way of supporting inclusion for all people.

A: At every one of my shows, I speak about equality. I have a song I wrote recently called "Love Somebody" that is specifically about equality in marriage and people being able to choose whoever they choose to love. In 1991, with the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, I put out a song called "Language of Violence" that was about gay-bashing. In 2000, [Spearhead] had a song called "Do You Love?" that's about loving whoever you choose to love.

Q: How do you explain the transformation over your last two albums to more optimistic and upbeat songs?

A: Ironically, my biggest songs have been ones I've written in some of the most difficult positions. A song like "Say Hey" came out of performing on the streets of Baghdad. People there would say, "We don't want to hear political songs. We want to hear songs that make us laugh and dance." Same thing when I went to the favelas [ghettos] of Brazil, where I ultimately finished that song. People there were saying they wanted to hear happy music. So I think that making joyful music is a powerful way of addressing change.

Q: Is it also maybe a case of you mellowing with age?

A: No, I don't think I'm mellowing. I've grown more clear on how I can effect change. I used to just write songs about the things that I cared about, but now I get directly involved in those things. I went to Iraq. I went to Haiti. I play in prisons all the time. I live part of the year in Bali, and when we're there we support this natural birthing clinic for women. So wherever we go, we find ways to get involved directly and not just write songs about it. I actually think I'm more radical than I was years ago.

A: My body had gotten all infected, and the doctors couldn't figure it out. I really thought I was going to die. So after I got out of surgery, I wrote all these songs about gratitude and enjoying the simple things of life and the people around you. My perspective had completely changed. And I think that's a good message for the way the world is going right now. There's a lot of crises, a lot of war, a lot of economic upheaval. People can at least find joy in the people and the good things around them.