COMING SOON! Michael Franti and Spearhead @ The Orpheum, Sunday, September 30, 2007 8 p.m.

Six foot six above sea level I grab the mic because I take you to another mental level low power frequency radio modulation the big sound from the underground another pirate radio station we bring the truth to places truth is never heard before we bring the sound communication of our tribal war dark vision fly by helicopters in the night attempt triangulation of our station in the fight straight from the bass the deep down low precision high crime treason we broadcastin' sedission like the wall street mornin' afternoon edition commandeering airwaves from unknown positions ...

These words should be familiar to listeners of WORT 89.9 FM, Madison's listener supported station. These are the lyrics from the song 'Lsitener Supported' from Michael Franti and Spearhead's 2001 album Stay Human. Often played as a filler between shows, the song reminds me how lucky we are to be in Madison to have community radio and so much great music to listen to.

Well, Michael Franti and Spearhead are going to be rockin' the house this Sunday with their blend of reggae, hip hop, funk and rock. Bill and I will be there and we hope to see you there as well. For those of you not familiar with Franti/Spearhead, here's some background:

Inspired by a recent trip to the Mideast, Franti's new album Yell Fire makes a pointed statement about the war, poverty and social injustice around the world. He has reggae greats Chris Blackwell and Sly & Robbie contributing to the recording that was made in Kingston, Jamaica and Franti's hometown of San Francisco, California. 'The thing that I found when I was in war zones was that nobody wants to hear songs about war. They want to hear songs about connection to people, and songs about love and life, songs that make them dance.'

Listen to the man (here's a link)! Don't miss this show and buy your tickets now! General admission tickets are $23 in advance and $26 day of the show (plus applicable fees) and will be available at the Orpheum box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Peace - malliman