Nothing Beats a Spearhead Show

My friend Sandy took this picture of Michael Franti at last night's Spearhead concert.  I've been to many Spearhead shows, but last night was very special because we got to bring the kids and Dad.  It was the perfect opportunity; the show started at 6:00 PM, it was an outdoor venue and kids 12 and under were free!  We met up with a bunch of friends at the concert and had a blast.  Going to a Spearhead show is something akin to a religious experience.  Those of you who have been, know exactly what I mean.  Franti and the band have so much energy and talent and they sing about love and peace and all that good stuff.  Most people can't help but dance and smile and laugh and jump and, with the exception of one show I went to in Northampton, the crowd is usually really sweet and into the vibe and treating each other like sisters and brothers.  This was especially true last night.

The real highlight for me was bringing the kids (and even my dad, though I didn't put him on my shoulders) right up front.  I can't really remember the first time I got right up to the stage at a concert, but it's something I like to do at most shows I go to and it always thrills me.  (When I was pretty young, my folks brought me to see B.B. King.  I still have the guitar pick he handed me at the end of the show and clearly remember the excitement of receiving it.) I like to see the band play their instruments, watch their facial expressions and be deep in the stew of sweaty dancing hippies.  Last night, Harper was mostly content to stay at our staked out spot, which wasn't too far back, but not right up at the stage either.  She came up front for a little while, but found it too hot and crowded.  While we were up there, she said to me, "something smells awful" and I told her, "that's just marijuana, Honey." Anyway, she had a great time dancing in our spot a bit further back with some of our friends and her grandpa who also preferred the less crowded area.  And while she was watching the opening act (Vermont's own Bread and Puppet) she caught a glimpse of Michael Franti doing yoga back stage!

Our friends Michelle and Fritz came to the show with their daughters Lily and Hazel.  Lily is 8 and absolutely wanted to be up front, so with her parents' permission, she and I spent a bit of time right at the stage.  She was so cool, bravely navigating through the tightly packed crowd and staking out her spot at the stage.  She didn't want to leave that spot and jumped and danced like nobody's business!  I was so proud of her and felt very privileged to be with her for her first Spearhead experience.  On a second round of bringing kids right up to the stage, Patrick joined Lily and me and the two of them jumped and flailed around and were in absolute ecstasy.  Pat's fist was pumping in the air and he just looked SO psyched!  The other adults around us were very sweet about letting them squeeze in to get a perfect view and letting me stay close to guard them.  And Lily got to high five with Michael Franti!  I told the kids not to worry, that they'd be able to hear again in a day or so.

I was reminded last night how much I love dancing barefoot in a grassy field with a bunch of hippies.  Anthony Pollina, the Progressive candidate for Governor, was there and Neil and I were reminded of  those Vermont festivals we used to go to where you'd ALWAYS see Bernie Sanders.  Anyway, my hair was completely soaked with sweat, I kept wiping my face on my shirt, my feet were filthy and it felt like nirvana.  I couldn't stop dancing and jumping, even when I had a 50-60 pound kid on my shoulders or in my arms.  So my body is kind of tired today.  Ad to that this humidity, and my 13 mile run this morning was pretty brutal.  It was nice, however, to end it with a jump in the Passumpsic River at the bottom of my hill.  That was a pleasant shock to the system.

My final thought on last night's concert: I wish I had a picture of Henekis dancing up front.  She hung tough there most of the night, even as others of us came and went with and without little kids.  Part of the joy of the whole experience is dancing with the people you love and seeing the same happiness in their faces and bodies that you're feeling your self.  For me, that was epitomized by Henekis.  She's beautiful.