Michael Franti knows a thing or two about festivals, having played everything from Coachella to All Good and hosted his own 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival. In September, however, the Spearhead leader will venture into the international festival promotion business, hosting Australias Up! Festival. The traveling festival will make stops in Perth (9/14), Adelaide (9/16), Canberra (9/19), Melbourne (9/20), Sydney (9/21) and Brisbane (9/22), featuring Spearhead, Ben Lee, Blue King Brown and Old Man River. On an off day from the tour, Spearhead will also perform at Hobarts Derwent Entertainment Centre on September 18.

‘I want to encourage people to have their voices heard and get used to that, Franti says. One way of giving back to the community is allowing everyone to record, videotape, upload, download, blog any way they can and share it. All cameras, phones, audio recorders are legal! Everythings legal at the Up! Festival.
In other Franti festival news, the politically-charged guitarist will host his 9th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival on September 8. The multi-band event will feature Spearhead, the Indigo Girls, K’naan and Hot Buttered Rum.