One of the many times I saw Counting Crows (at SummerStage in Central Park that time) I LOVED the band that opened for them, even though I'd never heard of them before. I went to see that band again a few years later at Terminal 5 and it was just another amazing experience which I cherish to this day as one of my best concerts.

The band is Michael Franti and Spearhead, and I was scheduled to see them again before Covid hit, so naturally it was rescheduled and canceled a few times. By the time there was another definite date I had been working for over a year, living in South Jersey, and even though I booked a hotel I was just too tired to make the trip for a Wednesday night concert.

So I was thrilled when I saw he was coming to Ocean Resort & Casino in Atlantic City since that's a relatively easy place to get to for me nowadays. I planned to stay over my parents' house since they live even closer, and asked if they wanted to come. They both said yes, which surprised me, but great! I booked 3 tickets in the seated section since they're 80 years old and their standing days at a concert are long past.

When I saw him in the past it was very peace and love, but tended more towards African beats and reggae/dancehall. And he was more open and honest than I'd ever seen him since he's obviously come a long way in his life since I saw him about twelve years ago. He's found his soulmate, had two children (one just arrived a couple of months ago), gone through his midlife crisis, and recently lost both his birth mother and adopted mother. He told us about it with such poignancy that it was easy to forget you weren't talking to him, that he was speaking to a concert hall full of fans, but I could relate so much and was so happy that he had found some peace for himself.

A lot of his recent songs are from those times and I will definitely be downloading a few that really hit home for me since he is sharing that hope that we find our place, things do get better, and there will be sunshine even when it's dark in your life at the moment. If I ever see him performing and am in the area I will definitely be at his concert again. Not many bands can give me hope, but he does.