Michael Franti Performs at San Quentin Prison

On May 19th, Michael Franti will perform at a rare San Quentin Prison concert.

The concert, which will occur on Saturday at 11 a.m., will be the first in the five years for the inmates. The last time was an appearance by Metallica in 2002.

Franti is a recording artist at Anti Records and an award-winning documentary filmmaker. At San Quentin, he will be performing for an audience of approximately 2000. The theme of the concert is tolerance and co-existence. Franti is trying to get the concert broadcast to San Quentin’s death row inmates via closed circuit TV. The event was organized by Guerrilla Management and Bread & Roses.

Franti will also be interviewed on Al Jazeera TV’s “Riz Khan” show on May 10th at noon PST. You can watch for free at www.relavista.tv.

Franti won the Best International Documentary Award at the Harlem International Film Festival for I Know I’m Not Alone, his 2005 film about the Iraq war. In March, he performed for injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical center. Franti will perform at the 2007 Bonnaroo Festival in June.

“Arts in Corrections,” an article about the San Quentin art program, will be in ALARM’s summer issue.