August 3, 2025 | Stern Grove Festival
by Dave Golden
The fog finally lifted on this first Sunday of August, letting sunlight stream through the towering trees of Stern Grove and setting the scene for a day of music, movement, and community. Michael Franti & Spearhead set opens with a video clip that captured the spirit of the day “We all got a family we are born into… along the way we find a chosen family… and we all got a musical family.” The band launched into the title track from Welcome to the Family, setting the tone for a set rooted in love, unity, and celebration. Popular tracks like “The Sound of Sunshine,” “Stay Human,” and “Say Hey (I Love You)” turned the grove into a dance floor, while songs like “Life Is Better With You,” featuring Franti’s wife on vocals brought more intimacy to the performance.
Oakland-based Black London opened the afternoon with a genre-bending set that fused gospel, jazz, and R&B, and powerful themes of love, justice, and cultural pride. Hometown favorite Martin Luther McCoy, joined the band for a couple of standout tracks.
Earlier in the day, festivities kicked off in the East Meadow with a Yoga Jam. Cappy Franti led a guided meditation, followed by a yoga session led my Carla Herzenberg, all set to a live acoustic soundtrack performed by Michael Franti, who closed the session with a short musical jam.
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