You can try, but it’s pretty tough to say you don’t like Michael Franti. You can be the sort of person who somehow, someway, hates hip-hop, punk rock, reggae, folk and dance music all at once and still find yourself unable to dislike the giant, dreadlocked artist. Franti’s career has seen him making music from each of those genres, and probably others, too – and even if you don’t like his albums, go ahead and check out his smiley, carefree, barefooted, uber positive, wild-as-all-hell live show and then try not to at least smile.

Now, there is probably someone reading this thinking, or perhaps saying aloud, “Hey jerkwad. I don’t like Michael Franti or his stupid face or his stupid music.”

Oh boy. It was a sweaty weekend in live music. We’re talking Patrick Ewing, better-change your-shirt-at-halftime sort of sweaty. So here’s what happened: hot temperatures collided with a migrating front of wildly awesome live bands, causing the music scene to collectively and shamelessly sweat for no less than three days.

Sound Check perspired thoroughly this weekend, too. And you should know that when Sound Check sweats, it’s not a sexy glow but rather a violent drip of toxins that falls from our brows as we bob our heads to the music. That’s precisely what we were doing on Friday night at the Domino Room where Domino Room was celebrating the release of their new album, Darker the Night.