The Ark

Laith Al-Saadi
2024-06-30 19:30 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
In 2016, Laith Al-Saadi won America’s hearts and a spot in the Season 10 finale of NBC’s “The Voice.” Now he’s bringing an authentic blend of blues, soul and classic rock to audiences around the nation and the world. Laith Al-Saadi has always had the perfect combination of Midwestern hustle and incredible musical chops—honed at the University of Michigan school of music in his hometown of Ann Arbor, and on stages across the country working with legends like Taj Mahal, Luther Allison, Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Gregg Allman, and B.B. King. “Laith is one of the most diverse talents we have,” said Maroon 5 frontman and “The Voice” coach Adam Levine. “Incredible guitar player, incredible singer.” Audiences have agreed, propelling Laith’s album “REAL” to the top of the blues chart for five weeks and the top 20 album chart for two weeks. Guitar Center has crowned him one of the top four blues guitarists in the United States.

Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman
2024-06-29 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
First brought together by Brooklyn’s tight-knit old-time music community in 2017, Nora Brown and Stephanie Coleman share a rich musical partnership that belies their 20 year age difference. Stephanie is a master old-time fiddler, having recorded with and toured internationally over the last two decades with celebrated artists such as trailblazing all-women stringband Uncle Earl, Watchhouse’s Andrew Marlin, and clawhammer banjo virtuoso Adam Hurt. Nora and Stephanie recorded together on Nora’s debut album Cinnamon Tree in 2019, and have performed as a duo in the US and London including renowned festivals as the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Trans-Pecos Festival in Marfa, TX, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Edmonton Folk Fest, and the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen. Most recently they performed together as a duo on NPR’s Tiny Desk and have released a new duo EP called Lady of the Lake.

Melissa Ferrick
2024-06-28 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Regarded in the industry and by their peers as one of the most prolific and hardworking artists in the business. Melissa Ferrick has released seventeen albums over the last twenty-five years and has won numerous awards for songwriting, production, and performance. She has shared the stage with Morrissey, Joan Armatrading, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, Mark Cohen, Paul Westerberg, Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, Ani DiFranco, k.d. Lang, Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, and many others.
Signed to Atlantic Records in 1992 at the age of 21, Melissa released her debut and sophomore albums on Atlantic after opening for Morrissey in the U.S. and UK. In 2000, Melissa launched the nationally distributed independent record label Right On Records. She is currently working with the venerable Kill Rock Stars Records.
Besides their work in the music industry, Melissa is a Professor of the Practice at Northeastern University in the Music Department. She teaches courses in the music business, songwriting, production, and performance. From 2013 – to 2019, Melissa was an Associate Professor of Songwriting at Berklee College of Music. She holds an Ed.M from Harvard University.
Brooklyn-based violin and piano duo Gracie and Rachel opens.

Jared Deck Band
2024-06-27 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Jared Deck has been praised for his “powerful, beautiful voice” by Alejandro Escovedo. Raised on the dusty plains of an Oklahoma family farm, Jared worked in the fields as well as the town grocery, owned by his parents. Later he worked in an oilfield and a factory. During the Great Recession he got by with a job as a pianist in a Black church, where over the next six years, he received an unparalleled musical education. His songs tell stories in an honest voice of Midland America. “The American Dream” won first place in the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition.
Jared will be coming to The Ark with a new album, “Head Above Water.”

The Way Down Wanderers
2024-06-26 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Often referred to by fans as one of the hardest-working, hardest-touring bands on the circuit today, the 5-piece Illinois-based act not only proves that classification with their jam-packed tour schedule but also on stage every night, with youthful exuberance and a lively stage show, as reliable as it is infectious. High energy percussion, mandolin, guitar, bass, banjo and fiddle weave seamlessly together to create an experience for fans that has sold out shows across the UK and the United States, filling the front rows with fans not just singing along to one tune, but singing along to all of them.
Music enthusiasts are not the only ones taking note. Critics and tastemakers alike have awarded the young artists an impressive number of accolades ranging from official showcases at AmericanaFest (2018) and International Bluegrass Music Association (2016) to Whitstable UK Session of the Year (2017), a BBC Scotland Session (2017) as well as Finalist, International Song Writing Competition (2015 & 2016), Chicago’s Best Emerging Artist, Deli Magazine (2014) and Songpickr’s Best Songs Spotify Playlist (2016) among others.

The Wellermen
2024-06-25 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Bass singing folk group The Wellermen were discovered during the viral Sea Shanty trend of early 2021. The four had only met in person once with members Bobby Waters & Luke Taylor based in the US and Jonny Stewart & Sam Pope based in the UK. The four members’ lives were to change when they dueted with a seemingly innocuous ‘Sea Shanty’ (Wellerman) on TikTok. Since the release of the now ubiquitous TikTok, it’s been viewed 100m+ times across multiple platforms and continents, and has seen The Wellermen appear at events like The Brits, shows like Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and The Colbert Show & ABC News Australia. The Wellermen used their moment of unexpected virality for lasting good, raising money via proceeds from ‘Wellerman’ for the Marine Conservation Society, giving back to the seas.
Since then the group have gone on to release their debut album containing even more viral hits, from ‘Misty Mountains’ and ‘Nancy Mulligan’ to the North Sea Trend phenomenon ‘Hoist The Colours’ which reached #3 on the global TikTok sound chart in February 2024. The group have achieved 150m streams to date and amassed a global audience of millions in the process.
The Wellermen embark on their debut USA tour in June 2024, with their hotly anticipated follow up album due for release Winter 2024.
The Ark’s Artist Spotlight Series is made possible with support from Ford Philanthropy. It is presented live, and also livestreamed on The Ark’s Facebook page.
Tonight’s show is FREE (nonperishables accepted for Food Gatherers).

James Hunter
2024-06-23 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Over the span of 30 years, James Hunter has worked on the railway, busked in the streets of London, provided backup vocals and guitar for Van Morrison, played clubs and theaters all over the world, written scores of original songs, and recorded some of the most original and honest rhythm & soul albums of the last two decades. By 2006, Hunter was recognized with nominations for a GRAMMY® Award (“Best Traditional Blues Album” for People Gonna Talk (Rounder)) and an American Music Award (“Best New/Emerging Artist”). He and his band then hit the road for a decade of extensive touring and recorded critically-acclaimed studio albums— The Hard Way (Hear Music), Minute by Minute (Fantasy), Hold On! (Daptone), Whatever it Takes (Daptone).
​In March 2020, and unceremoniously coinciding with the beginning of COVID lockdowns, The James Hunter Six released another sublime offering of no nonsense rhythm and blues. Recorded and produced by Bosco Mann, Nick of Time is a shining example of how a master song-smith can continually draw fresh water from a bottomless well. In addition to the uptempo, swinging R&B that has put The James Hunter Six on the map, Nick of Time explores so much more.

The RFD Boys
2024-06-22 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
It’s hard to believe, because each show is fresh and new, but the RFD Boys have been delighting Michigan audiences since 1969 with their fabulous musicianship and sly, exquisitely timed between-song humor. They’re legends of Michigan bluegrass, but they’re more than that too. With an appearance on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited, with songs recorded by the likes of the Country Gentlemen, and with performances alongside bluegrass greats like Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley, the RFD Boys are a part of America’s bluegrass tradition. The RFD Boys are one of southeastern Michigan’s most durable musical ensembles, and their shows capture a deep slice of musical Ann Arbor. Their 50th-anniversary appearance at the Folk Festival was a special moment and introduced many listeners to Dan Roehrig, who joined the band on guitar, mandolin, and bass in mid-2018. Dan grew up listening to Doc Watson, Clarence White, and Tony Rice, and you can hear it in both his singing and guitar playing.

Jon McLaughlin
2024-06-21 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Everything in Jon McLaughlin’s life makes its way into his music, whether he’s conscious of it or not. The artist, raised in Indiana and based in Nashville, brings all of his experiences and beliefs into each song he creates, something that is especially true now that he’s the father of two young girls.
Jon released his debut album, Indiana, in 2007 on Island Def Jam, attracting fans with his heartfelt, hook-laden songwriting and impassioned delivery. He’s released six full-lengths in the years since and revealed a true evolution in both his piano playing and singing. He’s played shows with Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson and Adele, collaborated with longtime friend Sara Bareilles, co-written with Demi Lovato and even performed at the Academy Awards in 2008.
As with everything he does, Jon’s goal is to create connections. He wants to translate his experiences and ideas into music that reaches fans everywhere. His passion for music and playing is evident in each note he plays. Jon comes to The Ark with his newest album, “MOOD III,” the third installment in his instrumental piano series.

The Pairs
2024-06-20 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Powered by soaring sister harmonies, this quirky trio’s unbottled chemistry quickly connects them to their audience. Renée Coughlin, Noelle Frances Coughlin, and Hillary Watson are the three distinct lead singers/songwriters of The Pairs. Together they offer a unique blend of music with stories of life’s hope, hilarity, and hardship. These classically trained vocalists blur the line between the stage and the crowd as if we’ve pulled up a seat around their family’s lively kitchen table. This award-winning group has been touring internationally in Canada, the USA, and Europe since 2022 and released their third studio album titled, “When Will We Find Our Way?” in October 2023.

The Ark's Open Stage
2024-06-19 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Whether you’re looking for your big break, want to perfect your live performance skills, or just want to perform live for the sheer fun of it, Open Stage nights offer supportive audiences and a terrific space. Performers have eight minutes (or two songs) each to do their thing. Doors open at 7:30, and names are drawn at 7:55 and 8:30. If your name isn’t chosen, bring your raffle ticket with you next time, and you’ll double your chances.
Why play Open Stage at the Ark? Do it to be heard. Do it so you know you can. Do it to take your music to the masses. Tremendous local performers like Dick Siegel, Misty Lyn, and Matt Watroba spent time honing their craft on Open Stage audiences. Even nationally recognized talents like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Gilda Radner, and David Alan Grier paid their dues here. If you’re not interested in getting on stage tonight, get your practice in at being a great audience member and observer of new music.

Gregory Alan Isakov
2024-06-17 19:30 - 23:00 | Hill Auditorium, 825 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, United States
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and now calling Colorado home, horticulturist/musician Gregory Alan Isakov has cast an impressive presence on the indie-rock and folk worlds with his six full-length studio albums: That Sea, The Gambler; This Empty Northern Hemisphere; The Weatherman; Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony; Evening Machines (nominated for a Grammy award for Best Folk Album), and his most recent record, Appaloosa Bones. Isakov tours internationally with his band, and has performed with several symphony orchestras across the United States. When he is not on the road, Isakov runs a small farm in Boulder County, which provides produce to CSA members, restaurants, and Community Food Share (a local food bank).
TICKET ONSALE DATES:
March 5 – Presale for Ark Virtuoso Members and up
March 6 – Presale for Ark Premiere Members and up
March 7 – On sale to General Public
This event is co-presented by A2SF and The Ark.
$1 per ticket donated to The National Young Farmers Coalition

Annie Bacon & Her OSHEN and Sammie Hershock
2024-06-16 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Sammie Hershock almost became a cloistered Catholic nun at the age of 18. Now she travels around Michigan singing songs about not knowing the answers. She weaves her humor and playfulness into the depth of the human existence, and it is a regular occurrence for audience members to laugh and cry simultaneously. Hershock is a multi award-winning Michigan based songwriter, classically trained pianist, and young mother of three incredible children. She majored in sacred music with an emphasis on the pipe organ: and though you won’t currently find her behind an organ at a church, you may find little pieces of that influence sprinkled throughout her original folk music.
Annie Bacon is a writer and songwriter living in Ann Arbor, Michigan (via Maine and San Francisco). With her OSHEN she merges a literary writing style and folk-rock Americana sound to create rich and emotionally complex music. After surviving a global pandemic while grieving multiple deaths, Bacon emerges in 2024 with a host of creative works revolving around grief, including the album release for this show: Storm.
Storm – her 4th full length record – was recorded to analogue tape in Nashville over four days at Daylight Studio with friend and studio owner Paul Defiglia (Avett Brothers, Langhorn Slim, Erin Rae) who also co-produced the album with Bacon. The songs cover a range of losses from the keening depths of death’s grip, to the ragged edges of love lost.

Buffalo Rose
2024-06-15 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Buffalo Rose is a charismatic six-piece modern folk/Americana band from Pittsburgh, PA. They take the singer-songwriter tradition to a new level by crafting original songs which are emotive, meticulously arranged, and inspired by a world of idiosyncratic influences that never let a dull or predictable moment creep in.
Buffalo Rose’s lineup of Lucy Clabby (vocals), Margot Jezerc (vocals), Bryce Rabideau (mandolin), Malcolm Inglis (dobro), Jason Rafalak (upright bass), and Shane McLaughlin (guitar, vocals) pushes itself and each other far beyond their perceived limits and blends their diverse and atypical approach to songwriting with the desire to see how unique a song can get and still feel like home. They use powerful vocal harmonies, strong playing, and an original vision to operate at every possible emotional level and put on dynamic live shows that are unforgettable experiences. They go from up and moving to sad and sweet and back again, bringing the entire audience along.
Rather than play the folk music of the past, the band gleefully combines genres and ideas together to move acoustic music forward to a new, contemporary place without ever losing sight of its roots. Fans of Lake Street Dive, Nickel Creek, and Punch Brothers will find much to like in this crew. Anyone seeking compelling new acoustic music needs to join Buffalo Rose in the future right now.

Zachariah Malachi & The Nashville Counts
2024-06-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Detroit-turned Nashvillian Zachariah Malachi has been known to be a shape-shifter of originality to the genre of honky tonk music. He can glide through the minor chords of Eastern European jazz and morph it into the depths of the barroom basement regret dealing with topics of cheating, drinking, fighting, and the morning after.
His backing band, The Nashville Counts is the collected talents of fiddler and harmony singer Jack Bird, guitarist and banjo player Anthony Castagna, steel guitar and trumpet player Eddie Slide, and bass extraordinaire Luca Chiappara. The band name alone gives a hint to a sinister presence that awaits any stage that they are about to take. Together, this group of juke-joint vampires will take you on a ride through country music madness that you will feel compelled to tell your friends about what you just experienced.

The Whiskey Charmers
2024-06-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The Whiskey Charmers’ captivating Spaghetti Western sound is cinematic in scope and evokes imagery of a lonesome desert highway. This evening they celebrate the release of their fifth album.
Two of the Charmers previous albums have earned Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Americana/Country Recording, and three of their songs landed a placement in the video game Detroit: Become Human which has sold over 9 million copies, reaching new fans across the globe.
William P Davis (Former Deputy Director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville) says of the band, “I’ve heard a lot of good musicians. The Whiskey Charmers remind me of no one – and, to me, that is one of the best compliments an act can receive.”
Detroit duo The Darkness Brothers open, singing songs for the everyman that speak to the heart and cut to the core.

Loudon Wainwright III
2024-06-12 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Grammy winner Loudon Wainwright III is a cherished icon of American folk music, a darkly witty and touchingly personal songwriter and storyteller. He started out in the folk clubs of New York and Boston before going on to a long career that’s encompassed both music and acting. He has released over 30 albums and written folk classics including “Dead Skunk” and “The Man Who Couldn’t Cry,” and created music for film and theater.
In addition to his musical career, Loudon’s acting credits include Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up (for which he also recorded the soundtrack), The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration, and Parks and Recreation with Amy Poehler.
Singer-songwriter and novelist Wesley Stace, who released many albums under the name John Wesley Harding, opens.

Davy Knowles // Jeffrey Gaines
2024-06-11 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Whether playing mandolin, national steel, or screaming electric guitar, Davy Knowles has an unmistakable style. Since bursting onto the scene with his band Back Door Slam’s critically acclaimed album “Roll Away” in 2007, Davy’s star has only risen. His sophomore release “Coming Up For Air” was produced by the legendary Peter Frampton, with subsequent tours seeing him supporting and sharing the stage with acts such as Jeff Beck, The Who, Brian Setzer, and George Thorogood.
Knowles has several top-5 Billboard Blues charting albums under his belt, high profile TV appearances (Jimmy Kimmel Live and CBS Good Morning America among others), and has been praised with high accolades from heroes and press alike.
Jeffrey Gaines has been heralded for his soul-searching lyrics and his powerful live performances. With only his voice and a guitar for accompaniment, Gaines has earned a reputation as a captivating performer, entertaining his audiences worldwide.
Gaines has released eight albums internationally, which includes gems like the hit single “Hero In Me” from his debut album. The Boston Globe declared that “Gaines’ soulful, wounded vocals make a case for him being one of pop’s finest singers…” Rolling Stone went on to call him “the voice of a generation” noting his body of work and his larger than life voice. With compelling live performances gaining high respect from peers, Gaines was asked to join tours with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tracy Chapman, and Stevie Nicks with Sheryl Crow.
JD Eicher of Youngstown, Ohio opens.

House of Waters
2024-06-10 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
“In today’s world, there are no musical boundaries,” says Max ZT of ‘House of Waters,’ a trio that makes those words come alive as they incorporate elements of West-African, jazz, psychedelic, indie rock, classical and world music into their astonishingly unique sound.
The “Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer” (NPR), Max ZT is an innovator of an instrument rarely heard in contemporary music. With roots in Irish folk music, Max has studied in Senegal, where he trained with the Cissoko Griot family, and India, where he studied under the santoor master Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. His unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques.
Moto Fukushima is a recognized master of the six-string bass. With a background in jazz improvisation, Western classical music and the music of South America, Moto’s playing is a combination of finesse, subtlety, and power that leaves audiences “slack-jawed in awe.” (Jazz Wise)
Nominated for the Best Contemporary Instrumental album at the 2024 GRAMMY awards, House of Waters is at the forefront of jazz innovation. With their new GroundUp Music recording, On Becoming, Max ZT and Moto Fukushima are joined by first-call accompanists: drummer Antonio Sanchez joins them throughout the album, and guitarist Mike Stern and vocalist Priya Darshini join the innovative group as special guests.

Chris Fleming
2024-06-09 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Chris Fleming was named one of Variety’s Ten Comics to Watch for 2019. He has amassed over 70 million views on his Youtube channel and has appeared in Comedy Central’s CORPORATE, Splitting Up Together, Netflix’s Last Laugh and Twelve Forever. The Huffington Post has called him “perhaps one of the best things on the internet.” Of his live show, Chortle says, “you can’t take your eyes off this unpredictable, exciting performer.” Splitsider says, “a madman and I think, genius.” According to Vulture, “equal parts imagination and inferiority complex, a combination that has led him to create some of the most bizarrely funny performance art taking place online and onstage today.”

Matt Nathanson
2024-06-08 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Over his almost 30 year career, Matt Nathanson has evolved into one of the most applauded songwriters and engaging performers on the music scene today. His sixth studio album, Some Mad Hope, yielded his breakthrough multi-platinum hit “Come on Get Higher.” He followed up with Modern Love, a critically acclaimed album (Pop Matters called it “the closest a pop album comes to perfection this year”) that garnered Nathanson two RIAA Gold Certified singles, “Faster” & “Run (featuring Sugarland).” His 2013 release, Last of The Great Pretenders, debuted at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 while hitting #1 on iTunes’ Alternative Albums chart.
Matt comes to The Ark in support of a new album, Map At The Mall.

Gretchen Pleuss
2024-06-07 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Gretchen Pleuss is an Ann Arbor, Michigan based poet and singer-songwriter whose “vocal delivery and skillful finger picking call to mind the folk singers who graced the stage of the Gaslight Café during the 60’s Greenwich Village folk renaissance. Fans of Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, and other folk luminaries will appreciate Gretchen’s gorgeous arrangements and thought-provoking songwriting” – Dan Jarvis, Midwest Action.
Hailing from humble roots along the Ohio River, Gretchen’s lyrics weave her personal experiences into larger reflections of society and self. Gretchen’s soft vocals and infectious melodies allow listeners to transport themselves into her heart.
In addition to recording and performing, Gretchen is passionate about writing songs with others to assist their healing journeys. She is currently Associate Director of Lost Voices – a nonprofit organization that facilitates “songwriting interventions” with youth who have experienced trauma. In her free time, she also writes songs with military veterans as part of Project D.R.E.W. (Delivering Restorative Energy to our Warriors).

Kaia Kater
2024-06-06 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Montreal-born Grenadian-Canadian Kaia’s jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and No Depression. Through her artful banjo playing and lush songwriting, Kaia draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean, and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background, her ties to the Canadian folk music scene, her college years spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia, her father’s experience growing up in Grenada, and her recent work in film composition.
Kaia Kater’s new album, Strange Medicine (coming May 2024 on Free Dirt Records/ acrönym in Canada) was created during a period of deep self-reflection and reinvention. Taking the helm as co-producer, alongside Joe Grass (Elisapie, Barr Brothers), the album finds Kater expanding her creative scope with cinematic arrangements, and working with guest artists such as Taj Mahal, Allison Russell and Aoife O’Donovan. The album celebrates the power of women and oppressed people throughout history, while also sharing meditations on her own life.

John Moreland
2024-06-05 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Tulsa-based John Moreland returns to The Ark with his new album, Birds in the Ceiling. A compelling blend of acoustic folk and avant-garde pop playfulness, Birds in the Ceiling lives confidently in a space of its own, enriched by tradition but never encumbered by it. The songwriting that has stunned fans and critics alike since 2015’s High on Tulsa Heat remains potent, while the sonic evolution that unfolds on the record feels like a natural expansion of 2020’s acclaimed LP5.

Seth Bernard
2024-06-04 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Seth Bernard’s journey—from potent young Interlochen Center for the Arts idealist to iconic troubadour of the Great Lakes region—has been rooted in the woods and water, soil and soul of Michigan. Born on Earthwork Farm in Lake City on April Fools Day 1980, Bernard has been playing the trickster-bard ever since.
Seth came to an understanding early that music, poetry and art, along with activism, farming and earth science, all intertwine into one great work. Probably because of the crowded farm dinner table, where books of poetry, tapes of jazz, blues, rock n’ roll and traditional music, guests of all kinds, and even the occasional raptor being rehabbed all shared space. Some folks call this “folklife,” and in Seth’s music it’s as likely to show up through a Casio SK-1 or a Gretsch electric as much as a fiddle or high harmony.
“Michigan proved to be the most richly varied region for folk music that I had ever visited,” said Alan Lomax. Listening to these old voices and resisting the siren song of Nashville, Austin, or NYC, Seth decided to root his work and his music in rural Michigan. That choice has led to a uniquely Michigan musical anatomy, which ties ongoing inventiveness (most clearly on display with the Eggtones quadrilogy, released from 2016 to 2018) to a commitment to a great live show, whether on NPR or at SXSW or sharing a stage with the likes of John Prine, Patty Griffin, Daniel Johnston and Greg Brown. Most importantly, it ties Seth and his music to a life of work on behalf of the youth, equity, water and community throughout the Great Lakes.
Even as COVID limited live performance, Seth used the time to produce two quarantine albums, 2020’s lo-fi home recording Let Love Light the Way and 2021’s My Heart is My Home, calling in performances from friends like Theo Katzman (Vulfpeck) and Dave Bruzza (Greensky Bluegrass). These two solo albums bring the total to twelve in a career that now spans two decades.
Like a true old-school folkie, he writes and plays the songs because they mean something, and that something they mean drives a life beyond just playing songs.

The Cadillac Cowboys
2024-06-02 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Some traditions die hard; others just continue to survive despite all odds. The latter is the case with the Cadillac Cowboys. When the Country Volunteers first took the stage of Mr. Flood’s Party in Ann Arbor, back in 1974 no one ever knew what assortment of rag-tag volunteers would show up from one week to the next. Eventually, the lineup began to solidify into a regular outfit that came to be known as the Cadillac Cowboys and, 50 years later, here they are playing the western swing, boogie woogie, classic country and rock & roll that’s as comfortable as an old pair of cowboy boots. Amazing enough. But what’s more amazing is that the Cadillac Cowboys play their tunes with the same freshness, rawness, and energy that they brought to the stage in those early years. It wouldn’t be surprising if, as you listen, you begin to envision the Tiffany lamps, long crowded benches, peanut shells on the floor. Those days may be gone, but this music is timeless.

The Trials of Cato
2024-06-02 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The remarkable rise of BBC Radio 2 award winning trio The Trials of Cato on the UK folk-scene has been the subject of massive critical attention. Dubbed “the Sex Pistols of folk,” (J Davis) they pay clear homage to the tradition whilst twisting old bones into something febrile and modern, with stomping tunes and captivating stories.

Notably formed in Beirut, Lebanon, The Trials of Cato have blazed a trail like no other since returning to the UK in 2016. Memorable performances across Britain, Europe, and North America led to Mark Radcliffe hailing the band ‘one of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times,’ with their 2018 debut Hide and Hair going on to win the BBC Radio 2 ‘Best Album’ Folk Award. With their latest offering Gog Magog, The Trials of Cato present their most daring music to date.

Lizzie No
2024-06-01 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
New York singer-songwriter, harpist and guitarist Lizzie No is one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary indie folk music. Her 2017 debut album, “Hard Won,” was hailed as “simultaneously understated and fervent” by Billboard magazine. No’s 2019 album, “Vanity”, was a hit at college radio stations across the country, cracking the NACC Top Adds Chart. Rolling Stone called the first single, “Narcissus,” a “crisp alt-rock gem” and a Song You Need To Know. Since then she’s released a sophomore album and a surprise home-studio-made EP, and she’s bringing a bold new album, “Halfsies,” to The Ark. She’s a guest co-host of the Basic Folk podcast team, and she’s toured with Iron & Wine, Adia Victoria, Ron Pope, Sarah Shook and The Disarmers, and she’s been showcased at festivals like Newport, Americanafest, South by Southwest, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Classical arrangements of Lizzie’s songs have been performed at the Louisville Orchestra’s Festival of American Music and the Downtown Chamber Series. Lizzie is also a winner of the American Songwriter Lyrics Contest.

Justin Roberts
2024-06-01 11:00 - 13:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Four-time GRAMMY Nominee Justin Roberts is one of the founders of the modern family music scene. For 25 years, Roberts has been creating the soundtrack to families’ lives, helping kids navigate the joys and sorrows of growing up, while inspiring parents to remember their own childhoods. His songs are the kind of get-stuck-in-your-head pop nuggets that draw comparisons to Elvis Costello, Fountains of Wayne, and Paul Simon rather than simple nursery rhymes, prompting USA Today to call him “hands-down the best songwriter in the genre.”
Along with his band, The Not Ready for Naptime Players, Justin has traveled the globe, from Hong Kong to New York, and Miami to Seattle. His latest album, Space Cadet, is a return to his power pop all-ages sound. Heavily inspired by his life as a new dad, the feel-good album offers themes of inclusion and acceptance that wind through emotionally intelligent songs. Roberts creates a welcoming space for children to celebrate their uniqueness and dance it all out.

Mike Massé
2024-05-31 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Mike Massé is the new voice of classic rock. Don’t miss this amazing show of Mike performing some of the best classic rock songs of all time acoustically: Toto, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles… His YouTube video views are in the millions, and he’s a unique talent. Mike Massé returns to Ann Arbor for this intimate evening of acoustic music. Mike is an internationally acclaimed artist whose arrangements are praised for their originality and emotional honesty. Legends of rock, including Toto, Boston, Sarah McLachlan, Asia, and others have expressed their love and gratitude for his renditions of their finest works. This an opportunity for friends and families to bond over timeless music. All ages are welcome. From the 1960s to the 1990s, there will be something in the concert from each era.
