The Ark

Annie Bacon & Her OSHEN and Sammie Hershock
2024-06-16 19:30 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | 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.

Kyshona
2024-05-30 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Kyshona lends her voice and music to those who feel silenced, forgotten or alone. She began her career as a music therapist, writing her first songs with patients — students and inmates under her care. She became compelled to write independently and find her own voice, an endeavor which led her to the Nashville creative community and songwriting culture. Since then, she balances her music career with her passion to heal in community through her organization Your Song.
Kyshona comes to The Ark with her new album, “Legacy,” which tells the story of her family’s journey. Kyshona shares her story while inviting listeners and concert goers to join her in exploration of self, healing and growth.

Shawn Phillips
2024-05-29 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The Ark is proud to present The Legendary Shawn Phillips

The man whom Bill Graham called “The best kept secret in the music business”, who taught Joni Mitchell her first guitar techniques, also taught George Harrison of the Beatles his first lessons on Sitar, the man who wrote the music to Donovan’s “Season Of The Witch” and has played with many of the finest musicians in the world including Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood. He’s produced 27 albums and is known around the world for his refusal to bow down to commercialism in the music industry.

He has done what many singer/songwriters don’t do, which is to continue to evolve his creative skills in his concerts. When he comes into a venue, he brings the sounds of an entire Symphony Orchestra in real time and plays the songs so many love as close as possible to what was recorded on the albums. All in real time! All solo!

He has a powerful new show he is debuting on his 2024 tour. This is a show you do not want to miss!

Tickets are going fast, so you should book now!

Mouths of Babes
2024-05-28 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
With more than a dozen albums and over a thousand shows between them, Ty Greenstein and Ingrid Elizabeth of Mouths of Babes are no strangers to the contemporary folk-Americana music scene. For years, their respective bands Girlyman and Coyote Grace captivated thousands of loyal fans as they crisscrossed the country, rocked festival main stages, and toured with the likes of Indigo Girls and Dar Williams. Now they have distilled the very best of the songwriting, musicianship, and humor of their previous groups into a power duo that brings more depth and style than ever before.
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).

Aaron Jonah Lewis's Ragtime Banjo Revival
2024-05-24 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Aaron Jonah Lewis’s Ragtime Banjo Revival thrills and delights audiences with fresh arrangements of classic, novelty, and British ragtime pieces for cello, banjo and guitar, plus blues and early jazz fiddle music, centering the contributions and influence of Black American composers. The group creates a relaxed and enlivening space to experience popular music of the past and to connect with a greater sense of our shared cultural history. With a curious and optimistic spirit, Ragtime Banjo Revival educates and inspires, welcoming the newcomer and cultivating respect across the lines of difference.
Ragtime banjo is rooted in African-American music that was appropriated for minstrel shows and which mingled with other popular styles of European and distinctly American origin. It can be played with conservatory precision or with the raw energy of a street band. The selections and arrangements of Ragtime Banjo Revival founder Aaron Jonah Lewis aim at the intersection of these modes, balancing elegance and abandon, dignity and freedom, and fostering the unique dynamic of feeling that thrives there. Aaron is joined by cellist King Sophia and guitarist Alex Belhaj.

Ari Hest // Mike Vial
2024-05-23 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ari Hest is a Grammy nominated indie folk singer/songwriter who built a fiercely loyal following through relentless touring over the past two decades. In addition to releasing 10 albums in that time, in 2008 Ari wrote, recorded, and released a new song every Monday during a project he called “52,” and subsequently released “Twelve Mondays” in 2009 – a collection of re-mixed fan favorites from “52”.
In 2017, Ari collaborated with Judy Collins to release “Silver Skies Blue”, a duets album that earned them a Grammy nomination that year.
Mike Vial is a singer-songwriter and educator based in Ann Arbor. He won the Ypsilanti Songwriting Festival award in 2010 and the Blue Owl Songwriting award in 2014. He teaches at Community High School.

Tim Easton
2024-05-22 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A mainstay of American roots music for more than 20 years, Tim Easton crafts songs that blur the lines between folk, blues, and workingman’s rock & roll. It’s an honest sound influenced not only by the flat-pickers and folksingers who came before him, but also the arc of Easton’s own experience. Born within a stone’s throw of the Niagara River, he spent his childhood in upstate New York and midwestern Ohio, raised on the sounds of trailblazers like Doc Watson and Woody Guthrie. Following in his heroes’ footsteps, he grew into a modern-day troubadour, busking his way around Europe for the better part of a decade before heading back home to America. Although he eventually settled in East Nashville, his touring schedule continued to take him across much of the world, from barroom gigs in rural Alaska to festival appearances in Russia. Years before Americana music received its own category at the Grammy Awards, Tim Easton helped pioneer the genre’s mix of classic inspiration and contemporary interpretation, writing songs that nodded to his influences while still acknowledging the sounds of the modern world. Tim comes to The Ark with his new album, “North American Songwriter.” This double LP–the first two volumes in a series–features acoustic recordings of favorite songs from his vast catalog of original material.

The Decemberists
2024-05-22 19:00 - 23:00 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, 48067, United States
For over 20 years, The Decemberists have been one of the most original, daring, and thrilling American rock bands. Founded in the year 2000, The Decemberists’ distinctive brand of hyper-literate folk-rock set them apart from the start with the release of their debut EP 5 Songs in 2001. Since then, the band has released nine full-length albums that are unbound by genre and highly ambitious, ranging from Americana-leaning storytelling epics to elements of 70’s prog and hard rock.
Now the enduring indie band is back with their first new music in six years, “Burial Ground.” Already a fan-favorite after being debuted live last year, their latest single takes the overt fatalism of 2018’s I’ll Be Your Girl and infuses it with the jangle-pop of The Dentists and dreamy harmonies of The Beach Boys (performed with an assist from The Shins’ James Mercer). “‘Burial Ground’ is in that time-honored popsong tradition, a paean to hanging out in graveyards,” says songwriter Colin Meloy. “The melody hook came to me in a dream and I hummed it into my phone on waking. Most dream-songs are bad; this was the exception.”
The Decemberists will be on tour with more new music to come!

Luke Winslow-King featuring Roberto Luti
2024-05-21 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Originally from Cadillac, Michigan, Luke Winslow-King is a career rock & roll guitarist, singer, producer, and songwriter. Having spent more than 15 years in New Orleans, and recording his 2008 album (Old/New Baby) at Preservation Hall, he was named ‘Best Blues Artist’ by Gambit Magazine. His 2018 hit, ‘I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always’ is nearing 10 million streams on Spotify. He was named a voting member of the Grammy Recording Academy in 2022. Now living in Calatayud, Spain, he continues to pursue his global quest; delivering honest, powerful, rustic, and authentic peoples music by stage and recording alike.
Joining Luke is Tuscan slide guitar maestro Roberto Luti. With his unorthodox, angular, and evocative slide guitar style, Luti made a name for himself during his nearly decade-long residency in New Orleans. He became an integral part of international recording project Playing For Change; laying the original tracks for songs which have accumulated over 100 million plays on YouTube collaborating with: Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, Manu Chao, Toots and the Maytalls, and Dr. John.

Judy Collins
2024-05-20 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 50-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.
The award-winning singer-songwriter is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Recently, contemporary and classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen honored her legacy with the album Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins.
Judy is as creatively vigorous as ever, writing, touring worldwide, and nurturing fresh talent. She is a modern day Renaissance woman who is also an accomplished painter, filmmaker, record label head, musical mentor, and an in-demand keynote speaker for mental health and suicide prevention. She continues to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart.

Kitty Donohoe & Friends
2024-05-19 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
50 Years and Still Going Strong!
Michigan Emmy-winning songwriter Kitty Donohoe, based in Ann Arbor, is celebrating more than 50 years as a performing singer-songwriter. She recently received the 2024 Michigan Heritage Award for her 30 plus years of entertaining audiences with her original songs about our state, as well as being named a finalist and Outstanding Achievement Award for three of her songs by the Great American Song Contest in 2022. Drawing from her Irish, Canadian and American roots, Kitty backs herself on guitar, cittern and piano to write songs that can be uplifting, thought-provoking, celebratory, moody, quirky, humorous and everything in between! Tonight Kitty will be joined by several old friends including David Mosher, Carol Palms, The Yellow Room Gang, Mike Ball, Neil Woodward, Wanda Degen, David Reske, and more.
Also a children’s author, Kitty’s first kids book is the recipient of a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and she’s working on books two and three. She’s also releasing an all-instrumental project this spring and hard at work at another full-length album.

Joshua Davis
2024-05-18 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Over the past twenty years, Michigan-based Joshua Davis has honed an impressive range of skills – songwriter, bandleader, guitarist, and vocalist among them – in the most honest possible fashion: night after night, song after song, show after show Davis simply delivered every performance as though his life depended on it. Investing himself in the American musical diaspora, he has explored the common thread connecting folk, blues, jazz, ragtime, and country forms – discovering his personal perspective as a composer in the process. “The music that moves me is imperfect, honest and raw.” Joshua explains, “Those qualities are what turned me on to Delta blues, to punk rock, to old soul, and traditional music from all over the globe. It’s all about feel. It’s ragged but right.” His versatility and ravenous musical curiosity has resulted in a divergent and fervent output. Joshua was a finalist on Season 8 of NBC’s “The Voice,” where he was the first contestant to sing an original song on the show.
Joshua will be joined by his band: bassist Zak Bunce, drummer Michael Shimmin, and multi-instrumentalist Drew Howard on pedal steel and electric guitar.

Jeffrey Martin
2024-05-17 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Portland, Oregon’s Jeffrey Martin is a minister’s son who can build a house with his bare hands. One night in middle school he stayed up under the covers with a flashlight and a DiscMan, listening to Reba McEntire’s “That’s the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia”’ on repeat until the DiscMan ran out of batteries. That night he became a songwriter, although he didn’t actually write a song until years later. Jeffrey holds a master’s degree in English. He worked his way through school as a carpenter, then, following graduation, spent four years teaching high school. Jeffrey writes music that probes the depths of the human experience and doesn’t shy away from its darkest corners. We were introduced to Jeffrey at last summer’s Ark Art Fair stage, and we’re looking forward to hearing more!
