The Ark

Peter Madcat Ruth's 75th Birthday Celebration Concert
2024-04-02 19:30 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Madcat’s music has been evolving for over 60 years. It started in the Chicago area in the early 1960s, with Madcat playing folk/blues on guitar and harmonica. By the late 1960s he had immersed himself in the Chicago Blues and was studying harmonica with Big Walter Horton. In the early 1970s, Madcat moved to Ann Arbor, where he was a key presence in two of Ann Arbor’s finest progressive rock bands: New Heavenly Blue and Sky King. By the mid 1970s Madcat was touring the world with jazz pianist Dave Brubeck. In the 1980s, Madcat went solo infusing the folk/blues tradition with elements of rock and jazz. In 1990, Madcat teamed up with guitarist/singer Shari Kane to form the duo Madcat & Kane. For twenty-four years, they toured nationally and internationally.
Tonight’s celebration features Peter Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet with John Churchville on tabla, Brennan Andes on bass, and guitarist Dan Ripke. Special guests include Rachael Davis, Seth Bernard, and Nashville based harmonica virtuoso Buddy Greene.
Note early start time!

Matt Andersen
2024-04-01 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
When Matt Andersen steps on stage, he brings a lifetime of music to every note he plays. His latest album, “The Big Bottle of Joy,” is all about hard-won celebration; a dozen songs infused with raw blues-rock, rollicking Americana, thoughtful folk, and ecstatic gospel. Andersen’s stage presence is informed by decades of cutting his teeth in dusty clubs, dim-lit bars, and grand theaters all over the world, delivering soulful performances that run the gamut from intimate to wall-shaking. In the studio, he’s always brought the same attention to detail and commitment to craft as he has to his live show, and the result – a multi-faceted and poignant body of work – has led him to amass over 28 million streams on Spotify and 26 million views on YouTube.

Susan Werner
2024-03-30 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Over the course of her 25-year career, Susan Werner has earned a reputation as “one of the most innovative songwriters working today” (Chicago Tribune). With formidable chops on guitar (she began playing at age five) and piano (she was a guest on NPR’s Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz), along with a graduate degree in voice performance, she puts on shows that are a one-woman master class in musicianship. Although best known as an acoustic songwriter that came up through coffeehouses and folk festivals, the Chicago-based artist has written songs in the style of Gershwin and Cole Porter (“I Can’t Be New,” 2004), gospel music (“The Gospel Truth,” 2007), traditional Cuban son (“An American In Havana,” 2016), and New Orleans junk piano (“NOLA,” 2019). In 2014 she composed the music and lyrics to the musical theater score Bull Durham, The Musical (MGM). Her songs have been recorded by Tom Jones, Michael Feinstein, and Shemekia Copeland.

The RFD Boys
2024-03-29 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.

Vance Gilbert
2024-03-28 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
“If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert”, says Richmond Magazine.
Vance was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. Starting out hoping to be an R&B and jazz singer once at college, there he discovered his affinity for the storytelling sensibilities of the acoustic singer-songwriter thing. Word spread like wildfire about Gilbert’s stage-owning singing and playing, and Shawn Colvin invited him to be special guest on her 1992 Fat City tour where he took much of America by storm and by surprise. “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god..” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Vance’s new album, “The Mother Of Trouble”, features Grammy winner Lori McKenna on background vocals, Juno award recipient and Bonnie Raitt Grammy hit song co-writer Joey Landreth on guitars, and Americana-Roots master mandolinist Joe K. Walsh.

The Ark's Open Stage
2024-03-27 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.

Stringfever
2024-03-26 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Stringfever is a group of talented musicians who have lived and breathed music since a young age. Formed in 2003, and currently composed of three siblings and their cousin, this internationally acclaimed quartet has performed 1000+ Shows in 33 countries since 2004, from private performances for the British Royal family to a packed audience at Madison Square Garden.
Stringfever’s selections range from inspiring classics to popular music; every performance engaging audiences with humor and energy.
The Ark’s Artist Spotlight Series is made possible with support from the Ford Motor Company Fund. It is presented live, and also livestreamed on The Ark’s Facebook page.
Tonight’s show is FREE (nonperishables accepted for Food Gatherers).

Jill Sobule
2024-03-25 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Jill Sobule’s work is at once deeply personal and socially conscious, seriously funny and derisively tragic. In a dozen albums spanning three decades of recording, the Denver-born songwriter/guitarist/singer has tackled such topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, shoplifting, reproduction, the French Resistance, adolescent malaise, LGBTQ issues, and the Christian Right. Her hits include “I Kissed A Girl”—the first openly gay-themed song ever to crack the Billboard Top 20—and the alt-rock anthem “Supermodel” featured in the film “Clueless”. Sobule was one half of The Jill & Julia Show, providing music while actor Julia Sweeney contributes storytelling. Jill is considered a pioneer in crowdfunding and is constantly exploring and creating new models for artists in an ever-changing music industry. Her latest record is “Nostalgia Kills”, produced by Ben Lee and released on her own Pinko Records label. Jill’s theater credits include a musical adaptation of the Broadway classic “Yentl”, “Prozak and the Platypus”, and “Times Square”. Her latest, “F*ck 7th Grade”, was postponed due to Covid, but was performed and filmed for three days at a make-shift drive-in over the Summer. The musical is a finalist for the Lambda Literary awards in LGBTQ Drama category this June.

May Erlewine with Packy Lundholm
2024-03-24 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Songwriter May Erlewine travels the Midwest in the spring, offering an intimate evening of music and togetherness. May’s songs cut right to the heart of things, creating a space to feel and to enjoy a night of music and community. Joining Erlewine on guitar, the incredibly talented, Packy Lundholm. This tender duo has traveled the world together digging deep into each performance to bring you a very uniquely heart-full experience. You can listen to their recordings on the newest EP, Knox Avenue Recordings, streaming everywhere.
Indie folk duo Frances Luke Accord opens.

Colin Hay
2024-03-24 19:00 - 23:00 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, 48067, United States
Singer-songwriter Colin Hay, most beloved for his intimate, confessional live shows is most widely known for being an influential and celebrated frontman. The range of artists who have chosen to cite him as a muse or who have found themselves on stage with him in the past year spans the genre landscape from heavy metal, to Americana, to Cuban rhythms and beyond. His inclusion as a playlist favorite from the likes of Metallica to The Lumineers reflects his continuing relevance and broad appeal.

Sing for Mother Earth
2024-03-23 20:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Located on the ancestral homelands of the Anishinaabe, the Ark is proud to partner with the University of Michigan Native American Student Association (NASA) and local singer songwriter and NASA alum Joe Reilly to host this concert in conjunction with the golden anniversary of the Ann Arbor Pow Wow.
Featuring Native American Music Award winners Keith Secola and Annie Humphrey, Joe Reilly and the Community Gardeners, and the All Nations Dancers, the concert will deliver Native folk music and pow wow dancing at its finest. You won’t want to miss this important chance to hear from some of Indian Country’s best performers and support our local Native community.
Keith Secola is an icon and ambassador of Native music. He is one of the most influential artists in the field today. Rising from the grassroots of North America, he is a songwriter of the people. Critics have dubbed him as the Native versions of both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. NDN Kars (Indian cars), his most popular song is considered the contemporary Native American anthem, achieving legendary status and earning him a well deserved cult following. In 2011, he joined the ranks of Jimmy Hendrix, Hank Williams, Crystal Gale, and Richie Valens, and was inducted into the Native Music Hall of Fame.
Growing up on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Northern Minnesota, Annie Humphrey lived in a home filled with voices made of thunder, and nothing could stop it. Her parents were brilliant people individually. Her father, a singer and musician and her mother an artist and poet. Together they made sadness. Each of her parents taught Annie the beautiful things they knew. They showed her that she carried their gifts in her hands too. This is how creating art and music came about for her. This is what saved her. This is how she lives now.
Joe Reilly is a singer, songwriter, social worker, Dharma teacher, and educator who writes songs from his heart. Joe’s songs are playful, clever, engaging, joyful, and always have something meaningful to say. Joe is thrilled to be joined by Billy King on lead guitar, Mark Stone on percussion, Lesley-Anne Stone and Jenny Jones on vocals, Chris Good on bass, and John Driscoll on drums.
The All Nations Dancers are a group of Anishinaabe dancers led by Ray Cadotte, an award-winning professional and Pow Wow dancer, who is joined by dancers representing the Three Fires of Michigan: Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi.

Alicia Witt
2024-03-22 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
“A gifted musician”
-NPR
“Her voice is gorgeous – soft but full and round… on the edge of smiles and tears…”
-BroadwayWorld.com
“…serving sharply personal, boldly melodic pop originals in the Carole King/Billy Joel vein…”
-Philadelphia Inquirer
Actor and Billboard Top 30 charting singer-songwriter Alicia Witt has played her piano-driven pop-rock music all over the world, including at the renowned Grand Ole Opry. She appeared in 2023 on Fox’s The Masked Singer, winning her first episode as Dandelion. Witt’s newest EP, Witness, came out in 2023; she released The Conduit in Fall 2021, which she co-produced, including single Chasing Shadows which spent 5 weeks on the Billboard Top 30 AC Radio chart. Previous releases include 15000 Days, produced by Grammy award-winning producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones , Dawes) and the Ben Folds produced Revisionary History, hailed by Nashville Scene as “a piano-pop gem that sounds by turns like “Grey Seal”-era Elton John ; an alt-universe Fiona Apple and a film-noir chanteuse notching her nights in cigarette burns on the fallboard.” Also known for her decades-long career as a prolific TV/film actress (beginning with David Lynch’s ‘Dune’ at the age of 7), Alicia’s music has been featured in numerous movies. Alicia was most recently seen in Netflix’s hit I Care A Lot, starring Rosamund Pike, and leading the cast of Modern Persuasion. She will next be seen in movie theaters worldwide in the feature Longlegs opposite Nicolas Cage, due out in 2024. Other credits include Orange Is The New Black, The Walking Dead, ABC’s Nashville, Two Weeks Notice, Mr Holland’s Opus, The Sopranos, Cybill, and Urban Legend.
VIP tickets include a general admission ticket to the performance and a pre-show meet & greet. Doors open for VIP ticket holders at 6:15.

Missy Raines & Allegheny
2024-03-21 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Grammy-nominated Missy Raines was recently named International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year, for the tenth time, more than any other bass player in the history of the organization. She is a bass players’ bass player, a singer, songwriter, teacher, sideman, and bandleader. Missy has also received multiple awards from the IBMA for Recorded Event of the Year and Song of the Year. In January of 2020, Missy Raines & Allegheny debuted on the Grand Ole Opry. The development of this exciting new band was held up by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re happy to have them now for their Ark debut. The band is named for the Allegheny highlands of West Virginia where Raines grew up. This band is a significant nod, and return, to Missy’s deep traditional bluegrass roots. Their music is traditional and hard-driving at its core but energized with Missy’s well-known penchant for originality and innovation. Missy Raines & Allegheny features some of the brightest young stars in bluegrass today with Tristan Scroggins on mandolin, Ellie Hakanson on fiddle, Ben Garnett on guitar, and Eli Gilbert on banjo. They come to The Ark with their new album, “Highlander,” produced by Alison Brown.

The Celtic Tenors
2024-03-20 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The only tenor group with a truly global audience, The Celtic Tenors will give you a night to remember. Whether playing a neighborhood cathedral or major concert halls in international cities like New York, Amsterdam, or Shanghai, the tenors deliver a professional, sparkling and most of all good-humored performance. They genuinely love what they do, and you’ll see that shine through in each rendition of beautiful Celtic songs, exhilarating classics, a capella pieces, and popular contemporary songs. With The Celtic Tenors, you’ll get more than a performance by world-class artists. You’ll enjoy an evening to savor and a night with tenors who despite their incredible success don’t take themselves too seriously!

Tinsley Ellis - Naked Truth Tour
2024-03-19 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
According to Atlanta-based blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Tinsley Ellis, his new, first-ever solo acoustic album, Naked Truth, is both “a departure and an arrival.” Ellis has been recording and traveling the world for over four decades, delivering his feral, guitar-fueled, original electric blues-rock to ever-growing audiences at concert halls, festivals, and clubs. Naked Truth is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. Stripped of the electric fervor that defined his previous works, Ellis’ acoustic music carries a rawness that speaks directly from his soul. The songs unveil another side of Tinsley Ellis, but one that is totally recognizable to his fans. His gruff, full-throated vocals intertwine seamlessly with the bare, acoustic arrangements, creating an album that is both timeless and immediate. No Depression says, “Ellis shines. When the tempo slows, the intensity doesn’t waver.” Blues Music Magazine states, “Tinsley Ellis is a powerful and commanding presence. His music is impossible not to enjoy.”

The Nields
2024-03-18 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Longtime fans of the Nields sisters, Nerissa and Katryna, will be delighted to find them as creative as ever on their new album, “Circle of Days,” their much-anticipated 21st album. An homage to the calendar––and really, time itself––this collection of songs is a testament to the band’s enduring creativity and unwavering commitment to their craft. During the pandemic, Nerissa and Katryna Nields took a daily walk with their beloved dogs, Greta and Hudson. The destination was a nearby lake, where Katryna would take a daily photo. Inspired by the ever-shifting seasons, they came to realize that each of Nerissa’s new songs could be intimately connected to a particular time of year, forming a musical cycle. Listeners of any age who haven’t yet encountered the Nields will be amazed by the vocal chemistry of these two sisters who have been singing together almost from the cradle, by the range of their songwriting ideas, and by their uncategorizable stylistic turns.

Dàimh
2024-03-17 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Come hear the Scots band Irish Music Magazine calls “one of the most exhilarating acoustic bands on the Celtic music map”! Dàimh (the word means “kinship” in Scots Gaelic and is pronounced “dive”) is based in Lochaber in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland; an area as much renowned for its scenic beauty as for its rich musical and cultural heritage. A long‐established favorite at folk festivals in Scotland and Ireland and across Europe, Dàimh took home Scots Trad Band of the Year honors at the Scots Traditional Music Awards, Daimh are also regulars on BBC television. Recent lineup changes have seen the introduction of Murdo “Yogi” Cameron on mandola and accordion, adding unique instrumental flavors to an already phenomenal instrumental arsenal of bagpipes, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. From pyrotechnic jigs and reels to achingly poignant ballads, Dàimh runs the full expressive gamut of folk music at its best, and is justly renowned for their thrilling live shows.

Great Lake Swimmers
2024-03-16 20:00 - 23:00 | MI
Doubt, followed by discovery. Demos that ended up as finished tracks. New beginnings, rear-view reflections, and ruminations on the fluidity of time: Great Lake Swimmers’ eighth album, “Uncertain Country,” captures these feelings and so much more.
This celebration, 11-songs long, follows a prolonged period of collective anxiety. Though recorded in different locales—and with a variety of musicians—a theme of questioning runs throughout. Even before the world turned upside down, singer-songwriter Tony Dekker felt mired in uncertainty: from the climate crisis and the ever-changing political landscape to deep shifts within the music industry. The “uncertain country” Dekker chose as the album’s theme is not a specific place. Rather, it’s a territory we, as humans, inhabit in the 21st century — a world that, more often than not, is confusing, unfamiliar and unsettling.
The long journey from there to here started more than three years ago, when Dekker took a 10-day trip to one of his favorite places: the north shore of Lake Superior. A pair of friends and collaborators: Adam CK Vollick (who filmed the experience) and Joe Lapinski (who co-produced Uncertain Country) joined him. On this immersive trip, the songwriter soaked in the beauty of the landscapes and learned the stories of the people who have inhabited them since time immemorial.

The Sea The Sea
2024-03-15 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The Sea The Sea is an upstate New York–based indie folk-pop duo-band whose debut release, “Love We Are We Love,” received praise from NPR, American Songwriter, and No Depression, among others, gathering well over a million streams on Spotify. Mountain Stage’s Larry Groce calls them “ready to take their place among the best young male/female duos now performing.” The duo has earned features by Apple Music including Best of the Week and A-List Singer/Songwriter. The Sea The Sea takes its name from the ancient Greek motto (from The Exploits of Xenophon) that also supplied the name of Iris Murdoch’s novel (which they also love). Mira Stanley, half of The Sea The Sea, is a U-M graduate who worked at Matthaei Botanical Gardens after graduating.

Paul Thorn & Steve Poltz
2024-03-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
In the Ring Together Tour
Similar backgrounds yet different paths. Paul Thorn and Steve Poltz have a 20+ year friendship and are taking it on the road and in the ring together this spring for a multi-city tour, surely to bring love, laughter and mischief along with them. Equal parts humor, poignant stories, and expert musicianship, these two storytellers with contagious smiles will put on a show that will make you laugh one minute and cry the next.

The Shootouts
2024-03-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Hailing from Akron, Ohio, The Shootouts are known for their energetic blend of honky-tonk, Americana, and Western swing. The band has been nominated for “Best Honky Tonk Group” at the 2023 and 2024 Ameripolitan Music Awards – a nomination the band was also honored with in 2020.
In 2023, The Shootouts released their third album, “Stampede,” kicking off their album release tour with their Grand Ole Opry debut. The album reached #4 On The Americana Album Chart, #1 On The Alt-Country Specialty Chart, and was named one of the “Most Anticipated Albums Of 2023” by Saving Country Music, Wide Open Country, And Glide Magazine. Produced by 10x Grammy-winner Ray Benson, lead singer of Asleep at The Wheel, “Stampede” is steeped in all things country music – an energetic fusion of Americana, honky tonk and Western swing. The album features special guest appearances from Ray Benson & Asleep at The Wheel, Marty Stuart, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, and Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks.

Charlie Parr
2024-03-10 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
In the music of Charlie Parr, there is a sincere conviction and earnest drive to create. The bluesman poet pulls closely from the sights and sounds around him, his lyrical craftsmanship built by his influences. The sounds from his working-class upbringing—including Folkways legends such as Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie—imbue Parr’s music with stylistic echoes of blues and folk icons of decades past. When Parr sings and plays his resonator or 12-string, you can hear influences like Mance Lipscomb, Charley Patton, Spider John Koerner, Rev. Gary Davis, and Dock Boggs. This is especially true in his playing, when, after a diagnosis of focal dystonia, Parr turned to greats like Davis, Doc Watson, and Booker White for two-finger picking inspiration.
Parr’s first album with Smithsonian Folkways,” Last of Better Days Ahead” (2021), foregrounded his lyrical craftsmanship and sophisticated bluesman confidence, with spare production highlighting Parr’s mastery of guitar and elevating his poetry. In his 2024 release, “Little Sun,” Parr weaves together stories celebrating music, community, and communing with nature. Putting forth an ambitious and raw album that exemplifies the best of Parr’s sound: a blend of the blues and folk traditions he continues to carry with him and the steadfast originality of a poet.
Modern folk duo Two Runner opens.

Josh Ritter
2024-03-09 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The Ark helped spread Josh Ritter’s name among Michigan audiences when he made a standout performance at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival in 2003, and we’re proud that we, along with Emmylou Harris and Paste magazine, which named Josh one of the 100 greatest living songwriters in 2006, spotted this monster talent in the making. Josh has gone on to record a dozen albums, write a book or two, tour with Jason Isbell, and play much larger halls than The Ark. So it’s very special to us to invite Josh to perform in a rare small club appearance. He’s an entrancing performer, a true master of the songwriter’s art. This is a special Works In Progress + Songs You Know solo show. Says Josh: “I’ve realized that a necessary part of working on records is finding the material that hangs together. I write A LOT of songs, and not all of them play nicely with the others. The most useful (and fun) way to find a song’s heart is to periodically play some shows where I’m able to get it all out there and see how I feel about them. I’m really looking forward to these shows for the chance to get all these songs, and some that are old friends, out on the table for a good time.”

Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket
2024-03-08 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Glen Phillips is the lead singer and main songwriter for the band Toad the Wet Sprocket, which he joined when he was only 14. In the words of James Christopher Monger, “Phillips has matured into . . . a quiet storm that dutifully blends Cat Stevens’ confident huskiness and Jackson Browne’s weary but warm observer of all things broken.” Of Glen’s album, “Swallowed by the New,” Chris Steffen of Allmusic.com writes, “Songs like ‘Leaving Old Town’ and ‘Unwritten’ explicitly describe moving beyond the past and into the unknown.” Now signed to the acoustic-oriented Compass label, Glen Phillips has evolved into one of the great folk-rock songwriters of our time, still staying true to his Toad-like roots, and The Ark is the place to hear him! Of his latest album, “There Is So Much Here.” Glen says, “I’ve seldom allowed myself to stay in one place for very long. I was lucky during the COVID lockdown to move in with my girlfriend, now fianceé, and to stay home for the longest stretch I’ve had since the birth of my daughter, 20 years ago. After a life of travel and seeking out peak experiences, I began to appreciate the subtle beauty of sitting still.”
Singer-songwriter Chris Pureka opens.

Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet
2024-03-07 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet masterfully blends rhythms, sounds, and textures from across the globe with world music–inspired original compositions. Featuring oud, violin, electric bass, synthesizer and world percussion, the Worlds Quartet is fueled by the spirit of jazz, world music and dynamic exploratory improvisation. Bassist, composer, and bandleader Dave Sharp leads the Worlds Quartet to explore music traditions from Turkey, Egypt, Ukraine, India, Bulgaria and Greece. The quartet has appeared at Ascona Jazz Switzerland, Detroit Jazz Festival, Lansing Jazz Fest, Concert of Colors Detroit, Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Bach Music Festival, Lansing Harmony Celebration Lansing, Rasa Indian Arts Festival Ann Arbor, and intimate venues such as Kerrytown Concert House, Blue LLama Jazz Club, Music Hall Jazz Cafe Detroit, UrbanBeat Events Center Lansing, and Riverfolk Music and Arts Blacksmith Shop Concert Series in Manchester.

Crys Matthews // Seth Glier
2024-03-06 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist who averages over 250 live performances annually, Seth Glier has gone from opening act to headlining his own shows and playing major festivals. He’s shared the stage with artists as diverse as James Taylor, Ani DiFranco, Edwin McCain, Martin Sexton, Emmylou Harris and Ryan Adams, and he’s known for his passionate live sets and powerful command of both piano and guitar. Seth is adept at both personal acoustic songs and big pop melodies, and his music ranges from introspective to political in songs that, Seth says, “are bound together by the awareness that our world is a fragile place that is all the more magical for it.” Of his new album, “Everything,” Seth says, “The earth speaks to us in a myriad of ways—through ice cores, through uplift and erosion, through tree rings—languages we have the potential to restore our literacy in.: Reconnecting with these quiet messages has set Seth, an avid mushroom forager and a Grammy-nominated artist from western Massachusetts, on a path of channeling nature’s longing for communion with humanity into song. His new album is a collection of eight songs inviting us to imagine a future in which humans and the planet are re-aligned into mutual restoration.
Ask about the new generation of social justice music-makers ,and Crys Matthews will be mentioned. A southeastern North Carolina native who now calls Washington, D.C., home, Crys has been compared to everyone from Toshi Reagon to Tracy Chapman and Ruthie Foster. Equally at home in an acoustic listening room as she is on stage at large music festivals, Crys quickly gathered a loyal following on the East Coast playing such prestigious venues as the Sundance Film Festival, The Birchmere, The Hamilton, and Jammin’ Java. A prolific lyricist, Crys blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and funk into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies punctuated by honest, original lyrics. “I believe in hope,” Crys says. “As a social-justice songwriter, it is my duty to keep breathing that hope and encouragement into the people who listen to my music.”

Madi Diaz
2024-03-05 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Madi Diaz has been making records and writing songs professionally since the late 2000s, but it wasn’t until she released 2021’s “History Of A Feeling” that she felt the glare of wider notoriety. It wasn’t her debut album, but it certainly felt like it. She made her daytime and nighttime television debuts, embarked on her first solo tour since 2014, supported Waxahatchee and Angel Olsen on tour, and collaborated with them on record. Harry Styles handpicked Madi to open for him in arenas and stadiums in North America, and was so taken by her captivating live show, he asked her to be a member of his touring band, to sing alongside him all over Europe and the UK, as well as continuing to open the show in various cities. After touring internationally, Madi is taking her new album, “Weird Faith,” on the road. When Madi started writing “Weird Faith,” she knew it would be bigger than a love story. She didn’t yet know that she was rendering a self-portrait, one that captures the Madi Diaz of a fleeting moment in time, hungrily alive and forever searching.

Lunasa
2024-03-04 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Lúnasa is an Irish traditional band with a rhythmic difference. Rhythm—their ingenious application of it, and their clear mastery of it—has made Lúnasa one of the most influential and innovative bands performing Irish instrumental music today. What Lúnasa has accomplished in their decade-and-a-half career has deep precedents in jazz and progressive bluegrass, and has made them unique in Celtic circles. Lúnasa welds the ancient soul of traditional instrumental Irish music to a new rhythmic framework, one which breaks down the barrier between soloist and accompanist and creates a dynamic polyphony that preserves the dignity of their sources while placing the band firmly in the modern age. From day one, the double bass of Trevor Hutchinson (formerly of The Waterboys) has been the band’s fulcrum. The presence of more young Irish bands featuring the double bass—a relative stranger to the genre—is just one example of how Lúnasa’s powerful sound has shaped and continues to shape the development of Irish music today.

John Gorka
2024-03-03 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The modern renaissance of folk music began when John Gorka won the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk award in 1984, and it grew to maturity when he released his debut album, “I Know,” three years later. Here was a singer-songwriter with a striking baritone voice that made you feel like you’d been hearing it all your life, with the songwriting chops to take on and see into nearly every type of song—from personal pieces about love and sadness, to bemused observations about daily life, political thinking-aloud, and sheer unmitigated whimsy. Almost four decades later, John still calls himself an aspiring folksinger, and his music has just kept getting deeper and better over his more than 15 critically acclaimed albums. John isn’t on the road as much as he used to be, so don’t miss this chance to catch a folk classic.

Masters of Hawaiian Music
2024-03-02 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Three masters, featured regularly at Maui’s renowned “Slack Key Show®” share the uniquely Hawaiian styles of slack key guitar and ‘ukulele, with origins in the early 19th century when Portuguese immigrants introduced the ‘ukulele to Hawai‘i and Mexican cowboys brought guitars along with their ranching knowledge. Ever since, Hawaiians have made these instruments their own.
Four-time Grammy-winner and master slack key guitarist George Kahumoku Jr., known as “Hawai‘i’s Renaissance Man,” is a vocalist, storyteller, songwriter, author, teacher, sculptor, farmer, and chef. Daniel Ho is a six-time Grammy winner. He is a multi instrumentalist with talent and versatility on ‘ukulele, slack key guitar, piano, and vocals. International star and two-time Grammy winner Tia Carrere first made her name showcasing her considerable singing and acting chops in Wayne’s World. She went on to featured roles in film and television, returning to her Hawai’i roots with her Grammy-winning albums with Daniel Ho.
