The Ark

Full Cord
2024-11-03 19:30 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
When it comes to movers and shakers in the bluegrass world, Full Cord is a super-group on the rise. After winning the prestigious 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in Colorado, the Michigan-based group followed that with another much-coveted honor when the International Bluegrass Music Association named Full Cord its “Momentum Award Band of the Year.” While mandolinist Brian Oberlin notes the band’s music “is new and fresh to the ears of seasoned bluegrass fans,” the bluegrass traditions in Full Cord have deep roots.

The group’s members – Oberlin, guitarist Eric Langejans, bassist Todd Kirchner and fiddler Grant Flick – boast decades of musical artistry, with experience in popular performing bands from Michigan to Oregon. And with the recent addition of award-winning, Colorado-based banjoist Ricky Mier, Full Cord is ready to follow in the footsteps of fellow Michigan bluegrass icons Billy Strings and Greensky Bluegrass as yet another star in the making.

Natalie & Brittany Haas with Nic Gareiss
2024-11-02 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Sisters Natalie (cello) and Brittany (fiddle) Haas began their musical lives together, filling their childhood home with Bach suites and old-time tunes alike. It was on their own, however-following divergent paths through disparate musical traditions, countries, and cultures-that they both arrived as virtuosi and composers at the highest levels of contemporary string music. Fans of acoustic music can hardly mention one without referencing the other’s work. With HAAS, these singular musicians finally record together – in duo form – for the first time. It is a collaboration a lifetime in the making, and a music encompassing travels through time and through the world From Nashville to Norway, the Celtic Isles to California, Natalie and Brittany have absorbed, adapted, and made their own world of music. The result? HAAS.
Named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” Nic Gareiss (he/they) has been hailed by the New York Times for his “dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance” and called “the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene” by the Boston Herald. Nic has earned numerous accolades including a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for traditional singer of the year and the Michigan Heritage Award, the state’s highest distinction bestowed on traditional artists. Always jubilant, often puckishly queer, Nic Gareiss has emerged as one of the most beloved and singular performers of contemporary traditional dance and music.

Shane Koyczan
2024-11-01 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Internationally recognized author and spoken word artist Shane Koyczan has emerged as a creator of poetry that dares to belong to the people and speak directly to them in their own voice. In 2013, he collaborated with animators to make the anti-bullying viral video “To This Day” which has had over 13 million views, and he performed a customized version “For the Bullied and the Beautiful” to acclaim at the 2013 International TED Conference in Long Beach, California. Shane shapes his words and delivers in multi mediums from authored, video, spoken word, operatic, and musically performed.

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Guilty Ones
2024-10-30 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
When Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore made the album Downey To Lubbock together in 2018, they wrote the title track as a sort of mission statement. “I know someday this old highway’s gonna come to an end,” Alvin sings near the song’s conclusion. Gilmore answers: “But I know when it does you’re going to be my friend.” Six years later, they’re serving notice that the old highway hasn’t ended yet. “We’re still standing, no matter what you might hear,” they sing on “We’re Still Here,” the final track to their new album Texicali. Due out Jun 21, 2024 on Yep Roc Records, Texicali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore).
The album’s geographic theme reflects Alvin’s repeated journeys to record in Central Texas with Gilmore and the Austin-based backing band that has toured with the duo for the past few years. The 11 songs on Texicali also connect the duo’s shared fondness for a broad range of American music forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s.
Gilmore is primarily known for left-of-center country music, while Alvin’s compass points largely toward old-school blues. But there’s a lot of ground to cover beyond those foundations, and both artists also are well-known for transcending genre limitations. So it’s not surprising that they’ve spiked Texicali with cosmic folk narratives, deep R&B grooves and even swinging reggae rhythms.

Trace Bundy
2024-10-27 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Internationally-acclaimed guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy must be seen, not just heard. His music is poetry in motion, using harmonics, looping, multiple capos, and his unique banter and stage presence to deliver an unforgettable live concert experience. Listening to his intricate arrangements is one thing, but seeing the fan-dubbed “Acoustic Ninja” play live confounds even the most accomplished music lovers as to how one person can do all that with just two hands and ten fingers.
Bundy’s unique career has brought him across the world, with concerts in 28 countries and counting – from high-tech performance halls in South Korea and Italy, to remote villages in Zimbabwe and Guatemala. He has independently sold over 150,000 albums on his record label, Honest Ninja Music. His video clips circulate virally at astonishing speed, with over 45 million YouTube views to date.
Dave Kirby from the Boulder Weekly says “Possessing a staggering acoustic technique, on both right and left sides, Bundy has made his reputation as a next generation solo guitarist of serious repute.”
Audiocast Magazine from Austin, TX agrees: “Bundy’s live show is without a doubt an event that needs to be witnessed rather than told about. With such a jaw-dropping performance, Bundy’s live concert is a slap in the face that would leave a palm print on the memory of everyone in the audience.”

Yasmin Williams
2024-10-26 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Based in Alexandria, VA, Yasmin Williams is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist and film composer. She has an unorthodox, modern style of guitar playing and utilizes various techniques including alternate tunings, percussive hits, and lap tapping in her music to great effect. Her “radiant sound and adventitious origins have made her a key figure in a diverse dawn for the solo guitar” (The New York Times). Williams’s music has been described as rich, harmonious, and “in a lot of ways, the joy and possibility she brings to the guitar reminds me more of Eddie Van Halen than any of the other fingerstyle guitarists to whom she’s compared” (NPR Music).
Her latest album, Urban Driftwood, has received critical acclaim from numerous major publications including The New York Times, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, NPR Music, The Fader, Wallstreet Journal, AllMusic, Paste Magazine, No Depression, and several other outlets. She was listed as one of the “25 New and Rising Artists Shaping the Future of Music in 2023” by Pitchfork. Most recently, Williams signed to Nonesuch Records and released a new single, titled Dawning, featuring Aoife O’Donovan on vocals, Kafari on rhythm bones, and Nic Gareiss on flat foot percussion.

Steve Poltz
2024-10-25 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Steve Poltz is not normal. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but has lived most of his life in southern California, and those geographic poles are quite likely responsible for his unhinged genius. With a cult following that includes fellow musicians, regular folks and festival goers who stumble onto his performances, there’s no common denominator to Steve’s fans. Steve toured and recorded with San Diego cult favorites The Rugburns (they still play annual sold-out reunion shows). But it was through his creative partnership with Jewel that he vaulted into the national spotlight; co-writing her multiplatinum Billboard Hot 100-busting smash, “You Were Meant For Me,” and continues to work with her to this day.
Over the years, Steve has built a fascinating solo catalog. No Depression crowned him, “A sardonic provocateur with a lighthearted acoustic-driven wit, suggesting at times a sunnier, less psychedelic Todd Snider, or maybe a less wan, washed Jackson Brown.” Among other collaborations, GRAMMY-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings tapped him to co-write “Leaders” on 2021’s Renewal and he’s co-written with Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood and even Mojo Nixon.
Steve’s newest album is Stardust & Satellites, produced by Oliver Wood and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers.

Sixpence None The Richer
2024-10-24 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Sixpence None the Richer began taking shape in New Braunfels, Texas in the early ‘90s, when guitarist Matt Slocum met vocalist Leigh Nash at a church retreat. The group recorded a demo before eventually signing with R.E.X. Records. Their debut LP, The Fatherless & the Widow, appeared in 1993 and their sophomore effort, 1995’s This Beautiful Mess won a Dove Award and was followed by the Tickets for a Prayer Wheel EP.
In 1997, Sixpence None the Richer released their self-titled album and two years later exploded globally when the track “Kiss Me”, from that album, was released as a single. The song has been featured in countless movies and TV shows and catapulted Sixpence None the Richer’s starpower into the mainstream, earning airplay in more than ten different countries.
Accolades continued as the band’s rendition of the La’s “There She Goes” also became a major hit. In fall 2002, Sixpence None the Richer returned to form with Divine Discontent. The band’s cover of the Crowded House classic “Don’t Dream It’s Over” pushed Sixpence None the Richer’s name back into the charts in early 2003. Although the group quietly disbanded in 2004, they remained active as individuals and continued to release music periodically, including the albums Dawn of Grace and Lost in Transition.
Fast forward to 2024 and all-original members (Leigh Nash, Matt Slocum, Dale Baker, and Justin Cary) have reunited and are writing and recording new music and preparing for a world tour. As a taste of the new music, you can hear “The Tide” released in late 2023 as Leigh Nash + Sixpence None The Richer, which has already amassed over 2 Million views and streams across platforms. Curb Records is also celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the band’s self-titled (Kiss Me) album by re-releasing it in a collectible vinyl series that also features the new track, “The Tide”.
Sixpence None The Richer has helped shape the musical landscape across generations and are gearing up for an exciting road ahead.

Both Sides Now: The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen
2024-10-23 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
“Two singer-songwriters sit on the edge of a cliff . . .”
With these words, we are drawn into the world of Both Sides Now, a theatrical concert that explores the music and lives of long-time friends and one-time lovers, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Created by, and starring Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, the cabaret-style performance travels decades alongside songs such as A Case of You, Hallelujah, Big Yellow Taxi, Suzanne, and many more. Both Sides Now is at once a piece of the 60’s and 70’s, and of right now–offering us a story about the messiness of being human, of lives persistently lived at the edge of growth, and of finding the courage to turn toward one another, again and again.

David Cross
2024-10-23 19:30 - 23:00 | Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Emmy Award winner and two-time Grammy Award nominee, David Cross is an inventive performer, writer, and producer on stage and screen. David’s eighth stand-up special, David Cross: Worst Daddy In The World, is available on the 800 Pound Gorilla Media YouTube channel, and he will join the cast of the Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy, for their fourth and final season premiering August 8.
David hosts the new podcast, Senses Working Overtime With David Cross, which premiered on December 7, 2023 with new episodes released on Thursdays available on all audio platforms and video available on David’s YouTube page.
In 2023, David was seen in the Julia Louis-Dreyfus film, You Hurt My Feelings, and the FX series, Justified: City Primeval. In 2021, Cross starred in the National Geographic series, Genius: Aretha, portraying famed music producer, Jerry Wexler opposite Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin; he made guest appearances in the, critically-acclaimed HBO Max miniseries, Station Eleven; and starred in the HBO Max film, 8-Bit Christmas.
On February 12, 2022, David premiered his comedy special, David Cross: I’m From The Future, as a livestream event available internationally on his website. David’s 2019 comedy special, David Cross: Oh Come On, is available on Amazon Prime and Peacock.
David was nominated for two Grammy Awards for the albums, …America…Great, and Shut Up You F***ing Baby, and his comedy special, David Cross: The Pride is Back, was named one of the 25 best stand-up comedy specials and concert films of all time by Rolling Stone in July 2015.
Other groundbreaking TV credits include Arrested Development, Goliath, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Freak Show, and The Ben Stiller Show. In 2020, David received rave reviews for his starring role in the dramatic film, The Dark Divide, and in 2018, he was part of the ensemble cast with Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in Steven Spielberg’s The Post. David released the indie film Hits, which he wrote and directed, and he has appeared in numerous films including Kill Your Darlings, It’s a Disaster, Abel, Year One, Waiting for Guffman, Men in Black and Men in Black II, Ghost World, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Pitch Perfect 2, I’m Not There, and he provided his vocal talents for several animated films, including Megamind, the Kung Fu Panda franchise and Curious George.

José González
2024-10-23 19:00 - 23:00 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, 48067, United States
José González is in a class by himself. Hailed by Rolling Stone as “someone whose subtle, carefully crafted music delivers rewards to listeners who know how to wait,” González’s stellar career can only be described as a dream. From selling out tours on virtually every continent to headlining prestigious festivals around the world to being asked to perform at 2020’s Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and seeing his recorded music exceed 1 billion streams, González is one of the most exciting and in-demand touring artists working today. Whether appearing alone with his guitar or with a 20-piece orchestra, or with his band The Brite Lites, or choosing between duo and trio formats, his performances are never merely shows – they are events. And González has every intention of continuing this tradition as he prepares his fully solo tour in support of the eagerly awaited release of his fourth studio album, LOCAL VALLEY.
The visionary singer-songwriter/guitarist’s long-awaited album, and first to contain songs in all of the languages he speaks (English, Spanish and Swedish), LOCAL VALLEY provides a welcome reminder of the Gothenburg, Sweden-based artist’s understated appeal and unabashed intimacy, a quality Billboard praised as “one of the most recognizable sounds in indie rock.” The album finds González once again armed with just a handful of nylon-stringed Spanish guitars, yet this time, technology did creep into the proceedings.
“I allowed myself to loop guitars as I aim to do live with pedals,” González says, “and in my head I was hearing how each track would fit with an orchestra (The String Theory) or my five-piece band (The Brite Lites), with whom I’ve been touring on and off the last decade.”
Four albums in, LOCAL VALLEY finds Jose González, in the words of his new song, “Visions,” still “imagining the worlds that could be/Shaping a mosaic of fates/For all sentient beings.” With LOCAL VALLEY, Jose González once again proves that music doesn’t need to be loud to be heard.

Pete Muller
2024-10-22 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Pete Muller has spent much of his adult life walking a tightrope between two vastly different worlds.
“One part of me is a very practical, analytical thinker,” says the gifted singer/songwriter and innovative business leader, “and the other is this creative artist who can’t help but express what’s going on in his soul. For a long time, I thought I had to choose between the two, but I’ve realized that I can love both sides of myself, that it’s AND, not OR.”
More Time, Muller’s captivating new album, is proof of that. Recorded in Memphis with producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price) and featuring a duet with Lisa Loeb, the collection marks a dramatic leap forward for Muller, who finds himself exploring the push and pull of responsibility and desire, predictability and adventure, commitment, and temptation. Where Muller’s previous work leaned more towards carefully arranged folk and roots, More Time is a freewheeling slice of rock and soul captured with an all-star band including celebrated bassist Dave Smith (Al Green, Wilson Pickett), famed Texas guitarist Will Sexton (Joe Ely, Roky Erickson), Memphis organist Rick Steff (Lucero, Cat Power), and longtime Wilco drummer Ken Coomer. The result is an ecstatic exploration of what it means to be human in all its messy, mixed-up contradictions, a sometimes-exultant, sometimes-pensive meditation that embraces AND over OR as it revels in the joy of discovering—and becoming—the people we’re meant to be.
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).

Noah Gundersen with Abby Gundersen
2024-10-20 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Marking the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed album, Ledges, Noah Gundersen will play intimate, stripped-back shows with his sister Abby Gundersen playing fiddle.
It’s a strange thing to have a living artifact of your younger self. To observe the manifestations of a younger you’s inner life. To be honest, it’s often cringy and anxiety inducing. With the benefit of hindsight, our shortsightedness and misplaced fears and hopes seem so obvious.
As I look back, ten years later, to the person I was when I made Ledges, I see a young man full of ambition and naivety, desperate for validation and a sense of belonging. I see a boy with a singular vision and a hell of a lot to learn.
They say you have your whole life to make your first record and 18 months to make your second. Although Ledges isn’t technically my first album, for all intents and purposes, it feels like it. It was the one I spent years writing. Some songs were written on a mattress on the floor of a rented room I shared with a friend, in a run down old house I moved into when I left my folks place at 17. Some I wrote in my first apartment in Seattle. One was written in the early hours of the morning, waking up on a friend’s couch to a simple, beautiful piano arrangement Abby wrote. One, after the unexpected heroin overdose that resulted in the death of a friend. Another, after briefly reigniting an old flame, only to watch it quickly burn out.
Everything was new back then. The colors were brighter, the highs higher, the lows lower. Falling in love felt like the first time. Heartbreak felt like the end of the world. Ideas felt important and the future was a big, empty canvas.
There’s a lot of self importance in all of this and ultimately this is just some record that some kid made. But to that kid this record felt like his whole world. And like all records, it’s a little snapshot in time. And how lucky we are to have snapshots, photographs of moments and memories that ground us in the reality we’ve lived.
I don’t want to live in the past. But I’m grateful for this marker of how it once was. A little simpler, a little cleaner, a whole lot of potential. And maybe that’s a reminder that I’m living in that potential, right now. This is the future I imagined and hoped for. This is the person I am now. And it’s nice to be able to look back and see how far I’ve come. And if you found this record 10 years ago, I hope you can listen back with the same gentle hindsight.
VIP ticket includes:

One General Admission ticket
Pre-show acoustic performance (requests allowed!)
Opportunity for Q&A with Noah
Autographed setlist
Exclusive tour poster, signed by Noah
Commemorative VIP laminate
Early entry to the venue

Carbon Leaf
2024-10-19 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A touring mainstay and an indie folk rock staple, this Virginia quintet’s well-hewn live show and musical style drift in and out of Americana, bluegrass, rock, folk, Celtic and pop traditions with ease, using an arsenal of instruments to define the band’s lively stage presence and sonic landscape.

Ana Popovic
2024-10-18 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ana Popovic, the award-winning, hard-touring, guitar slinger, blends smoking electric funk and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and a tight blues groove with soulful, feminine vocals. Add to the mix her incredible stage presence, which makes her an irresistible force in the world of contemporary blues music.
Ana’s latest studio album, “Power,” made it to #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Her albums “Can You Stand The Heat” and “Unconditional” were Pick-Of-The-Week by USA Today and featured on NPR Music. She has been nominated for seven Blues Music Awards, and was the only female guitar player in the Experience Hendrix tour with Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Neko Case Fall Tour 2024
2024-10-18 19:00 - 23:00 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, 48067, United States
Is there another songwriter so fearless and inventive? Bending decades of pop music into new shapes, Neko Case wields her voice like a kiss and her metaphors like a baseball bat. She has cast the fishing net of her career wide—from Seattle and Vancouver to Chicago and Stockholm, setting up her home base on a farm in New England.

Gathering power year after year, Neko sings with the fierce abandon of a newborn infant crying in a basket in the woods. Since escaping the labels of country and Americana, the gorgeous train-whistle vocals of her early career sit submerged in her later style, where their ghost can appear any minute. When her voice jumps an octave, it’s almost visible, like sparks at night. “I never knew where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do with my voice,” she says, “but I just wanted to do it so bad.”

With a career spanning over twenty years, she has famously collaborated with The New Pornographers and Case/Lang/Veirs in addition to releasing many critically acclaimed solo albums, including ‘Fox Confessor Brings The Flood’, ‘Middle Cyclone’ and most recently 2018’s ‘Hell-On’ in addition to the career-spanning retrospective ‘Wild Creatures’ that was released in 2022. She also writes weekly pieces for her popular Substack ‘Entering The Lung’, where she ruminates on the nature near her rural home, life on tour, her pets, and anything else that comes to mind.

Neko is doing it on her own terms, but the legacy she’s building is one that can stand up to music made by any other solo artist in her lifetime. Don’t look away; you never know what might happen. “I’m just trying,” she says, “to be myself as hard as I can.”

Donovan Woods
2024-10-16 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Since he released his first album a decade ago, singer-songwriter Donovan Woods’ blend of folk, country and pop has resonated with audiences all over the world.
Throughout his distinguished career, Donovan Woods has built a devoted following who cling to the acclaimed songwriter’s every word. Never one to mince words, Woods is one of music’s most vulnerable storytellers and on his forthcoming studio album, Donovan takes that a step further. Honest and unflinching, on Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now, his upcoming seventh studio album, Woods takes a long look inside and isn’t necessarily thrilled with what he sees. For an artist who isn’t afraid to bear his soul, this is as emotionally gritty as he has ever been.
Long known as a masterful storyteller, Woods is at his absolute best on Things Were Never Good If They’re Not Good Now. Across the album’s 12 sparse, intimate songs, Woods finds himself reflecting on the ups and downs he has been through since 2020. His writing allowed him to open up and address the complexities of life that he has been going through.
Donovan Woods has partnered with PLUS1 to donate $1 from every ticket to MusiCares: music’s leading national charity that provides a safety net in times of need, and supports the overall health and well-being of the music community.

Oliver Hazard
2024-10-15 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The story of Waterville, OH indie-folk trio Oliver Hazard – ​​Michael Belazis (vocals, guitar) and Devin East (vocals, guitar), joined by Nate Miner (keys, vocals) – is the digital age’s version of classic band mythmaking. One member of the band came home to Ohio after leading camping trips in California and decided to make an album with two childhood friends. They won a Facebook raffle to record one song at a studio. Instead, they played their whole album straight through once, resulting in their debut LP 34 N River (2018). The Fader called the album a “folk-pop masterpiece” and the band was booked at Bonnaroo and Mountain Jam shortly thereafter. In 2019, the band released their 6 track EP, The Flood, which Billboard called a “souvenir.” This brings the band to their sophomore, self-titled album (July 2023), featuring music from the band’s recent Northern Lights EP, plus five additional songs.

Frances Luke Accord
2024-10-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
When Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers put their songs and voices together, there is a delicate magic that commands the room to attention. The duo is known as Frances Luke Accord, and their soft, contemplative vintage indie-folk gestures toward a timelessness that honors the Simon & Garfunkel comparisons but pushes beyond into the world of Bon Iver, Jose Gonzalez, and progressive folk music.
Both raised in South Bend, IN, Gunty and Powers met and began performing together during their time at the University of Notre Dame. Their first release, Kandote, was a bold intercultural collaboration with the Barefoot Truth Children’s Choir in Uganda, a not-for-profit effort which continues to support the choir to this day. Relocating to Chicago in 2013, the duo honed their songwriting craft while releasing two more self-produced EPs, laying the groundwork for their breakthrough debut full-length, “Fluke,” in 2016. This immersive, philosophically rich album set them off on their first national tour, which included support dates with Darlingside, Anaïs Mitchell, and The Ballroom Thieves.
The duo released, “Sunnyside EP” in 2021 which offered a glimpse into the body of work Frances Luke Accord had been developing during the Covid pandemic. Their long-awaited sophomore LP “Safe in Sound” arrived in 2023. They look forward to sharing it with audiences in 2024!

Lady Lamb
2024-10-11 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
From her early days, staying late after-hours at her video rental store job in Maine to record songs, to co-producing and arranging her four studio records, Aly Spaltro has remained focused on music that connects, empowers and builds community. She built her fanship the old-fashioned way, getting in front of audiences and projecting her poetic confessionals, silencing rowdy crowds with an a cappella opening song in the center of a dark stage. Spaltro was quick to develop a reputation as a breakout star in New England, and then expanded slowly outwards, moving to New York at twenty to continue work on the songs that would become Ripely Pine. Her voice has never wavered, has grown more honest and open with time, and anyone witnessing the long lines of fans seeking signatures after her performances can see how her work has impacted fans. Her live shows are revelations, a further deep dive into what makes Ripely Pine such a mainstay.
Spaltro is celebrating ten years of Ripely Pine with the release of a 5xLP Box Set, IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT out August 18 on Ba Da Bing Records. With the original songs remastered, as well as reams of additional material produced and arranged by Spaltro and mixed by original co- producer Nadim Issa, IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT captures the time, mood, art and ambition of Aly Spaltro in her early twenties, who had already accumulated years of playing and self-recording experience before laying down tracks for this giant of a debut.
“I wrote some of these songs when I was 18, learning how to play the instruments and record with my digital 8-track along the way,” Spaltro says, reflecting on the time. She talks about IN THE MAMMOTH NOTHING OF THE NIGHT with a sense of a mission. “These tracks have haunted me, because they haven’t had a home for all these years. I found all these alternate track listings in my notebooks. Any of them could have ended up on the record,” Spaltro says. “This box set is a way to honor that whole time, the beginning of the path of my life. Releasing this project feels like just that; I’m able to look back on where I’ve come from, and then gently close that door behind me and keep moving, keep growing.”

Billy Bragg
2024-10-10 19:30 - 23:00 | The Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Michigan, 48201, United States
The Roaring Forty USA Tour 2024
In 2023 Billy Bragg kicked off a celebration of a remarkable 40 years as Britain’s favourite folk singer, songwriter and campaigner. To mark this significant landmark, he has released an acclaimed career-spanning box set ‘The Roaring Forty’ and has played to sell-out crowds across the world. In November he performed his most famous song ‘A New England’ on Later With Jools Holland almost exactly 40 years to the day that he debuted the song on The Tube (also presented by one Jools Holland!).
Galvanised in the late 70s by The Clash and an aversion to the austere policies of Margaret Thatcher, Billy set out to inspire political engagement and empathy. He has performed numerous benefit shows for the miners, the Labour party, CND, the jobless and many more, and has run the Left Field political stage at Glastonbury for the last 20 years.
Billy has released 11 solo studio albums, three albums of Woody Guthrie lyrics set to contemporary music by Billy and Wilco (the Mermaid Avenue albums) and one album with Joe Henry. He released a mini album Bridges Not Walls in 2017. His latest studio album, the acclaimed ‘The Million Things That Never Happened’ came out in 2021.
Billy Bragg added best-selling author to his CV with the success of his acclaimed 2017 book Roots, Radicals & Rockers – How Skiffle Changed The World. He has written two books of political analysis – The Progressive Patriot: A Search For Belonging (2006) and The Three Dimensions of Freedom (2019).
Billy won the Outstanding Contribution To British Music Award at the prestigious Ivors Awards in 2018. Born and raised in Barking, East London, Billy has a street named after him in his home town – Bragg Close. This year Billy has been honoured with a pavement plaque on the Camden Music Walk Of Fame (previous recipients include Madness, Amy Winehouse, The Who, David Bowie, and The Kinks)

Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball (of Gomez)
2024-10-08 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ian Ball and Ben Ottewell of the British band Gomez are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their sophomore album, “Liquid Skin,” with a US tour this fall.
Gomez, known for their eclectic blend of rock, blues, and experimental sounds, achieved significant acclaim with “Liquid Skin,” following their Mercury Prize-winning debut, “Bring It On.” The anniversary tour will feature performances of tracks from “Liquid Skin,” along with other fan favorites and possibly some new material.
The tour promises an intimate experience as Ball and Ottewell perform as a duo, supported by the special guest artist, Buddy. This setup aims to highlight the unique vocal interplay and songwriting prowess that have defined Gomez’s music over the years.

Joan Osborne and Joshua Radin
2024-10-07 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Since she broke through 25 years ago with the multi-platinum Relish and its touchstone mega-smash “One of Us,” seven-time Grammy nominee Joan Osborne has never played it safe. Osborne has followed her restless musical heart, exploring a diverse range of genres: pop rock, soul, R&B, blues, roots rock, gospel, funk, and country. She comes to The Ark with a new album, Nobody Owns You.
Joshua Radin emerged in 2004 as an empathetic and engaging troubadour. He’s tallied north of 1 billion streams, moved 1 million-plus albums worldwide, and scored a gold certification for the single “I’d Rather Be With You.” In addition to multiple showstopping appearances on Ellen (who also enlisted him to perform at her wedding) and Today Show, and performances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, and Conan, he contributed “Brand New Day” to a commercial in support of the troops at the request of First Ladies Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. Not to mention, he’s a staunch philanthropist who supports Little Kids Rock and North Shore Animal League America (NSALA), among others.

Jackopierce
2024-10-06 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce, the “Jack O: and “Pierce: who make up the seminal duo Jackopierce, are celebrating 30 years of making music that has amasses a loyal following of millions of fans across the country and the world with a super high-energy live show and that the Dallas Morning News has called “spotless harmonies.”
Having just released their first studio project ‘Feel This Good’ in 5 years, Jackopierce is poised and ready to get back on the road full-time.
Jackopierce formed in 1988 in Dallas as theater students at SMU. They released ten studio albums, toured three continents, nine countries, and 45 states. After a five-year breakup, the guys reunited in 2002 to test out the waters. They were very warm, and Jack & Cary got back out there to play for grateful fans that thought they would never see them again. The two now have a totally renewed creative vigor, mutual respect and deep gratitude for their fans.

Willy Porter
2024-10-04 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Some folks are lucky to find what they love to do at an early age and quietly settle in for the long haul expanding and developing their work over the arc of a lifetime. Willy Porter is one of those artists. He has followed his own path to explore the sacred language that music truly is. 30 years after his solo recording debut, he continues to reach further into his guitar & pen while stretching the form of what his own music can be. He recently released his 13th full length album, The Ravine, in 2023.

Joshua Redman Quartet feat. Gabrielle Cavassa | Where Are We
2024-10-03 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and respected jazz artists to have emerged in our generation. His latest project, Where Are We, marks the first time that Joshua has included a vocalist (Gabrielle Cavassa) on a record, and features Aaron Parks on piano, Joe Sanders on bass, and Brian Blade on drums; with special guests Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Peter Bernstein (guitar), and Joel Ross (vibes). Joshua notes that “the surface concept of WHERE ARE WE is rather simple: each of the songs on the album is about, or at least makes reference to, a specific geographical location (city or state or region) in the United States: Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia,” Count Basie’s “Going To Chicago,” Rodgers & Hart’s “Manhattan” and John Coltrane’s Alabama,” etc etc… So, on one level, this is an album “about” America — at once a celebration and a critique. But it is also, to varying degrees, a ballads album, a standards album, an album of romantic longing, an album of social reflection, an album of melodic invention, an album of improvisational adventure, an album of mashups (stylistic and titular), perhaps even a tribute album of sorts.”
Conceived and planned during the pandemic lockdown, states Joshua, “it was a dream come true to finally have a chance to connect Aaron, Joe, and Brian — 3 of the most sublimely lyrical and deeply grooving musicians on the planet, who, somehow, had never before played together as a rhythm section. And it was a transformative experience to collaborate with Gabrielle — a vocalist of uncommon style, sincerity, and soul. This was my first time ever recording with a singer on one of my own projects, and I relished the challenge of discovering and inhabiting new musical roles for myself — not only as a featured soloist and “lead” but also as a supportive accompanist and interlocutor. The magic of this particular gathering of musicians was that we were able to come together from points afar, to converge (physically and creatively) in a particular place at a particular time, and to embrace, with the fullest imagination and without the slightest reservation, the ethic of “serving the songs.” In this sense, WHERE ARE WE is perhaps above all, a meditation on the power and importance of place — the unique human beauty created when we locate ourselves in shared physical spaces together with others; the loss, anomie, and angst suffered when we divide ourselves unnaturally and unjustly apart.”
This concert is sponsored by the A2 JAZZ FEST. Learn about the A2 JAZZ FEST here: https://a2jazzfest.com/

Dwight Yoakam
2024-10-03 19:00 - 23:00 | The Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Michigan, 48201, United States
Dwight Yoakam has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, and he is a 21-time nominated, multiple GRAMMY Award winner. He has 12 gold albums and 9 platinum or multi-platinum albums, with five of those albums topping Billboard’s Country Albums chart and another 14 landing in the Top 10. Nearly 40 of Yoakam’s singles have charted on Billboard, with 14 peaking in the Top 10. Yoakam is a recipient of the Artist of the Year award from the Americana Music Association, and BMI Country Music’s President’s Award, the most prestigious award offered by the organizations. He was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in the Songwriter/Artist category at the 49th anniversary Gala in 2019 in Nashville, TN.
Yoakam’s self-curated SiriusXM channel, titled Dwight Yoakam and The Bakersfield Beat ‘Where Country Went Mod’ launched in April of 2018. The channel celebrates the Bakersfield sound and those whom it has inspired. Guests have boasted the likes of Post Malone, Lukas Nelson, Beck, Chris Hillman, Jakob Dylan, Mike Nesmith and Mickey Dolans, Dave Alvin, and Jackie DeShannon, among others.
In 2016, Yoakam released his bluegrass album Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars… on Sugar Hill Records. Featuring a band of bluegrass luminaries, this album boasts a collection of reinterpreted favorites from his catalogue, as well as a cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”. Produced by nine-time GRAMMY winner Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton), Jon Randall (songwriter of “Whiskey Lullaby”), and Yoakam himself, and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, this album reflects the love for bluegrass music that Yoakam developed at an early age in Kentucky and that has inspired him for many years thereafter. In 2018, Yoakam released two songs, “Pretty Horses” and “Then Came Monday” (the latter written with Chris Stapleton).
In addition to his musical career, Yoakam is a formidable film and television actor who has appeared in over 40 feature films, including Sling Blade and Panic Room. In 2016, he recurred in David E. Kelley’s Amazon series Goliath. Recently, he appeared in director Steven Soderbergh’s film Logan Lucky with Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig. Yoakam is capable of seamlessly melting into his roles and impressively standing toe-to-toe with some of the world’s top thespians over the course of his storied and successful acting career, including Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker and Matthew McConaughey.

Shawn Mullins
2024-10-02 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
After a series of indie releases and growing buzz in the Atlanta music scene, Shawn Mullins’ critical and commercial breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core shot him to fame on the strength of Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby” followed by AAA/Americana No. 1 hit “Beautiful Wreck” from 2006’s 9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor. His song, “Shimmer” was used in promotion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. His co-write “All in My Head” from 2008’s Honeydew was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom “Scrubs.” Mullins also co-wrote the Zac Brown Band’s No. 1 country tune “Toes.” In early 2002, he formed supergroup The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge. “No Blue Sky” from the resulting album, is a modern day classic.
For the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough album, Shawn revisited the music of Soul’s Core by recording two new versions of the album. He calls this Soul’s Core Revival. This is not a remix or a remaster of the original, but rather brand new recordings with new arrangements of the songs – one album is stripped down solo performances, some on guitar, some on piano and maybe one a cappella and the second is a new studio recording with his full band, Soul Carnival.

Tom Paxton and The DonJuans
2024-10-01 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and folk icon Tom Paxton is back, and he’s teaming up with the Grammy-winning Nashville singer/songwriter duo The DonJuans—Don Henry & Jon Vezner. Collectively, their songs have been covered by: Harry Belafonte, John Mellencamp, Miranda Lambert, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, Nanci Griffith, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, Kathy Mattea, John Denver, Faith Hill, B.J. Thomas, Blake Shelton, Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan … just to name a few! Within days of writing and playing together, the trio knew they were onto something, and they soon took it on the road. Ever since the days of Porter & Dolly’s cover of “The Last Thing on My Mind,” the songs of Tom Paxton have had a special resonance with Nashville songwriters, and now the tradition continues!

Dean Owens
2024-09-30 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Dean Owens is an adventurous, award winning troubadour and a natural wanderer. His nine acclaimed solo albums, mostly recorded in the US, have seen him collaborate with some of the most respected musicians and producers around (including Al Perkins, Will Kimbrough, Neilson Hubbard, Grant-Lee Phillips and most recently, Gaby Moreno and Latin rock legends, Calexico).
Dean’s music has been described as a unique blend of Scottish roots and Americana, but in truth it’s hard to pin down to a single genre. With each album he has pushed his own boundaries, constantly exploring, as his travels have taken him from Scotland’s post industrial heartlands to Nashville, New York, and the panoramic vistas of the US deserts. Dean is a consummate live performer, with a searingly soulful voice and a wealth of stories, earworm inducing melodies and songs; the heart of a rock n roller and the spellbinding delivery of folk’s best storytellers.
