The Ark

Geneviève Racette
2023-11-28 20:00 - 23:00 (America/New_York) | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Quebec folk-pop musician Geneviève Racette has captivated listeners with her gentle, yet compelling, emotional resonance, and garnered impressive industry support for her folk-pop tracks ever since her first EP in 2014. Through her vulnerable lyricism and ethereal vocals, Geneviève has emerged as a rising star in both French and English-speaking Canadian music scenes. The trajectory for Geneviève’s career has been on a tremendous incline since her album “No Water, No Flowers” catapulted her from Quebec recognition to national praise, including a Canadian Folk Music Award, performing on stage with City and Colour, rave reviews from media, music publications and blogs, and tracking on multiple radio stations right across Canada. As a woman in music, it is essential to Geneviève that she surrounds herself with like-minded females in the industry. She is proud that over half her team involved in the creation of her latest album, “Satellite,” are female musicians and members of the industry. Come and hear a songwriter that a lot of people are soon going to be talking about south of the border!
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.
This is a FREE show. Nonperishables accepted for Food Gatherers.
Additional support provided by Québec Government Office in Chicago

The Ark Annual Membership Meeting
2023-11-27 18:30 - 23:00 | MI
Become a Member
The Ark will hold the Annual Meeting of its Members on Monday, November 27 at 6:30 pm. This year’s Annual Meeting will be held virtually by Zoom. At this meeting, the Membership will hear about the current state of The Ark and conduct any membership-related business that may come before the group.
All current Annual Members and anyone who has become an Introductory Member since September 1, 2022 are eligible to attend. You must pre-register by email to receive a link to attend the meeting. An invitation will be sent in mid November to all eligible members who provided us with an email address and permission to use it.
If you do not receive an email invitation by November 20, 2023, and would like to attend, please contact Annual Giving Manager Tom Stoll at tom@theark.org.

Crash Test Dummies
2023-11-26 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
In November the Crash Test Dummies will bring their never-before-toured holiday release to Canadian and American audiences.
The record, released in 2002 and recorded at the world famous “The Magic Shop” in New York City was best described by prominent American journalist Maron Keller.
“There’s more than a bit of delightful holiday camp and irony afoot in the Crash Test Dummies’ Jingle All the Way collection, from Brad Roberts’ slow-mo delivery of “White Christmas”–with its heavy Hammond Organ–to Ellen Reid’s Patsy Cline take of “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” done in a convincing country-western style complete with pedal steel guitar. Still, there’s serious business in the group’s take on “We Three Kings” with the genuine Oriental influence of Ming Xioo-Fen’s pipa playing, and Reid’s readings of the traditional songs “The Huron Carol” and “In The Bleak Midwinter” are as reverent as standard Christmas songs get. Roberts’ basso profoundo, on the other hand, is an acquired taste and he puts it to wickedly good use in “Jingle Bells,” which is delivered like a medieval chant or rugby cry that’s certain to put the fear in jolly old St. Nick.” The dynamic and engaging stage show will feature original members Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge who will be joined as always by Stuart Cameron and relative newcomer, Leith Fleming-Smith, delivering songs from Jingle All The Way along with some of the bands greatest hits!
“Jingle All The Way” will be available on vinyl for the first time and will be made available on streaming services.

Gemini
2023-11-26 13:00 - 14:30 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Gemini is the much-loved duo of Sandor and Laszlo Slomovits. They’ve been performing since 1973 and are now playing music for the third—or is it fourth?—generation of young fans and families. They write and perform acoustic music for children and families, celebrating with their audiences the warmth, fun, and joy of family life. A Gemini concert is a kinetic event, filled with rousing singalongs, hand motion tunes, folk tales, and music from around the world. “If the Pied Piper had been twins, chances are he would have been Gemini,” says the Detroit News. Since 1979 San and Laz have released numerous recordings for adults and children and families. These recordings have won a number of awards including ones from Parents’ Choice Magazine, the American Library Association, the National Parenting Publications (NAPPA), and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. This is Gemini’s first live show at The Ark since the pandemic, and it features Brian Brill on piano. The concert benefits Mott Children’s Hospital.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, with this concert Gemini will also be supporting https://www.foodgatherers.org/. Feel free to bring non-perishable food items to donate, as well as personal care items and household supplies like paper towels, diapers and cleaning products. And thank you!

Mr. B "B-10" Band
2023-11-25 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Born in Flint and a true Michigan institution, Mr. B (Mark Braun) is a rare living link to the early days of boogie woogie, having learned directly from legends like Little Brother Montgomery and Blind John Davis. He plays in concert halls, he plays outdoors, he’s even played on a piano he towed by swimming out to Mackinac Island, but wherever you heard him, it’s an exciting show. Each year Mr. B stops in at The Ark for a Thanksgiving weekend concert, and it always brings something new—this year, Mr. B is bringing a 10 piece little-big band. He is bringing in musicians from around southeast Michigan and beyond for a boogie and jazz blowout to kick off the holiday season with a big dose of boogie woogie joy. You may think every town has a Mr. B, but you would be very, very wrong.

Matt Watroba
2023-11-24 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
What could be better than to kick off the holiday season with a Michigan folk music institution? Matt Watroba, longtime radio host and a Detroit Music Awards winner as Best Overall Folk Performer, is the kind of guy who makes friends easily: not only is he on a first-name basis with most of the major folk musicians in North America after several decades of sharing stages with them, but he also has the kind of rapport with audiences that makes them feel as if they’re sitting among friends in a living room. We think a Matt Watroba concert makes a great November tradition. Matt’s previous Thanksgiving shows have brought great special guests, so stay tuned!

Voices: featuring Kyler Wilkins | Ki5 & Magenta Moody
2023-11-21 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ann Arbor’s electrifying musical maestro, Kyler Wilkins, is back for his triumphant third appearance on the Ark stage! But this time, he’s not just bringing you music – he’s taking you on an exhilarating journey through the sonic universe like never before.
Prepare to be spellbound as Kyler, the mastermind behind the mesmerizing loop station magic of Ki5, reimagines your favorite R&B, pop, and soul hits with the finesse of an a cappella virtuoso. His music isn’t just a performance; it’s a soul-stirring experience that transcends genres and defies expectations.
Drawing inspiration from musical luminaries like Reggie Watts, Bobby McFerrin, and Bon Iver, Kyler’s authentic, empathetic, and liberating style is nothing short of transformative. His artistry has catapulted him to the spotlight, sharing stages with legends such as Erykah Badu, CeCe Peniston, and Absofacto – a testament to his boundless versatility as both an artist and a show-stopping performer.
But that’s not all. In this extraordinary evening of Voices, Kyler unveils a side of himself that goes beyond the Ki5 persona. He’ll be pushing the boundaries of his signature sounds, treating you to cherished classics, and unraveling the enigma that is Ki5.
Magenta Moody is an alternative pop and R&B songstress from Detroit. Moody incorporates electro elements, smooth melodies, and dark lyrical tones into her creative process. Thematically, Magenta explores the emotional highs and lows of self discovery.

Voices is a series of artist-cultivated concerts at The Ark conceived and created by Ann Arbor musician Kyler Wilkins, AKA vocal looping artist Ki5. The series seeks to expand the representation of Michigan BIPOC artists and audiences at The Ark.
Each show, intentional time will be taken to get to know each artist in the form of brief interviews and musical breaks to have them speak about their journey as musicians and performers with the hope that people in the audience are more connected to and inspired by those voices.

The Whiskey Charmers
2023-11-20 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The Whiskey Charmers are a Detroit-based band led by Carrie Shepard and Lawrence Daversa. Fans have often compared their sound to riding through the desert with the top down, or the feeling of being in some lonesome smoky bar off the side of an abandoned highway, or music from a Spaghetti Western. 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.” Many fans have become familiar with The Whiskey Charmers music through the video game Detroit: Become Human, a cinematic neo-noir thriller game that has sold more than five million copies worldwide.

David Cook
2023-11-19 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
David Cook (and yes, the same David Cook who launched into stardom following his American Idol Season Seven win – breaking several Billboard chart records when 14 of his songs debuted on the Hot Digital Songs chart and 11 of his songs debuted on the Hot 100) certainly knows his way around a good song. His first album, “Analog Heart,” came out pre-Idol, and his last album, “Digital Vein,” nicely bookended that chapter of Cook’s career, a chapter during which he sold more than two million albums (including his platinum-certified eponymous album) and, collectively, more than five million tracks (including two platinum-certified singles) worldwide.
David continues to find success, not only for himself, but also as a writer for other artists and touring throughout the world. In April 2022, David released his latest single, “TABOS” (This’ll All Be Over Soon). The single’s release coincided with his return to the American Idol® stage to perform for their special 20th-anniversary reunion show.

Dar Williams
2023-11-18 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Dar Williams’ lyrics contain bouquets of optimism, delivered on melodies alternating between beguiling lightness and understated gravity. Williams strongly believes that all of us possess our own power and ability to achieve, and she rejects the exceptionalism that encourages us to “admire that yonder star,” while making us feel small and insignificant; unworthy of shining on our own but hoping to catch enough distant light to inspire some tiny accomplishment. Williams has always been very interested in how to control our future and this album has to do with the fact that at some point, you just can’t.
Like everyone else, Williams spent 2020 in that state of non-control. She and longtime producer Stewart Lerman tracked most of the album, her 12th studio recording, in November of 2019. In late February of 2020, she cut the title tune in Woodstock with bassist Gail Ann Dorsey and Larry Campbell, who produced the track and played guitars, pedal steel and twangy baritone guitar. When told they had to postpone a mid-March mixing date, Campbell said he wasn’t feeling well anyway. Turns out he’d contracted a serious case of COVID-19. That was a clear sign that at some point, you have to meet life where it meets you …the common thread throughout that these songs, the willingness to meet life as it arrives.
Dar Williams was always in the right place at the right time for the success she’s had over a 25+-year career. She rose out of the vibrant mid-90’s Boston scene, inspired by the eclectic influences of alt-rockers, Berklee jazz musicians, slam poets, and folk artists, like Patty Griffith, Melissa Ferrick, the Throwing Muses, Vance Gilbert, and Jonatha Brooke. After a year of touring non-stop with her first album, The Honesty Room, in 1994, she was invited by Joan Baez to tour in Europe and The United States.
“Good and bad things happen, and it’s not necessarily a reward or indictment. I’ve just got to meet it.” Williams observes. “Like, I’m bringing my whole life to this moment; it will surprise me, challenge me, show me where I was wrong, even make a fool out of me, but my job is to show up and not take adversity personally. Real happiness doesn’t have to feel like Snoopy dancing with Woodstock; it can just be knowing you have the resilience to meet whatever comes to you. I will call that a good life.”

Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes
2023-11-17 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The son of a small-town farming community, Cody Diekhoff logged plenty of highway and stage time under the name Chicago Farmer before settling in the city in 2003. Profoundly inspired by fellow Midwesterner John Prine, he’s a working-class folk musician to his core. His small-town roots, tilled with city streets mentality, are turning heads North and South of I-80.
“I love the energy, music, and creativity of Chicago, but at the same time, the roots and hard work of my small town,” he shares. Growing up in Delavan, Illinois, with a population less than 2,000, Diekhoff’s grandparents were farmers, and their values have always provided the baseline of his songs.
He writes music for “the kind of people that come to my shows. Whether in Chicago or Delavan, everyone has a story, and everyone puts in a long day and works hard the same way,” he says. “My generation may have been labeled as slackers, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t work hard – many people I know put in 50-60 hours a week and 12-hour days. That’s what keeps me playing. I don’t like anyone to be left out; my music is for everyone in big and very small towns.”
He listened to punk rock and grunge as a kid before discovering a friend’s dad playing Hank Williams, and it was a revelation. Prine and Guthrie quickly followed. The name Chicago Farmer was originally for a band, but the utilitarian life of driving alone from bar to bar, city to city – to make a direct connection to his audience and listener, took a deeper hold.
“You can smell the dirt in the fields, hear the wind as it blows across the plains, and see the people that Chicago Farmer sings about. Each track captures a moment in time, whether for a person or a particular place. Imagine if a John Steinbeck short story had been written as a song, and this will give you a fairly good idea as to what Chicago Farmer accomplishes on his albums.”
— HONEST TUNE

The Moxie Strings "That's a Wrap!" Tour
2023-11-16 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Hailed by the Grand Rapids Press for “top-notch instrumental wizardry,” The Moxie Strings offer listeners the unique opportunity to experience some of the world’s best-known instruments through a young, progressive lens. Diana Ladio and Alison Lynn hold Bachelor of Music degrees in music performance, which have given them a technical foundation for exploration. The Moxie Strings compose the majority of their pieces and arrange melodies from many traditions, resulting in a genre-blurring blend of ear-catching melodies and foot-stomping, rock-influenced rhythms. Alison performs on electric cello, and Diana on a contemporary five-string violin, both through a variety of audio effects pedals. Their polished, high-energy show and unique sound have quickly made The Moxie Strings one of the country’s leading instrumental acts, and they even topped Billboard’s Classical Crossover chart last year. The Moxie Strings are going on hiatus, so don’t miss this chance to see them one last time.

Delta 88
2023-11-15 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ann Arbor’s own Delta 88 combines a variety of musical influences from the American palette to craft their own modernized version of that classic sound, a plaintive take on alt-country akin to haunted mountain spirituals played through a distortion pedal. From wide channels of dynamic, emotional arrangements to somber barroom ballads and anthemic battle cries, Delta 88’s music blazes a trail through the Americana wilderness. The band has four studio albums under their belt, with the most recent featuring production by Grammy Award-winning musician and producer Joe Henry. Delta 88’s music has been heard on stages throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe with the likes of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, country star Emmylou Harris, and singer-songwriter Buddy Miller, among others. It’s been a while since we’ve had this durable Michigan band at The Ark, so come and see what they’ve been up to musically!

Voices: featuring King Sophia & Dani Darling
2023-11-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
King Sophia has a degree in classical cello from the University of Miami. She is also, she says, “a vocalist, an electric guitarist, a songwriter and composer, an arranger, a conductor, a performer and recording artist, a teacher, and above all, a student and a catalyst for change.” She classifies her songs as Neo-Soul Art Music, “but I play across a variety of genres including classical, jazz, blues, R&B, funk, hip hop, bluegrass, and pop. I also consider much of the music I write and arrange to be protest music — a genre that I believe is crucial to our survival as a species and that I will continue to draw attention to throughout my musical journey.”
Ann Arbor alternative soul artist Dani Darling Dani Darling made her media debut in 1984—as one of a set of triplets born in Ann Arbor. She sang with her sisters as a girl, and later did stints in a reggae band and in the hip-hop collective The Black Opera. But, she told the Metro Times, she wasn’t sure hip-hop was the right direction for her: “I was like, who am I? So I was trying to figure it out. I’m more of an acoustic artist, you know. I write with my guitar, I have a big background in, like, old movie musicals and jazz. My favorite vocalist is Ella Fitzgerald, and Thom Yorke is one of my biggest inspirations.” A new sound came together, featuring classic influences like R&B and jazz as well as new sounds like lo-fi and chillwave, all fused in her own original songs that often have a cosmic tinge.
Voices is a series of artist-cultivated concerts at The Ark conceived and created by Ann Arbor musician Kyler Wilkins, AKA vocal looping artist Ki5. The series seeks to expand the representation of Michigan BIPOC artists and audiences at The Ark.
Each show, intentional time will be taken to get to know each artist in the form of brief interviews and musical breaks to have them speak about their journey as musicians and performers with the hope that people in the audience are more connected to and inspired by those voices.

Ocie Elliott
2023-11-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ocie Elliott pen tunes that feel lived-in. Ocie Elliott is the musical duo of Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy from Victoria, B.C., Canada. You can hear their memories, experiences, and emotions in the dusty acoustic guitars, the sparse production, and their graceful harmonies. The two have come a long way in a short time since a chance encounter in a café led to a spark, collaboration, and their ultimate partnership in music and beyond. Ocie Elliott’s debut album, “We Fall In” (Nettwerk Music Group), led to appearances with the likes of Mason Jennings, Sons of the East, Kim Churchill, Roo Panes, Current Swell and Joseph, tours of Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and having their song “Run To You” featured on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Sierra and Jon have cultivated a fast-growing following by releasing a captivating series of live acoustic videos on Facebook recorded in the cozy confines of the couple’s Honda CR-V (which, Sierra explains, offers “organically well-rounded and self-contained” acoustics that lend an intimacy to their intricate harmonies). The novel approach has paid off, with a million streams of their most popular tracks on Spotify and Apple Music, as well as sold-out shows. With gentle acoustic chords layered over gorgeously complementary voices, which intertwine in gentle harmonies, Sierra and Jon’s beautifully written songs explore, of all things, love and connection. The duo has been aptly described by one reviewer as “the aural equivalent of indigo painted skies and the first summer stars.” Ocie Elliott comes to Michigan with a new EP, “What Remains,” a batch of honest and heartfelt anthems of which Sierra says, “Since we’ve been through so much, all of these songs are so powerful to us. They’re simple, but they hold so much truth. I hope it translates to people.”

John McCutcheon
2023-11-12 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
John McCutcheon’s art grew out of his absolute mastery of American traditional music and instruments. He’s a legend of the guitar, the hammered dulcimer, and several other instruments, and a prolific songwriter, and there’s nobody more qualified to own the folkmusic.com domain name! The result is a body of classic American song, rooted in the best our musical tradition has to offer. John McCutcheon is a voice for peace, a community organizer, a writer, a literacy campaigner, and a performer who has packed concert halls on four continents. The Washington Post calls John’s concerts “little feats of magic,” and as a storyteller he’s been compared with Garrison Keillor—and, even better than that, Will Rogers. John comes to Michigan with a new release, his 43rd, “Leap!”

Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour
2023-11-12 18:00 - 23:00 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, 48067, United States
A.J. Croce has been a staple of the Americana, AAA, Blues, Top 40 and other charts throughout his own stellar career, releasing ten studio albums that effortlessly transcend multiple genres and have had 20 songs chart in the Top 20 on various radio charts. However, the 50th Anniversary Celebration of You Don’t Mess Around With Jim has prompted the most affectionate look back yet at his father’s enduring legacy. The renewed interest leading up to the celebration of the classic album (which was recorded for only $18,000 and spent an incredible 93 weeks on the charts) has inspired a special version of A.J.’s popular ‘Croce Plays Croce’ concert series.
A.J. crisscrossed the country in 2021 with this unique concert experience to sold out shows and rave reviews: ‘As a considerate tribute, Croce Plays Croce covered just about everything a fan could expect. With A.J.’s stories and sentiment, though, it was elevated beyond a mere musical homage. Instead, the evening felt more like a family reunion.’ – Live Music News & Review
This special 50th Anniversary performance promises A.J.’s unique interpretation of Jim’s iconic You Don’t Mess Around With Jim album with a full band and visual presentation of the songs, including indelible hits, “Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels’), “Time In A Bottle,” and others.
Jim Croce found long-overdue success in 1972 following years of struggling to make a name in the music business. That year he released his debut album, You Don’t Mess Around With Jim, which topped the Billboard Album chart for more than a month, spawning the hit singles “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim,” “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels),” and “Time in a Bottle”. His final studio effort, I’ve Got a Name, was released just after he passed in Fall of 1973, ten days after his death. Three more hits (“Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues,” “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song” and the title song) came from that album, which reached #2 in the album charts. His records earned three #1’s and ten Top 10’s. His three classic albums (including Life and Times) amazingly were recorded in just a one-and-a-half-year period. Jim Croce was just thirty when he died but helped christen the singer/songwriter era of the early 70s, influencing generations of great songwriters to come. He has achieved unprecedented record sales for a working-class, solo ‘folk’ artist including The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame induction, surpassing the 50 million sales mark (worldwide) with his memorable self-penned tunes gracing more than 375 compilations. His music continues to be included in major films, TV shows, and commercials including Apple’s Siri Ad, Tarantino’s Django Unchained, the X-Men franchise, Netflix’s Stranger Things and currently in George Clooney’s The Tender Bar.
A.J. was only two years old when his father was killed in a tragic airplane crash in 1973, but came to love and appreciate his dad’s blue-collar, empathetic wordplay and irresistible melodies, “just like everyone else…by listening to the albums,” says A.J. The younger Croce never performed his dad’s song live until he came across a batch of old covers Jim Croce recorded of classic and obscure blues and folk songs, including work by Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, and Pink Anderson. “I was amazed to discover he was into stuff I was playing myself,” says A.J. The revelation eventually led the singer to conceive the ‘Croce Plays Croce’ concert experience where he delves into both artists’ mesmerizing work, their shared influences and career paths.
As the respected online music database AllMusic states in its comprehensive biography of A.J.’s legendary father: ‘Listening to the songs Croce recorded, one cannot help but wonder how far his extraordinary talents could have taken him if he would have lived longer.’ His son A.J. not only appropriately honors his father’s legacy, but further illuminates the power of the Croce pedigree with an iconic identity all his own.

Ryan Montbleau Band
2023-11-11 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
For as long as he can remember, Ryan Montbleau has been a seeker. From the jungles of Peru to the volcanoes of Hawaii, from the beaches of Costa Rica to the streets of Brooklyn, from the backseat of a 16-passenger van to backstage at Carnegie Hall, the acclaimed singer/songwriter has spent much of his life crisscrossing the globe on a perpetual search for meaning, purpose, and understanding. It’s a quest that’s guided him both personally and professionally over the years, one that’s come to define not only his music, but his very sense of self. And yet, listening to Ryan’s ambitious multi-part album, “Wood, Fire, Water, and Air,” there is a profound sense of satisfaction in sitting still, a recognition that perhaps all those spiritual treasures he’s been chasing for so long were closer than he thought. “My whole adult life has been this journey of trying to figure out where home is,” Ryan reflects. “I think I’ve finally found it.” Rolling out across four distinct EPs, “Wood, Fire, Water, and Air” marks Ryan’s first studio release since putting down permanent roots in Burlington, Vermont, where he recently purchased a house after more than two decades of living on the road.

Lake Street Dive
2023-11-10 19:00 - 23:00 | Masonic Cathedral Theatre, 500 Temple Street, Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
Since forming in 2004, Lake Street Dive have matched their sophisticated musicianship with a fearless refusal to limit their sound. As shown on their most recent full-length album, 2021’s critically acclaimed Obviously, the Boston-bred band also possess a keen talent for combining sociopolitical commentary with immediately catchy pop gems. With their current lineup comprised of founding members Rachael Price (vocals), Bridget Kearney (bass), and Michael Calabrese (drums) — as well as keyboardist/vocalist Akie Bermiss and touring guitarist James Cornelison — Lake Street Dive continue to create joyously soulful rock & roll with equal parts ingenuity, intelligence, and irresistible abandon.
Although a certain spirited eclecticism has defined Lake Street Dive since their earliest days, the band’s four original members (including former guitarist/trumpet player Michael “McDuck” Olson) first crossed paths while studying jazz at Boston’s New England Conservatory of Music. Their full-length debut In This Episode… arrived in 2007, followed by three more independently released and rapturously received albums. As the band’s energetic live show continued to earn them a devoted following, Lake Street Dive made their Nonesuch Records debut with Side Pony: a 2016 effort that instantly shot to No. 1 on three Billboard charts and later landed on Paste’s 50 Best Albums of 2016 list. The following year, the group experienced a new infusion of creative energy with the addition of Bermiss (previously their touring keyboardist), who has since begun sharing writing and arrangement duties. Arriving in 2018, Lake Street Dive’s selfproduced sixth album Free Yourself Up debuted in the top ten on the Billboard 200 and spent seven-and-a-half months on the non-commercial radio charts, with the smoldering hit single “Good Kisser” holding steady in the top five at Americana radio for over a month.
In recent years, Lake Street Dive have brought even more boldness to their kaleidoscopic sound while deliberately expanding their songcraft. To that end, Obviously finds the band examining such complex matters as gender inequality (on “Being a Woman”) and the monumental challenges faced by younger generations (on “Making Do”), shaping each track with a profound intentionality and ineffable mastery of melody and groove — a process Price refers to as “putting these messages into three and a half minute snippets, dropping whatever truth we can and hoping it’s the type of thing that people want to ruminate on.” Made with producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Mary J. Blige), the result is an endlessly illuminating body of work that’s earned praise from the likes of Rolling Stone (who noted that “[a]t a moment when pop strives for lo-fi, solitary-world intimacy, the jazz-pop-whatever band refuse to think small”).
Last fall, to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their first covers EP, Lake Street Dive released Fun Machine: The Sequel, a 6-track EP of cover songs produced by Robin MacMillan and recorded at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn and Lucy’s Meat Market in Los Angeles. This new collection of songs reveals what makes the group so unique and their curations so special. Lake Street Dive don’t just inhabit these interpretations; they knock the walls down, re-finish the floors, and on some of them add a new room or two — it’s a way to both acknowledge their inspirations while also advancing their own musical foundation, inspiring a new generation of fans along the way. And as always, it’s their signature combination of immaculate musicianship, exceptional, inventive chops, and free-wheeling, playful sense of fun and originality leading the way.
Over the years, they’ve captivated massive audiences at such esteemed festivals as Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Toronto Jazz Festival, in addition to headlining tours all across the globe and sharing stages with acts like Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow. And through their fierce commitment to constantly elevating their artistry, Lake Street Dive have ultimately emerged as one of the most compelling voices in alternative music today, both reliably sublime and thrilling unpredictable.
Lake Street Drive have partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 per ticket will go towards supporting gun violence prevention initiatives.

Antje Duvekot & Joe Crookston
2023-11-09 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A former Artist-in-Residence at Folk Alliance International, Joe Crookston of Ithaca, New York, is a writer, singer, guitar picker, painter, clawhammer banjo player, and believer in all things possible. You’ll be pulled in by the magic and musical world he creates, and you’ll end up in the moment, humming and buzzing with the rest of the crowd. He’ll sing to you—you’ll sing with him. He’s plumbing for lyrical gold, like some kind of social archaeologist. Joe’s story songs are universal, masterful and his concerts are a grand celebration of all of us. At the end of the night, you’ll leave inspired, with a renewed sense of what’s possible.
New England folk institution Ellis Paul has called Antje Duvekot the next great American folk singer-songwriter. Born in Germany, Antje immigrated to the U.S. as a teen. Following the path of Natalie Merchant, Dar Williams, and Patty Griffin, she developed a sound all her own. The Boston Globe says that her “provocative, dark-eyed ballads are becoming the talk of the folk world.” Antje is a winner of the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival’s Best New Folk Award, and the Boston Music Award for Outstanding Folk Act.
Joe Crookston and Antje Duvekot are touring in the Midwest in early November performing a creative storytelling collaborative concert called Imagine Nation.
They will perform the entire show together on stage, weaving in and out of harmonies presenting as a duo.

Bonnie Raitt Birthday Tribute
2023-11-08 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The music of Bonnie Raitt crosses boundaries between blues, folk, rock, and country, and she found a deep common denominator. It’s perhaps for that reason that Bonnie continues to be listened to and to influence younger musicians. Tonight’s show features Michigan artists who come together to honor Bonnie Raitt on her 74th. May there be many more! On the bill are Shelly Smith, bassist Brennan Andres, vocalist Jess Merritt (of The Understorey), jazz singer Heather Black, and more artists TBA!

Victor Wooten and The Wooten Brothers
2023-11-06 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Hailed as the most influential bassist since Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten is known for his solo recordings and tours, and as a founding member of the Grammy-winning supergroup Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. He is an innovator on the bass guitar, as well as a talented composer, arranger, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Continuing the tradition of virtuosity forged by James Brown, Funkadelic, and Prince, Victor will make you wonder how he could possibly be creating his incredible bass effects in real time. His show is a high-wire act on low-pitched strings that owes some of its inspiration to another Wooten mentor, the inimitable Bootsy Collins. A multiple-time winner of Bass Player magazine’s Bass Player of the Year award and a five-time Grammy winner, Victor Wooten is a musical experience not to be missed! Tonight Victor appears with brothers Joseph, Roy, and Regi Wooten.

Mipso
2023-11-05 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Chapel Hill’s indie Americana quartet Mipso—Jacob Sharp (mandolin, vocals), Wood Robinson (bass, vocals), Joseph Terrell (guitar, vocals), and Libby Rodenbough (fiddle, vocals)—just keeps growing in reach and was recently signed to the longtime New England folk label Rounder. Influenced by the contradiction of its progressive home and the surrounding rural southern landscapes, Mipso has been hailed as “hewing surprisingly close to gospel and folk while still sounding modern and secular” (Acoustic Guitar) and was recently recognized by Rolling Stone as an “Artist You Need to Know.” The band brings a unique sound, full of wistful beauty, hopeful undercurrents, and panoramic soundscapes. Venturing ever further from its string-band pedigree to discover a broader Americana where classic folk-rock and modern alt-country sounds mingle easily with Appalachian tradition, Mipso’s music is lush and forward moving, with lyrics that sear and salve in turn.

Judy Banker Band
2023-11-04 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Americana and Alt-Country artist Judy Banker returns to The Ark with her all-star band for a birthday concert that also celebrates the release of her fourth studio album, “Bona Fide.” With this newest release, Judy’s songwriting—rife with melodic hooks and raw, poetic lyrics set to layered, innovative arrangements—has evolved, crossing over and blending jazz, R&B, and rock to create something that feels at once familiar and wholly original. Judy and her band—David Roof, John Sperendi, Tony Pace, Alan Pagliere & Brian Williams—will be performing “Bona Fide” cover to cover as well as favorite selections from Judy’s other records.
As a longtime Ann Arbor–based musician, Judy has deep connections to the region. Musical partner to Michigan songwriting legend Jay Stielstra for nearly 15 years, and music director of the fall 2022 40th-anniversary revival of Jay’s musical play “North Country Opera,” Judy has been writing and recording her own music for the past decade, with her debut release, “Without You,” nearing its ten-year anniversary. With three highly regarded studio albums under her belt and a single, “Blessed Be the Nation”—a poem of Pete Seeger’s Judy set to her original music—Judy has established herself as a staple of the southeast Michigan music scene.
Along with copies of “Bona Fide” and other music merch, Judy will have available for purchase copies of photographs she is known for capturing of the rural/natural areas surrounding Ann Arbor. A portion of photograph sales will go to support the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. Ann Arbor songwriter Annie Bacon opens.

Tartan Terrors
2023-11-03 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Tartan Terrors are not a band but, in the words of the organizers, “North America’s premiere Celtic event, featuring the best in music, comedy and dance.” Amazed by the blistering chops of a two-time world champion bagpiper, the driving tones of drums from around the world, and a guitar played unlike any you’ve ever heard, standing-room-only audiences come to understand why Dig This magazine declares Tartan Terrors “one act to keep an eye on!” Combine all the music with championship-caliber Highland Dancers and internationally recognized comedic performers, and this Celtic group goes beyond the ordinary. Members of Tartan Terrors have performed on four different continents; in some of the most prestigious festivals, Highland Games, and theaters in North America, for a U.S. president and Britain’s Queen, and on Good Morning America. Experience the phenomenon of Tartan Terrors and see why Celtic Beat hails them as “the heirs apparent to the mayhem”!

The Ark's Open Stage
2023-11-01 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. Twelve performers have eight minutes (or two songs) each to do their thing. Sign-up: doors open at 7:30 p.m. At 7:45 we randomly select the names for the first half, and at 8:30 we draw names for the second half. If your name isn’t chosen, bring your raffle ticket with you to the next Open Stage (often the first and third Wednesdays of the month–check our calendar or website, theark.org), and you’ll double your chances.

Lonesome Ace Stringband
2023-10-30 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Masters of their trade, The Lonesome Ace Stringband bring grit, skill and abandon to Americana music, bridging old-time, bluegrass and folk traditions into a seamless hybrid of original material that is at once fresh and timeless.
Instrumentation alone sets this Toronto-based trio’s sound apart: consisting simply of fiddle (John Showman), clawhammer banjo (Chris Coole), and upright bass (Max Heineman). The spine-tingling harmonies and interchanging lead vocals only bring more magic to the equation. They’re releasing their fifth album, a feisty and mighty all-original collection (Try To Make It Fly Oct 2023) and touring it to Canada, the US and Europe.

Darlingside
2023-10-29 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Comprised of Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner and David Senft, four likeminded multi-instrumentalists who first met at Williams College in 2009, Darlingside’s career has been defined by the elegance of their compositions and the unity of their four voices. Their talent for harmony and melodic world-building is part of what garnered praise from outlets like NPR, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker, and what has created demand worldwide for their extraordinary live performances. Becoming beautifully unindividualized has, in other words, worked very well for Darlingside in the past. With a vigor and discipline more common to graduate-level writing workshops than to indie rock, Darlingside has, over the years, experimented with all manners of idiosyncratic methods for elevating and upholding a truly democratic process of songwriting—processes that include multiple rounds of group writing and recording exercises—all with the aim of escaping the trap that bands with multiple songwriters often fall into: ego-driven infighting and artistic incoherence.
It’s a rare thing and becoming rarer by the day: a group of musicians with that emulsifying magic to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. And to see Darlingside perform live is to confirm this special chemistry. With the release of Everything Is Alive (2023) the band will, for the first time, take to the road without Dave Senft. Instead of filling his spot directly, the band has wisely chosen to honor the special chemistry of the foursome by letting those arrangements live on the recordings without obligation to faithfully recreate them onstage. While Dave remains a contributing member of the band, on tour Darlingside will perform in a completely different configuration altogether—a configuration that will, at times, include the album’s drummer Ben Burns, singer Molly Parden, and others—proving again how the group can adroitly rearrange themselves for the breaking of a new and different day.

Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds
2023-10-28 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
​​Since 2005 when Erin Zindle first created The Ragbirds, the band has gathered and maintained a passionate, grassroots fan base by continually reinventing themselves with an ever-evolving sound, while remaining rooted in the high-energy, world-inspired folk-rock that they have become known for. With a change of cast in 2019, the band is shifting its weight and focusing more on the melodic components. The rhythms of their new sound leave room for the songs to breathe and for the vocals to take on the spotlight. Now equipped with four vocalists, the band is diving into the textures they can create with vocal harmonies and exploring the newly-created space with instrumental curiosity, adding more improvisational elements into the otherwise-tight arrangements. The sweet energetic charm of lead singer Erin Zindle demands attention. She is an enigma of ageless quality, agile and joyful, yet rooted in wisdom. In her daily life, Erin is devoted to the tedious work of songcraft, but in her performances, the songs flow from her effortlessly, as if she is channeling them, radiating as she sings the words she has polished to a fine shine. The pain in her songs highlights the wonder of the grace and freedom she embodies. Every live performance leaves the listener in a higher place than when it began. Touring for nearly 15 years from their home-base of Ann Arbor, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds have developed a well-deserved reputation as one of the most dynamic, hard-working, high-spirited live bands in roots music.

California Guitar Trio
2023-10-27 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The universe of guitar knows no boundaries for The California Guitar Trio. Since 1991, the group has enthralled listeners with a singular sound that fearlessly crisscrosses genres. The trio’s questing spirit drives it to explore the intersections between rock, jazz, classical, and world music. It even throws in the occasional surf or spaghetti Western tune for good measure. 31 years and 2000+ gigs later, the CGT remains intensely committed to explore, evolve and communicate a wide-ranging musical worldview.
Comprised of Bert Lams, Tom Griesgraber and Paul Richards, the group has established a unique, personal connection with audiences. In addition to dazzling musicianship and interplay, The California Guitar Trio’s (CGT) shows are full of captivating stories and humor that enable concertgoers to feel like they’re part of the music, not just spectators. In fact, the group’s goal is to transcend their instruments, so people focus on the music first, and its considerable technical prowess a distant second.
CGT’s most recent studio release Elegy showcases its acoustic side, with beautiful lush originals and innovative cover arrangements of The Beatles, Radiohead and more. Other highlights include Masterworks, an album of classical works, with expansive takes on Bach, Beethoven, Arvo Pärt, and Schubert. Andromeda, which combines their many influences into a visionary album of original material; CG3+2, an exploration of kinetic rock territory in collaboration with bassist Tony Levin and drummer Pat Mastelotto; and Echoes, which re-imagines timeless material by artists such as Mike Oldfield, Penguin Café Orchestra, Pink Floyd, and Queen.
