For nearly two decades, Willie Watson has made modern folk music rooted in older traditions. He’s a folksinger in the classic sense: a singer, storyteller, and traveler with a catalog of songs that bridge the gap between the past and present.
Legendary Michigan songwriter, Jay Stielstra, whose life and art will long be remembered by our Michigan community, has left us a treasured legacy of unforgettable songs, musical plays, and other writings. To celebrate Jay’s life and music, a roster of beloved Michigan musicians will bring the songs from Jay’s many musical plays, including Jay’s iconic North Country Opera, and more, to the The Ark stage.
Kaitlin Butts has a deep affinity for country music’s more theatrical side: the extravagant storytelling, dazzling showmanship, songs embedded with both unbridled emotion and quick-fire humor. After discovering her passion for performing as a little girl, the Tulsa native later brought her boundless energy and radiant voice to her own unapologetic yet soulful songwriting. When it came time to create her third album, the Nashville-based musician leaned into her lifelong love of musical theater and dreamed up a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favorite musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! The result: a high-concept but candidly autobiographical LP called Roadrunner!, whose 17 powerhouse songs show the full force and extraordinary depth of Butts’ artistry for the very first time.
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.
Humbird (Siri Undlin) is a Minneapolis based singer-songwriter, poet, and storyteller inspired by the crystalline chill of her home state’s northern winters. Undlin twines experimental indie folk rock, environmental Americana, and orchestral compositions into lush landscapes of mesmerizing sound.
A long time friend of The Ark, Vienna Teng performs for The Ark's 28th annual Fall Fundraiser. Upper tier tickets include a dessert reception followed by a pre-show conversation with Vienna Teng.
Donna The Buffalo is not just a band, rather one might say that Donna The Buffalo has become a lifestyle for its members and audiences. Since 1989, the roots rockers have played thousands of shows and countless festivals including Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Telluride, Austin City Limits Festival, Merle Fest, and Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Special Guest: J Robbins
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesBob Mould is an American musician/singer/songwriter now in his fifth decade of making and performing music. Bob has released 15 solo albums since his 1989 solo debut Workbook, after forming and leading Minnesota punk rock innovators Hüsker Dü starting in 1979. Along with two albums in the group Sugar, Bob has redefined guitar driven rock across 23 studio albums over the last 40-plus years.
Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland, and named for the town's historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the Tannahill Weavers have made an international name for their special brand of Celtic music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. Now in their 53rd year, the Tannahill Weavers are one of the world's premier traditional Celtic bands, their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, original ballads and lullabies, and humorous tales of life in Scotland.
Special Guest: Cloudbelly
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesChris Smither grew up in New Orleans where he first started playing music as a child. The son of a Tulane University professor, he was taught the rudiments of instrumentation by his uncle on his mother’s ukulele. “I’d loved acoustic music – specifically the blues – ever since I first heard Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Blues In My Bottle album.” Chris says, “I couldn’t believe the sound Hopkins got. At first I thought it was two guys playing guitar. My style, to a degree, came out of trying to imitate that sound I heard.” His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets, and humanist philosophers.
Opener: Abbey Cone
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesAs one-third of the Grammy® Award-winning superstar sibling trio The Band Perry, Kimberly Perry has racked up sales of over two and a half million albums, thirteen million singles, and over 2 billion combined streams. As a songwriter, her groundbreaking crossover #1 single “If I Die Young” (with its current 9x platinum status and over 200 million video views) helped Kimberly burst on to the world stage. After touring the globe and playing on some of its biggest stages, her first love is songwriting, and it remains the force that drives her today. Perry signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell and Songs & Daughters, and she released “Bloom,” her first EP as a solo artist, in 2023.
Guided by a practical yet profound gratitude, William Prince’s songs convey the power of wonder and humility. A masterclass in skillful simplicity, Prince’s songwriting is grounded in a balance between the personal and the universal, his own moments of self-discovery and the larger questions we face together. Prince offers what’s true for himself in whatever way it is helpful. Grace is not a final state but a process.
