Category: Artist Spotlight Series

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Mouths of Babes

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

With more than a dozen albums and over a thousand shows between them, Ty Greenstein and Ingrid Elizabeth of Mouths of Babes are no strangers to the contemporary folk-Americana music scene. For years, their respective bands Girlyman and Coyote Grace captivated thousands of loyal fans as they crisscrossed the country, rocked festival main stages, and toured with the likes of Indigo Girls and Dar Williams. Now they have distilled the very best of the songwriting, musicianship, and humor of their previous groups into a power duo that brings more depth and style than ever before.

Free, Donations accepted for Food Gatherers

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

The Wellermen

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Bass singing folk group The Wellermen were discovered during the viral Sea Shanty trend of early 2021. The four had never met in person prior to going viral together, with members Bobby Waters & Luke Taylor based in the US and Jonny Stewart & Sam Pope based in the UK. The four members' lives were to change when they dueted with a seemingly innocuous Sea Shanty on TikTok. Since the release of the now ubiquitous TikTok, it’s been viewed 100m+ times across multiple platforms and continents, and has seen The Wellermen appear on shows like Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and The Colbert Show.

Free, Donations accepted for Food Gatherers

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Shamarr Allen

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Hailing from the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, Shamarr Allen has influences in jazz, hip-hop, rock, funk rhythms, blues and country. He is the lead vocalist and trumpeter of his band “Shamarr Allen & The Underdawgs.” In addition to performing with his band, Allen has collaborated with many renowned artists around the world such as Willie Nelson, Patti LaBelle, Galatic, Harrick Connick Jr, and Lenny Kravitz, to name a few. With a scintillating and unique sound, look, and exemplary talents, Shamarr Allen transcends musical boundaries. He is the True Orleans experience!

Free, Donations accepted for Food Gatherers

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Fantastic Cat

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Individually, each member of Fantastic Cat boasts their own impressive resume along with a litany of critical acclaim. Paste declared Don DiLego’s latest album a “stunner.” NPR said Anthony D’Amato “sings and writes in the tradition of Bruce Springsteen or Josh Ritter.” Rolling Stone called Brian Dunne’s new record “the sleeper album of the year” and praised Mike Montali’s band, Hollis Brown, as “the soundtrack for a late-night drive through the American heartland.” Collectively, though, the four transcend their respective roots, emerging as velvet-clad rock and roll cooperative far greater than the sum of its parts.

Free, Donations accepted for Food Gatherers

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Humbird

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

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. 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.

Free

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Pete Muller

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 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 singer/songwriter and 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.”

Free

Artist Spotlight Series

Heather Mae

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Heather Mae, the acclaimed social justice singer-songwriter, fearlessly bares her soul in her music, creating an intimate space of shared vulnerability for her listeners. Her unbridled honesty, both on and off stage, has cultivated a devoted fanbase and garnered recognition, including accolades like the winner of the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase and Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Artist-Activist of the Year award.

Free

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Taimane & Her Trio

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Born and raised in Hawaii of hapa Samoan descent, ukulele virtuoso and songwriter Taimane is renowned for her fierce and inventive style of playing the four-string island staple. She has also garnered great acclaim for her fiery stage prowess, keeping concertgoers on the edge of their seats from her first note until her last.

Free

Artist Spotlight Series

Les Greene

The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Les Greene is an 2024 Ameripolitan award winner and the voice of Little Richard in the recent “Elvis” movie and Grammy nominated soundtrack. Les vibrantly brings you a powerful force of roots rock n soul. With a high energy twist on the genre all while staying true to its sound this is the unique yet recognizable spin that music needs right now and hasn’t seen in some time. A true captivating performer waiting for the rest of the world to experience his natural born gift.

Free, Donations accepted for Food Gatherers