Category: Live and Virtual

Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Mr. Sun

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

If you haven’t heard of the cheerfully named supergroup Mr. Sun, you’ve certainly heard its proponents, four of the finest musicians on the American Roots scene: Renowned fiddler Darol Anger, Professor Emeritus at Berklee College of Music, who has released dozens of influential solo albums over a 50-year career in addition to his work with David Grisman and Mike Marshall, and founded the Turtle Island Quartet, Psychograss, and Republic of Strings; Joe K. Walsh, mandolin virtuoso and vocalist who spent four years with the award-winning bluegrass act the Gibson Brothers before becoming a solo artist, songwriter, and Strings Department Professor at Berklee; all-around guitar genius Grant Gordy, a former member of David Grisman’s band and respected solo artist and educator; and the phenomenal Scots bassist Aidan O’Donnell, who has backed harpist Maeve Gilchrist and countless modern jazz heroes. Their appearances in the last few years at Wintergrass, Rockygrass, Grey Fox, Freshgrass, Redwing Roots, and at IBMA conventions have created a reverberant clang throughout the Acoustic Americana music world.

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Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Geneviève Racette

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

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Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Aleksi Campagne

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

Aleksi Campagne is uniquely qualified to offer a contemporary, indie-folk take on the time-honored fiddle-singing tradition. When playing live, Aleksi floors audiences by singing while bowing his violin and leading his four-piece band. His original music blends folk song writing with an edgy, multi-layered sound resulting from his unique combination of voice, violin and looping-effect pedals. He’s not just a folksinger with a guitar!

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Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Rachael Kilgour

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

Rachael Kilgour is a Minnesotan songwriter and performing artist whose sincere, lyric-driven work has been called both brave and humane. The 2015 grand prize winner of the international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition and winner of the 2017 Kerrville New Folk Contest, Rachael has been featured at NYC’s Lincoln Center, at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and by the ASCAP Music Cafe at the Sundance Film Festival.

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Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

Stringfever

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

Stringfever is a group of talented musicians who have lived and breathed music since a young age. Formed in 2003, and currently composed of three siblings and their cousin, this internationally acclaimed quartet has performed 1000+ Shows in 33 countries since 2004, from private performances for the British Royal family to a packed audience at Madison Square Garden. Stringfever’s selections range from inspiring classics to popular music; every performance engaging audiences with humor and energy.

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Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual

David Wilcox

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

David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsis. David has deservedly earned praise over the years in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. Today, Wilcox is still earning his admirers with storytelling that cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outside looking in.

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Live and Virtual

For Pete’s Sake

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

On hiatus since 2019, “For Pete’s Sake”, an all-star, in-the-round celebration of the songs and life of Pete Seeger, returns to The Ark! This year’s revival of the longtime Ark tradition features Michigan music favorites San, Laz, & Emily Slomovits; host of “No Roots – No Fruit” podcast and popular community singer, Matt Watroba; folk-roots singer-songwriter and beloved troubadour, Chris Buhalis; Hollerfest prime mover and prolific singer-songwriter/performer, Billy King; Michigan folk royalty, Annie & Rod Capps; legendary writer of classics like “Angelo’s” and “What Would Brando Do" and a do-not-miss performer, Dick Siegel; and songwriter, performer, and active proponent of our southeast Michigan music scene, Judy Banker – coming together to celebrate Pete’s birthday by sharing stories and, in the true Seeger style, lots of singalongs. All proceeds from this event go to support The Ark.

$20
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.

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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. The Wellermen used their moment of unexpected virality for lasting good, raising money via proceeds from 'Wellerman' for the Marine Conservation Society, giving back to the seas.

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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!

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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.

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