Mr. B with George Bedard and Steve Nardella
2022-11-26 20:00 - 23:00 (America/Detroit) | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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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 being paddled 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. Mr. B often brings 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.
Tonight’s show offers an opportunity to hear three of the legends of Michigan music together on the same stage—guitarists George Bedard and Steve Nardella will be joining Mr. B on stage for a Thanksgiving weekend blues and boogie blowout! This trio has a grand history of playing together in the past, and when they have, the results have been amazing. This will be a long-awaited reunion show for these three giants of blues and boogie and it’s not to be missed!

Gemily
2022-11-27 13:00 - 14:00 | Facebook LIVE
This event is free and streamed to The Ark’s Facebook page.
Gemini (twin brothers San and Laz Slomovits) have been Ark regulars, appearing at the club at least once and usually several times every year since moving to Ann Arbor in 1973. Especially acclaimed for their shows for children and families, they are now entertaining their third – or is it their fourth – generation of fans. They’ve played an annual family concert for Ark audiences on the Sunday after Thanksgiving every year since 1994 to benefit Mott Children’s Hospital, where San’s daughter, Emily was born. Emily will join the brothers for this show as she has every year since 2003 when she was just nine years old. The trio, now redubbed Gemily, (Gemini+Emily) combine wonderful singing and instrumental prowess on more than half a dozen instruments with lively, sparkling original songs and traditional folk music from many countries and cultures. In addition to their exceptional musicianship, the trio brings an easy stage presence to all their shows and draws their audiences into joyful music-making with them.
This year’s concert will again be online.
Tip jar will be available with donations going to support both C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital and Food Gatherers.

The David Mayfield Parade
2022-11-27 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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The David Mayfield Parade offers music that stretches from the avant-garde to David Mayfield’s own musical roots, which are buried deep in the bluegrass tradition from a childhood of touring with his family’s band. David’s music is a tour de force, incorporating a vast range of roots and pop influences. David is truly a wordsmith, forging the mundane into the evocative, with innovative lyrics that grow acoustic beginnings into bigger pop structures and a great trembling tenor to cap it off. David Mayfield is clearly going places, fueled by a deadly combination of infectious energy and songwriting chops that only come around once in a blue moon.

The Ark Annual Membership Meeting
2022-11-28 18:30 - 20:30 | MI
Become a Member
The Ark will hold the Annual Meeting of its Members on Monday, November 28, 2022 at 6:30 pm. This year’s Annual Meeting will be held virtually by Zoom. At this meeting, the Membership will elect Executive Board Members, 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, 2021 are eligible to attend. You must pre-register by email to receive a link to attend the meeting. An invitation will be sent in early 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 18, 2022, and would like to attend, please contact Annual Giving Manager Tom Stoll at tom@theark.org.

Rollie Tussing Trio
2022-12-01 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Award-winning guitarist, educator, and performer Rollie Tussing makes a raggedy brand of music informed by the era of 78 rpm records, juke joints, and street performers. He composes a lot of his own songs and has a knack for reworking an old obscure tune, finding beauty in the forgotten scratches, pops and grooves of his esoteric record collection. After winning the National Slide Guitar Competition in 2001 Rollie moved with his wife to Portland, Oregon. He spent the next decade touring, performing, writing songs and playing with some of the best regional and touring musicians the West Coast offered. In 2011 with their second child on the way, Rollie and his wife decided to relocate to the Midwest to be closer to family and to tap into the artistic resources in the nation’s midsection. There’s fingerstyle guitar, forgotten old music, and great old songs—a fabulous evening all around.

Dick Siegel
2022-12-02 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Midwestern songwriting legend Dick Siegel has been bringing his joyous, eccentric and penetrating musical vision to audiences across North America for more than three decades. Songs like “When the Sumac is on Fire,” “Angelo’s” and “Carry Me Away,” drawn from the traditions of American folk, roots and pop music, have become radio show theme songs, quotable classics and—most importantly—all-time personal favorites deeply imbedded in the hearts of his fans. Dick will be accompanied by longtime musical compadre Brother Dave Roof on upright bass.

An Acoustic Christmas with Over the Rhine
2022-12-03 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Over the Rhine
2022 Christmas Tour Thoughts
One December, not long after Over the Rhine began recording and touring, we were invited to perform some seasonal songs on a public radio station in Cincinnati. It was Christmastime and apparently they thought we were up to the task. We worked up a few carols and traditional tunes and Karin even read a poem by Thomas Hardy called, The Oxen.
It actually felt really good and conjured up an unusual mix of feelings from childhood: innocence, loss, wonder, joy, sadness. I think we were surprised.
People must have tuned into the radio broadcast, because we began receiving inquiries as to whether we had recorded any of our Christmas songs. I don’t think we had considered it at the time, but any young, struggling songwriter is open to the suggestions of the marketplace, and people were persistent.
In December of 1996 – can it really be 25 years ago? – we recorded and released our first song cycle of some of the Christmas carols that still haunted us. We included a few original tunes and called our wintry mix The Darkest Night Of The Year. We played a special “darkest night” release concert on winter solstice in an old 1300-seat theater in Cincinnati. Every last seat was full. Folks began snatching up copies and seemed to agree that they hadn’t heard anything quite like it.
We began playing concerts around the Midwest every December and found that the rooms were usually packed full of people who had bundled in out of the cold with prized compatriots. Hats and scarves abounded. If you stepped outside during intermission, you could make ghosts with your breath in the crisp night air. And it was dark – oh so dark: a time of year with its own music.
A decade later, in 2006, we released our first full collection of original Christmas/holiday songs called Snow Angels. What is it about Christmas music and the undeniable gravitational pull it exerts on some songwriters? So many Christmas songs have already been written. I think we are genuinely curious about the ones that haven’t yet been written.
We continued to tour every December and these special year-winding-down concerts began to feel like an annual tradition – gatherings of extended musical family, without whom, we’d be homeless.
By the time we released our third holiday album of original songs, Blood Oranges In The Snow, in December of 2014, Karin suggested we had discovered a new genre of music: Reality Christmas.
It’s true: if you’ve buried a loved one, or lost a job, or battled a chronic illness, that stuff doesn’t go away during the holidays. It can be a complicated season for many of us.
And then there’s family.
When Karin and I make the annual holiday pilgrimage home to visit family and pull into the driveway and turn off the car, one of us inevitably looks over at the other and says, “Tie a rope around my waist, I’m goin’ in.”
In 2022, more than twenty years after releasing our first holiday CD, we are still at it. This year, we will be leaning into some harmonies and making an intimate but hopefully holy ruckus. It won’t be all Christmas music: we’ll certainly mix in tunes from many of our records along the way. But hopefully it’s still true: hopefully you haven’t heard anything quite like it.
Maybe a midnight snow will fall and turn each streetlight into its own private snow globe. Maybe, regardless of whatever reality Christmas brings, we’ll hear a faint echo of a song once rumored to have been sung by angels, a song of peace on earth, goodwill toward all…
We’ve never heard anything quite like it.
And after the surreal and challenging season we’ve all been through, with stages all around the world going dark, I’m not sure about you, but live music in a warmly lit space with real live breathing humans? We’ll be there.
We hope you’ll join us,
Linford Detweiler
With Karin close by
Nowhere Else
Clinton County, Ohio

Trampled By Turtles
2022-12-04 19:00 - 23:00 | The Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Michigan, 48201, United States
Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who’d ransacked his vehicle while he played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn’t rely on amplification. Simonett hadn’t played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who’d previously played drums in a speed metal act) and bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass.
Trampled by Turtles released their first record, Songs from a Ghost Town, in 2004. In a genre steeped in tradition, the album stood out for its contemporary sound, essentially bridging the gap between the bandmates’ background in rock music and their new acoustic leanings. Blue Sky and the Devil (2005) and Trouble (2007) explored a similar sound, but it wasn’t until 2008 and the band’s fourth release, Duluth, that Trampled by Turtles received recognition by the bluegrass community. Duluth peaked at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass chart and paved the way for a number of festival appearances. When Palomino arrived in 2010, it was met with an even greater response, debuting at the top of the bluegrass chart and remaining in the Top Ten for more than a year. Two years later, their crossover appeal landed them at number 32 on the Billboard 200 pop charts upon the release of their sixth album, Stars and Satellites. In addition to major bluegrass and folk festivals, they began showing up at Coachella, ACL Fest, and Lollapalooza. The official concert album, Live at First Avenue, followed in 2013, recorded at Minnesota’s most famous venue. A year later, the band returned with the darker-toned Wild Animals, which bettered its studio predecessor on the album charts, reaching number 29 on Billboard. Countless tours with bands like Lord Huron, Wilco, Caamp, Mt Joy and Deer Tick to name a few have followed. 2022 will see the release of the band’s latest body of work called Alpenglow which was produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

Full Cord out of Grand Haven, Michigan has been stealing the scene with an extraordinary song base that spans through originals, newgrass, traditional, covers, country, Texas swing, jazz and more.
Their infectious stage show and breadth of material pushed Full Cord through to a win of the 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition in June and a nomination as the Momentum Band of the year at the upcoming International Bluegrass Music Awards. With two shows never the same, their followers in Michigan and beyond try to catch every show, never knowing what teaser or new song will be in the set list.

Chris Pureka
2022-12-04 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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It’s rare for an artist to bridge the divide between critical acclaim and dedicated fan engagement. Chris Pureka is a Portland-based singer-songwriter whose body of work has resonated deeply with these seemingly disparate milieus. Her music has straddled the folk, americana and indie rock genres over the course of her 20 year career, and over that time, her bold vulnerability in processing the intimacies of life in song has struck a chord with those listeners who crave authenticity and depth.
Chris’s elegant emotionality as a vocalist and her flair as a lyricist have garnered her favorable comparisons to Chan Marshall, Bruce Springsteen, and Patty Griffin. Over many years of touring on both sides of the Atlantic, she has shared the stage with such diverse and esteemed artists as The Lumineers, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Cowboy Junkies, Haley Heynderickx, and Ani DiFranco. She has had her songs featured on such television shows as Brothers and Sisters, Covert Affairs and Shameless as well as a song featured in the Sundance featured indie film, The Royal Road. Along the way, Chris has remained truly independent, selling nearly 50,000 albums through her own label, Sad Rabbit Records. Chris comes to The Ark fresh off a tour opening for Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Known for their gritty, melodic indie pop songwriting, opener John-Allison Weiss emerged at the end of the 2000s as an early crowd-funding hero with a strong D.I.Y. ethos that has defined them throughout their career. After establishing themselves among the punk underground, they became a staple of the Warped Tour and released highly rated albums like 2013’s Say What You Mean and 2015’s New Love. Touring with everyone from Lou Reed to Letters to Cleo, Weiss has also collaborated as a songwriter with artists including Tegan Quin and Kevin Devine. Following a live album and 2021’s Death Valley Demos EP, they signed with Get Better Records and issued the singles “Different Now” and “Feels Like Hell” from their upcoming album ‘The Long Way’ out February 17th.

The Bad Plus
2022-12-06 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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The Bad Plus are the ultimate originals. A democratic unit with a clear vision and a refusal to conform to convention. For the past two decades they have played with spirit and adventure, made their own rules and done so with a bold sense of creativity and intent. Avoiding easy categorization, The Bad Plus has won critical acclaim and a legion of fans worldwide with their unique sound and flair for live performance. Now in their 21st year, The Bad Plus continues to push boundaries as founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) embark on a new piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone)—re-energizing their sound and inspiration. The Bad Plus have constantly searched to bridge genres and techniques while exploring the infinite possibilities of exceptional musicians working in perfect sync. The Bad Plus comes to Michigan with a new self-titled album. “Evolution is necessary for life and creativity,” say Dave King and Reid Anderson. “We’ve evolved, but we’re still The Bad Plus.”

15th Annual Ebird & Friends Holiday Show
2022-12-08 20:00 - 23:00, 2022-12-09 20:00 - 23:00, 2022-12-10 14:00 - 15:30, 2022-12-10 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Ebird and Friends Holiday Show has become known for connecting audiences with stellar artists in the Michigan music community. This year’s featured performers are Tunde Olaniran, Emilee Petersmark, Timothy Monger, Chris Dupont, and Kylee Phillips.
Four performances of this festive revue will occur December 8th through 10th. Produced by Erin Zindle, the singer, songwriter & multi-instrumentalist of Erin Zindle & the Ragbirds, this concert series has become the most warm-hearted way to begin the holiday season. Comedienne, businesswoman, and life-coach Shelly Smith will emcee the proceedings and introduce the top talent of our region. Each bandleaders in their own right: vocals by Jen Sygit and Jess Merritt; strings by Brad Phillips, Aaron Jonah Lewis, Jona Vibrato, and Mark Lavengood; brass by Ross Huff, Tim Haldeman and Terry Kimura; the rhythm section comprising Brennan Andes, Jon Brown, and Dan Piccolo; all of whom appear alongside The Ragbirds: Erin Zindle, Loren Kranz, TJ Zindle, and Shannon Wade.
This unique concert showcases a creative approach to seasonal music, old chestnuts, deep cuts, and original tunes from a wide range of genres and traditions. These songs bring us in from the cold and connect us in the spirit of the season.

Kat Edmonson
2022-12-11 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Kat Edmonson is an award-winning songwriter and singer “with an equal foothold in jazz, cabaret and vintage cosmopolitanism pop” (The New York Times). She has been featured on Austin City Limits, Tiny Desk Concerts, A Prairie Home Companion, and The Late Show with David Letterman. The New York Times describes her music as “fresh as a spring bouquet” while NPR says, “Hearing Edmonson makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.” Kat Edmonson will perform swingin’ Yule-tide favorites such as “Jingle Bell Rock”, “O Christmas Tree”, and “Let It Snow” as part of her festive show, Holiday Swingin’! A Kat Edmonson Christmas.

Nefesh Mountain
2022-12-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Yes, Nefesh Mountain is a bluegrass band. Yes, some of their lyrics are sung in Hebrew. No, it isn’t a gimmick or a parody. And, no, it’s not klezmer music. Now that we’ve got that straight, let’s hear Nefesh Mountain for what it really is: a soulful, euphoric, folk-flavored outpouring of hope and joy, propelled by the kind of crisp, crystalline picking that gives lyrics wings. It’s a distinctively Nefesh Mountain sound. Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg have attracted high-powered musicians on their recordings, including Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Trischka, and David Grier, aided by Nefesh Mountain’s touring band members, Alan Grubner on fiddle and Tim Kiah on bass. A dazzling picker in his own right, Lindberg provides lead guitar and banjo throughout, while Zasloff soars with some of the most melodic, incisive and soul-stirring vocals we’ve heard since Mary Travers first took the spotlight. Come hear the band Rolling Stone called “a master class in string music”!

The Ark's Open Stage
2022-12-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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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.

Ocean Quartet
2022-12-15 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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The OCEAN Celtic Quartet will transport you to the Yuletide celebrations of yore in a program featuring traditional carols, foot-stomping Celtic fiddle tunes, 19th century broadside songs, original seasonal compositions, and even an appearance by Father Christmas of the old mummers plays! With their soaring vocals and high-energy Celtic instrumentals, OCEAN is known for marrying lighthearted exuberance with great spiritual depth in a program that appeals to all faiths and wisdom traditions. Come in good voice, as you’ll be invited to sing along!
So come on out and celebrate the magic of Christmas and the Winter Solstice in cozy fellowship. This boisterous concert will include British Mummer’s play recitations, traditional English and French carols, Scottish & Irish fiddle tunes, 19th century broadside songs, and original seasonal compositions celebrating both the joy of the season of light and the introspection of the dark half of the year. The OCEAN Celtic Quartet is led by composer and ethnomusicologist JENNIFER CUTTING (accordion and keyboards), a Washington Area Music Association Musician of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. OCEAN features the stunning vocalist CHRISTINE NOYES (formerly of the maritime music group Crab Alley), folklorist/vocalist/percussionist STEPHEN WINICK, plus U.S. National Scottish Fiddle champion SEÁN HEELY. Cutting’s original anthem, “Song of Solstice,” has become a classic on Celtic and Folk radio, and the title cut of OCEAN’s newest CD, “The Turning Year,” reached #1 Song on the Folk Radio charts for December 2021. Come prepared to sing along with OCEAN on these and other seasonal songs ancient and modern!

Vienna Teng
2022-12-16 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
By request of the artist, masks are required for this performance.
“I’ve been in a long-distance relationship with music for the past several years,” jokes songwriter Vienna Teng. “Now we’re talking about moving in together again.”
Long-distance, perhaps, but long-running. In 2002, Vienna released her debut album Waking Hour, landing her on NPR’s Weekend Edition, The Late Show with David Letterman, and the top of Amazon’s music charts. Four more albums followed, most recently Aims in 2013, which became the first album to win four Independent Music Awards; she also composed the music for The Fourth Messenger by playwright Tanya Shaffer, which premiered in 2013. Along with Vienna’s captivating live performances and thoughtful online presence, her work has built a devoted following across generations as well as continents.
Still, other pursuits have always beckoned. A computer science major before she was a recording artist, Vienna is a nerd at heart, as comfortable in spreadsheets as the spotlight. She returned to academia in 2010 to study environmental sustainability, which led to a new career working on climate change, energy and waste issues. She also became a “bonus parent” to her partner’s two kids, and in early 2020 welcomed a newborn addition to the family – just in time for pandemic lockdown.
That year was eye-opening for her. “So much of what I’d taken for granted my whole life just broke wide open,” she says. “I learned a lot about what it means to hold two truths in your head at the same time, as the saying goes. Things can be both dire and full of possibility. Both kindness and fierceness are so very necessary.”
She wondered: what if two songs, with seemingly contradictory perspectives, were written so they would “mash up” together into a duet? That fall – sometimes while breastfeeding – Vienna composed a pair of songs called “We’ve Got You”: one about being a beacon to your community, the other about leaning on that community in your darkest hour. It’s some of the most intricate and impassioned songwriting she’s ever done, and when she performed it in a live-streamed concert that December, the audience response was electric.
Fittingly for a piece about replenishment and connection, “We’ve Got You” marks the start of a new chapter for Vienna. “I’ve found a rabbit hole I’m excited to go down further,” she says. Her long-distance phase with music is over; let the reunion begin.

Photo credit: Samantha Hines

Blackthorn
2022-12-17 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Blackthorn welcomes you to the rich tapestry of Celtic music.
Traditional songs of emigration, sea shanties, lively jigs and reels, and ancient airs combine with some of Ireland’s best contemporary songs for a musical experience that captures the history and legend of Ireland and its people.
What makes a Blackthorn show unique is the variety of tunes, tempos and textures. Each member of the band plays multiple instruments, including wooden flute, accordion, tin whistle, five string banjo, cittern, bones and more. These instruments complement the lead vocal of Belfast native Richard McMullan and the band’s tight blend of four part harmony.
Blackthorn has played throughout the Great Lakes region since 1984. Based in Detroit, they can be found regularly at O’Mara’s Pub and Restaurant in Berkley. Other venues include concert halls, universities and festivals, including main stage appearances at the prestigious Michigan Irish Festival and world renowned Milwaukee Irish Fest.
Metro Detroiters fondly remember Blackthorn’s annual appearances on J. P. McCarthy’s St. Patrick’s Day show on WJR radio in the 1980s and 1990s, and later with Paul W. Smith. They have released seven CDs, and have performed with guest musicians such as members of the Michigan Opera Theater and the Motor City Brass Band. In 2010, Blackthorn was voted “Best Folk Band/Artist” by the readers of The Detroit Metro Times.
From large festival, to pub, restaurant or intimate performing arts center, Blackthorn provides time tested entertainment. Chuck Ward of the Milwaukee Irish Fest says this about the band, “Blackthorn was very well received at Milwaukee Irish Fest, they impressed everyone with their strong and well blended songs. They are strong ambassadors in their commitment to continuing the Irish ballad tradition and a crowd pleasing addition to any festival.”

The Music of Fela Kuti Comes to Life
2022-12-29 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Doubling as a platform for activism, the music of Fela Kuti was a unique blend of jazz, funk, and African influences. Performed by an African big-band of unusual instrumentation, Fela’s music rolled out in an extended, hypnotic fashion. His political vocals fell somewhere between melody and musical speech. While the Afrobeat music of Nigeria’s Fela Kuti remains singularly unique, it typically fails to gain deserved attention in the world of modern-day performance.
Join us for a rare opportunity to hear this music authentically reproduced. Originally sponsored by the University of Michigan “MCube” initiative, this performance unites UofM faculty & musicians from the Flint and Ann Arbor campuses with local professionals. The project, lead by Brian DiBlassio, is based on note-for-note transcriptions of Fela’s work, with feature artist from Cincinnati, Baoku Moses, performing the role of Fela.
Band members include Ingrid Racine, Andrew Bishop, Alex Harding, Brian DiBlassio, Ben Rolston, Jonathan Ovalle, Owl DiBlassio, Olman Piedra, Ray Ureña, and Ann Watson.

Crossroads Ceili
2022-12-30 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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The Ark’s annual Crossroads Ceili is a great way to mark the turning of the year. It’s a gathering of local Celtic-oriented singers, instrumentalists, and dancers, all sharing the stage to get your Celtic music year off to a good start. If you’d like to get an idea of the depth of southeastern Michigan’s Celtic music scene, the Ceili is a great place to do it. Fiddler Mick Gavin, the organizer of the Ceili and a frequent performer there, was recently inducted into the Irish Music Hall of Fame.

50 First Jokes
2023-01-03 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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The tradition that started more than a decade ago at the Bell House in Brooklyn, and now is a much-anticipated event also in Los Angeles and other cities, is coming back to Ann Arbor! Fifty of the area’s up-and-coming and veteran comics come together to tell the first jokes they’ve written for the new year, kicking off the 2023 comedy scene in the most righteous way possible! It’s fast, it’s fresh, and above all it’s funny. It’s also not going to break the bank, so why not check out some Michigan comic voices you may not have known about?

The RFD Boys
2023-01-06 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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It’s hard to believe, because each show is fresh and new, but the RFD Boys have been delighting Michigan audiences since 1969 with their fabulous musicianship and sly, exquisitely timed between-song humor. They’re legends of Michigan bluegrass, but they’re more than that too. With an appearance on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited, with songs recorded by the likes of the Country Gentlemen, and with performances alongside bluegrass greats like Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley, the RFD Boys are a part of America’s bluegrass tradition. The RFD Boys one of southeastern Michigan’s most durable musical ensembles, and their shows capture a deep slice of musical Ann Arbor. Their 50th-anniversary appearance at the Folk Festival was a special moment and introduced many listeners to Dan Roehrig, who joined the band on guitar, mandolin, and bass in mid-2018. Dan grew up listening to Doc Watson, Clarence White, and Tony Rice, and you can hear it in both his singing and guitar playing.

Yellow Room Gang
2023-01-07 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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The Yellow Room is the “brilliantly yellow” living room of Tamulevich’s house on Ann Arbor’s Old West Side, where gang members meet monthly for musical brainstorming and mutual critique. Tonight’s show features all eight members of the gang: contemporary country-folk road warrior Annie Capps, Irish-American chanteuse Kitty Donohoe, four-time Detroit Music Award winner Jan Krist, Michael Hough and David Tamulevich of the “Music to Cure What Ails You” duo Mustard’s Retreat, Jim Bizer, David Barrett, and southeastern Michigan folk veteran Matt Watroba. Come and be a fly on the wall as the exchange of creative ideas flows freely! “To have any one of these songwriters perform at Trinity House is a real treat,” says promoter Bill Keith. “To have them perform together is unbelievable.” The Yellow Room Gang has been around for 15 years now, with all the members coming up with new music all the while.

Lily Talmers
2023-01-08 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Lily Talmers hopes her voice will lull you into Midwestern-accent-induced submission. A metro Detroit native who now resides in Brooklyn, New York, Lily released her second full-length album, “Hope is the Whore I Go To,” last July. A writer, musician, educator, lecturer and former Ann Arbor community member, Lily studied comparative literature, and ethnomusicology during her undergraduate years at the University of Michigan. She is a teacher during the spring at the University of Michigan’s New England Literature program, and has taught as a guest lecturer through the U-M’s Residential College and Performing Arts Technology Programs. With a voice described as ethereal, and lyricism as wistful as it is cutting, Lily credits the likes of Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Gillian Welch and Leonard Cohen for her beginnings as a songwriter, and various odds and ends for her development as a musician and instrumentalist. Her sound is rooted in the 60’s folk revival, with moments that reveal her broad fascination with music— the influence of Greek, Lusophone, and classical music all subtly swirl around in her melodies. Brooklyn singer and composer John Cushing provides support.

Albert Lee
2023-01-10 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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British guitar legend Albert Lee, regarded by many as one of the world’s finest guitar players, with a career spanning more than 50 years, needs no introduction for country music, blues, and rock fans. Widely hailed for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique, Albert Lee helped to redefine country guitar for a whole generation of players with his song “Country Boy.” Albert’s many career highlights include two Grammy wins, five years in the Eric Clapton band, and stints with the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, The Crickets, the Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and many more. Take it from Emmylou, who says, “When Saint Peter asks me to chronicle my time down here on earth, I’ll be able to say—with pride if that’s allowed—that for a while I played rhythm guitar in a band with Albert Lee.” Come by and pick up a copy of Albert’s new DVD, “Live at the Court Theatre.”

Joshua Davis // Luke Winslow King
2023-01-12 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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When Joshua Davis performed on NBC’s “The Voice,” America at-large finally discovered what Michiganders have known for more than two decades. This amazing artist connects with a live audience, nourishes their souls and feeds off of their love. Seeing him live has always revealed his core, his essence. Joshua remains a quintessentially Michigan guy, drawing his inspiration from the rough-and-tumble streets of Motown to the arboreal Upper Peninsula. The mitten is his muse.
Luke Winslow-King is a New Orleans–based guitarist, singer, composer, producer, and songwriter. His work is an eclectic mix that combines Mississippi Delta blues, folk music, traditional jazz, and roots rock and roll. His alchemical songs blend contemporary ideas with styles from bygone eras producing a sound that is rustic and urbane, elegant and entirely his own. It is a sound that looks to the past to move to the future.

The Hot Club of Cowtown & Tyler Hilton
2023-01-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Celebrating Elvis Presley’s records from Sun Studio
Known for its legendary music collection, including the early albums of Elvis Presley, Sun Studio left an indelible mark on the history of rock ‘n’ roll. In 2005, Tyler Hilton was cast to play the legendary rock star in the blockbuster biopic, Walk the Line (starring Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash). Now Tyler has teamed up with America’s premiere hot jazz and Western swing trio, Hot Club of Cowtown, bringing Elvis’ greatest hits from the Sun Studio years to life on the stage. The Hot Club of Cowtown has been an Ark favorite for years, but they’ve continued to break new ground since first visiting Ann Arbor in the 1990s, and this new show is no exception. Both The Hot Club of Cowtown and Tyler Hilton will perform their own material, and then they’ll join forces for the Elvis material—which is very much in the Hot Club’s wheelhouse.

Jill Jack's Birthday Bash
2023-01-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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Jill Jack has made the Ark her home for celebrating her birthday for years! And the tradition continues.
Every year Jill Jack produces a themed show for your entertainment, keeping it fresh and full of the energy that the Jill Jack Band is known for.
This year’s show will be a celebration and story of Jill Jack’s musical journey that has spanned over 30 years.
