Schmaltz is a modern klezmer band based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. With a unique sound that hinges on craftily blended genres, their music provides a refreshing perspective on klezmer music, infusing traditional Jewish music with contemporary flavor by mixing in elements of jazz, balkan, funk, latin, and polka. Warren & Flick creates music that feels both grounded and adventurous—rooted in tradition yet unafraid to explore. With Jacob Warren on double bass and tenor bass, and Grant Flick on violin, tenor guitar, and nyckelharpa, the duo crafts a compelling sound that blends original composition and improvisation with classical, jazz, and folk traditions.
Jill Jack’s decades-long career has taken her across the globe, performing solo and with her band, opening for acts like Bob Seger and Loretta Lynn. Her Americana music blends folk, rock, country, and blues, and she’s known for storytelling, humor, and heartfelt performances. With 12 CDs and 51 Detroit Music Awards, she’s also composed for documentaries and ad campaigns. Jack gives back through missionary work, nonprofits, and mentoring artists of all ages.
Heywood Banks is simply one of a kind, almost impossible to describe, with a style his very own. Equal parts genius and buffoon, this songwriter-comic-singer-poet-musician has become a cult hero and a pop icon, with a show that appeals to college students, stoners, businessmen, yuppies, rednecks, punks, kids or your grandmother.
Presenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer-songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these unique and popular performers, back together by popular demand.
Hill Auditorium
825 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
The Ark and Bank of Ann Arbor are excited to announce the lineup for the 50th Ann Arbor Folk Fest at Hill Auditorium. The festival is The Ark's largest annual fundraiser and delivers two extraordinary nights of soul-enriching music featuring longtime Folk Fest favorites, exciting new discoveries, and the artists who have made this beloved tradition such a special part of our community. Friday night’s lineup is Trampled by Turtles, Richard Thompson & Band, The War and Treaty, Tray Wellington Band, The Rebel Eves, and MC Jeff Daniels.
Hill Auditorium
825 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
The Ark and Bank of Ann Arbor are excited to announce the lineup for the 50th Ann Arbor Folk Fest at Hill Auditorium. The festival is The Ark's largest annual fundraiser and delivers two extraordinary nights of soul-enriching music featuring longtime Folk Fest favorites, exciting new discoveries, and the artists who have made this beloved tradition such a special part of our community. Saturday’s lineup is Colin Hay, Mavis Staples, Tommy Emmanuel, CGP, Vienna Teng, DuPont Phillips and MC Jeff Daniels.
Hidden Ridge takes the timeless sound of the American String Bands of the 50s and catapults it into the 21st century. Driven by fiery fiddle and singing guitar, soaring mandolin and deep bass this group presents Bluegrass in a rip-roaring performance you won't want to miss. They are currently celebrating the release of their first EP, "If It's All Worth It".
Mustard’s Retreat has always sung the songs they enjoyed and cared about, regardless of the trends of the music industry and pop culture. They are committed to simply being themselves, not chasing fame or brass rings, while delighting in and connecting with their audiences as if they were family. The honesty of what they present onstage and the extensive body of outstanding original songs and recordings all contribute to a fiercely loyal audience that continues to grow. “Music to cure what ails you” was how one reviewer in the 1970s described them, and that is as true now as it was then. Tonight the trio reunites to celebrate the release of their new CD, Between Black & White Clouds.
The 22nd Annual celebration of love and music features Annie & Rod Capps, The Rough & Tumble, and The Lucky Nows. Three acclaimed musical duos who also happen to be partners in life share the stage, swapping songs and stories. You can expect some collaborating both planned and spontaneous. Not just for lovebirds, and not just love songs. Just a whole lotta great music.
Born and raised in South Florida to a Jamaican father and Barbadian mother, brothers Malcolm and Umoja honed their violin skills through South Florida’s public school system before attending Dillard High School for the Performing Arts. Now known as Sons of Mystro, they blend reggae classics, American pop hits, and original compositions with their signature violin sound, backed by a DJ and drummer.
On the night of the Fourth of July, fireworks over Mei Semones' Brooklyn block were competing with something more primal. Up and down the street, dogs answered each burst with a long, ragged howl of their own. Semones, alone in her apartment with her guitar while the rest of the city celebrated outside, found she didn't mind the solitude. The howling struck her less as a cry for help than as a kind of greeting: proof that she was never really by herself, not with music always keeping her company. By morning, she had the seed of the title track for her sophomore album, Howl.
Royal Oak Music Theatre
318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, United States
Cory Wong is a Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer, and producer celebrated for his explosive live energy, razor-sharp funk grooves, and boundary-pushing collaborations across genres. Known for blending the technical precision of jazz with the infectious spirit of funk, pop, and soul, Wong has carved out a singular space as one of modern music’s most dynamic and joyful performers.
