The Ark

Eric Johanson
2025-06-02 20:00 - 23:00 (America/Detroit) | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Eric Johanson blends sharp songwriting with a deep connection to the guitar, creating music that’s dynamic, soulful, and rooted in a mix of rock, blues, and modern influences. His playing is expressive without being flashy—riff-driven and rhythmic one moment, fluid and melodic the next—always serving the song rather than overpowering it. There’s a rawness to his sound, but also a sense of purpose, pulling from the weight of tradition while pushing toward something new. Whether channeling the swampy pulse of his New Orleans home or leaning into heavier, fuzz-laden textures, Johanson’s music strikes a balance between grit and finesse, power and restraint. As American Songwriter puts it, he “displays his guitar prowess but within the borders of melodies and lyrics that push the boundaries of blues/rock… searing guitar work, and persuasive songwriting.”
Since the release of The Deep and the Dirty, Johanson has toured extensively, playing over 100 cities and 10 countries in 2024 alone. His momentum has landed him at the top of the Billboard Blues Chart and on stages alongside some of the most respected names in rock and roots music. Named one of the 25 Best New Blues Guitarists by Guitar Player Magazine and included in Total Guitar’s list of the 100 Greatest Blues Guitarists of All Time, he’s carved out a space where strong songwriting and distinctive guitar work go hand in hand. Whether on record or on stage, Johanson’s playing is electrifying, his voice unfiltered, and his approach unmistakably his own.

Reverie Road
2025-06-03 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Reverie Road is a genre-defying Celtic powerhouse ensemble, uniting founding Solas members Winifred Horan (fiddle) and John Williams (accordion) with former Gaelic Storm fiddler Katie Grennan and Steinway Artist Jazz and Raga pianist Utsav Lal. Together, these four exceptional musicians are celebrated as some of today’s most accomplished traditional and virtuosic folk artists, captivating audiences worldwide from stages to studios for over three decades.

With a sound that masterfully blends Irish roots with fresh departures, their repertoire includes distilled airs, continental waltzes, and high-energy reels and jigs. The band chemistry of two accomplished classically-trained fiddlers who share a common history as award winning Irish dancers along with two instrumentalists who have sought to redefine traditional accompaniment and rhythm sections amount to a compelling concert experience.

Whether you’re a lover of traditional music or curious about its modern evolution, Reverie Road delivers an exhilarating, boundary-pushing performance that will leave your heart soaring and your toes tapping.
Attendance to this show is free for Ark Members at the Solo ($50) level and above!

Jill Sobule presents: Songs from F*ck 7th Grade & more
2025-06-04 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
It is with a heavy heart that we share that our dear friend Jill Sobule tragically passed on May 1.

Jill was so excited to come play for her fans. We know Jill’s energy and positivity will be missed and we appreciate your support of her memory and the talent and gift she has left us all.

Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.
Jill Sobule’s work is at once deeply personal and socially conscious, seriously funny and derisively tragic. In a dozen albums spanning three decades of recording, the Denver-born songwriter/guitarist/singer has tackled such topics as the death penalty, anorexia nervosa, shoplifting, reproduction, the French Resistance, adolescent malaise, LGBTQ issues, and the Christian Right. Her hits include “I Kissed A Girl”—the first openly gay-themed song ever to crack the Billboard Top 20—and the alt-rock anthem “Supermodel” featured in the film Clueless.
Jill’s latest project is her New York Times Critics pick, Drama Desk nominated autobiographical musical F*ck 7th Grade which premiered at the Wild Project in 2022. A cast recording will be released on May 2nd.

Phillip-Michael Scales
2025-06-05 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Fifteen seconds into his upcoming album Good to Be Here (out April 25), Phillip-Michael Scales sings, “Toes pointed toward the road / Hard times picking at my bones,” before launching into the anthemic chorus: “I couldn’t walk away if I tried / I’m gonna light up the sky.” The song sets a determined tone for the album, reflecting Scales’ journey as an artist.
In Chicago, Scales honed his craft, playing 308 gigs in 2018 and crediting the city with teaching him how to hustle. This drive carried him to Nashville, where he gained traction on the radio station; Lightning 100, released his debut album Sinner-Songwriter, toured Europe, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and opened national tours for Keb’ Mo’ and Caravan Palace. Grammy-nominated producer Dan Knobler (Lake Street Dive, Allison Russell, and Bahamas) later joined forces with Scales to produce Good to Be Here.
Without a label or viral hit, Scales has built his career through relentless effort—long drives behind tour buses, self-management, and learning the business firsthand. His music channels the grit of Stax-era soul, cataloging the journey of building a dream brick by brick. Make no mistake there is an undercurrent of fun throughout whether he’s finding love in “Can’t Get Enough” or getting his swagger back in “Be My Own Man.” As Scales puts it: “I wouldn’t say that I’ve ‘arrived,’ but… it’s good to be here.”

Tom Cotter
2025-06-06 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Tom Cotter is one of the funniest comedians in the world! Even before his historic finish on NBC’S America’s Got Talent (he lost to a dog), Tom was entertaining audiences across the United States, and internationally! He performed in London and on British TV, has won the Seattle International Comedy Competition, was voted “Best Stand-Up” at The Las Vegas Comedy Festival, and won the grand prize at The Boston Comedy Festival. Some of Tom’s many television and radio credits include: The Tonight Show, Last Comic Standing, numerous “Comedy Central Presents… Tom Cotter” specials, Comics Unleashed, CBS’ The Late Late Show, Celebrity Host of “Gotham Comedy Live” on AXS-TV, and The Howard Stern Show. Tom headlines all of America’s most famous comedy clubs including: The Comedy Cellar, The Improvs, and Caroline’s On Broadway, just to name a few. He has performed at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, and he was the headliner for the America’s Got Talent Live show in Las Vegas. Tom is constantly a sought-after talent! Known for his sarcasm, satire, and word play, there’s never a dull moment when Tom Cotter is on stage!
Shelly Smith is a dynamic comedian, producer, and host with a passion for bringing people together through laughter. She produced and hosted Firefly Funnies for five years and Om of Medicine Comedy Night for a decade. For the past nine years, she has produced and hosted 50 First Jokes Ann Arbor, and for 18 years, she has been the beloved host of the Ebird and Friends Holiday Show. Beyond stand-up, Smith founded and ran the Ann Arbor Civic Theater Improv Program for three years and currently produces and hosts the “Reads and Weeds” podcast. With years of experience, a fearless stage presence, and a love for comedy, she’s always ready to travel, perform, and have fun.

The RFD Boys
2025-06-07 15:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
This is a special afternoon performance.
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 are 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.
There are no advance tickets sold for this afternoon’s show. Tickets available at the door!

I'm With Her
2025-06-07 19:30 - 23:00 | Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
With the 2014 formation of I’m With Her, singer/songwriters Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins introduced an essential new force into the world of folk music: a close-knit alliance of highly esteemed musicians, each graced with a deep understanding of folk tradition and unbridled passion for expanding its possibilities. Since delivering their critically lauded debut See You Around and standalone singles like “Call My Name” (winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best American Roots Song), the trio have routinely taken time out from their individual careers to dream up songs together—eventually arriving at a new album exploring themes of ancestry, lineage, and the collective human experience. On their long-awaited sophomore LP Wild and Clear and Blue, I’m With Her now bring their luminous harmonies to a soul-searching body of work about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown.
In a departure from the stripped-back intimacy of See You Around—a 2018 release that turned up on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of the New York Times—Wild and Clear and Blue centers on a far more elaborate sound informed by the trio’s intensified sense of musical kinship. All multi-Grammy-winners with deep roots in the folk scene, Watkins, Jarosz, and O’Donovan first discovered their near-telepathic chemistry during an impromptu performance at the 2014 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, then co-founded I’m With Her and began touring extensively and performing at acclaimed festivals across the globe.
Produced by Josh Kaufman—a member of Bonny Light Horseman and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/arranger/producer who’s worked with Bob Weir and The National—Wild and Clear and Blue ultimately adds a bold new urgency to their delicate entangling of lived-in narrative, fable-like storytelling, and nuanced reflection on cycles of life.
I’m With Her has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 per ticket goes to supporting Conscious Alliance’s mission to end hunger nationwide and feed families in need. www.plus1.org

VOICES: featuring London Beck and Zoey Grekin
2025-06-08 19:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
This performance it free to attend for high school students thanks to a grant from Larry and Lucy Nisson.
London Beck, an innovative recording artist from Southeast Michigan, embodies the true definition of a multi-hyphenate creative. As a singer, songwriter, producer, composer, sound engineer, and multi-instrumentalist, Beck has carved a unique space for themselves as a leader in modern music. Their body of work includes standout releases such as Blinded by Hunger (2018), Revelations EP (2018), Drift EP (2019), and the concept album ANGXL (2020). Beck’s captivating performances at venues like the Ann Arbor Summer Festival and The Ark have garnered acclaim, leading to accolades such as Best New Artist in Washtenaw County by Current Magazine. Their community influence extends through collaborations, including composing for the Skyline High School Symphony Orchestra, and their involvement with Amplify Washtenaw to support local BIPOC creatives.
After a brief hiatus, Beck returned stronger than ever, launching Renivere Recording in 2024—a production company and exclusive record label dedicated to empowering artists and fostering safe, creative spaces. Beck’s impact continued with a live performance on The Seven Series in June 2024, marking their official return to the music scene. In addition to their musical achievements, Beck hosts The Waveform, a podcast exploring music, artistry, and entrepreneurship through time. With their visionary approach, talent, and dedication to inclusive artistry, London Beck is poised to inspire and innovate for years to come.
Zoey Grekin is a dynamic young artist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter whose soulful sound draws inspiration from a wide range of artists including Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Sara Bareilles, Alicia Keys, Ingrid Michaelson, Adele, and Bruno Mars. Known for her commanding vocals and powerful drumming, Zoey brings a unique energy to every performance—often driving the rhythm section while delivering emotive, expressive vocals.
Raised in a musical family, Zoey grew up immersed in music at the Grekin School of Music, where she learned to play a variety of instruments and developed her musical voice. She is currently a student at Ann Arbor’s Pioneer High School, where she has performed as a singer, and a featured drummer playing along with the Pioneer Choir and Orchestra and performed in the Pioneer Theatre Guild’s 2025 production of Future Stars.
Zoey has performed extensively around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, both as a solo artist and with her band, and continues to explore new musical directions with every performance. She is thrilled to bring her sound to The Ark stage.
Voices is a series of artist-cultivated concerts at The Ark conceived and created by Ann Arbor musician Kyler Wilkins, AKA vocal looping artist Ki5. The series seeks to expand the representation of Michigan BIPOC artists and audiences at The Ark. Each show, intentional time will be taken to get to know each artist in the form of brief interviews and musical breaks to have them speak about their journey as musicians and performers with the hope that people in the audience are more connected to and inspired by those voices.

Leo Kottke
2025-06-10 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place.
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11. After adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.
Kottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London and into the Navy, with his twelve string. “The trip was not something I enjoyed,” he has said, “I was broke and met too many interesting people.” Discharged in 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis’ Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar’s tiny Oblivion label. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.)
After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey’s Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.
Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, “Mudlark,” positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972’s “Greenhouse” and 1973’s live “My Feet Are Smiling” and “Ice Water” found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.
His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, “Clone,” caught audiences’ attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called “Sixty Six Steps,” produced by Leo’s old friend and Prince producer David Z.
Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations; a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College.

Fantastic Cat
2025-06-11 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place.
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Fantastic Cat almost died. Each member also individually (but at separate times) faced devastating heartbreak, went to jail, got sober, almost quit music entirely, reconnected with a long-estranged family member, started making music again, hit rock bottom, had a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger who changed their perspective on life, almost quit music entirely a second time, reconciled their progressive, liberal ways with their strict, conservative upbringing, and embraced the raw power of their sexuality. It was quite a summer
And sure, you may be reading this right now saying, “Wow, that kind of sounds like the band just basically jammed every album bio cliché they could think of into a single paragraph without anything to back it up in a pathetically transparent attempt to generate press coverage.” But that kind of cynical thinking is exactly why GQ owns Pitchfork now (or whatever the hell happened there). Anyway, it’s all real, and if it makes for the kind of inspirational headline that editors and advertisers alike both find highly clickable, then so be it.
You see, two years ago, Fantastic Cat was nothing more than a little-known rock band with a cult following (their fans were primarily members of Heaven’s Gate). That all changed with the release of their award-eligible debut, The Very Best Of Fantastic Cat, which garnered the kind of press you simply can’t make up. USA Today proclaimed, “We don’t have a music writer anymore,” while NPR received multiple copies of the album in the mail, and The New York Times’ Jon Pareles declared, “I’m currently out of the office and will respond when I return.”
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.
Today, Fantastic Cat is back and older than ever, taking America by storm with their newest album, Now That’s What I Call Fantastic Cat.

Willie Nile
2025-06-12 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
The New York Times called Buffalo, NY born Willie Nile “one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years.” Uncut Magazine called him “A one-man Clash” and “the unofficial poet laureate of New York City”. His album Streets Of New York was hailed as “a platter for the ages” by Uncut. Rolling Stone listed The Innocent Ones as one of the “Top Ten Best Under-The-Radar Albums of 2011” and BBC Radio called it “THE rock ‘n’ roll album of the year.” His single from that album, “One Guitar,” was the “Top Pick of the Week” in USA Today.
Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, Jim Jarmusch, and Little Steven are among those who have sung his praises. Willie has toured across the U.S. with The Who and has sung with Bruce Springsteen and Ringo Starr. As the induction program from the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame says: “His live performances are legendary.”
His live album “Willie Nile – Live At Daryl’s House Club” released in April 2024 was listed as one the “Best Rock Albums of the Year’ in Classic Rock Magazine. PowerPop magazine wrote: “A life-changer — recorded at a moment when Willie & Company happened to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!”
Willie is currently working on a new studio album for a June 2025 release.

Kathleen Edwards
2025-06-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place.
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
For decades, Kathleen Edwards has been a cornerstone of North American roots music.
Since making her debut with 2002’s Failer, she’s spent the 21st century occupying the grey area between genres, swirling together her own mix of alt-country, folk, and heartland rock & roll. It’s a sound that has earned its creator more than a half-dozen Juno nominations, as well as Top 40 success on both sides of the Canadian/American border. Now in her third decade as an artist, Kathleen Edwards has done more than carry the torch of songwriting heroes like Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Lucinda Williams — she’s opened the door for others, too, inspiring a new generation of artists who, like her, blur the boundaries between genre and generation.
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Edwards was still in her early 20s when she released the critically-acclaimed Failer. The album’s warm, woozy sound — crystallized on radio hits like “Six O’Clock News” — quickly turned her into one of the era’s alt-country heroes. From the very start, though, Edwards’ music seemed to exist somewhere out of time, resisting categorization even as Failer received a Juno nomination for “Roots & Traditional Album of the Year.”
“No one knew what to call my type of music back then,” she says of those early years. “The Americana genre didn’t exist yet, so they couldn’t categorize me. I just made the kind of music I wanted to make.”
Edwards continued blazing her own trail with follow-up albums like Back to Me and Asking for Flowers. By the time Voyageur arrived in 2012, Americana very much did exist as a genre, and Edwards found herself riding a newfound commercial peak. The album reached Number 2 on the Canadian Albums Chart and Number 3 on Billboard’s Folk Albums chart. Even so, a busy decade on the road had left her exhausted. After touring in support of Voyageur’s release, Edwards left the music business altogether and moved to suburban Ontario, where she opened a coffee shop called — defiantly — “Quitters.”
When a phone call arrived from Maren Morris, who was looking for songwriting partners for a new project, Edwards jumped at the chance to collaborate. The two musicians co-wrote “Good Woman,” which appeared on Morris’ Grammy-nominated album Girl in 2019. Back home in Canada, Edwards continued to write new material, eventually partnering with producer Ian Fitchuk for the album Total Freedom. Released in 2020, the album expanded her sound and her audience; Total Freedom didn’t just mark her return to the music industry. It was a rebirth, too.
What’s next? New music, of course. She and Grammy-winner Jim Scott co-produced and released an album called Covers, which pays homage to some of her songwriting heroes – Tom Petty, REM, John Prine, Bruce Springsteen, et al. Edwards remains a fan of “ripping guitar riffs and good songs,” and she’s combining both into a follow-up album co-produced by Grammy-winners Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson that will showcase her legacy as well as her evolution.
She maintains a presence on the road, too, playing her own gigs one minute and sharing shows with her heroes — including Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, and Bob Dylan — the next.
“The amount of things I’ve gone through might make someone else quit…but quitting doesn’t quite do it for me,” she says. “I can’t help but want to write great songs, connect with people, and see what’s ahead. I don’t love looking behind, even though it’s one of the ways we can see what we’ve done, so I’m looking forward.”

The Verve Pipe
2025-06-14 19:00 - 23:00 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, 48067, United States
With a reputation for spectacular live performances, the genesis of multi-platinum artist The Verve Pipe can be traced back to the early 90s when the principal members of two rival Michigan bands joined forces. After releasing two independent albums, I’ve Suffered A Head Injury and Pop Smear, the group quickly garnered a regional following for its textured rock songs distinguished by innovative arrangements, soul-searching lyrics and layered vocals.
The success of both albums attracted the attention of RCA Records, which released their platinum major label debut Villains in 1996. The album featured the radio hit ‘Photograph’ and the #1 single ‘The Freshmen,’ one of the most successful multi-format tracks of 1997 and winner of an ASCAP Pop Award. Their follow-up release, the critically acclaimed self-titled LP The Verve Pipe, featured ‘Hero,’ a Top 15 hit at Modern Rock radio.
In 2001, RCA released Underneath, which produced the singles ‘Happiness Is’ and ‘Never Let You Down,’ one of the most played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio that year. The album also included ‘Colorful,’ the emotive ballad featured in the film and soundtrack Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston and also co-starring lead singer Brian Vander Ark in his first major film role.
In addition to their success on radio, TV and film, sold-out concert dates throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia, features in Spin and Rolling Stone and videos on MTV and VH1, the band have made numerous television appearances, including ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno’ and ‘Late Night With David Letterman.’
After an eight year hiatus, The Verve Pipe were approached to submit an original song for a compilation album of children’s music. That session inspired A Family Album, their critically acclaimed introduction to the world of children’s music, as well as their follow up release, Are We There Yet? Both albums contain music intended for the entire family, with fun and inventive lyrics set to the memorable melodies the band is known for.
In 2014, The Verve Pipe released their first rock album in over 13 years with Overboard, a collection of ten new songs including ‘Crash Landing’, ‘Hit and Run,’ and the haunting title track ‘Overboard.’ This long incubating project brought a renewed energy and focus to this self-produced album that resulted in their most inspired writing and recording to date.
The Verve Pipe continue to tour, performing both rock and kids shows throughout the U.S., including special appearances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Festival, Hangout Music Festival, Summer Stage in Central Park, and many more

Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr.
2025-06-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place.
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. has been a professional musician for more than forty years. The legendary blues man, Willie Dixon encouraged him to bring his music into schools over 35 years ago, and The National Blues Foundation recognized his work as a leading blues educator in 2007. An award-winning multi-instrumentalist, he is accomplished on guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and ukulele. Robert is the former host of the award-winning radio programs “Blues from the Lowlands” and “Deep River” broadcast on Detroit Public Radio’s WDET-FM Detroit. He has taught music history courses at Wayne State University in Detroit, and he serves as a member of the affiliate faculty at Boston’s Berklee School of Music.
This is a special night. In addition to the concert Rev. Robert Jones will be presented with the 2025 Michigan Heritage Award, Michigan State University.

Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'
2025-06-15 20:00 - 23:00 | Masonic Jack White Theatre, 500 Temple Street, Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
Blues legends Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ have each expanded and extended American blues traditions into astonishing new territory. The musicians first teamed up on the Grammy-winning album TajMo (2017), and this year brings another collaborative album from the blues giants. Experience a historic night of music that merges the distinctive voices, guitar styles, and personalities of the two, taking you on a soulful journey through some of the world’s greatest musical styles.

Augustana
2025-06-16 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Dan Layus, the creative force behind Augustana, is a Platinum-selling American pop-rock artist celebrated for chart-topping hits like “Boston,” “Sweet and Low,” “Fire,” and “Steal Your Heart.” As a seasoned touring musician, Layus has shared the stage with iconic acts such as OneRepublic, Maroon 5, Owl City, and Counting Crows, among many others. In addition to his pop-rock success, Layus recently collaborated with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, composing original classical pieces and arranging Augustana’s songs for a string quartet. For his highly anticipated 2025 Midwest summer tour, Layus has assembled his world-class band again to perform a host of Augustana classics.

Skerryvore
2025-06-17 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place.
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
What are Skerryvore? They’re like no one else. Epic of melody, intimate of feeling and plugged into the roots of Scotland but blasting out to the world. Three time winners of Scotland’s ‘Live Act of the Year’ award, Skerryvore have evolved from their humble beginnings to become one of the country’s leading forces in a thriving live music scene. At the forefront of a movement that has reinvented and reignited a traditional Scottish scene for a modern, multicultural audience, the band have brought their high energy performances to audiences across the globe.
With a mix of bagpipes, fiddles, accordions, and whistles, alongside guitar and vocals, underpinned by driving bass, drums and keys, Skerryvore represent the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music. Their now 7 studio albums demonstrate the wide range of influences the individual musicians bring to the mix – a unique fusion of folk, trad, pop and rock.

California Guitar Trio // Kaki King
2025-06-18 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place.
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
The universe of guitar knows no boundaries for The California Guitar Trio. Since 1991, the group has enthralled listeners with a singular sound that fearlessly crisscrosses genres. The trio’s questing spirit drives it to explore the intersections between rock, jazz, classical, and world music. It even throws in the occasional surf or spaghetti Western tune for good measure. Comprised of Bert Lams, Tom Griesgraber and Paul Richards, the group has established a unique, personal connection with audiences. In addition to dazzling musicianship and interplay, The California Guitar Trio’s shows are full of captivating stories and humor that enable concertgoers to feel like they’re part of the music, not just spectators.
Dubbed by Rolling Stone as “a genre unto herself,” Brooklyn, NY-based Kaki King has proven to be just that. Her career has taken her all over the world, sharing stages with Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, contributing music to award-winning films (Sean Penn’s Into The Wild), and performing at the Kennedy Center, the London Jazz Festival, and the Paris Les Femmes s’en Melent. Her explorations into the guitar and multimedia have led to the creation of groundbreaking work such as The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body, Modern Yesterdays, SEI, and her newest show for audiences of all ages, BUGS. Kaki continues to create, perform, and lend her musical voice to the forefront of contemporary music.

Jon Muq
2025-06-19 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
For Jon Muq, a singer-songwriter born in Uganda and now living in Austin, Texas, music is part of a larger conversation he’s having with the world and everybody in it. Drawing from African as well as western musical trends and traditions, he devises songs as small gifts, designed to settle into everyday life and provoke reflection and resilience. “These days the world is sad,” he explains, “so I wanted to make happy songs. I wanted to write songs that connected with the listener in a very personal way. When someone listens to my music, it’s not just about me and what I’m singing. It’s about how they understand the songs individually. I think these songs can speak many languages, depending on what you want from them.
Muq’s experiences as a child in Uganda and as a man in America give him a unique perspective on the world he’s addressing. “I grew up in a very different life, where so many people pass through hard times just because they don’t have much. Our biggest issue was food scarcity. Then I came to a different world, which gave me a picture of how to write a song that can find balance with everyone wherever they are, whether they have a lot or not much.”

Cris Jacobs
2025-06-20 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
This show was rescheduled from November. Tickets purchased for the original date will be honored on the new date. If unable to attend on the new date, ticket holders have until January 10 to request a refund.
From Baltimore comes Cris Jacobs—an unexpectedly gritty soul-blues singer and guitarist with outlaw country ethos. Blending a variety of musical traditions, Jacobs creates a distinctive voice and sound of his own punctuated by emotive songwriting and explosive guitar playing. Equally at home playing heartfelt Americana ballads or funky blues rockers, Jacobs is known for his mesmerizing live shows, where his improvisational guitar playing, powerhouse band, and deep reservoir of songs make each night a unique experience.
Named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know” in 2017, Jacobs has collaborated with the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and Dumpstaphunk’s Ivan Neville, and earned opening slots on tours with Sturgill Simpson and Steve Winwood.
With three solo albums to his name, a collaborative record with Ivan Neville aptly titled “Neville Jacobs”, songwriting credits that include bluegrass artists Audie Blaylock and Frank Solivan, New Orleans funksters Dumpstaphunk, and gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama, Jacobs continues to evolve and display his wide range of writing and performing prowess. “No matter the song”, he says, “I just like to keep it soulful and let the music speak for itself”
Opening is Lost Mary, the songwriting project of Luke Martin and David Johnson III. Hailing from the small, rural town of Hillsdale, Michigan, Lost Mary is committed to the essence of Folk music: storytelling. Pulling from both traditional and modern Folk and Americana influences, Luke and David bring together their unique musical backgrounds to create songs and stories that are as personal as they are universal. Lost Mary is the soundtrack of front porches, late nights, and smokey basements.

Out Loud Chorus
2025-06-21 13:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Make Music Ann Arbor is a live, free musical celebration taking place June 21 every year—the longest day of the year. Cities across the world celebrate with concerts by professional and amateur musicians.
Out Loud Chorus is the largest mixed-voice LGBTQ+ choir in North America, and the only arts organization dedicated to the entire LGBTQ+ community in Washtenaw County. We bring together people of all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds to make beautiful music and connect through this shared joy. But at its core, OLC is about more than just making music–we’re working to create a world where every voice is heard.
OLC is fun and flexible, open to many levels of ability and committed to embodying the diversity of our community. In addition, the chorus seeks to educate the general public about choral music and, through performances, to reduce bigotry and discrimination against our community.

Darlingside
2025-06-21 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Everything Is Alive, Darlingside’s fourth LP, marks a subtle but remarkable departure for the Boston-based quartet NPR once described as “exquisitely arranged, literary minded, baroque folk-pop.” While the album retains much of the lushness and sophistication of Extralife (2018) and Fish Pond Fish (2020), the band’s latest work decisively exposes and differentiates the individual voices of the four songwriters—a daring reinvention for a group known for ubiquitous vocal harmonies. Grappling with change both personal and universal, with quandaries domestic and existential, Everything Is Alive is an album about loss and the struggle for a semblance of redemption.
Comprised of Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, Harris Paseltiner and David Senft, four likeminded multi-instrumentalists who first met at Williams College in 2009, Darlingside’s career has been defined by the elegance of their compositions and the unity of their four voices. Their talent for harmony and melodic world-building is part of what garnered praise from outlets like NPR, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker, and what has created demand worldwide for their extraordinary live performances.
It’s a rare thing and becoming rarer by the day: a group of musicians with that emulsifying magic to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. And to see Darlingside perform live is to confirm this special chemistry. With the release of Everything Is Alive the band will, for the first time, take to the road without Dave Senft. Instead of filling his spot directly, the band has wisely chosen to honor the special chemistry of the foursome by letting those arrangements live on the recordings without obligation to faithfully recreate them onstage. While Dave remains a contributing member of the band, on tour Darlingside will perform in a completely different configuration altogether—a configuration that will, at times, include the album’s drummer Ben Burns, singer Molly Parden, and others—proving again how the group can adroitly rearrange themselves for the breaking of a new and different day.

Birdtalker
2025-06-22 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Fronted by Zack and Dani Green along with Brian Seligman and Chris Wilson, Birdtalker made their whirlwind debut in 2018 with One featuring their breakout single “Heavy” (now over 95 million streams worldwide). Rolling Stone hailed it as “infectious and sprightly” and NPR Music called it “such a beautiful record” while earning similar praises from Billboard, World Cafe, and American Songwriter.The release led to non-stop touring, festival appearances, and their debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
They followed that up in 2021 with their anticipated sophomore album Birdtalker, which was met with further critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Paste, Relix, PopMatters, The Boot, The Bluegrass Situation, Americana Highways, American Songwriter, Under The Radar, and more. John Mayer featured one of their latest songs, Season Of Charade, on his SiriusXM Show, stating “the whole thing is fantastic.”
Their third full-length effort, All Means, No End finds the Nashville-based quartet teaming up with a new collaborator, Louis Johnson (LONAS), who produced, engineered, and helped co-write the album.

Half Gringa
2025-06-24 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Over the course of her first two full-length releases as Half Gringa, Chicago-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Isabel Olive has demonstrated stunning emotional intelligence and songwriting elegance. And it has not gone unnoticed. The Chicago Reader named Half Gringa’s debut, Gruñona as among Chicago’s Best Albums of the Decade while VICE named her sophomore full-length, Force to Reckon as one of 22 Essential Albums of 2020, saying that Half Gringa specializes in “empathic and twangy songs about grief and getting stuck in your own thoughts.”
True as that may be, her third and latest album Cosmovisión represents a shift. Recorded in Chicago by veteran Califone and Iron & Wine producer Brian Deck, Cosmovisión captures Olive at her most self-possessed, addressing “mythology, mortality, and everything in between,” ideas that Olive says are “too hot to touch, too huge to hold.” Indeed, Half Gringa seems to revel in addressing what cannot be grasped or expressed so easily. Olive commonly switches between English and Spanish in her songs. It’s a tribute –– as is the band name –– to her upbringing by a Venezuelan mother and an American father in a Midwestern town.
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.
Tonight’s show is FREE (nonperishables accepted for Food Gatherers).

The Ark's Open Stage
2025-06-25 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-07-01 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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.
Why play Open Stage at the Ark? Do it to be heard. Do it so you know you can. Do it to take your music to the masses. If you’re not interested in getting on stage tonight, get your practice in at being a great audience member and observer of new music.

Melissa Ferrick
2025-06-26 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
30 years into a prolific career as a genre and gender-defying songwriter, Melissa Ferrick continues to disrupt normative categorization. Indie, Alternative, Folk, Punk….Melissa Ferrick won’t be labeled. With disarming wit and raw vulnerability, every lyric in Ferrick’s immense catalog is an invitation to confession or catharsis.
To commemorate its 25th anniversary, Ferrick has re-recorded her critically acclaimed album Everything I Need. “Just me and the guitar using live takes and no overdubs,” Ferrick captures the emotional intensity that has become a signature of her live performances.
Ferrick’s impact reaches far beyond her music. As one of the few openly queer artists in the 1990s, she navigated and challenged the sexism, homophobia, and rigid gender expectations of the music industry. Her trailblazing journey not only paved the way for future generations of artists but also created a space where they could express their identities and be celebrated on their own terms. Most recently, Melissa launched Drive Music Agency (DMA), a booking agency and consulting company designed to help launch new acts in the indie scene. She is also a Professor of Practice at Northeastern University, teaching courses in music business, songwriting, creative entrepreneurship, demo recording and production, and the psychology of creativity. Melissa was an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music from 2013 to 2019 and holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University.
As she continues to challenge conventions, Melissa Ferrick continues to reinforce her genre-defying legacy with each new project.

Joe Reilly and The Community Gardeners
2025-06-27 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
“Exalting love for the planet and its fellow human beings as his main value, the warm and emotional North American artist Joe Reilly captivates us in an atmosphere of blues, folk, and rock where his baritone voice invites us to leave aside prejudice and hatred, preserving the power of love and individuality.
As the world becomes more complex and darker, with rising rates of violence, intolerance, and racism, as well as anxiety and suicide, human beings seek new alternatives to convey positive and encouraging messages to their fellow human beings. This is why an artist like Joe Reilly seeks to combine his ordinary work activities with music, as an activist who, through his music, seeks to uplift the spirits of all who listen.” ~Cosmonauta Radio
Learn to Love Again is Joe Reilly’s first non-children’s album in over a decade. Appropriate for all ages, the album shares the depths of Joe’s spiritual journey of healing and transformation. The first two singles, Day of Peace (released 1-1-25) and Infinite Hearts – Decolonization Mix (released 2-17-25) are two examples that show the musical and lyrical diversity of the album.
Recorded on the Frog Holler Farm in Brooklyn, Michigan underneath the summer solstice full moon, the album features Joe’s band, The Community Gardeners: Billy King (guitars and piano), John Driscoll (drums and vocals), Jenny Jones (vocals), Lesley-Anne Stone (vocals), Chris Good (bass), Mark Stone (percussion), Chris DiMeglio (trumpet), Glen Michael Blair (keyboard), as well as guest artists Born I (vocals), and Peace Be Free (vocals).
Learn to Love Again will be released on all streaming platforms on the Summer Solstice, June 20th, 2025. This special, singular album release concert will include a guided meditation from Dharma teacher Barbara Newell, who has been a spiritual mentor of Joe’s for many years and who led Joe and The Community Gardeners in guided meditations during the recording process. Also featured will be singer songwriter Elisabeth Pixley-Fink, who recently celebrated her most recent release Heartskin.
Come ready to sing, breathe, and celebrate our deep interconnections!
Photo credit Silver Thumb Photography

Shawn Mullins
2025-06-30 20:00 - 22:30 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
After a series of indie releases and growing buzz in the Atlanta music scene, Shawn Mullins’ critical and commercial breakthrough came when 1998 Soul’s Core shot him to fame on the strength of Grammy-nominated No. 1 hit, “Lullaby” followed by AAA/Americana No. 1 hit “Beautiful Wreck” from 2006’s 9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor. His song, “Shimmer” was used in promotion of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and was included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. His co-write “All in My Head” from 2008’s Honeydew was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom “Scrubs.” Mullins also co-wrote the Zac Brown Band’s No. 1 country tune “Toes.” In early 2002, he formed supergroup The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge. “No Blue Sky” from the resulting album, is a modern day classic.
For the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough album, Shawn revisited the music of Soul’s Core by recording two new versions of the album. He calls this Soul’s Core Revival. This is not a remix or a remaster of the original, but rather brand new recordings with new arrangements of the songs – one album is stripped down solo performances, some on guitar, some on piano and maybe one a cappella and the second is a new studio recording with his full band, Soul Carnival.

Matt the Electrician
2025-07-02 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Ticket prices on our website reflect all-in pricing for purchases made online or by phone. This means the price you see includes the ticket price plus MUTO’s ticket processing fee. Tickets may be purchased with no included fees in person at The Ark during box office hours.
Matt the Electrician is Matthew Sever, a quirky, sincere folk/pop singer songwriter based in Austin, TX. He has self-released 11 studio albums, and 2 live CDs since 1998. Matt moved to Austin, TX from the West Coast in 1996 to pursue music full time. He regularly tours all over the world, specifically The US, Canada, Western Europe and Japan. His songs have been featured on Network TV shows, in feature length movies, and in TV commercials. He regularly plays festivals, theaters, nightclubs, and house concerts, and will continue to do so until he cannot.
