Opener: Ben de la Cour
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesWhen Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore made the album Downey To Lubbock together in 2018, they wrote the title track as a sort of mission statement. “I know someday this old highway’s gonna come to an end,” Alvin sings near the song’s conclusion. Gilmore answers: “But I know when it does you’re going to be my friend.”
After three years of breakout touring at some of the biggest roots festivals in the United States and Canada, and another three years locked out of the live performance world they have so ambitiously cultivated, Doolin’, France’s premiere practitioners of Irish and Celtic music, return to touring with their latest album entitled CIRCUS BOY.
Mark Lavengood is a distinguished multi-instrumentalist, performer, and producer whose work in the Bluegrass, Americana & Roots Music genres has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal following. Mark and his talented band will honor the remarkable legacy of one of America’s most beloved troubadours, John Prine. With standout hits and deep cuts alike, fans can expect an evening filled with laughter, poignancy, and the timeless storytelling that Prine embodied.
Fiddler/violinist Darol Anger and multi-instrumental virtuoso Mike Marshall are pioneers of the New Acoustic Music movement, which is still bringing folk, jazz, bluegrass, and world music influences together in an instrumental acoustic setting.
From their beginnings in mid-Sixties Ohio as a group of friends playing cover tunes to the present-day unit featuring the propulsive team of drummer Scott Thompson and bassist Jared Camic, Keyboard Master Randy Harper, Guitar Ace/vocalist Jeff Zona and Pedal Steel/Saxophonist John Heinrich, PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE continues to embellish the rich 50-plus year history of one of Country-Rock’s pioneering forces. As one reviewer recently wrote: “PPL’s sound combines sweet memories with edgy, contemporary muscle. Their vocals are as strong as Kentucky moonshine and the musicianship and performance skills are as sharp as a straight razor”.
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.
Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet formed Trout Fishing in America in 1979 as a means of survival. They traveled to California as a part of the Texas-based five-piece band St. Elmo’s Fire with hopes of being discovered and signed by a major record label. When no such opportunity arose, and the promising tour dissolved, Keith and Ezra peeled off from their bandmates to fend for themselves. Busking on the streets of Santa Cruz with an acoustic guitar and an upright bass, the pair quickly learned that engaging listeners instantly was the only path towards dollars and coins in the open guitar case. When entry in a music contest required them to have a name for their act, they chose Trout Fishing in America as an homage to Keith’s love of writer Richard Brautigan and Ezra’s love of fishing.
Bassel & The Supernaturals tells the story of Bassel Almadani's experience as a first generation Syrian-American using soulful melodies, funk inspired rhythms, and captivating lyrics regarding love, loss, otherness, and the war in Syria. They made their national television debut in May 2024 as part of a new PBS docuseries starring Dule Hill entitled The Express Way, regarding the transformative power of the arts.
Banjo player Tray Wellington’s approach to the quintessential American instrument is all about looking forward. An International Bluegrass Music Association Award winner, Wellington is critically acclaimed not only for his technical prowess, but also for leveraging his unique point of view to craft a one-of-a-kind voice on the instrument.
George Bedard will continue his History of American Music series at The Ark on August 16th. This year’s first set will begin a new tradition of exploring many different genres from a particular year – in this case 1959. The second set will be a tribute to the great slide guitarist and blues singer Elmore James.
With a career spanning decades and a dozen albums with Lowen & Navarro, Dan Navarro is currently on tour in support of his album, "Horizon Line." Dan’s music probes life at its most resonant. In his rich baritone, he sings songs of heart and insight, steeped in experience, soulful tales from a long road well-traveled. Attendance to this show is free for Ark Members at the Solo ($50) level and above!
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.