Tartan Terrors
2024-09-04 20:00 - 23:00 (America/Detroit) | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Tartan Terrors bring their Celtic Invasion to festivals and shows across North America, blending the energy of a rock show with humor and step dance. With a distinctive sound and proud tradition of making Celtic music fun and accessible to any audience, the Tartan Terrors have performed on 4 different continents, in some of the most prestigious Festivals, Highland Games and theaters of North America. Join the phenomenon of the Tartan Terrors and see why Celtic Beat Magazine hails them as “the heirs apparent to the [Celtic] mayhem.”

The Martin Sexton Abbey Road Show
2024-09-05 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Martin Sexton puts his signature style on his rendition of this iconic Beatles album combining what Rolling Stone calls his “soul-marinated voice” with his inventive guitar prowess.
We are all invited to Come Together to experience these brilliant songs celebrated in such a compelling reimagined way.

Shemekia Copeland
2024-09-06 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
This show has been rescheduled from an earlier date. All previously sold tickets will be honored. Ticket holders have until March 15th to request a refund if unable to attend on the new date.
Shemekia Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. The multi-GRAMMY nominee is beloved and honored worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory songs, as well as for her winning, engaging personality. The Chicago Tribune says, “Copeland is the greatest female blues vocalist working today. There’s no mistaking the majesty of her instrument, nor the ferocity of her delivery.”

On Copeland’s new album, Blame It On Eve, the songs all hit hard, with jaw-dropping performances that instantly take hold and command repeated listening. “There’s serious business on the new album,” Copeland says, “but there are a lot of smiles here too, a lot of joyous moments. It’s my blues for sure but it’s the brighter side. Issues are always important to me, but so is rocking, dancing and just having fun. And that’s something we all can all agree on.”
With Blame It On Eve, Copeland embarks on what she calls “a vacation from all the heaviness.” Blame It On Eve contains plenty of Copeland’s trademark bold and courageous songs, but here Copeland is also looking to unplug from the weight of the world. “My last three records have dealt with breaking news,” she says. “This record is for people like me who want a break from the news.”

Ann Arbor Django Reinhardt Festival
2024-09-07 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
The 2nd annual Ann Arbor Django Reinhardt Festival features host band Djangophonique and their new material with the latest addition to the ensemble, vocalist Katie Smith, along with other midwestern musicians who draw inspiration from the Django lineage. Christo Rupenthal’s Novelty Combo from Madison, WI, brings a fusion of antique Hawaiian steel guitar and hot club music, and Erik McIntyre from Flint, MI will be playing early American archtop guitar influenced by musicians such as Eddie Lang, whose recordings with violinist Joe Venuti served as the blueprint for Reinhardt and Grapelli’s work. With a range of diverse offerings, united together by enthusiasm, skill, and passion for the legacy surrounding the music of Django Reinhardt, this iteration of Ann Arbor’s burgeoning new series is sure to delight, transport, and inspire.
Djangophonique is an award winning project that delivers the infectious joy, and expressive freedom that is at the heart of Django Reinhardt’s jazz manouche. With respect for the tradition and a fearless creativity that bends the conventions of the style, Djangophonique is keeping the Hot Club revival alive and well. The result is a sound that’s unmistakable to fans of the music, and alluring to the uninitiated—a sound that can bring the lively energy of a Parisian dance hall to the quietest listening room or captivate a buzzing festival audience with the aching nostalgia of a shimmering ballad.
Christo Ruppenthal is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and music entrepreneur whose professional career started in 2003. He presents a unique mixture of Vaudeville-era novelty infused hot steel guitar playing from the 1920s and 30s “Hawaiian Craze” combined with the swinging sounds of Django Reinhardt’s 1930s and 40s guitar-driven Hot Club jazz. Think “Hot Hawaiian guitar meets Jazz à la Django!” Christo is an avid recording artist and performer with thousands of gigs both across the U.S. and internationally to his credit.
Inspired by a melting pot of moods, styles, and spirit heard in recordings from the 1920s and 30s (by such artists as Eddie Lang, Louis Armstrong, Blind Blake, Lonnie Johnson, Billie Holiday, Django Reinhardt, Blind Boy Fuller, Agustín Barrios Mangoré, The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers…), Erik McIntyre continues to hone a distinct musical voice that pays homage with a personal touch. His playing is spontaneous yet studious — synergizing “muse” and “ic”. Whether as soloist or sideman, his arrangements, improvisations, and compositions weave a tapestry that is filtered through a warm lens of nostalgia and invites listeners to his inner world.

Sierra Ferrell - Shoot For The Moon Tour
2024-09-08 19:00 - 23:00 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, 48067, United States
One of the brightest young luminaries in roots music today, Sierra Ferrell brings a dose of beautifully strange magic to everything she touches. Since the arrival of Long Time Coming (her acclaimed debut LP for Rounder Records), the West Virginia-born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist has earned the Emerging Act of the Year prize at the Americana Honors & Awards, collaborated with the likes of Margo Price and Old Crow Medicine Show, and enchanted audiences all over North America and Europe with her high-spirited and dazzling live performance. On her new album Trail Of Flowers, the Nashville-based artist expands her sound while deepening the urgency of her songs, often revealing a wealth of wisdom within her wildly imaginative storytelling.
Her first full-length since Long Time Coming—a 2021 release that drew praise from outlets like Pitchfork, Paste, Pop Matters, and No Depression—Trail Of Flowers came to life with producers Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton) and Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Dwight Yoakam, Gillian Welch) and with such esteemed musicians as Chris Scruggs. In keeping with a musical upbringing that included playing everywhere from truck stops to boxcars to New Orleans street corners, the album journeys from freewheeling bluegrass to heartrending old-time music to fantastically gritty honky-tonk and beyond, endlessly changing shape to accommodate the immense scope of Ferrell’s eccentric musicality. Mainly recorded at Sound Emporium Studios and featuring guest appearances from singer/songwriters Lukas Nelson and Nikki Lane, Trail Of Flowers ultimately fulfills her longstanding mission of making music that transcends all barriers of time. “I wanted to create something that makes people feel nostalgic for the past, but excited about the future of music,” Ferrell points out.
Instantly proving her extraordinary capacity to merge timeless musicianship with lyrics exploring modern concerns, Trail Of Flowers opens on “American Dreaming”: a world-weary yet soul-stirring track that speaks to the struggle to build a good life in a culture consumed by capitalism. Another song informed by her singular outlook on the modern world, “Fox Hunt” takes the form of a furiously stomping epic driven by galloping rhythms and some feverish fiddle work from Ferrell. On “Rosemary,” she delves further into her old-time roots and delivers the album’s most haunting moment: a stark but spellbinding story-song graced with a few bars of soulful yodeling. A profoundly gifted vocalist, Ferrell often captures an entire world of feeling in just a single line, particularly on tracks like “Dollar Bill Bar”—a swinging but wistful number on which she cycles from longing to regret to devil-may-care attitude with impossible ease. And on “I Could Drive You Crazy,” Ferrell serves up one of the most joyful moments on Trail Of Flowers, sharing a harmony-fueled and singalong-ready love song that’s both self-effacing and gloriously fun.

The Henhouse Prowlers
2024-09-08 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Founded nearly two decades ago with the simple desire to play original and powerful bluegrass, The Henhouse Prowlers now find themselves at the intersection of performance, diplomacy and education. Onstage, the group’s enthralling performances give audiences a sense of how much they love what they do. On record – including their latest offering, 2023’s Lead and Iron, released via Dark Shadow Recording – the band explores their collective life experiences through songwriting and intricate instrumentation. While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Prowlers’ music, the band bends and squeezes the traditional form into a keenly developed sound all their own.
The Prowlers have now been to more than 25 countries across the globe, working with the U.S. State Department and under their own nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, and incorporating music from Africa, Asia, the Middle East & more into their already robust repertoire of unique traditional American music.
On stage, in workshops and wherever they are, the Henhouse Prowlers find and spread the commonality we share as human beings through the universal language of music.

Joseph
2024-09-09 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A tremendously special show celebrating the 10th anniversary of Joseph’s debut album Native, Dreamer, Kin which will be played in its entirety from start to finish, followed by favorites from the entire discography. Very special announcements coming soon about other elements to the show. This is a very important pivotal moment between what has been and what’s to come for the band and they’re excited to share it with their incredible audience.
VIP package includes:

One (1) General Admission Ticket
Meet & Greet & Photo Opportunity with JOSEPH
Access to Intimate Pre-Show Soundcheck Performance and Q&A with JOSEPH
One (1) Tour Poster Signed by JOSEPH
One (1) Specially Designed JOSEPH Tote Bag
One (1) JOSEPH Pin Set
Early Merchandise Shopping Opportunity
Venue First Entry (Where Applicable)

Síomha
2024-09-10 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Independent Irish singer and guitarist Síomha (pronounced She-vah) dances the line between folk, jazz and neo-soul effortlessly taking audiences on an unexpected and unforgettable journey with her soulful melodies. Her debut album ‘Infinite Space’, described by The Irish Times as “a seriously accomplished and self-confident debut”, is a collection of songs in both Irish and English. A kind of cosmic, folk-informed, jazz-tinged, post-pop – it was produced by Grammy-nominated Tyler Duncan and features an all-star lineup of musicians including Joe Dart (Vulfpeck), Louis Cato (Bobby McFerrin/ Snarky Puppy), Martin Atkinson Borrull (Toucan) and violinist Jeremy Kittel (Bela Fleck/ Chris Thile). Síomha’s voice is full of raw heartfelt experience. When listening to her, audiences are instantly moved to feel on the deepest level and come out more intimately connected to their own worlds.

Dustbowl Revival
2024-09-11 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Dustbowl Revival has always been about pushing the boundaries of what American roots music can be. After celebrating over a decade of sonic adventuring and playing thousands of shows together in ten countries and counting, the group collected a devoted fanbase globally.
After spending years on the road, selling out hometown shows at LA’s famed Troubadour, headlining festivals and wowing crowds from Denmark to China, Dustbowl Revival never stopped making their joyful, booty-shaking soul songs and cut-to-heart folk-rock ballads that lift up their transcendent live shows.
Founder Z. Lupetin sought to find fellow musicians who shared his roving love of Louis Armstrong, Bob Wills, Old Crow Medicine Show, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin and the brass bands of New Orleans, but also wanted to write songs like Americana pioneers Wilco, Lucinda Williams and even Bruce Springsteen.
Dustbowl Revival’s collective of musicians include: Z. Lupetin (lead vocals, guitar) Alex Nester (lead vocals), Chad Richard (electric guitar), Nick Phakpiseth (bass), Josh Heffernan (drums), Ulf Bjorlin, Vik Devasthali (trombone), Max Oleary, Mike Jones, (trumpet).

William Prince
2024-09-12 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Guided by a practical yet profound gratitude, William Prince’s songs convey the power of wonder and humility. A masterclass in skillful simplicity, Prince’s songwriting is grounded in a balance between the personal and the universal, his own moments of self-discovery and the larger questions we face together. Prince offers what’s true for himself in whatever way it is helpful. Grace is not a final state but a process.
Over four albums, with his newest Stand in the Joy just released, Prince has created a body of work that traces a remarkable journey. From the giant first step taken with his award-winning debut, Earthly Days, which introduced Prince to the world, through releasing two full albums in 2020 – Reliever and Gospel First Nation – in the midst of chaos and confusion, William Prince’s discography finds its steadying, timeless appeal in his rich voice and assured restraint.

Old Crow Medicine Show
2024-09-13 19:30 - 23:00 | Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Acoustic Routes Concerts and The Ark are once again fighting hunger with music.
Together, they are bringing Grand Ole Opry members and Grammy winners Old Crow Medicine Show to The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on Friday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. to support The Breakfast at St. Andrew’s daily meal program.
Old Crow Medicine Show’s concerts are legendary thanks to the band’s virtuosity and breakneck tempos, their strong original songwriting and deep respect for traditional American music. Their rise began in 2000 after a chance meeting with the flatpicking guitar and mountain music legend Doc Watson, when the band was busking on a street corner in Boone, North Carolina. Over the years, their string band revival sound has found a growing legion of fans hungry for roots music and it has captured the hearts of acclaimed artists like John Prine, Gillian Welch and Marty Stuart who helped propel their music.
No Depression.com says the the band is now virtually a tradition in itself and their latest Grammy-nominated album, Jubilee, is “a celebration of their own past and ongoing relevance, and of old-timey music as a hoedown that never ends but might pick up a fair number of new steps along the way.”
The concert is the 14th that Acoustic Routes and The Ark have done together to raise money for The Breakfast at St. Andrew’s, which feeds the homeless, the working poor and other people struggling to make ends meet. They have never missed a day of service since opening their doors in 1982, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CMT’s Next Women of Country Kimberly Perry (of The Band Perry)
2024-09-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Kimberly Perry show on September 13 has been cancelled. Refunds have been issued from original point of purchase.
As one-third of the Grammy® Award-winning superstar sibling trio The Band Perry, Kimberly Perry has racked up sales of over two and a half million albums, thirteen million singles, and over 2 billion combined streams. As a songwriter, her groundbreaking crossover #1 single “If I Die Young” (with its current 9x platinum status and over 200 million video views) helped Kimberly burst on to the world stage. As an entertainer, she’s performed on TV’s biggest shows, from late night’s most influential (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show With James Corden, The Late Show with David Letterman) to daytime’s most popular (Ellen, Good Morning America, The Today Show), as well as performing and presenting on multiple CMA, ACM, and CMT award shows and specials. After touring the globe and playing on some of its biggest stages, her first love is songwriting, and it remains the force that drives her today. Perry signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell and Songs & Daughters, she released “Bloom” her first EP as a solo artist in 2023 and is set to headline the upcoming 2024 CMT Next Women of Country Presents: Kimberly Perry (of The Band Perry) Tour.

The RFD Boys
2024-09-13 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
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.

Chris Smither
2024-09-14 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Chris Smither grew up in New Orleans where he first started playing music as a child. The son of a Tulane University professor, he was taught the rudiments of instrumentation by his uncle on his mother’s ukulele. “I’d loved acoustic music – specifically the blues – ever since I first heard Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Blues In My Bottle album.” Chris says, “I couldn’t believe the sound Hopkins got. At first I thought it was two guys playing guitar. My style, to a degree, came out of trying to imitate that sound I heard.” His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, modern poets, and humanist philosophers.
Chris comes to The Ark in support of his 20th album, “All About the Bones” (release date: May 3, 2024 on Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert, distributed by Redeye). Featuring eight brand new Chris Smither songs and Smither renditions of Eliza Gilkyson’s “Calm Before the Storm” and also Tom Petty’s “Time to Move On”, the listener is welcomed into some gothic mansion on an imaginary New Orleans street, and there in the lamplit parlor confronts the band, a minimalist skeleton crew: Smither’s inimitable propulsive guitar and rumbling baritone are joined seamlessly to producer David Goodrich’s carpetbag of instruments, Zak Trojano’s rock-steady, primal drumming, BettySoo’s diaphanous harmony vocals, and the flat, mournful flood of Jazz legend Chris Cheek’s saxophone. Recorded at Sonelab Studios in Easthampton MA by Justin Pizzoferrato “All About the Bones” has a feel that is somehow baroque and austere at once.

The Tannahill Weavers
2024-09-15 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland, and named for the town’s historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the Tannahill Weavers have made an international name for their special brand of Celtic music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. Now in their 53rd year, the Tannahill Weavers are one of the world’s premier traditional Celtic bands, their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, original ballads and lullabies, and humorous tales of life in Scotland.
In 2021 they were joined by exciting piper and fiddle player Iain MacGillivray, who is also Scotland’s youngest Clan leader. Iain, a fluent Gaelic speaker, has worked on such exciting productions as Outlander and Men in Kilts, and has performed for a huge list of stars and dignitaries in recent years. As the band celebrate the nomination of their 18th recording, Òrach (“Golden” in Gaelic) as album of the year, and themselves as band of the year, they are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage. From reflective ballads to foot-stomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.

Harvest Gathering co-bill with Rachael Davis and Anne Heaton w/Frank Marotta, Jr.
2024-09-17 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Multi-instrumentalist Rachael Davis is as renowned for her expressive–and explosive–voice as she is for uniting the often disparate worlds of folk, blues, country, and pop. Davis has lent her voice to countless recordings for friends, film soundtracks, and even video games, but it is her intuitive and empathetic understanding of folk music—“the music of folks” as she calls it, and her original and thoughtful songwriting voice that has earned her fans around the U.S.
Singer-songwriter and pianist Anne Heaton has captured audience imaginations for over fifteen years with her songs that are, by turns, “tender, barbed and spiritual” (Washington Post). She’s been featured by the New York Times Popcast, played numerous times on NPR and shared the stage with artists such as Jewel, Sarah McLachlan and jazz drummer Max Roach. She teaches at Berklee College of Music Summer Programs and is the founder of Soul Songs School, an online songwriting program. Anne often performs with guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Frank Marotta, Jr. and they have played over 1,000 headlining shows together nationwide.

Bob Mould solo electric
2024-09-18 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Bob Mould is an American musician/singer/songwriter now in his fifth decade of making and performing music. Bob has released 15 solo albums since his 1989 solo debut Workbook, after forming and leading Minnesota punk rock innovators Hüsker Dü starting in 1979. Along with two albums in the group Sugar, Bob has redefined guitar driven rock across 23 studio albums over the last 40-plus years.
In addition to a catalog of over 250 songs, Bob contributed the theme song to TV’s The Daily Show and has served as a creative north star to legions of musicians ranging from Dave Grohl to Billie Joe Armstrong.
Bob’s most recent album was 2020’s Blue Hearts, released to continuing critical acclaim. Rolling Stone said “Blue Hearts gushes more piss and vinegar than Stanley Kubrick could fill a hallway with, but what makes it jaw-dropping is the precision with which Mould has focused his ire on conservatives, evangelicals, homophobes, while leaving room for some self-criticism as well.”
“The fire in Bob Mould’s belly can’t be extinguished,” gushed Under The Radar. “Blue Hearts is Mould at his fiercest and most deliberate.”

Donna The Buffalo
2024-09-19 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Donna The Buffalo is not just a band, rather one might say that Donna The Buffalo has become a lifestyle for its members and audiences. Since 1989, the roots rockers have played thousands of shows and countless festivals including Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Telluride, Austin City Limits Festival, Merle Fest, and Philadelphia Folk Festival. They’ve opened for The Dead and have toured with Peter Rowan, Del McCoury, Los Lobos, Little Feat, Jim Lauderdale, Rusted Root, and Railroad Earth to name a few. They also toured with Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen to help raise awareness about increased corporate spending in politics.
In 1991,the band started the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY. The four day festival has become an annual destination for over 15,000 music lovers every year and was started as an AIDS benefit. It continues as a benefit for arts and education. To date, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and is now one of three Grassroots Festivals; the Bi-annual Shakori Hills fest in North Carolina and Virginia Key festival in Florida. In 2016 GrassRoots Culture Camp was introduced in Trumansburg, New York as four days of music, art, dance and movement workshops, including nightly dinners and dances.

An evening with Vienna Teng
2024-09-20 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
“I was in a long-distance relationship with music for many years,” jokes singer-songwriter Vienna Teng. 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, as well as the music for The Fourth Messenger by playwright Tanya Shaffer.
Together with Vienna’s captivating live performances and thoughtful online presence, her work has built a devoted following across generations and continents. Still, other pursuits have always beckoned. Vienna 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.
“I learned a lot about what it means to hold two truths in your head at the same time, as the saying goes,” Vienna says of that period. Out of that idea emerged some of the most intricate and impassioned songwriting she’s ever done: a pair of songs called “We’ve Got You,” about leading and leaning on one’s community. When she performs it on stage – solo, live-looping her voice, keyboards and percussion to layer the two songs together – the audience response is electric.
“We’ve Got You” also marks a new chapter of merging her musical and environmental vocations. In 2022, she launched a “music x climate action” community on Patreon, combining monthly livestream shows with Zoom climate action sessions, and hosting workshops between concerts that participants have described as “life-changing,” “rocket fuel,” and “the perfect antidote to despair.”
The long-distance phase is over. Now it’s time for communion – and moving forward.
Upper tier tickets ($500, $250, $125) include a pre-show conversation between Vienna and our emcee, Acoustic Cafe’s Rob Reinhart, plus a dessert reception.
$500 Platinum- reserved seating in the best seats in the house ($455 tax-deductible)
$250 Gold- reserved seating on floor in front of stage ($205 tax-deductible)
$125 Silver- reserved seating in drink rail areas ($80 tax-deductible)
$50 Bronze- general admission, show only, doors at 7:45 pm ($25 tax deductible)
6:30 p.m. | Doors for Platinum, Gold, and Silver ticket holders and dessert reception
7:00 p.m. | Q&A with Vienna Teng and Rob Reinhart
7:45 p.m. | Doors for Bronze ticket holders
8:00 p.m. | Concert
Our virtual fundraising auction is live! Bidding closes at 8:00pm on Friday, September 20th. View the auction here!

Nathan Graham
2024-09-21 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
When you think of a singer-songwriter, who comes to mind?
Nathan Graham says it probably isn’t somebody who looks like he does, and he wants to change that.
Born and raised in Chicago, Graham meshes South Side Blues with Nashville Americana, beginning his career backing blues singers at famous haunts like Buddy Guy’s Legends and Kingston Mines. He spent a decade as a guitar-for-hire before picking up a mic to tell his own stories on the stage.
Soulful and steady, Graham’s music offers a raw introspective of the human condition that’s both painful and comforting. His guitar conveys heartbreak, lyrics tell stories of regret, but his rich vocal delivery offers the remedy.
Having brought his songs on international tours with both major label and indie acts, Graham is challenging the notion of what it means to be a singer-songwriter. He’s driving inclusivity within the genre, and he hopes to evoke a sense of understanding in the process.
“I’m writing about universal experiences,” he says. “I’m writing music to connect my story to yours, show you all that we have in common, and maybe help both of us feel less alone.”

Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Love Hate Music Box Tour
2024-09-22 19:00 - 23:00 | Masonic Temple Theatre, 500 Temple St, Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
As if channeling another dimension where genres simply don’t exist, Rainbow Kitten Surprise finds harmony in unpredictability – weaving together lyrical poetry, hummable melodies, and a rush of instrumental eccentricities. Now boasting over 2 billion global streams across platforms, the band first began building their devoted fanbase with independent albums SEVEN + MARY(2013) and RKS (2015). The band’s breakout full-length debut for Elektra, HOW TO: FRIEND, LOVE, FREEFALL, arrived in April 2018. Produced by GRAMMY® Award-winner Jay Joyce (Cage The Elephant, Lainey Wilson), the album featured RIAA-certified Platinum single “It’s Called: Freefall,” earned widespread praise from Billboard, TIME, Vice, and NPR who described their sound as “…a mix of jam and indie and whatever else you can throw into the soup…very earnest, beautiful, political, loving rock n’ roll,” and saw the band make several national television appearances, including performances on “CBS Saturday Morning,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and PBS’s “Austin City Limits.” After gracing the bills of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Osheaga, to name a few, RKS moved 80,000 tickets of their own on the sold-out 2018/2019 Friend, Love, Freefall Tour. That tour was earmarked by a sold-out debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and three consecutive gigs in Athens, GA (the latter of which were chronicled on their first official live album, LIVE FROM ATHENS GEORGIA, released in 2021).
The band released a two-track single Mary (B-Sides) in May 2019 – consisting of “Heart” and “No Vacancy.” The following year brought the release of standalone single “Our Song” – already a fan favorite in their live rotation prior to release – as well as a livestream concert in July, held for thousands of fans on what would’ve been the date of another sold-out Red Rocks performance (cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In March 2022, the band released the emotionally charged track “Work Out,” marking their first new music in nearly two years.
2022 also saw the band set out on their first full headline trek in nearly 3 years, a run that included their long-awaited, sold-out, two-night return to Red Rocks. And in 2022 alone, with the help of partners PLUS1 and Propeller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise raised over $170k for food banks in local tour markets, LGBTQ+ causes, and mental health initiatives.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is: Ela Melo (she/her; lead vocals), Darrick “Bozzy” Keller (he/him; guitar, vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (he/him; lead guitar, vocals), Jess Haney (he/him; drums)

Cowboy Junkies
2024-09-24 19:00 - 23:00 | Masonic Jack White Theatre, 500 Temple Street, Detroit, MI, 48201, United States
Sometimes revolutions begin quietly.
In 1988, Cowboy Junkies proved that there was an audience waiting for something quiet, beautiful and reflective. The Trinity Session was like a whisper that cut through the noise — and it was compelling. It stood out in the midst of the flash and bombast that came to define the late 80’s. The now classic recording combined folk, blues and rock in a way that had never been heard before and went on to sell more than a million copies.
Formed in Toronto in 1985 with siblings Michael Timmins on guitar, Margo Timmins on vocals, Peter Timmins on drums, and Michael’s lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass, the band has sparkled over the course of 29 albums. “I’ve known Alan longer than I’ve known Pete,” says Michael. “We were friends before Pete was born.”
Unlike most long-lasting groups, Cowboy Junkies have never had a break up or taken a sanity-saving hiatus. There’s an appreciation of each other that keeps them constantly working. “It’s that intimacy and understanding of what each one of us brings to the table,” says Michael. Cowboy Junkies’ will be performing a career-spanning show, including their new album, ‘Such Ferocious Beauty’, which was released worldwide on June 2, 2023 to universal critical acclaim.

Humbird
2024-09-24 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Humbird (Siri Undlin) is a Minneapolis based singer-songwriter, poet, and storyteller inspired by the crystalline chill of her home state’s northern winters. Undlin twines experimental indie folk rock, environmental Americana, and orchestral compositions into lush landscapes of mesmerizing sound.
Released in September 2019, her debut full length album, Pharmakon, was received with remarkable critical acclaim and has amassed over 20 million streams since its release. After the release of her sophomore album Still Life (2021) she was chosen as the winner of the 2021 Kerrville Folk Festival’s song-writing competition and went on to teach songwriting at both Sisters Folk Festival and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest. 2023’s tour highlights included her First Avenue main stage debut, appearances at Sisters Folks Festival, Mile of Music & Rocky Mountain Folks as well as direct tour support for Watchhouse, Mipso and Indigo De Souza, collectively covering most of the country. Her third third full length album ‘Right On’ was released on April 12 and has been her loudest, most notable record to date.
A Humbird live performance is intimate and earthy, literal and metaphorical. The band nimbly prances around the lilt of Undlin’s unfaltering fervent and haunting voice – the focal point. Although the songs and stories hold their own, the embellishments the band supply add the perfect splash of timbre and color to deliver a dynamic and engaging performance.
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
2024-09-25 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. Tremendous local performers like Dick Siegel, Misty Lyn, and Matt Watroba spent time honing their craft on Open Stage audiences. Even nationally recognized talents like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Gilda Radner, and David Alan Grier paid their dues here. 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.

Colin Quinn
2024-09-26 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this show has been postponed to November 7th. All previously purchased tickets will be honored on the new date. If unable to attend on the new date, ticket holders have until October 17th to request a refund.
COLIN QUINN (Writer/Performer) is a stand-up comedian from Brooklyn (okay, Park Slope), who has been a part of your whole life even though you never asked for it. From MTV’s “Remote Control” to SNL to Comedy Central’s “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,” Mr. Quinn is not one to take a hint and bow out gracefully. He’s been on Broadway with Colin Quinn: An Irish Wake and Colin Quinn: Long Story Short and Off-Broadway with his show Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional, Colin Quinn: The New York Story, directed by Jerry Seinfeld, Colin Quinn: Red State, Blue State, Colin Quinn: The Last Best Hope, and most recently Colin Quinn: Small Talk. Recent credits include Trainwreck, Girls, and his web series “Cop Show,” streaming now on Colin’s YouTube channel. His last book, “Overstated: A Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States,” is now out from Macmillan publishing.

Kaitlin Butts
2024-09-27 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
A truly one-of-a-kind artist, Kaitlin Butts has a deep affinity for country music’s more theatrical side: the extravagant storytelling, dazzling showmanship, songs embedded with both unbridled emotion and quick-fire humor. After discovering her passion for performing as a little girl, the Tulsa native later brought her boundless energy and radiant voice to her own unapologetic yet soulful songwriting. When it came time to create her third album, the Nashville-based musician leaned into her lifelong love of musical theater and dreamed up a modern-day reimagining of the soundtrack to her all-time favorite musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! The result: a high-concept but candidly autobiographical LP called Roadrunner!, whose 17 powerhouse songs show the full force and extraordinary depth of Butts’ artistry for the very first time.
Produced by Oran Thornton (Brent Cobb, Logan Brill), Roadrunner! marks a major tonal shift from Butts’ 2022 sophomore LP what else can she do, a character-driven exploration of complex matters like addiction, domestic violence, and generational trauma. “With the last album I wanted to write about the struggles I’d seen people go through or experienced myself, so a lot of the songs had a sadness or darkness to them,” she says. “I feel like Roadrunner! is much closer to what I’m like onstage, where there’s real emotion and truth but also humor and a tendency to poke fun. It’s all those different versions of me at once.” Roadrunner! ultimately matches that multidimensionality with a lush and fiery sound informed by Butts’ eclectic influences (outlaw country, strong-minded country-pop, timeless rock-and-roll, and more).

A Celebration of the Music of Jay Stielstra
2024-09-28 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Legendary Michigan songwriter, Jay Stielstra, whose life and art will long be remembered by our Michigan community, has left us a treasured legacy of unforgettable songs, musical plays, and other writings. To celebrate Jay’s life and music, a roster of beloved Michigan musicians, many of whom have performed with Jay, or in his plays throughout the years, will bring the songs from Jay’s many musical plays, including North Country Opera, Old Man In Love, and more, to the The Ark stage. The lineup includes: Mr. B, Chris Buhalis, Judy Banker, Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis, Annie & Rod Capps, Cheryl Dawdy, Matt Jones, Christina McMullen, David Menefee, Mustard’s Retreat, The RFD Boys, Peter Madcat Ruth, Dick Siegel Trio, San and Emily Slomovits, Michael Smith, Matt Watroba, and the North Country Opera’s Buckhorn Bar Band w/ David Roof, Charlie Reischl, Judy Banker & Dave Keeney.
This concert is a benefit for The Ark, a musical home to Jay since The Ark’s early years on Hill Street.

Willie Watson
2024-09-29 19:30 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Soon before Willie Watson turned 18, he met God in an apple orchard. Or at the very least, he met there a man named Ruby Love, the older friend of a high-school buddy who had an enormous Martin guitar and a seemingly bigger understanding of the American folk songbook.
Watson was existentially thirsty: A high-school dropout from upstate New York’s Finger Lakes, he was fast on his way to his first heartbreak and in a first band that didn’t take itself seriously enough. But that night in an apple orchard at a graduation party, Watson and Love sang a few of those old songs together—“Worried Man Blues” and “Tennessee Waltz.” It was the first time Watson had cried while singing, the first time he had made the connection between making music and making sense of his life. He never saw Ruby Love again, but within months of that foundational 1997 rendezvous, he met the musicians with whom he’d soon start Old Crow Medicine Show. Call it revelation, fate, resurrection, whatever you will; for Watson, more than a quarter-century later, it was a duet with the divine.
As told in the talking-gospel masterpiece “Reap ’em in the Valley,” that scene is the transfixing finale of Watson’s self-titled debut as a songwriter and as a human at last making music to make sense of his life. Yes, Watson has released two albums since he left Old Crow Medicine Show a dozen years ago and since his long-term collaborations with David Rawlings and Gillian Welch. But those records were sets of tunes he knew, interpretations of the songbook he has diligently mined since even before that night in the apple orchard. At 44, however, he feels that Willie Watson is his first-ever true album, having finally lived and lost and simply witnessed enough to know he has something to sing with his exquisite rural tenor. Watson has not abandoned those old songs entirely. He dazzles during a robust take on the forever-curious “Mole in the Ground” and treats “Harris and the Mare,” the standard of tragic Canadian singer Stan Rogers, with total tenderness. But by and large, these are his stories of heartbreak and hurt, backlit by the corona of hope that only growth can provide.

Dean Owens
2024-09-30 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
This show has been cancelled. Refunds were issued through original point of purchase.
Dean Owens is an adventurous, award winning troubadour and a natural wanderer. His nine acclaimed solo albums, mostly recorded in the US, have seen him collaborate with some of the most respected musicians and producers around (including Al Perkins, Will Kimbrough, Neilson Hubbard, Grant-Lee Phillips and most recently, Gaby Moreno and Latin rock legends, Calexico).
Dean’s music has been described as a unique blend of Scottish roots and Americana, but in truth it’s hard to pin down to a single genre. With each album he has pushed his own boundaries, constantly exploring, as his travels have taken him from Scotland’s post industrial heartlands to Nashville, New York, and the panoramic vistas of the US deserts. Dean is a consummate live performer, with a searingly soulful voice and a wealth of stories, earworm inducing melodies and songs; the heart of a rock n roller and the spellbinding delivery of folk’s best storytellers.

Tom Paxton and The DonJuans
2024-10-01 20:00 - 23:00 | The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and folk icon Tom Paxton is back, and he’s teaming up with the Grammy-winning Nashville singer/songwriter duo The DonJuans—Don Henry & Jon Vezner. Collectively, their songs have been covered by: Harry Belafonte, John Mellencamp, Miranda Lambert, Neil Diamond, Ray Charles, Nanci Griffith, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, Kathy Mattea, John Denver, Faith Hill, B.J. Thomas, Blake Shelton, Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan … just to name a few! Within days of writing and playing together, the trio knew they were onto something, and they soon took it on the road. Ever since the days of Porter & Dolly’s cover of “The Last Thing on My Mind,” the songs of Tom Paxton have had a special resonance with Nashville songwriters, and now the tradition continues!
This will be Tom’s last area performance as he’s retiring from the road in spring 2025.
