The year 2025 marks the 65th anniversary of Joseph Shabalala forming Ladysmith Black Mambazo. His group would not only conquer all of South Africa, but would become a worldwide phenomenon, winning more GRAMMY Awards (Five), and receiving more GRAMMY Award nominations (Nineteen), than any World Music group in the history of recorded music.
Appalachian Road Show is a visionary acoustic ensemble, bringing new-generation interpretations of traditional Americana, bluegrass and folk songs, as well as offering innovative original music, all presented with a common thread tied directly to the heart of the Appalachian regions of the United States.
Special Guest: Joy Clark
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States“It’s a highway, filled with deep, exotic colors and beautiful delicate things as well as the perils that come from moving so fast,” says Dar Williams, describing modern life. On her 13th album, Hummingbird Highway, is the latest chapter in a richly unfolding story. Drawing on her experience as a playwright, Williams populates her latest album with nuanced characters that come alive in the space of a few minutes.
For the past 50 years, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet has been making some of the most potent and popular Cajun music on the planet. Born out of the rich Acadian ancestry of its members, and created and driven by bandleader Michael Doucet’s spellbinding fiddle playing and soulful vocals, BeauSoleil is notorious for bringing even the most staid audience to its feet. BeauSoleil’s distinctive sound derives from the distilled spirits of New Orleans jazz, blues rock, folk, swamp pop, Zydeco, country and bluegrass, captivating listeners from the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, to Carnegie Hall, then all the way across the pond to Richard Thompson’s Meltdown Festival in England.
Opener: Fred Thomas
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesJulianna Barwich and Mary Lattimore are longtime friends, tourmates, and two of contemporary ambient and experimental music's most celebrated composers. Synthesizing their respective crafts within the walls of Philharmonie de Paris after being given access to the extraordinary instrument collection of the Musée de la Musique in partnership with the French label InFiné, their new single, “Perpetual Adoration,” blends historical harps, celestial synths, and Barwick’s singular voice into an immersive electroacoustic soundscape of memory, spirituality, and timeless resonance.
Presented by ann arbor's 107one Cowboy Junkies will be performing a career-spanning show from The Trinity Session to their recent album, Such Ferocious Beauty!
Presented by ann arbor's 107one Cowboy Junkies will be performing a career-spanning show from The Trinity Session to their recent album, Such Ferocious Beauty!
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.
Larry McCray is a powerhouse bluesman with a soul-soaked voice, blistering guitar chops, and a story embodying the spirit of his music. With his new album Heartbreak City, McCray turns the page on a new chapter—raw, joyful, and deeply personal. Produced by blues-rock champions and Grammy Nominated duo Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, Heartbreak City finds the legendary singer and guitarist firing on all cylinders, reconnecting with his roots while stepping boldly forward.
A relentless road warrior and masterful wordsmith, Ryan Montbleau has spent the better part of thirty years cultivating a devoted audience on the strength of his ecstatic live shows and exhilarating sonic versatility.
The son of a small town farming community, Cody Diekhoff logged plenty of highway and stage time under the name Chicago Farmer before settling in the city in 2003. Profoundly inspired by fellow midwesterner John Prine, he’s a working-class folk musician to his core. His small town roots, tilled with city streets mentality, are turning heads North and South of I-80.
Beloved, legendary songwriter, Michigan’s own Dick Siegel, has performed his iconic songs across the country, from New York to Texas, and internationally, since he exploded on the Detroit/Ann Arbor music scene in the 1980s with the release of his critically acclaimed first album, SNAP! Celebrating his nearly 50 year musical career, Dick will be honored tonight by his musical friends and family with tributes and performances of some of his most well-known songs.