Louie Lee breaks lyrical boundaries in country with thought-provoking ballads and high-energy anthems infused with hip-hop flair. Join The Louie Lee Show for a one night only experience of your favorite songs UNPLUGGED. This special acoustic performance will feature Louie Lee with special guests. Get your tickets today and hear the stories behind the music.
Grounded in roots music yet pushing the boundaries of indie pop and rock, the Claudettes are writing the most riveting chapter of their story right now. Pianist/songwriter Johnny Iguana formed the Claudettes with drummer Michael Caskey, dazzling with the barrelhouse bravura of their 2013 debut Infernal Piano Plot…HATCHED! Another Yellow Dog Records release followed in 2015 featuring Nigerian-American singer Yana: No Hotel. Vocalist Berit Ulseth and bassist/vocalist Zach Verdoorn joined the band for Pull Closer to Me: Live in the Piano Room (2017) and Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium (2018, helmed by Grammy-winning Black Keys producer Mark Neill). Now, the Claudettes introduce Rachel Williams, a six-foot Texan with a mohawk, a big voice and powerful stage presence.
The Go Rounds are one of contemporary indie rock’s most creative groups, a bold and visionary collection of talented musicians that have forged a reputation as innovators over the course of five studio albums and countless live performances.
Anya Hinkle is an Asheville-based songwriter, steeped in the tones of roots and folk and seasoned by travels across the world. 2019 Merlefest Chris Austin Song Contest winner, No Depression calls her 2021 release Eden and Her Borderlands “...one of roots music’s gems so far this year.” She tours extensively across the US, Japan & Europe and releases her newest effort, OCEANIA, in 2024 on Red Parlor Records. Anya will be joined on stage by The Billy Sea, a trio of virtuosos who blend global sounds with Appalachian roots music.
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.
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.
Opener: Rachel Lynn
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesAn Indie Folk/Rock band based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Delta 88’s music is that of an American hymn. Brought together on the four winds, its members combine numerous musical influences to create their own unique sound like haunted mountain spirituals played through a distortion pedal. The songs move through wide channels of dynamic, emotional arrangements, from dark and somber barroom ballads to anthemic battle cries. With four studio albums, the most recent produced by Grammy-award winning Joe Henry, Delta 88 continues to mine for the new American songbook.
Special Guest: Carleton Stone
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesIn 2018, 25 years after the release of their multi-Grammy nominated hit album “God Shuffled His Feet”, The Crash Test Dummies hit the road for the first time in 20 years with an Anniversary Tour that spanned North America. The overwhelming reception led to a 30th Anniversary Tour in 2022 for their debut release “The Ghosts That Haunt Me” that touched down in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Canada. And the band is showing no signs of slowing down . . .
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 mayhem.”
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 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.”
Hosted by Djangophonique and featuring 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. 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.