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.
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.
Singer/Songwriter Max Gomez grew up in Taos, New Mexico, where he fell under the influence of country blues early on and developed a songwriting style that was uniquely his. As a budding performer, Max apprenticed in the rarefied musical micro-climate of northern New Mexico, where troubadours like Michael Martin Murphey and Ray Wylie Hubbard helped foster a Western folk sound both cosmic and country.
Special Guest: Oldstar
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesIt appears to be a trophy at first. Look closer, and you’ll see the cover of Good Story features Eliza McLamb holding a makeshift award, hot-glued together from scraps she and her mother salvaged. It is, of course, silver — a self-deprecating wink introducing the timbre of McLamb’s sophomore album. These last few years, McLamb’s been parsing her upbringing, the songs she wrote about it, and the whole endeavor of the stories we tell about ourselves.
This show features students and faculty from the Department of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the U-M, along with a prominent special guest each year. This year’s special guest is guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg. Combining timeless melodicism with forward thinking lines and textures, His style and approach has created a strong following of fans around the world.
Opener: Lost Mary
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesEveryone has their own world. Fragments of moments lived, translated and understood through metaphor and storytelling. Rabbitology is the project of (University of Michigan student) Nat Timmerman—a world that was pulled from her odd-running mind. A little land of the harebrained and burrowing - Venture into these eclectic soundscapes, and here you will discover a collection of memoirs turned into fantastical sonic short stories.
Joy Clark’s songcraft, paired with sophisticated progressions, and themes of freedom, love and self-acceptance gained her notice on the national folk and Americana scenes just a few years ago with appearances at Americanafest. She caught the attention of Grammy-winner Allison Russell and was offered a regular spot in her backing band The Rainbow Coalition, earning her the chance to jam with superstars Brandi Carlile and the Indigo Girls. Talking to The Tennessean, Russell described Joy as a “a brilliant artist, writer and singer.”
In 2016, Laith Al-Saadi won America’s hearts and a spot in the Season 10 finale of NBC’s “The Voice.” Now he’s bringing an authentic blend of blues, soul and classic rock to audiences around the nation and the world. Laith Al-Saadi has always had the perfect combination of Midwestern hustle and incredible musical chops—honed at the University of Michigan school of music in his hometown of Ann Arbor, and on stages across the country working with legends like Taj Mahal, Luther Allison, Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Gregg Allman, and B.B. King.
The award winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord are a leading force in Québec’s exciting and progressive Francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while their highly rhythmic and soulful music, rooted in the Celtic diaspora, is enhanced with a broad range of global influences.
Mike Doughty is an American singer, songwriter, and author best known as the founder and frontman of Soul Coughing. This year, Mike Doughty returns to the stage for a solo tour, presenting stripped-down, intimate performances that span his Soul Coughing legacy and prolific solo work, reaffirming his place as one of alternative music’s most distinctive and enduring voices.