• Peter Mulvey

    Opener: Katie Dahl

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    Peter Mulvey has been a songwriter, road-dog, raconteur, and almost-poet since before he can remember. In 1989 he spent a year in Ireland, busking on the streets of Dublin and hitchhiking to whatever gigs he could find. Back stateside, he spent a couple years gigging through the bars of his native Midwest before taking off for Boston, where he returned to subway busking and coffeehouses. Small shows led to larger shows, which eventually led to regional and then national touring. The wheels have not stopped since.

    $25

    Mike Dawes

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    Mike Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists, with a repertoire spanning original viral videos and popular arrangements, alongside mainstream chart success performing with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.

    $25

    The Ark’s Open Stage

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, 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.

    $3, Students and Ark Members free

    Crys Matthews

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    Already being hailed as “the next Woody Guthrie,” Crys Matthews is among the brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls "the poster-child for intersectionality," Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews’s gift "a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides."

    $25
    Sold Out

    Blind Pilot

    Special Guest: Viv & Riley

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place.The first Blind Pilot album in eight years, In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain emerged from a period of artistic crisis and the radical transformation of their creative ecosystem. “I went through a few years where I wasn’t able to write—I tried therapy, I read books on writer’s block, I went on writing trips, but nothing was helping,” says Israel Nebeker, frontman for the Oregon-bred band. After stepping back and reimagining his songwriting approach, Nebeker challenged himself to write an entire album in a month, then brought those songs to his bandmates with a newfound sense of receptivity.

    $30

    Appalachian Road Show

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place. Appalachian Roadshow 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.

    $30

    Lena Jonsson Trio

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place. The multi award winning Lena Jonsson Trio continues to break new grounds around the world with their unique mix of deeply rooted Swedish folk, jazz, American old-time and electro acoustic sounds. Lena Jonsson’s ability to balance this with innovative artistic sensibilities, sparkling joy of life and a charisma of a rock-star have made her one Scandinavia’s most visionary musicians.

    $25

    David Howley (of We Banjo 3)

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place. Indie folk artist from Ireland and founding member of Billboard No.1 band We Banjo 3, David Howley has been at the forefront of Irish guitar, banjo and mandolin for over a decade. An award-winning vocalist, he has performed with The Chieftains, Eileen Ivers, Carlos Nunez, Billy Strings, Bela Fleck, Altan, Ajeet and Mumford & Sons, amongst others.

    $25

    David Francey

    Special Guest: Terra Spencer

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place. David Francey is a Scottish-born Canadian carpenter-turned-songwriter. Born in Ayrshire, Scotland to parents who were factory workers, he moved to Canada when he was twelve. For decades, he worked across Canada in rail yards, construction sites, and in the Yukon bush, all the while writing poetry, setting it to melodies in his head and singing it to himself as he worked. A truly authentic folk singer, Francey is a documentarian of the working person who never imagined earning a living from his music.

    $20

    My Folky Valentine

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place. This year, in honor of our 20th anniversary show, you'll be treated to 10 Michigan-based dynamic duos who are partners in life as well as music. The star-studded line-up features Dave Boutette & Kristi Davis, Ruth & Max Bloomquist, Jason Dennie & Rochelle Clark, Allison Downy & John Austin, Dave Keeney & Sophia Hanifi, Jan Krist & Alan Finkbeiner, Jo Seraperre & John Devine, Matt & Kim Watroba, Julianna and Andy Wilson (The Springtails), and your hosts Annie & Rod Capps.

    $20

    Jake Blount, Simon Chrisman, and Nic Gareiss

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place. Jake Blount is an award-winning interpreter of Black folk music. Initially recognized for his skill as a string band musician, Blount has charted an unprecedented, Afrofuturist course on his pilgrimage through sound archives and song collections. Composer and hammer dulcimer virtuoso Simon Chrisman brings an unusual and path-breaking style to the instrument. One of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch," Nic Gareiss has been hailed by the New York Times for his "dexterous melding of Irish and Appalachian dance" and called "the most inventive and expressive step dancer on the scene” by the Boston Herald.

    $25

    Brian Vander Ark

    The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

    The elevator at The Ark is out of service while technicians make repairs. Attendees for this show will need to be able to walk up and down the stairs to the second floor of The Ark where the show takes place. Brian Vander Ark is the lead singer and principal songwriter for the multi-platinum alternative rock band The Verve Pipe, recognized worldwide for their radio hits Photograph, Hero, Happiness Is, Never Let You Down, and the #1 smash single The Freshmen. During breaks from his work with The Verve Pipe, Brian set out on his own to launch a multifaceted solo career that has included releasing four acclaimed independent studio albums as well as his collections of cover songs called Planet Sunday Sessions, Volume 1 & II. He’s also collaborated with actor/musician Jeff Daniels on the Simple Truths, an album of original Americana songs while continuing to write and record original music with The Verve Pipe, including their most recent independent album, Threads.

    $25