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.
Dave Simonett has spent almost two decades as the lead singer, guitar player and songwriter for the widely popular and beloved roots band, Tramped By Turtles. He also fronts Dead Man Winter, a bull-bodied, emotionally resonant brand of Americana-infused indie rock band. He now boldly steps forward with a shining collection of new solo material for the first time under his own name called Red Tail.
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.
The 21st Annual celebration of love and music hosted featuring Annie & Rod Capps, Shari Kane & Dave Steele, and Whit & Al Hill. Three acclaimed musical duos who also happen to be partners in life share the stage, swapping songs and stories. You can expect some collaborating both planned and spontaneous.
Presenting the 2026 Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer-songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together.
RJ Cowdery (Ohio), Katie Dahl (Wisconsin), and Hope Dunbar (New Jersey) may be from three different states, but they all share a knack for razor-sharp lyrics, wicked humor, compelling vocals, and unflinching truth-telling. All alumni of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition, Cowdery, Dahl, and Dunbar each tour the country individually, but are teaming up for this powerhouse triple bill. Don’t miss this chance to see three of the country’s most respected songwriters, swapping songs with one another in an in-the-round format.
Reared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. On his latest album, When I’m Called—his first LP for Fat Possum, and his first as a parent—Fussell returns to a well of music that holds lifelong sentimental meaning, loosely contemplating the passage of time and the procession of life’s unexpected offerings.
Solas is lighting up stages across the globe as they celebrate three decades of pushing boundaries and honoring traditions in Irish music. Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “an Irish traditional band bearing all the marks of greatness,” Solas continues to captivate audiences with their spellbinding musicianship and genre-defying creativity.
There was no master plan. No label strategy. Just a spontaneous jam at Nashville’s Station Inn between a few friends—seasoned players, all women, making a little noise. But something clicked. The room lit up, the crowd roared, and Sister Sadie was born. What started as an accidental band became a force. GRAMMY-nominated. IBMA-decorated. Opry-validated. But for all the accolades, they were often reduced to one line: an all-female bluegrass band. True—but never the point. Sister Sadie has always been about the music.
Liars have been around since the snake first hit it off with Eve. By some accounts, contests celebrating liars have been around since the 15th century, but these accounts may be apocryphal. Today, liars contests are held in countries all around the globe. The Fourth Annual Liar’s Contest at The Ark includes six first-class liars and three judges. The chaos wrangler and MC will once again be the amazing Amir Baghdadchi.
This annual event brings both locally based and nationally known story tellers to The Ark stage. This year’s story tellers are Adam Booth, Jennifer Munro, Barbara Schutzgruber, and Steve Daut.
Matt Jones was raised by a combination of circus music and doo-wop, with a healthy dose of ragtime thrown in. His music has been known to suffer from colitis. The Reconstruction is his own assemblage, and sometimes, disassemblage. Tonight’s show celebrates the release of Matt’s new album, The Good Life.
