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.
Special Guest: Caleb Elliott
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesIf Lefty is anything, it is the journal of Penny and Sparrow’s inner child. Dog-eared, lock busted open. On its pages the sketches of dreams, nightmares, erotica, and literary fan fiction graffiti the margins of poetry, elegies, and love letters in the wild colors of saxophone blue, electronic pink, and blood harmony red. Beautifully varied and richly rendered, it is an album that wanders from theme to theme, style to style, exultation to tragedy. Yet it is never lost. If anything, it is at play.
John Gorka is one of the most well-loved singer/songwriters in the folk community. With a career spanning 40 years and a discography of 17 solo releases, he embodies the best of folk music with his eclectic blend of folk, blues and bluegrass influences, insightful lyrics and engaging delivery. John’s career was launched in the mid-80s when he won the prestigious New Folk award at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1984.
The New York Times called Buffalo, NY-born Willie Nile "one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years." Uncut Magazine called him “A one-man Clash” and “the unofficial poet laureate of New York City”. His album Streets Of New York was hailed as “a platter for the ages” by Uncut. Rolling Stone listed The Innocent Ones as one of the “Top Ten Best Under-The-Radar Albums of 2011” and BBC Radio called it “THE rock ‘n’ roll album of the year.” His single from that album, “One Guitar,” was the “Top Pick of the Week” in USA Today.
Special Guest: Taylor Rae
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesSome folks are lucky to find what they love to do at an early age and quietly settle in for the long haul expanding and developing their work over the arc of a lifetime. Willy Porter is one of those artists. He has followed his own path to explore the sacred language that music truly is. Thirty years after his solo recording debut, he continues to reach further into his guitar & pen while stretching the form of what his own music can be. His live shows are guitar driven events—equal parts grit, soul, and muscle—that are electrifying, dynamic, and wholly original in the way that his voice blends and fuses with his virtuoso fretwork.
Crystal Bowersox, a northwest Ohio native, has built her world around music. By the age of 10, she was performing in local clubs and venues. On the cusp of 18 and with a curious heart, Crystal moved to Chicago, IL, where she spent her days busking on subway platforms between working odd jobs and attending school. Chicago’s rich musical history helped Bowersox to broaden her musical horizons. Ultimately, Bowersox auditioned for the ninth season of American Idol, and her time on the show proved to be well spent.
As a babe Jeffrey Martin sought out solitude as often as he could find it. He’s always been that way, and he has never understood the whole phenomenon of smiling in pictures, although he is a very happy guy. One night in middle school he stayed up under the covers with a flashlight and a DiscMan, listening to Reba McEntire’s 'That’s the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia' on repeat until the DiscMan ran out of batteries. That night he became a songwriter, although he didn’t actually write a song until years later.
One of the Midwest’s most prolific and passionate songwriters, May Erlewine has a gift for writing songs of substance that feel both fresh and soulfully familiar. Her ability to emotionally engage with an audience has earned her a dedicated following far beyond her Michigan roots. This year, May is teaming up with Chicago guitar wizard, Packy Lundholm. The heart forward power duo will be offering their music in the name of love, service and rock & roll.
A queer, nu-folk singer-songwriter with a voice like complex coffee, Gráinne Hunt is one of Ireland’s most compelling vocalists and songwriters - blending raw emotion, commanding power, and a voice that stops audiences in their tracks. Performing as a duo with San Diego’s Jules Stewart on drums and vocals, the pair create a sound that’s been compared to The Indigo Girls and Brandi Carlile - rich harmonies, heartfelt stories, and magnetic onstage chemistry.
In 2017, Grammy-nominated artist Joan Osborne released the critically acclaimed album, Songs of Bob Dylan. Her artistic and soulful reinterpretations of the selection of Dylan songs was an eye-opening moment in an already celebrated career. Eight years after milestone recording, Osborne will release the stunning Dylanology Live on April 25th. The captivating recording finds the gifted vocalist performing in front of a live audience.
Special Guest: Bandits on the Run
Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, United StatesAlan Doyle— actor, producer, best-selling author, and best-known as lead singer for Newfoundland’s beloved Great Big Sea these past 20+ years— hardly needs an introduction. With five solo albums under his belt, Doyle has been touring the world with his ace six-piece band for the last decade.
Hailed as a “self-styled poetess, folk goddess, and country waif” by the BBC, Pieta Brown first came to international prominence with the release of her self-titled debut in 2002. Since then she has released multiple highly critically acclaimed albums, EPs and singles, with much attention being paid not only to her distinct sound and style, but also the power of her singing and songwriting.