The 22nd Annual celebration of love and music features Annie & Rod Capps, The Rough & Tumble, and The Lucky Nows. 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. Not just for lovebirds, and not just love songs. Just a whole lotta great music.
Born and raised in South Florida to a Jamaican father and Barbadian mother, brothers Malcolm and Umoja honed their violin skills through South Florida’s public school system before attending Dillard High School for the Performing Arts. Now known as Sons of Mystro, they blend reggae classics, American pop hits, and original compositions with their signature violin sound, backed by a DJ and drummer.
Special Guest: Ricki
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesOver the last decade, Aaron Lee Tasjan has established himself as a standout songwriter and performer. Through six critically acclaimed albums, he’s built a loyal worldwide audience on the strength of his unique songs, passionate live shows, and indie folk grit style of storytelling and performing. Accolades for his work include a 2022 Grammy Nomination for Best American Roots Song, and several Americana Music Association Awards nominations including International Album of the Year in 2021, Song Of The Year in 2022, and Best Emerging Artist in 2017. His most recent studio album, Get Over It, Underdog, kills sacred cows and pokes holes in the dam, while leaning hard into the idea of perseverance.
Welcome to a night filled with the tales tall enough to leap buildings in a single bound! Don't believe a word you hear as some of the best liars assemble to ply you with mouthfuls of mendacity. This year’s liars are Jennifer Otto, Steve Daut, Patti Smith, Jane Fink, Jeff Doyle, and Ingrid Nixon. Once again, we'll welcome veteran MC Amir Bagdadchi to continue the fun on this, the 5th anniversary of Liars Night, as part of the Annual Storytelling Festival at The Ark!
This annual event brings both locally based and nationally known story tellers to The Ark stage. This year’s story tellers are Ingrid Nixon, Jeff Doyle, and Steve Daut.
This annual event brings both locally based and nationally known story tellers to The Ark stage. This year’s story tellers are Ingrid Nixon and Steve Daut.
Special Guest: aron!
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesOn the night of the Fourth of July, fireworks over Mei Semones' Brooklyn block were competing with something more primal. Up and down the street, dogs answered each burst with a long, ragged howl of their own. Semones, alone in her apartment with her guitar while the rest of the city celebrated outside, found she didn't mind the solitude. The howling struck her less as a cry for help than as a kind of greeting: proof that she was never really by herself, not with music always keeping her company. By morning, she had the seed of the title track for her sophomore album, Howl.
Special Guest: Sir Woman
The Majestic Theatre 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit, Michigan, United StatesFor as much as Sammy Rae & The Friends may be a band, this collective of dreamers and artists considers themselves a family first. That all-for-one and one-for-all camaraderie ignites their unforgettable and can’t-miss live shows, which serve as a catharsis for both the musicians and their fervent audience. Fronted by singer/songwriter Sammy Rae and honed through years of touring, the group is capable of flourishing in any spotlight thanks to its signature blend of palpable chemistry, deft virtuosity, and vocal fireworks.
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.
Cory Wong is a Grammy-nominated guitarist, composer, and producer celebrated for his explosive live energy, razor-sharp funk grooves, and boundary-pushing collaborations across genres. Known for blending the technical precision of jazz with the infectious spirit of funk, pop, and soul, Wong has carved out a singular space as one of modern music’s most dynamic and joyful performers.
Michael McDermott’s brand of rock n’ roll brims with the kind of well-honed style and wisdom that can only come from a career on the road and a pedigree in the studio. Effortlessly blending natural folk sensibility, pop hooks, and honest rock, McDermott’s music is as much for the outcast as the congregation. It’s an exploration of the dark corners of life’s journey and it resonates middle class truths through the passionate filter of a kid that grew up on Chicago’s Irish South Side.
Lisa LeBlanc has been dropping musical plot twists for 15 years. This includes a platinum-selling francophone folk album, an electrified English-language rock album, a multi-award-winning disco record and a live album with the Québec Symphony Orchestra. She’s earned multiple Félixes, three Juno nominations, and two Polaris Prize shortlist nods. For 2027's Patchwork, she went back to the jam session, diving into 60s and 70s folk and rock’n’roll while adding a hint of swamp pop, soul and a dash of traditional Cajun and Acadian influences.