As part of the 2nd annual Michigan Arts Festival, the U-M Arts Initiative, with partners The Ark, Booksweet, and the Disability Network Washtenaw Monroe Livingston, will offer a free concert and discussion by artists Wheelchair Sports Camp & Gaelynn Lea. This program is sponsored in part by Neil and Annmarie Hawkins and U-M Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services.
Emily Slomovits began playing violin at the age of seven, and has been joining her father and uncle (the duo Gemini) on stage since she was eight years old. She studied classical violin for more than ten years, adding jazz and folk fiddle styles to her repertoire along the way. In her early teens she began singing and playing guitar and has since then been performing solo, with Gemini, and in groups ranging from classical string quartets to folk and country bands.
Special Guest: Laurel Premo
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesHowever dimly we perceive it, we are living through a change of worlds. The one we were born into is slipping away, reshaped and denuded by human action. What remains is the question of what we will carry forward, and the manner in which we refuse to surrender ourselves. Will Oldham’s new album, We Are Together Again, feels like an answer to these questions.
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.
No advance tickets. Tickets available at the door only.
Buffalo Rose is a singularly spectacular six-piece band from Pittsburgh, PA. Overflowing with the bold and unfettered joy of their inimitable blend of “Theatre Kid Americana,” a Buffalo Rose show is a celebration of creative wonder; a sparkling sonic delight. Their live show is where their energy fully shines, and songwriting is their lodestar. The band’s recorded catalog is full of vibrantly emotive and methodically arranged songs, sure to thrill the mind and charm the heart.
Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce, the “Jacko” and “Pierce,” make up the seminal duo Jackopierce. They've been making music for 35 years that has amassed a loyal following of millions of fans around the world with their high-energy live shows.
Special Guest: Gwenifer Raymond
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesCritics often draw comparisons between The Tallest Man on Earth and Bob Dylan, citing similarities in both songwriting and vocal style. Matsson himself has acknowledged Dylan's influence, revealing that he started listening to him at the age of fifteen. Fascinated by Dylan's covers, he delved into their origins, which gradually introduced him to early American folk artists like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. However, Matsson is quick to distance himself from being part of any specific tradition, stating, “I don’t want to be part of a tradition. I just want to do what feels natural to me. This is how I play, and this is how I write songs.”
Special Guest: Gwenifer Raymond
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesCritics often draw comparisons between The Tallest Man on Earth and Bob Dylan, citing similarities in both songwriting and vocal style. Matsson himself has acknowledged Dylan's influence, revealing that he started listening to him at the age of fifteen. Fascinated by Dylan's covers, he delved into their origins, which gradually introduced him to early American folk artists like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. However, Matsson is quick to distance himself from being part of any specific tradition, stating, “I don’t want to be part of a tradition. I just want to do what feels natural to me. This is how I play, and this is how I write 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.
No advance tickets. Tickets available at the door only.
Extra Credit combines academic research from 3 professors at the University of Michigan with improv comedy from top performers at hear.say theater. Just like the audience, the improvisers have no advanced notice about what is being presented! They take inspiration from each presentation in the moment to create laugh-out-loud scenes, memorable characters, and surprising connections across the research.
FREE SHOW. Tickets are not required.
Haggis X-1 is a high-energy Celtic rock band built around veteran members of Enter the Haggis. Over a 30-year career, Enter the Haggis toured extensively across North America, performing on national television programs including Regis and Kelly, A&E, PBS, and at prestigious stages such as the Kennedy Center for the Arts. Their songs “One Last Drink” and “Down With The Ship” have become modern Celtic pub anthems, keeping audiences raising a pint and singing along wherever they’re played.
Special Guest: Robby Hecht
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesMichigan native singer/songwriter Kylee Phillips is releasing her first full length album - “Before I Am Invisible” - an ambitious collection of sensual, articulate, and unpretentiously therapeutic pop anthems. This long-awaited, expertly percolated record couldn’t be more timely, giving voice to the memories, desires, rages, joys, and insights of a deeply grounded woman who has found the one place she won’t be talked over.