Opener: Abigail Lapell
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesBuffalo Rose is a charismatic six-piece modern folk/Americana band from Pittsburgh, PA. They take the singer-songwriter tradition to a new level by crafting original songs which are emotive, meticulously arranged, and inspired by a world of idiosyncratic influences that never let a dull or predictable moment creep in.
Sammie Hershock almost became a cloistered Catholic nun at the age of 18. Now she travels around Michigan singing songs about not knowing the answers. She weaves her humor and playfulness into the depth of the human existence, and it is a regular occurrence for audience members to laugh and cry simultaneously. She is a multi award-winning Michigan based songwriter, classically trained pianist, and young mother of three incredible children. Annie Bacon is a writer and songwriter living in Ann Arbor, Michigan (via Maine and San Francisco). With her OSHEN she merges a literary writing style and folk-rock Americana sound to create rich and emotionally complex music. After surviving a global pandemic while grieving multiple deaths, Bacon emerges in 2024 with a host of creative works revolving around grief, including the album release for this show: Storm.
Special Guest: Mon RovÎa
Hill Auditorium 825 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesBorn in Johannesburg, South Africa, and now calling Colorado home, horticulturist/musician Gregory Alan Isakov has cast an impressive presence on the indie-rock and folk worlds with his six full-length studio albums: That Sea, The Gambler; This Empty Northern Hemisphere; The Weatherman; Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony; Evening Machines (nominated for a Grammy award for Best Folk Album), and his most recent record, Appaloosa Bones. Isakov tours internationally with his band, and has performed with several symphony orchestras across the 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.
Powered by soaring sister harmonies, this quirky trio's unbottled chemistry quickly connects them to their audience. Renée Coughlin, Noelle Frances Coughlin, and Hillary Watson are the three distinct lead singers/songwriters of The Pairs. Together they offer a unique blend of music with stories of life's hope, hilarity, and hardship. These classically trained vocalists blur the line between the stage and the crowd as if we've pulled up a seat around their family's lively kitchen table.
Everything in Jon McLaughlin’s life makes its way into his music, whether he’s conscious of it or not. The artist, raised in Indiana and based in Nashville, brings all of his experiences and beliefs into each song he creates, something that is especially true now that he’s the father of two girls. As with everything he does, Jon’s goal is to create connections. He wants to translate his experiences and ideas into music that reaches fans everywhere. His passion for music and playing is evident in each note he plays. Jon comes to The Ark with his newest album, “MOOD III,” the third installment in his instrumental piano series.
Opener: Know Obstacles
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesIt's hard to believe, because each show is fresh and new, but the RFD Boys have been delighting Michigan audiences since 1969 with their fabulous musicianship and sly, exquisitely timed between-song humor. The RFD Boys are one of southeastern Michigan's most durable musical ensembles, and their shows capture a deep slice of musical Ann Arbor.
Over the span of 30 years, James Hunter has worked on the railway, busked in the streets of London, provided backup vocals and guitar for Van Morrison, played clubs and theaters all over the world, written scores of original songs, and recorded some of the most original and honest rhythm & soul albums of the last two decades.
Bass singing folk group The Wellermen were discovered during the viral Sea Shanty trend of early 2021. The four had never met in person prior to going viral together, with members Bobby Waters & Luke Taylor based in the US and Jonny Stewart & Sam Pope based in the UK. The four members' lives were to change when they dueted with a seemingly innocuous Sea Shanty on TikTok. Since the release of the now ubiquitous TikTok, it’s been viewed 100m+ times across multiple platforms and continents, and has seen The Wellermen appear on shows like Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and The Colbert Show.
Often referred to by fans as one of the hardest-working, hardest-touring bands on the circuit today, the 5-piece Illinois-based act not only proves that classification with their jam-packed tour schedule but also on stage every night, with youthful exuberance and a lively stage show, as reliable as it is infectious. High energy percussion, mandolin, guitar, bass, banjo and fiddle weave seamlessly together to create an experience for fans that has sold out shows across the UK and the United States, filling the front rows with fans not just singing along to one tune, but singing along to all of them.
Jared Deck has been praised for his "powerful, beautiful voice" by Alejandro Escovedo. Raised on the dusty plains of an Oklahoma family farm, Jared worked in the fields as well as the town grocery, owned by his parents. Later he worked in an oilfield and a factory. During the Great Recession he got by with a job as a pianist in a Black church, where over the next six years, he received an unparalleled musical education. His songs tell stories in an honest voice of Midland America. "The American Dream" won first place in the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting Competition.
Opener: Gracie and Rachel
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesRegarded in the industry and by their peers as one of the most prolific and hardworking artists in the business. Melissa Ferrick has released seventeen albums over the last twenty-five years and has won numerous awards for songwriting, production, and performance. She has shared the stage with Morrissey, Joan Armatrading, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, Mark Cohen, Paul Westerberg, Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, Ani DiFranco, k.d. Lang, Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, and many others.