"Long before Alanis and Jewel," says Billboard, "there was a breed of singer/songwriters whose earthly anthems of soul-searching, heartache, and joy touched souls in a way few can muster today." Karla Bonoff was the best of that breed.
This annual concert benefits the Veterans for Peace Chapter 93 Peace Scholarship Fund. Featuring Chris Buhalis, Dave Keeney and Sophia Hanifi, Annie and Rod Capps, Dave Boutette and Kristi Lynn Davis, Dick Siegel, Judy Banker, Rochelle Clark, Laith Al-Saadi, Rollie Tussing, Michael Smith, Billy King, Jud Branam and Kevin Brown, and Shari Kane and Dave Steele. All artists will be performing peace-themed songs.
Amanda Shires is renowned for her carefully crafted, evocative songs. Her influences include Leonard Cohen and John Prine, the latter a mentor. Amanda says she uses songwriting as a way to "get through my own emotional stuff, which is cheaper than a therapist."
Opener: Honey Harper
Born and raised in Detroit’s inner-city, BLKBOK (born Charles Wilson III), grew up in a music-filled house. When it came to music, most of the kids he grew up with pursued hip-hop, adopting rap names. However, it’s no coincidence that Charles chose the name BLKBOK, which echoes that of one of the greatest pianists and composers of all time. The tag is also an apt reflection of the elements that have contributed to the artist’s identity and symbolizes his colorful journey from pop and hip-hop culture to his critically acclaimed, neo-classical debut album “Black Book,” and to various mixtape projects and collaborations.
Peter Madcat Ruth is one of the best harmonica players on earth, a mainstay of Ann Arbor's blues scene since the 1970s and a carrier of tradition who learned his art directly from Chicago's masters of the blues harmonica. Don’t miss this chance to see a Michigan legend. Tonight Madcat appears with his C.A.R.Ma. Quartet, featuring drummer/tabla player John Churchville, bassist Brennan Andes, and guitarist/vocalist Dan Ripke.
Australian band Sons of the East is an under-the-radar success story, racking up millions of streams and selling out shows across Europe and Australia without ever straying from their independent roots. And they built that impressive following through their incredible and energetic live shows, paired with a serious handful of exceptional original songs.
Special Guest: Diana DeMuth
Rodney Crowell is one of country music's most successful songwriters. Audience members are invited to a rare experience as Rodney reads from his brand new book, Word For Word, shares stories, and performs the songs that have made him a renowned and prolific songwriter.
Says the Associated Press: ”Along with the badassery, Yamagata brings a world-weary passion to her singing. Her voice is a soul-baring, sultry instrument that commands center stage at all times. She has that deliberate, I’ll-sing-the-note-when-I’m-ready pacing that helped make Amy Winehouse great, and before her Billie Holliday.” Singer-songwriter Sandy Bell opens the show.
Opener: Sandy Bell
This performance will be interpreted in American Sign Language A 10 year anniversary celebration! Since their “hiatus” in 2012, Kate Peterson and Sarah Cleaver of Nervous but Excited have spent the years over 700 miles apart, singing the melody lines in their own ways, just awaiting the right time to bring the harmonies back. It’s been exactly ten years since their sold-out finale at The Ark, and the stars have aligned for Kate and Sarah (and special guests?) to reunite at their favorite venue. As a thank you to The Ark for the years of support, Nervous but Excited is donating $5 from each ticket sale to the club.
Alex Cuba is a multiple Latin Grammy/Grammy/Juno winning singer-songwriter who is not tied to tradition. His musical evolution for years was all about searching for the simplicity and soul in Cuban music –taking apart the complex arrangements, mixing it with North American influences, adopting the melodic simplicity of pop music, looking to Cuban folk traditions for inspiration—he’s always exploring, always creating something fresh and new, and always, it seems, getting it just right.
Multi-instrumentalist Rachael Davis is as renowned for her expressive—and explosive—voice as she is for uniting the often disparate worlds of folk, blues, country, and pop.
Augustana is back with new music, and through its formation, its creator Dan Layus has stepped into a new musical universe. While the artist is well-known for anthemic indie-rock leaning hits like “Boston,” “Sweet and Low,” and “Steal Your Heart,” Augustana’s consistent march of new and ever-evolving material has embodied a refusal to settle artistically. Never has that been more clearly evident than with the artist’s latest studio album, “Everyday an Eternity: Solo Piano Works,” a genre-shaking full-length record that redefines what can be expected from this artist.
For as long as he can remember, Ryan Montbleau’s been a seeker. “My whole adult life has been this journey of trying to figure out where home is,” Ryan reflects. “I think I’ve finally found it.” Rolling out across four distinct EPs, Wood, Fire, Water, and Air marks Ryan’s first studio release since putting down permanent roots in Burlington, Vermont, where he recently purchased a house after more than two decades of living on the road.
Opener: Anthony D'Amato
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.
You can hear Dave Hause’s passion and dedication to his craft—as well as his determined approach to it—flowing through the ten stunning, sumptuous songs of his latest album, “Blood Harmony.” Will Hoge has earned a reputation as a true 21st-century road warrior, with heartland rock that drew comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
Glen Phillips is the lead singer and main songwriter for the band Toad the Wet Sprocket, which he joined when he was only 14. In the words of James Christopher Monger, "Phillips has matured into . . . a quiet storm that dutifully blends Cat Stevens' confident huskiness and Jackson Browne's weary but warm observer of all things broken." Glen Phillips has evolved into one of the great folk-rock songwriters of our time, still staying true to his Toad-like roots, and The Ark is the place to hear him!
Special Guest: Kylee Phillips
It'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.
Windborne has been called the most exciting vocal group in a generation. With a 20-year background studying polyphonic music around the world, Lauren Breunig, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Lynn Rowan, and Will Rowan share a vibrant energy onstage with a blending of voices that can only come from decades of friendship alongside dedicated practice.
The Wildwoods are an enchanting Folk/Americana trio based in Lincoln, Nebraska, whose flowing songwriting tandem has been praised by Paste Magazine as "focused and charmingly human". The Wildwoods' delicate melodies and descriptive lyrics come from nature, love, experiences from the road, and growing up in Nebraska. The Ark's Artist Spotlight Series is made possible with support from Ford Motor Company Fund. Nonperishables accepted for Food Gatherers
Matt Watroba, a Detroit Music Awards winner as Best Overall Folk Performer, is the kind of guy who makes friends easily: not only is he on a first-name basis with most of the major folk musicians in North America after a couple of decades of sharing stages with them, but he also has the kind of rapport with audiences that makes them feel as if they're sitting among friends in a living room.
Tonight’s show offers an opportunity to hear three of the legends of Michigan music together on the same stage—guitarists George Bedard and Steve Nardella will be joining Mr. B on stage for a Thanksgiving weekend blues and boogie blowout! This trio has a grand history of playing together in the past, and when they have, the results have been amazing. This will be a long-awaited reunion show for these three giants of blues and boogie and it's not to be missed!
Gemini (twin brothers San and Laz Slomovits) have played an annual family concert for Ark audiences on the Sunday after Thanksgiving every year since 1994 to benefit Mott Children’s Hospital, where San’s daughter, Emily was born. Emily will join the brothers for this show.
Ark Family Room shows are free and streamed to The Ark’s Facebook page.
The David Mayfield Parade offers music that stretches from the avant-garde to David Mayfield’s own musical roots, which are buried deep in the bluegrass tradition from a childhood of touring with his family’s band.
All current Annual Members and anyone who has become an Introductory Member since September 1, 2021 are eligible to attend.
Award-winning guitarist, educator, and performer Rollie Tussing makes a raggedy brand of music informed by the era of 78 rpm records, juke joints, and street performers. He composes a lot of his own songs and has a knack for reworking an old obscure tune, finding beauty in the forgotten scratches, pops and grooves of his esoteric record collection.
Midwestern songwriting legend Dick Siegel has been bringing his joyous, eccentric and penetrating musical vision to audiences across North America for more than three decades. Songs like “When the Sumac is on Fire,” “Angelo’s” and “Carry Me Away,” drawn from the traditions of American folk, roots and pop music, have become radio show theme songs, quotable classics and—most importantly—all-time personal favorites deeply imbedded in the hearts of his fans.
Special Guest: Dave Roof
Named for a tough but enduringly creative neighborhood north of downtown Cincinnati, Over the Rhine is the duo of Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist. Their ethereal sounds—dreamy, sweeping, highly literate and melancholy—have drawn comparisons to the likes of Cowboy Junkies. If you've never heard Over the Rhine, this is a great time to check them out—their December shows draw on their superb holiday albums, which bring renewal and a sense of the season to all.