Cheryl Wheeler with special guest Kenny White

Wed
23
April 23, 2025 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

It has always seemed as if there were two Cheryl Wheelers, with fans of the New England songwriter relishing watching the two tussle for control of the mic. There is poet Cheryl, writer of some of the prettiest, most alluring and intelligent ballads on the modern folk scene. And there is her evil twin, comic Cheryl, a trend defier and savagely funny social critic. The result is a series of delightful contrasts, for really Cheryl Wheeler is a woman of many musical personalities—heart-wrenching romantic balladeer, marvelous observational humorist, poet of ordinary New England scenes and people, committed activist, irascible grump.

Fri
29
November 29 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

What could be better than to kick off the holiday season with a Michigan folk music institution? Matt Watroba, longtime radio host and 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 several 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.

$20
Thu
13
February 13, 2025 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

David Francey is a Scottish-born Canadian carpenter-turned-songwriter. Born in Ayrshire, Scotland to parents who were factory workers, he moved to Canada when he was twelve. For decades, he worked across Canada in rail yards, construction sites, and in the Yukon bush, all the while writing poetry, setting it to melodies in his head and singing it to himself as he worked. A truly authentic folk singer, Francey is a documentarian of the working person who never imagined earning a living from his music.

$20
Fri
2
May 2, 2025 @ 8:00 pm

Opener: Mustard's Retreat

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Peter Yarrow co-wrote “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” and by any measure he’s one of America’s most beloved folk singers. With Peter, Paul & Mary in the 1960s and beyond, he was part of a group that changed the world of music.

$30
Tue
1
October 1 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and folk icon Tom Paxton is back, and he’s teaming up with the Grammy-winning Nashville singer/songwriter duo The DonJuans—Don Henry & Jon Vezner. Within days of writing and playing together, the trio knew they were onto something, and they soon took it on the road. This will be Tom’s last area performance as he’s retiring from the road in spring 2025.

$30
Wed
23
October 23 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

“Two singer-songwriters sit on the edge of a cliff . . .” With these words, we are drawn into the world of Both Sides Now, a theatrical concert that explores the music and lives of long-time friends and one-time lovers, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Created by, and starring Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, the cabaret-style performance travels decades alongside songs such as A Case of You, Hallelujah, Big Yellow Taxi, Suzanne, and many more.

$25
Tue
25
Artist Spotlight Series Live and Virtual
June 25 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

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.

Free, Donations accepted for Food Gatherers
Sun
14
July 14 @ 7:30 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Katie sings traditional and contemporary folk, country-folk, and folk-pop tunes. A deft interpreter of beloved songs, her captivating voice and velvety-smooth delivery bring new life to the compositions of writers such as John Prine, Michael Nesmith and Lennon and McCartney.

$20
Tue
13
August 13 @ 7:30 pm

With Special Guest: Ana Egge

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

The youngest of 14 children, Iris DeMent was born in Paragould, Arkansas, and moved to California with her devoutly religious family when she was three. As a teenager she absorbed the country music of Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash, as well as the folk classics of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Her 1992 debut album, “Infamous Angel,” distilled these influences into a poetic yet down-to-earth songwriting style. With a heartfelt, homespun voice that listeners recognize instantly, Iris released some of the most powerful roots albums of the 1990s with the beautifully sparse “My Life” and the harder-edged “The Way I Should.” Her songs are her way of healing our broken inner and outer spaces.

$35
Sun
4
Postponed
August 4 @ 7:30 pm

With Special Guest: Mustard's Retreat

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

This performance has been rescheduled to 5/2/25 at 8:00pm. Previously purchased tickets will be honored on the new date. If ticket buyers are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, a refund may be requested from the original point of purchase until 8/12/24.

$30