Tag: Local/Regional

Billy King’s versatility as a multi-genre singer-songwriter is matched by his ability on a wide range of instruments from guitar and banjo to keyboards and accordion. Within the songwriting community, he is well-known for his musicianship and originality. In 2007, his composition, “I Don’t Write Love Songs,” was awarded the Grand Prize in the Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. Influenced by master songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon, Billy crafts melodically compelling songs that maintain a sense of the timeless and classic.

Ann Arbor’s Brain Plasticity Ukulele Collective is a proudly intergenerational group, sharing instruments, knowledge, kindness, and talent across eras. Instruments you might hear in the music of the collective include not only ukuleles but also guitar, flute, percussion, harmonica, accordion, mandolin, mandola, bass, piano, and melodica. The group is inspired by the idea that music cuts across diverse cognitive capabilities and resources, including numeracy, language, and space perception.

In an era of precision-crafted playlists and algorithmic recommendations, Pajamas is a refreshing anomaly. Hailing from Ann Arbor, MI, Pajamas’ style has been described as “exploratory rock” – a good descriptor for Pajamas’ sound which contains a smorgasbord of influences from across almost the whole canon of American music tradition. This four man group is redefining the live music experience, standing on the shoulders of giants and crafting performances that are as much about the journey as the destination.

Mark Jewett is an insightful Michigan native storyteller who writes songs that push the boundaries of Americana into an uncommon blend of folk, rock, blues, and prog rock. In them, listeners will hear and feel honesty, gratitude, and thoughtful introspection, with doses of humor and drama to vary the pace. His songs betray the effort he makes to find just the right words, taking cues from the likes of Randy Newman, John Prine, and Nick Lowe.

In 2016, Laith Al-Saadi won America’s hearts and a spot in the Season 10 finale of NBC’s “The Voice.” Now he’s bringing an authentic blend of blues, soul and classic rock to audiences around the nation and the world. Laith Al-Saadi has always had the perfect combination of Midwestern hustle and incredible musical chops—honed at the University of Michigan school of music in his hometown of Ann Arbor, and on stages across the country working with legends like Taj Mahal, Luther Allison, Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Gregg Allman, and B.B. King.