Special Guest: Bandits on the Run
Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, United StatesAlan Doyle— actor, producer, best-selling author, and best-known as lead singer for Newfoundland’s beloved Great Big Sea these past 20+ years— hardly needs an introduction. With five solo albums under his belt, Doyle has been touring the world with his ace six-piece band for the last decade.
Special Guest: Elizabeth Moen
Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, United StatesDubbed "masters of soulful folk" by Paste, The Wood Brothers formed after brothers Chris and Oliver Wood pursued separate musical careers for 15 years. Chris already had legions of devoted fans for his incomparable work as one-third of Medeski Martin & Wood, while Oliver’s band King Johnson built a loyal following in the South. With drummer Jano Rix added as a permanent third member, The Wood Brothers have evolved into one of roots music’s most revered acts, playing sold out shows across North America, garnering a Grammy Award nomination and releasing nine studio albums, including their new release, Puff of Smoke.
From his early days playing cover music behind chicken wire at a west side Jacksonville juke joint while still working at a lumberyard, to playing sold-out shows at some of the largest venues and music festivals in the world, JJ Grey has always delivered his soul-honest truths. Since his first album, ‘Blackwater’, back in 2001, Grey has been releasing deeply moving, masterfully written, funkified rock and front porch Southern soul music.
Get ready for an unforgettable night of blues and rock 'n' roll featuring three great Grammy nominated bands that define the current day and future of blues rock.
Aimee Mann and Ted Leo began collaborating, under the inconspicuous band name the Both, in 2013. Mann, a generational singer-songwriter, was, in her formative years, a punk, before coming up playing in the New Wave favorites ’Til Tuesday, and eventually turning to the wry ballads for which she is revered. Leo, a New Jersey-bred punk hero, is a biting lyricist attuned to the nuances of pop songcraft. Both are fiercely independent artists, free to follow their muses where they travel—even if that happens to be a holiday variety show that mixes jovial Christmas classics with piquant original songs.
Over the past decade, Portugal. The Man has established themselves as one of rock’s most prized possessions and a live phenomenon, with over 1,600 shows under their belts and a storied reputation as festival favorites.
José González is in a class by himself. Hailed by Rolling Stone as “someone whose subtle, carefully crafted music delivers rewards to listeners who know how to wait,” González’s stellar career can only be described as a dream. From selling out tours on virtually every continent to headlining prestigious festivals around the world to being asked to perform at 2020’s Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and seeing his recorded music exceed 1 billion streams, González is one of the most exciting and in-demand touring artists working today.
Tommy Emmanuel has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. Or at least they would if he was the kind of artist who was ever satisfied. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a Certified Guitar Player by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London.
With a reputation for spectacular live performances, the genesis of multi-platinum artist The Verve Pipe can be traced back to the early 90s when the principal members of two rival Michigan bands joined forces. After releasing two independent albums, I’ve Suffered A Head Injury and Pop Smear, the group quickly garnered a regional following for its textured rock songs distinguished by innovative arrangements, soul-searching lyrics and layered vocals.
For Jesse Cook, music has been a journey. Sonically and literally.
“Over the years, I’ve taken my music and tried to cross-pollinate it with music from different parts of the world,” explains the 50-year-old global-guitar virtuoso. “For the (2003) album Nomad, I went to Cairo and recorded with musicians there. On my (2009) record The Rumba Foundation, I went to Colombia, and worked with musicians from Cuba as well. On (1998’s) Vertigo, I went down to Lafayette, La., and recorded with Buckwheat Zydeco. For me, the question has always been: Where did you go? Where did you take your guitar?”
Special Guest: Wryn
Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 W 4th St, Royal Oak, MI, United StatesAni DiFranco has been known as a feminist icon and pioneer of DIY for nearly 35 years. Since founding her record label Righteous Babe Records in 1990, she has released 22 albums, traversing folk, punk, hip-hop, soul and electronic genres and addressing a range of autobiographical, political and social issues. She is on tour with her newest album, Unprecedented Sh!t.
Over his almost 30 year career, Matt Nathanson has evolved into one of the most applauded songwriters and engaging performers on the music scene today. His sixth studio album, Some Mad Hope, yielded his breakthrough multi-platinum hit "Come on Get Higher.” He followed up with Modern Love, a critically acclaimed album (PopMatters called it "the closest a pop album comes to perfection this year”) that garnered Nathanson two RIAA Gold Certified singles, “Faster” & “Run (featuring Sugarland)”