Members of the Michigan Irish American Hall of Fame, Blackthorn offers shows that involve a musical ramble across Ireland. Traditional songs of emigration, ballads, shanties and jigs and reels combine with some of Ireland's best contemporary songs for a musical experience that is uniquely Irish. Each of the band's members plays multiple instruments, including flute, accordion, tin whistle, fiddle, banjo, cittern, bodhran, and more. These instruments complement the lead vocal of Belfast native Richard McMullan and the band's tight blend of four-part harmony.
Known for his soulful interpretation of Prine's classics and his engaging stage presence, Mark Lavengood and his talented band will honor the remarkable legacy of one of America’s most beloved troubadours. Together with Michigan powerhouses Jen Sygit, Grace Theisen, Chris Zehnder and the house band featuring Loren Kranz, Dutcher Snedeker, and Jerry Wenger, fans can expect an evening filled with laughter, poignancy, and the timeless storytelling that Prine embodied.
The Ark's annual Crossroads Ceili is a great way to mark the turning of the year. It's a gathering of local Celtic-oriented singers, instrumentalists, and dancers, all sharing the stage to get your Celtic music year off to a good start. If you'd like to get an idea of the depth of southeastern Michigan's Celtic music scene, the Ceili is a great place to do it.
The tradition that started two decades ago at the Bell House in Brooklyn, New York, and now is a much-anticipated event also in Los Angeles and other cities, is coming back to Ann Arbor! Fifty of the area's up-and-coming and veteran comics come together to tell the first jokes they've written for the new year, kicking off the 2026 comedy scene in the most righteous way possible! It's fast, it's fresh, and above all it's funny.
The Yellow Room is the "brilliantly yellow" living room of Tamulevich's house on Ann Arbor's Old West Side, where the gang members meet monthly for musical brainstorming and mutual critique. There are eight members of the gang, most or all of whom are on hand for any given show: Annie Capps, Kitty Donohoe, Jan Krist, Michael Hough, David Tamulevich, David Barrett, Jim Bizer, and Matt Watroba.
Born in Flint and a true Michigan institution, Mr. B (Mark Braun) is a rare living link to the early days of boogie woogie, having learned directly from legends like Little Brother Montgomery and Blind John Davis. He plays in concert halls, he plays outdoors, he’s even played on a piano he towed by swimming out to Mackinac Island, but wherever you hear him, it’s an exciting show.
Giving traditional Jewish music a new flavor by infusing elements of jazz, balkan, funk, latin, and polka, Schmaltz blends traditional Klezmer sensibilities with modern influences to produce their energetic, horn forward sound. With roots deeply seeded at the University of Michigan, the band features a number of SMTD alumni and is proud to call Ann Arbor home.
Laz and San Slomovits, the duo Gemini, moved to Ann Arbor in 1973, and have played The Ark every year since then. About twenty years ago, San’s daughter, Emily, began joining them on stage, necessitating a new name for their trio, Gemily (Gemini + Emily). They’re known for their beautiful voices, genetically tight harmonies, a stage-full of instruments, and songs and instrumentals ranging from traditional American and British Isles folk music, to songs of the 60s Folk Revival, klezmer tunes, pop songs and their own originals.
Duke Tumatoe, born William “Bill" Severen Fiorio in 1947, is an American blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He has gigged with Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, John Fogerty and George Thorogood. He was a founding member of arena-rock giants REO Speedwagon. He has released fifteen albums as the bandleader of Duke Tumatoe & The All-Star Frogs and Duke Tumatoe & The Power Trio. His 1988 live album I Like My Job was produced by John Fogerty.
For over a decade, Jill Jack has celebrated her birthday the best way she knows how — through music, with her beloved fans and incredible band! Join the party as The Jill Jack Band electrifies the stage and fills the room with love, laughter, and unforgettable melodies. Happiness is guaranteed — all you need to do is buy a ticket!
Ember & Ash, the duo forged by Erin Zindle and Alex Holycross, is as captivating and dangerous as a spark on the wind in the dry season. Armed with fiddle and guitar, these two Michigan songwriters have had long careers, both defying genre boundaries in their own respective bands (The Native Howl’s “Thrash Grass” and The Ragbirds’ edgy global folk-rock).
Produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, Amythyst Kiah’s new album Still + Bright explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural world, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described “anime-nerd mall goth.” In dreaming up the backdrop to her revelatory storytelling, Kiah and Walker arrived at a darkly cinematic and exhilarating twist on the rootsy alt-rock of her 2021 breakthrough album Wary + Strange—an LP that landed on Rolling Stone’s list of the 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2021 and drew acclaim from major outlets like Pitchfork.
