The Ark never fails to bring a night of wonderful, fun, and meaningful music — even on a Wednesday night. Last night was no exception.
Right off the bat, shoeless, self-proclaimed goofball Chris DuPont opened the stage with honest music, many of which haven’t been performed before, that touched on subjects from forgiveness to violence, from a loving lullaby for his children to encouraging a liberating internal rebellion. The mix of acoustic guitar with violin — more specifically, the mix of the artistry of DuPont and Katie Van Dusen — created a one-of-a-kind sound, as Van Dusen’s violin voice accompanied DuPont’s own voice in a mesmerizing way. This raw, organic performance proved exactly why he was ranked as the #1 live album on Ann Arbor’s 107one best album countdown of 2017.
And with that opening, The Timbre of Cedar took the stage, continuing the powerful energy that DuPont so beautifully set up. With married couple Marrissa and Sam Parham on keys/lead vocals and bass, twins Andrew and Eric Grzyb on guitar and percussion, and Alex Rahill on guitar, The Timbre of Cedar’s sincere love for music, life, and the future radiated off the stage with every note sung, every string strum, and every beat tapped on the cajón. Focusing on hope and restoring the light (as their newest full-length album is called), their songs, with religious undertones, reflected an optimistic outlook on life that everyone should carry.
Usually an indie rock band, the acoustic spin they took last night was no less electrifying. Marrissa’s vocals rang through the room, and Rahill had a rocking solo on his acoustic guitar on their cleverly-named song “F Sharp”. Singing originals off their EP and Restoring the Light, and even a rendition of “If I Ain’t Got You” (because who doesn’t love classic love songs), the band captured the tension underlying reality while shining a ray of hope onto the unknown possibilities through the fiery acoustic instrumentals that were bursting out of their souls and into the audience’s.
The room in The Ark was filled with good vibes in the middle of the week, from DuPont’s “sad” yet insightful songs followed by The Timbre of Cedar’s inspirational message of perseverance, hope, and belonging. When given the option between listening to these rising musicians or studying, I’m sure glad I spent my Wednesday night the right way.
