Tag: the Ark

REVIEW: John Splithoff at The Ark

Madi Hammond Leave a comment

Last Wednesday, I went to The Ark as a fan of the opener and left with a newfound appreciation for live music. Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John Splithoff brought his signature charisma and soaring vocals, filling the venue with energy and soul.

Splithoff, who first rose to fame in 2016 with his hit “Sing to You,” released his newest album, Far From Here, this March. A reflection on the chaos of a busy, ever-changing life, the album drew many first-time concert goers to The Ark, something Ark staff confirmed with a quick show of hands.

What drew me, though, was opener Evann McIntosh. After going viral in 2019 with the dreamy track “What Dreams Are Made Of,” the now-21-year-old has only sporadically released new music. At the Ark, they and their guitarist performed mostly unreleased material. Personally, I am now looking for it to be officially released; there were several songs I would love to add to my playlist. Despite a few awkward pauses between songs, McIntosh’s buttery-smooth vocals kept the audience engaged. A clear standout was “Blue Movie Magic,” their newest single, released just a week prior.

McIntosh’s chill, groovy R&B set made for a smooth transition before Splithoff and his three-piece band kicked things into high gear. He burst on stage to roaring applause, dancing his way to the mic. Though not his first time at the Ark, it was his first performance there since releasing “Far From Here,” and he was back with a vengeance.

There are moments when you’re reminded that some artists simply love music — and Splithoff embodied that joy. You could tell that he was having the time of his life up on stage, flexing his musical chops and showing off his talent. Between impressive vocal riffs and leading crowd call-and-responses, he effortlessly switched between guitars and keyboard, never missing a beat or a note.

But Splithoff made sure that his band also had their time to shine, with solos from the drums and keyboard alongside backing vocals from the bassist.

His set mixed fan favorites with new tracks, including a beautiful moment during “Kyoto Snow” when he asked the crowd to light up the room with their phone flashlights. The performance revealed his stylistic range, flowing from soulful ballads to upbeat, synthy pop. He even worked in a few Ann Arbor-specific ad libs, nodding to the city, the popcorn in the crowd, and Midwestern family values.

One of the most charming moments came during a story he shared while seated at the keyboard. Earlier that day, he ran into two fans in line at Frita Batidos, an Ann Arbor staple, who had driven from Canada just to see him. They asked him to play “Steady,” and he did. After closing with his biggest hit, “Sing to You,” he returned for a heartfelt encore and played another fan request, “Paris.”

Splithoff lit up The Ark, making the small venue feel expansive and electric. His return to Ann Arbor marked both a milestone in his career and a true celebration of live music.John Splithoff is touring with Evann McIntosh through May.

REVIEW: Thornetta Davis

Madi Hammond Leave a comment

Detroit royalty came to Ann Arbor last Wednesday.

Thornetta Davis, Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, took the stage at The Ark alongside the Thornetta Davis Band, delivering a performance that brought the house down. 

I, along with everyone else in the packed venue, had the time of my life. Going into the concert, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn’t even know the difference between jazz and the blues (and, after my research, I’m still not quite sure). But the audience — mostly made up people several decades older than my friend and I — definitely knew. The excitement in the air was palpable, a shared anticipation that made it clear this was more than just another night.

When Davis finally stepped onstage, her black feather fans and sparkling outfit drew raucous applause before she even sang a note. She opened the concert with “I Gotta Sang the Blues,” a playful, self-assured song in which she explains why she sings the blues: “The blues ain’t been nothing but good to me.” The moment set the tone for the night: bold, soulful and full of heart.

Throughout the concert, Davis moved seamlessly between rollicking, dance-inducing numbers like “I Need A Whole Lotta Lovin’” – which included a call-and-response section that the entire crowd, except for me, seemed to know instinctively– and poignant ballads like “I Am America” which brought a standing ovation. But my personal favorite was “I’d Rather Be Alone,” which Davis concluded with a cheeky, resounding, “Bye!”

The crowd played a big role in the energy of the night. Though I might not have known much about the blues, the rest of the audience sure did. When Davis mentioned the musical group The Chisel Brothers, a woman in the front row stood up and proudly displayed her Chisel Brothers jacket. 

The intimate set-up of The Ark also allowed for effortless interaction between Davis and her fans, making for an electric yet personal experience. At one point, an audience member enthusiastically shouted that she owned not one, but two, of Davis’ CDs. The night was filled with dancing, clapping and joy, culminating in a final standing ovation that brought Davis and her band back onstage for an encore.

Speaking of her band, the Thornetta Davis Band radiated pure joy as they played. Each member had their moment to shine, taking turns delivering riveting solos from the drums to the piano to the guitar to the bass. The chemistry between Davis and her band was undeniable, with the music and her voice blending together so seamlessly that at times she felt like another instrument in the ensemble. 

I left the concert not only with a newfound appreciation for Thornetta Davis and the blues but also with a fresh sense of musical curiosity. The experience inspired me to seek out more concerts featuring artists I am not familiar with, to step outside my comfort zone and to embrace genres I’ve yet to explore. If this concert proved anything, it’s that great music — regardless of genre — has the power to bring people together.

REVIEW: Wallis Bird at the Ark

Ella Larsen Leave a comment

8:00pm • Thursday, January 19, 2023 • The Ark

I was so glad I braved the pouring rain last Thursday night to experience Wallis Bird and Marielle Kraft on the stage of the Ark. Songs were sung. Banter was bantered. No fewer than 10 guitar strings were broken (6 unintentionally, 4 intentionally).

Kraft opened the show with a small selection of her recent music. Her pared-down instrumentals and simple, crisp pop tunes provided a nice foil to Bird’s main act. I was particularly fond of “Second Coffee” and thought that “We Were Never Friends,” featuring audience participation during the chorus, was a great closer to hype everyone up for the main act. 

If Kraft’s opening set was simple, Bird’s was eclectic, featuring an intense, intricate mix of a capella, guitar, synth, and piano. She opened with “Home,” sung a capella, approaching and retreating the microphone while she bantered with us, seeming to work up her confidence. Luckily for us, that confidence arrived, and she turned up the volume with several higher-energy songs, including the anti-establishment anthem “That’s What Life is For.”

My favorite of the night was one I’m not certain is recorded, which she introduced simply as a bit of “technofolk” which she said she wrote to emulate her partner in Berlin, a house musician. She introduced the song by asking the audience to keep the beat by snapping, stomping their feet, clapping–anything that would make some noise. As she added layers of guitar and synth, the atmosphere in the Ark strained to emulate a pulsing nightclub, a sound perhaps not in its usual auditory repertoire. In her other songs, she jammed on her guitar, continually snapping strings and casting the guitar aside to be quickly restrung in time for the next song.

Throughout the performance Bird was in high spirits and engaged with the audience, at one point asking an audience-member to sing a song she wasn’t familiar with so she could pretend to imitate it, promising him free t-shirts in exchange for his sportsmanship. When Bird was called back to the stage for an encore, none of her guitars were left with all their strings, so she called her backup vocalists/crew up to the stage to sing another impromptu a capella song, which if I remember correctly was “In Dictum.”

I was impressed with both Bird’s musicianship and her stage presence, simultaneously self-deprecating and full of swagger. If she makes another trip to the Ark from across the pond, I will certainly put in my best effort to attend.

REVIEW: Lily Talmers at The Ark

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Classic folk music venue, The Ark, welcomed Lily Talmers and friends to the stage this past Sunday for a performance that was all I expected it to be and more. Their Midwest tour had three earlier shows in Michigan before landing here in Ann Arbor, and will continue on with six more shows, eventually ending in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Opener John Cushing started the night off beautifully, gathering the larger band, including Talmers, on stage in just his second song. Not only was this a group of talented musicians, but also clearly a group of friends who loved and supported one another. Together, the band cultivated a space of comfort and familiarity that the audience easily leaned into.

Talmers and Cushing brought along with them from Brooklyn Aidan Scrimgeour on the keys and Aiden Cafferty on bass. With them joined Ann Arbor’s David Ward (drums), Ben Green (trumpet), and string quartet of Lauren Pulcipher (violin), Julia Knowles (Cello), Courtney Lubin (violin), and Madeline Warner (viola). The group was in constant conversation with each other and the audience, both in words and in the music they played. Talmers’s voice floated through the space in that haunting and clear tone that we know and love about her, making sure to give space and credit where it was due to each one of her bandmates. Her family, old classmates, students, and some people who she had never met had come together to cultivate this space; it is not an overstatement to say each person felt essential to the experience. 

As someone who loves Talmers’s music, I had to bring something physical home with me — a double CD with her latest two albums: Hope is the Whore I Go To and My Mortal Wound. I feel so fortunate to have seen this group live; as much as I love listening to her music on Spotify, there is something so grand about seeing Talmers and the full band of strings and horns all in the same space. Each instrument seem to transform the music in a new way. The simplicity of just Talmers and her guitar felt extremely vulnerable and delicate; as more instruments joined, there was a soothing strength in the culmination of sound.

It would be a mistake not to go listen to Talmers if given the chance — her kindness, passion, and love is as breathtaking as her music. I also highly recommend going to see a show at The Ark — it is an intimate space here in Ann Arbor and completely non-profit. Words do not do either justice so, please please please, go immerse yourself in this experience in any way you can.

REVIEW: Trace Bundy

sophiascribbles Leave a comment

After an exam-dense week, Trace Bundy’s show was a breath of fresh air to end my Friday. On top of his flashy fingerstyle techniques, Bundy’s playful personality shined through. Maintaining a conversational tone throughout the performance, he truly created an environment that felt much like a laid-back living room jam session with friends.

Because it was my first time at The Ark, I did not know what to expect in terms of layout or general audience demographic. The venue seems to be run by volunteers who are all very passionate about sharing great music. I was pleasantly surprised by the casual seating around mini tables scattered across an open floor plan, so my friends and I grabbed a couple of hot chocolates from the stand and settled down in the front.

Bundy opened the show by giving a quick overview of the different fingerstyle techniques he typically incorporates into his compositions, including tapping, percussive thumping, and looping. This really set the stage for an ongoing discussion about the technical elements that were showcased throughout the set list, which was great if you like to geek out over that stuff (like me).

Each of the songs Bundy included in the set seemed to highlight a different concept, which kept the performance engaging and showcased his range. Here were some of my favorite bits:

  • Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. Bundy introduced this as a recent project he took on inspired by the song’s ambiguous chord progressions, which he achieved using a myriad of customized capos (all at the same time, of course). Capos work by clipping to the neck of the guitar and pressing down across all the strings so that the resulting notes you play are shifted up by the same interval. However, by sawing the end off a capo or drilling a tunnel through, Bundy is able to only shift certain strings at a time.
  • Dueling Ninjas. This is one of Bundy’s original compositions from his Adapt album. Played entirely by finger tapping, he explained how each hand represented a ninja with a different personality.
  • Overtime. Bundy demonstrated how he used a delay pedal to create an underlying beat at one tempo and play in between at a slightly different tempo. This created an interesting rhythmical texture and hurt my head trying to grasp how he kept track of the beats.
  • Love Song. My personal favorite! Once again, Bundy brought out a handful of capos and somehow incorporated the procedure of clipping them on/off and sliding them around into the song like a choreographed dance.

I encourage everyone to keep Trace Bundy on their radar! I have a lot of respect for musicians who are not only eager to share their thought processes but are also able to present them in an accessible way to get everyone excited about something like music theory. Speaking to him after the show, I found that he is also just a kind and down-to-earth person. 

PREVIEW: Trace Bundy

sophiascribbles Leave a comment

Dubbed “Acoustic Ninja” by fans, Bundy crafts intricate guitar arrangements of popular songs and original compositions using harmonics, looping, and multiple capos. His dazzling techniques have taken him across 28 countries and garnered over 45 million views on Youtube. Back for his mini Midwest tour, the seasoned performer will be playing at The Ark this Saturday!

With a nickname like Acoustic Ninja, I felt compelled to dig deeper into his story. Outside of classical music, I love following fingerstyle guitar and the likes of Sungha Jung, Ichika Nito, Tim Henson, and Yvette Young. To my surprise, I found out that a young Sungha Jung had opened several of Bundy’s shows in Korea and toured with him in the US back in 2009 (check out their Billie Jean arrangement!). 

Fingerstyle guitar is not tied to a single genre of music and is mainly distinguished by plucking the strings with all five fingers rather than with a pick. Bundy has a personal bio on his website describing how he discovered a love for music theory and was shaped by the up-and-coming wave of musicians developing this complex playing style. I could definitely relate to the excitement fingerstyle brings, as there is so much space for innovation and experimentation. It has gained even more popularity in recent years, with younger guitarists like Marcin Patrzalek on America’s Got Talent receiving widespread attention. I look forward to seeing what Bundy brings to the table, especially since he once acted as a mentor figure for one of my guitar inspirations.

Join me to see Trace Bundy live at The Ark this Saturday, October 8th @8PM! 

Event info: https://theark.org/event/trace-bundy-221008/