The Calendar - Pop, Rock, Jazz, and Blues

This Week's Events

Pop, Rock, Jazz, and Blues
Nationally known artists visit the Ark, Kerrytown Concert House, other clubs, and campus venues, crowning a flourishing nightlife scene. Home to considerable local talent, Ann Arbor's also a stop for up-and-comers on the college circuit.

Highlights this week:

Gerald Cleaver's Violet Hour: Kerrytown Concert House.

"The Day Everything Went Wrong": Performance Network Professional Season.

Crossroads Summer Festival.

Monday
September, 2008

Tuesday
September, 2008

Wednesday
September, 2008

Thursday
September, 2008

Noon-2 p.m.
"Bank of Ann Arbor Sonic Lunch": Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce. Every Thurs., June 5-Sept. 25. Musical entertainment by local performers. Today: Bump. Detroit progressive rock quartet. Also this month: the folk-flavored rock 'n' roll band Terry Farmer & the Roadhouse Revival Band (Sept. 11), an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, R&B, Motown, and pop by a trio led by singer-guitarist Laith Al-Saadi (Sept. 18), and a straight-ahead jazz ensemble led by bassist Dave Sharp (Sept. 25). Liberty Plaza, E. Liberty at S. Division. Free. 214-0109.

12:10 p.m.
Gifts of Art: U-M Hospitals. Every Thurs. Performances and presentations by local musicians and artists. Today: jazz guitarist Jake Reichbart. U-M Hospital lobby, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. (off Fuller). Free. 936-ARTS.

8 p.m.
Gerald Cleaver's Violet Hour: Kerrytown Concert House. This jazz sextet, self-consciously styled as a bridge between traditional and experimental jazz, is led by Brooklyn-based drummer Cleaver, a Detroit native. The group's most recent CD, Gerald Cleaver's Detroit, pays tribute to Cleaver's roots and is grounded in the hard bop of the 50s. With New York saxophonist J. D. Allen, local saxophonist and clarinetist Andrew Bishop, New York bassist Chris Lightcap, New York trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, and Lansing pianist Ben Waltzer. KCH, 415 N. Fourth Ave. $10, $15, & $25 (students, $5). Reservations recommended. 769-2999.

8 p.m.
"The Day Everything Went Wrong": Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thurs.-Sun., Aug. 7-Sept. 7. See review. Malcolm Tulip, an imported local theater treasure known for his wonderfully inventive, bracingly idiosyncratic expressionistic comic plays, directs the premiere of his latest work. It's a comedy about a family on the night they discover that, along with an eccentric composer, they are their town's only survivors after catastrophe strikes. Confronted by a changed world, they rediscover their familiar world with new eyes as they imagine and invent new ways to survive. Like the family, Tulip and his collaborators went into rehearsals not knowing exactly how things would turn out - they create the show as they go. With Brendan McMahon and Laurel Hufano, and original music by Frank Pahl. Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Tickets $25 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $30 (Fri. & Sun.), and $37 (Sat. eve.) in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.

Friday
September, 2008

7-10 p.m.
Crossroads Summer Festival. Every Fri., June 6-Sept. 12. Weekly outdoor stage in downtown Ypsilanti with a variety of dance bands. (In case of rain, held in Club Devine, 25 North Washington.) Weekly schedules available at ypsicrossroads.org. Washington St. at Michigan Ave. Free. 717-7305.

8 p.m.
"The Day Everything Went Wrong": Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thurs.-Sun., Aug. 7-Sept. 7. See review. Malcolm Tulip, an imported local theater treasure known for his wonderfully inventive, bracingly idiosyncratic expressionistic comic plays, directs the premiere of his latest work. It's a comedy about a family on the night they discover that, along with an eccentric composer, they are their town's only survivors after catastrophe strikes. Confronted by a changed world, they rediscover their familiar world with new eyes as they imagine and invent new ways to survive. Like the family, Tulip and his collaborators went into rehearsals not knowing exactly how things would turn out - they create the show as they go. With Brendan McMahon and Laurel Hufano, and original music by Frank Pahl. Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Tickets $25 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $30 (Fri. & Sun.), and $37 (Sat. eve.) in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.

8 p.m.
Anna Ash & the Family Tree: Canterbury House. Acoustic pop-folk band led by local singer-songwriter and banjoist Ash, who writes gentle, reflective songs about emotions and nature. Opening act is the East Lansing indie-folk string trio Head & Toe. Canterbury House, 721 E. Huron. $10 (students & seniors, $5). 764-3162.

Saturday
September, 2008

Noon-2 p.m.
"Music in the Park": Herb David Guitar Studio. June 1-Oct. 31. Musical entertainment by a variety of local performers. Today: Mr. Largebeat, a big-beat space-rock band led by veteran local singer-songwriter Jim Gertz, who plays a theremin (the original synthesizer) and percussion. Liberty Plaza, E. Liberty at S. Division. Free. 665-8001.

3 & 8 p.m.
"The Day Everything Went Wrong": Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thurs.-Sun., Aug. 7-Sept. 7. See review. Malcolm Tulip, an imported local theater treasure known for his wonderfully inventive, bracingly idiosyncratic expressionistic comic plays, directs the premiere of his latest work. It's a comedy about a family on the night they discover that, along with an eccentric composer, they are their town's only survivors after catastrophe strikes. Confronted by a changed world, they rediscover their familiar world with new eyes as they imagine and invent new ways to survive. Like the family, Tulip and his collaborators went into rehearsals not knowing exactly how things would turn out - they create the show as they go. With Brendan McMahon and Laurel Hufano, and original music by Frank Pahl. Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Tickets $25 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $30 (Fri. & Sun.), and $37 (Sat. eve.) in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.

7 p.m.
Barn Concert & Bonfire: Washtenaw Land Trust. Dancing to Billy King & the Idylls, a local band led by singer-songwriter and guitarist King whose music blends folk, pop, bluegrass, swing, and rock. Nonalcoholic beverages available. Followed by a bonfire. Proceeds benefit the Washtenaw Land Trust. 11300 Island Lake Rd., (off Dexter-Pinckney Rd. just west of downtown Dexter). Park next door at Ruhlig's Farm Market. $10 (couples, $15; family, $20) suggested donation. 223-2321, 302-LAND.

Sunday
September, 2008

Noon-2 p.m.
"Music in the Park": Herb David Guitar Studio. June 1-Oct. 31. Musical entertainment by a variety of local performers TBA. Liberty Plaza, E. Liberty at S. Division. Free. 665-8001.

Noon-4 p.m.
6th Annual Pig Roast: Washtenaw County Vietnam Veterans of America. Roast pork dinner with beans, coleslaw, coffee, dessert, and more. Also, performances by magician Mark Joseph (12:45-1:30 p.m.) and Elvis (and Al Pacino) impersonator Dave Pace (1:30-3:30 p.m.). Karaoke. Silent auction. Proceeds help support care packages to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Dawn Farm Thanksgiving dinner. VFW Post 423, 3230 S. Wagner Rd. (about 3 miles south of Jackson). $10 (kids ages 6-12, $5; kids age 5 & under, free) in advance and at the gate. 944-0444.

1-6 p.m.
35th Anniversary Jamboree: Dawn Farm. Live music by the local funk-soul band Noteworthy. Also, children's pony rides, a rock climbing wall, hayrides, farm tours, and other activities. Live and silent auctions. Proceeds benefit Dawn Farm. Dawn Farm, 6633 Stony Creek Rd., Ypsilanti. Free admission. 485-8725.

2 p.m.
"The Day Everything Went Wrong": Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thurs.-Sun., Aug. 7-Sept. 7. See review. Malcolm Tulip, an imported local theater treasure known for his wonderfully inventive, bracingly idiosyncratic expressionistic comic plays, directs the premiere of his latest work. It's a comedy about a family on the night they discover that, along with an eccentric composer, they are their town's only survivors after catastrophe strikes. Confronted by a changed world, they rediscover their familiar world with new eyes as they imagine and invent new ways to survive. Like the family, Tulip and his collaborators went into rehearsals not knowing exactly how things would turn out - they create the show as they go. With Brendan McMahon and Laurel Hufano, and original music by Frank Pahl. Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Tickets $25 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $30 (Fri. & Sun.), and $37 (Sat. eve.) in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.

2-3 p.m.
The Candy Band: Ann Arbor District Library. Performance by this quartet of Detroit moms who play Ramones- and Iggy-style punk music for kids. Their songs include rocking settings of nursery rhymes, movie themes, and other kids favorites. AADL multipurpose room (lower level), 343 S. Fifth Ave. at William. Free. 327-8301.

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