The month of July is not only filled with holiday fun but with a variety of activities for you and yours! Independence Day is not the only exciting event this month. Check out a concert or two. Are you a car enthusiast? Mid-month you can embellish your affinity at the local car show. Take a look at the myriad of artistry at the art fair. Enjoy shopping for antiques? Well, don’t go far because Ann Arbor is bringing antique shopping to a local level this month! There is so much to do throughout the entire month of July! Don’t forget to let me know how you enjoy your experiences!
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7/4/2009

ANN ARBOR SUMMER FESTIVAL: THE CAPITOL STEPS

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival presents: The Capitol Steps, the only group in America that attempts to be funnier than the politicians. The Capitol Steps is a troupe of current and former Congressional staffers who satirize the very people and places that once employed them. Since they began over 20 years ago, Capitol Steps has become a Washington, DC institution for providing a tasteful blend of musical and political comedy.  Join us for the festival’s Fourth of July tradition as the company lampoons the new administration.

Power Center
121 Fletcher Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 764-2538

Hours: 5:00pm and 8:00pm
Cost: $30-$45
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7/6/2009

FEUFOLLET

In Louisiana Cajun folklore, “feufollet” is the word for the will-o-the-wisp, the mysterious light that can be seen hovering near the ground, usually in dark swamplands or marshes. The feufollet, or “dancing fire,” guides travelers to safety in many folktales, or at least back to the road through the wilderness. For the members of La Bande Feufollet, who have been performing Louisiana music since they were kids, Cajun songs are not unlike these alluring lights, enchanting their audiences. Cajun music for these young people is a way to have fun and play and sing, but also a way to understand and fathom the roots of their culture and heritage.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $15
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7/7/2009

DAVE ALVIN AND THE GUILTY WOMEN

As guitarist in legendary bands like the Blasters and later X, Dave Alvin was one of the key creators of Americana music, and his recordings over the last two decades, many with his band the Guilty Men, have contributed numerous classics to the genre. Now he’s taking to the road with his latest ensemble, the Guilty Women. This all-virtuosa group features guitarist Cindy Cashdollar and Nina Gerber, vocalist Christy McWilson, violinists Laurie Lewis and Amy Farris, bassist (and former Ann Arborite) Sarah Brown, and drummer Lisa Pankratz.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00 PM
Cost: $20
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7/9/2009

LITTLE MISSY HIGGINS

Little Miss Higgins is Jolene Higgins, born in Alberta, raised in Independence, Kansas, and now a resident of Nokomis, Saskatchewan. The folks up at Summerfolk in Ontario call her “a pocket-sized powerhouse who mixes originals with 1930s Memphis blues standards.” And, says Stacy Jeffress of Blues Revue: “Not Since Laura Ingalls Wilder has there been a woman so eager to share stories of life on the prairie. But for Jolene ‘Little Miss’ Higgins, the prairie is in central Canada and the stories are told through compelling country blues songs.” With influences in her songwriting ranging from Memphis Minnie and Big Bill Broonzy to Joni Mitchell, Little Miss Higgins is an artist who makes the blues into something fresh, gutsy, and personal.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $15
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7/10/2009

THE ROLLING SCULPTURE CAR SHOW

The Rolling Sculpture Car Show features more than 400 exotic, antique, classic and concept cars.

Downtown Ann Arbor
Main, Liberty, Fourth and Washington
Map/Driving Directions

Hours: 2:00PM-10:00PM
Cost: FREE!
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7/11/2009

THE JOHN JORGENSON QUINTET

Country and rock guitar veteran John Jorgenson brings all his musical creativity and experience to bear in the John Jorgenson Quintet, and the result is an exciting evening of fresh gypsy-style jazz. John is a former member of the Desert Rose Band, the Hellecasters, and Elton John’s band, and has recorded and performed with such luminaries as Sting, Bonnie Raitt, and Luciano Pavarotti. A master of gypsy jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt, John’s work has appeared in many prominent guitar magazines. He was asked to recreate Django’s music for the feature films “Gattica,” and “Head in the Clouds,” in which he portrayed the legendary guitarist opposite stars Charlize Theron and Penelope Cruz.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $20
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7/12/2009

SARAH GUTHRIE & JOHNY IRION

Sarah Lee Guthrie (daughter of Arlo, granddaughter of Woody) and guitarist Johnny Irion (EYE-ree-on) met in Los Angeles (they were introduced by Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes), married two years later, and moved to Irion’s hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. Sarah Lee has inherited a good chunk of both the family charm and the ambitious songwriting bent of her famous ancestors, and Johnny adds a jolt of Southern blues to the mix. Comparisons to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings just seem to pop up when they sing harmony. Sarah Lee and Johnny have toured with Arlo Guthrie and were most recently seen locally as part of Pete Seeger’s joyous accompanying group at the 2009 Ann Arbor Folk Festival. We’re enthusiastic about welcoming another Guthrie generation back to the Ark stage! Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion come to Michigan with a great new two-disc live release, “Folksong.”

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 7:30PM
Cost: $15
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7/15/2009-7/18/2009

THE ANN ARBOR ART FAIRS

This July, artists with amazing talents and unsurpassed skills will take over the streeets of Ann Arbor and exhibit their work in the Ann Arbor Art Fairs. They will engage the imaginations of more than 500,000 fairgoers and form an amazing impression of sound, color, mystery, and drama. Combined, these elements will create an intriguing event that will challenge the mind and engage the eyes.

No matter what direction you take, no matter where you look, you’ll discover colors and sights that will energize and captivate and maybe even change your life. That’s the incredible power of art.

This July, the Ann Arbor Art Fairs invite you to meet the artists, enjoy the city, and experience the award-winning Ann Arbor Art Fairs.

The Ann Arbor Art Fairs Are: Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair; The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original (celebrating its 50th year); The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, and the State Street Area Art Fair.
For more information, including parking and shuttle information, click here.

Downtown Ann Arbor
State Street from South University to William and Main Street from William to Huron
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: 1-800-888-9487

Hours: Wednesday-Friday from 10:00AM–9:00pm and Saturday 10:00AM–6:00PM
Cost: FREE!
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7/18/2009-7/19/2009

ANN ARBOR ANTIQUES MARKET

A great way to shop for antiques! Extensive vendors and antiques from which to choose.

Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds
5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 429-1131

Hours: 8:00AM-4:00PM
Cost: $6
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7/20/2009

ADRIAN BELEW POWER TRIO

Kentucky-born Adrian Belew joined King Crimson in 1981, and for many rock fans that’s the band his name brings to mind. But his unique guitar sounds have helped stretch the thinking of several other great rock acts he worked with as a session musician, including Frank Zappa, the Talking Heads, David Bowie, and Nine Inch Nails. Belew has released four solo albums that are perfect mixes of pop and experimental thinking. He’s been compared with David Byrne of the Talking Heads, and he’s been called the twang bar czar. Adrian Belew is coming to The Ark with a power trio, so you can settle in for a musical adventure and then come up with your own description!

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $25
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7/21/2009

JAY WEBBER
Frankfort, MI-raised songwriter Jay Webber has a percussive acoustic guitar style that adds urgency and power to his music. His shows are much more rhythmic than most other singer-songwriter concerts, with jazz, blues, folk, Latin, and boogie sounds all married to thought-provoking lyrics, a voice a lot like James Taylor’s, and lots of onstage energy. Jay Webber, says Martin Kohn of the Detroit Free Press, is “too jazzy to be folk, too folk to be jazz, too folk and jazzy to be pop or rock.” We just call it good music! After Jay released his “Live at the Ark” album a couple of years ago, word spread about his talents, and over the last year he’s divided his time among Michigan, Texas, a creativity-recharging float down the Platte River, and Sarasota, Florida, where he has worked with Latin percussionist El Chino.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $15
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7/23/2009

GRIEVOUS ANGEL

Ferndale, Michigan’s Grievous Angel revs up at the crossroads where folk, rockabilly, blues, and alt-country were born, and they burn rubber through the backwoods and bayous of the American South. They rumble across the length and breadth of American music with a lot of downhome grease and not a bit of reverence. A soul strut is as likely to wind up in the gas tank as a Fort Worth shuffle, all while keeping musical instruments rather than electric power front and center. Grievous Angel has won Detroit Music Awards as outstanding folk group and outstanding acoustic group. Pastoral folk excursions, cosmic jamming, retro rock and roadhouse boogie all spill over into a sound with soaring harmonies and turn-on-a-dime musicianship.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $13.50
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7/24/2009

SONNY LANDRETH

Louisiana’s Sonny Landreth is a mesmerizing master of the slide guitar. He can do it all–think three-finger left-hand chords with a bottleneck on the left little finger, and a whole battery of effects coming from the right hand. And he puts all his technique at the service of insightful original songs that show a unique appreciation of Lousiana and its culture. Sonny was the first white member of Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band, and other musicians he’s worked with include John Hiatt, John Mayall, Zachary Richard, Beausoleil, Junior Wells, Mark Knopfler, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Allen Toussaint, and Steve Riley. Eric Clapton calls Sonny “probably the most underestimated musician on the planet.” For years he’s been the go-to guy for Southern slide guitar, and his solo work will blow you away.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $25
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7/25/2009

BLACK JANE AND THE CARNIES

Ypsilanti’s Black Jake & the Carnies set fierce murder ballads and cautionary tales to the beat of an old-time string band. This octet offers a unique blend of Americana, bluegrass, and punk. Steve Leggett of the All Music Guide writes that Black Jake plays “a kind of raucous acoustic Americana that tosses post modern Appalachian murder ballads, Irish drinking songs, skewed, twisted love songs and general cautionary tales into a stylistic blender that has them sounding like nothing so much as a maverick, hopped-up punk polka band in full 21st-century everything-fits jug band mode”–and that just about covers it–except that you may well find yourself throwing rubber balls at the band . . . and having them thrown back at you. Tonight’s opener is the visionary Lake Orion, Michigan band Frontier Ruckus. They’ve released a new album, “Way Upstate & The Crippled Summer, Vol. 1.”

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $15
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7/27/2009

SCYTHIAN

Scythian calls their music an Immigrant Road Show, and the Washington Post dubbed them “one of D.C.’s most energetic and eclectic bands.” This Alexandria, Virginia group plays Celtic music with an edge–a very sharp edge. Raging young fiddlers Alexander Fedoryka and Josef Crosby define the sound of a four-man band, trained in classical music or jazz, and drawing on Eastern European or Middle Eastern ancestries to flavor their Celtic sound. Their high-energy, adrenaline-peddling, interactive brand of music has one goal in mind–to get the crowd involved and dancing. In the Post’s words, “the band’s enthusiasm is contagious, and shows seem to end with everyone dancing, jumping around or hoisting glasses.” Scythian has recently opened for the Punch Brothers, and their “Immigrant Road Show” CD was named Album of the Year by the Homegrown Music Network.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $12.50
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7/28/2009

RED SEA PEDESTRIANS

The Red Sea Pedestrians are a melting pot, bringing together six distinctive multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters to investigate klezmer music and a host of other styles. Their live shows and their CD, “A Lesson in Cartography,” have built up a buzz that’s extended across Michigan from their home base in Kalamazoo. The Red Sea Pedestrians call themselves “a one-of-a-kind, full-blown, instrument-swapping fusion between tradition and the here-and-now. We’re talkin’ high-energy neo-Klezmer, hypnotic laments from the earth, songs of celebration and wonder . . .a warped and beautiful blend of cultures and eras.” Check it out for yourself–tonight’s show is absolutely free!

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: FREE!
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7/29/2009

DAVID LINDLEY

Multi-instrumentalist David Lindley performs music that redefines the word “eclectic.” Well known for his many years as the featured accompanist with Jackson Browne, as a collaborator with the similarly inclined Ry Cooder, and as leader of his own band El Rayo-X, he performs a unique brand of electro-acoustic roots rock woven together with sounds from blues, bluegrass, folk, African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, and Turkish musical sources. The incredible array of stringed instruments he brings on stage is something to see in itself, and when you add in eye-popping clothing, uncanny vocal mimicry, and a somewhat demented sense of humor, you are ready for the one-of-a-kind Mr. Dave experience.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $17.50
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7/30/2009

HARDLINE DRIVE

Lake Orion, Michigan’s Hardline Drive is putting a whole new twist on bluegrass music in the Midwest, with their own unique mix of traditional and contemporary sounds. The high-powered two-part female harmonies of songwriter Toni Erskine and mandolinist Danielle Smith are addictive, and banjoist David Russell, guitarist Greg Fuson, and bassist Davin Jeffers work like a well-oiled engine. Most of Hardline Drive’s music is original, and they’ve brought their fresh take on bluegrass to venues as diverse as the Detroit Festival of the Arts, the Flat Rock Eagles Club, Kalamazoo’s The Strutt, Toledo’s Glass City Opry, the Oakland Community College bluegrass series, and Hell Creek Ranch. Opening are the Deadstring Brothers, who describe themselves as “country toughs from the Motor City”; their music blends blues and country in the relaxed and ragged manner of the early-1970s Rolling Stones.

The Ark
316 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Map/Driving Directions
Phone: (734) 761-1451

Hours: 8:00PM
Cost: $12.50
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Above was a sampling of the activities occurring in our community during the month of July.  There are many interesting events from car shows to antique shows, conferences and open houses as well as  fairs, festivals and fundraisers.   Please be sure to check out one of the many musical concerts scheduled this month.  There is something for everyone this month so do something new then let me know how it was.

To view the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau,
click here and choose your own criteria and dates.
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