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    The Ark

    4.2 (83 reviews)
    ModerateMusic Venues
    Closed 7:30 pm - 11:00 PM

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    Laith Al Saadi performs the great Bowie hit Major Tom.
    William B.

    The que que out side in the cold was no problem as the folks in line fun to chat with. Then quickly up stairs to a somewhat small venue. Laith played my favorite - his wandering rendition of the Beatles tune "Dear Prudence ". Which is an entrancing journey to other songs like "Sweet Home Alabama ". He also played a Bowie tune "Major Tom". Holy cow...perfection. His own song "Dead in the Ground" was pretty cool too written in a steamy New Orleans afternoon. The venue it self is cozy and a nice table mate bought me a Two Hearted. The sound quality was superb and the guy at the sound board was excellent. He had Laith and the room dialed in. The volunteers were so helpful and you could tell they were there to have fun too. Most enjoyable. See Laith when you can.

    Jigjam
    Joyce L.

    Place: The Ark was first founded to bring the community together (especially the youth) and promote positive bonding. They have a good cause and many local and global artists come through this place. The atmosphere is very different from a different "concert". The audience are seated and it is a listening experience focusing on the music. Service: The service is very nice they try to seat you in a place where you can see the artists. However, sometimes you can be placed in front of the pillars isn't ideal. Food/price: They do sell food but I was more focused on what the Ark was about so I did not buy any. Audience: The ark is for everyone as kids and families are welcome. Recommend/tips? I personally saw the jigjam and it had an Irish folk vibe to it. I enjoyed it a lot and they made sure the audience was part of the band. Great experience overall and would visit the ark again.

    Jessica N.

    The Arc is a small intimate venue that reminds me of City Theatre in Detroit but maybe a little smaller. This is a pretty tame family venue. There's no standing floor pit. There are chairs surrounding the stage and going up a few steps for elevated viewing. When you purchase tickets there are General Admission at a lower price and Golden Arc reserved seats in the center which are pricier. Most of the auditorium seemed to actually be reserved seating. The Arc draws in an older senior crowd. They serve beer and alcohol but it's only available to Arc members and you cannot order it unless you have a membership. They also serve popcorn and coffee. The auditorium was filled with the delicious smell of popcorn and that's what my friend ordered. The show we saw was really great! We came to see The Accidentals and Sawyer Fredericks opened. Sawyer was on The Voice. Such a talented guitarist and songwriter and loved his bluesy voice. The Accidentals were great too! They were comprised of three girl guitarists and a male drummer. The girls also played violins and electric violins. So talented and they had great stage presence and audience interaction. I could see them opening for a large name at a festival or at a larger venue. Great lighting, and acoustics. Not a bad view of the stage except in one area in the middle where there were some beams that could block your view. General Admission tickets are sparse and first come first serve so line up early or in time. Nice venue with staff that volunteers because they're passionate about keeping the establishment alive. They check for proof of vaccination at the door and require masks while you are seated and are only allowed to be taken off briefly if eating. They'd right next door to Blue Llama Jazz Club which I also need to check out soon. Fun night and I'd love to return again.

    Darrell K.

    This was the first time I had been here. I was invited to a Christmas concert by a friend. Extra tickets are always nice. I am always open for some place new to check out. It was a busy night. The parking was actually in a decent spot which is about a block away. The place is small and was under renovation. The other interesting part was the $5 Beer and Wine fee which had to be paid before you could actually get the Beer or wine. After you pay for the card you can than get the Beer or wine which is an additional cost. It was also kind of inconvenient because they only accepted cash. Interesting. However, the staff were kind and helpful. The theater is smaill and quaint. There is not really a bad seat. I did enjoy the concert and you also got a chance to mingle among the artist which was cool. I will go back again after the construction is completed to check out another venue.

    Mark C.

    My favorite concert venue in the state. Intimate comfortable and the volunteers there are as friendly as they come. The sound is incredible. There is a small bar for refreshments. I saw a local talent Al Bettis an incredible singer/ songwriter he was fantastic and so was his band. I've been coming here for years and tell anyone who listens you have to check this place out. So once again to the Ark thanks for another great night out.

    Music Is great but we came for the New and Revised Ark. new paint but BOY DO YOU PAY FOR IT. Non reserved seats only in the crappy area. Seagrams scotch $6 for a less than an ounce glass. After coming here for years I'll buycd and stay home Months later here again because I was feeling guilty about always saying no thanks. A guy next to us asked what I thought about the place. I started to tell him my experience and he turned away to talk to someone else in the row behind us. Not an impressive place. Maybe 100 people on a Saturday night.

    Philip B.

    This is an incredible venue to see a show! The Ark is located on the main drag of downtown Ann Arbor. I've been to three concerts at the Ark and have loved each experience. The concert room is on the second floor of the building and is an intimate space with low ceilings. Tickets for concerts here are usually very reasonable and general seating is on a first come first served basis. I recommend getting in line early so that you can snag a close up spot. That being said, there really isn't a bad seat in the house, and the sound quality is great throughout the room. A bonus for this venue is that they have inexpensive concessions like popcorn, baked goods, full bar, coffee and Northwoods soda.

    Scott H.

    this is without a doubt the premier venue to see quality acoustic music. Put your feet up on the stage and relax with the phenomenal sounds! FYI: Membership is required for adult beverages.

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    1 year ago

    Always a welcoming, fun venu. Easy access and great nearby shopping and restaurants.

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    2 years ago

    Excellent atmosphere. Service by volunteers was excellent. Music fantastic. Had a ginger cookie which was very tasty.

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    3 years ago

    I absolutely love this venue, we used to see some of our top Blues musicians here. Get place a lot of fun!!!!

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    Page 1 of 3

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    Review Highlights - The Ark

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    Halfway Inn

    Halfway Inn

    (3 reviews)

    South University Ann Arbor

    The Halfass holds such a special place in my heart, that I'm not sure that a simple review can…read morereally do it justice. Sure, it sucks that that new management came in a few years ago and painted over a lot of the old scribblings. The place has luckily regained more posters & records covers, etc. to adorn the walls. You know what? The kids here are still kinda the same -- at least in all of the important ways. When I played a show here a coupla years ago, I met a super-cool gal who reminded me of a reflection of myself at 19 or 20 -- into poetry and rock and roll. We chatted about X, and I knew that the Halfass was in good hands of this next generation. This is where I ate many greasy pounds of tempeh and curly fries in school. It's also where I poured my broken 19-yr old heart out to friends working behind the counter, then used my meal card to buy and down an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's. Not too much later, I got to do my laundry (the washers were right on the other side of the wall) while watching Low. Throughout the years the EQMC consistently brings in great bands -- both local and touring. They also provided a home for the first few ever Bang! dance parties. I first spotted my current sweetheart here. I brought him along to a show here to get the official stamp of approval from a best friend while seeing Saturday Looks Good to Me. Who knows -- without the trifecta of the Halfass, the Pirate House (RIP), and the downtown A2 Kinko's, my life may have taken a very different course. But thankfully, the Halfass was and remains there -- providing delicious greasy-ass food, pretty reliably great people, and a little incubator for musicians and students with plenty of all-ages shows.

    I like this place. I like the vibe, and everything. I think EQMC people are a bit snobby though. At…read moreleast, to the New Beat Happening crowd. The first show I went to here, I left bored to get a sandwich from jimmy john's. When I came back, which was nice enough that it was allowed, I came back in time for some punk to try to steal money after jumping on stage and 'rapping'. It's nice to have some of the Detroit bands out in ann arbor, but if you have a car, it's nothing you couldn't see every week in Detroit or Ypsilanti.

    Yellow Barn

    Yellow Barn

    (3 reviews)

    $

    This place is "off the map", in a way. Younger locals know that it's a place where you can see an…read moreart opening or hear a band play. My first experience there happened to be a photo shoot that my friend Sarah did for her Alter Ego exhibition. I was very impressed by the studio space -- it was very roomy. In one part I saw Roost Roast's coffee roasting equipment (but no sign of Roost to bug him for a cup!). There was also a desk hosting a vintage typewriter and a curious manuscript. Another section had interesting tye dyed shirts? My friend Paul's spot had some equipment for music, and it was actually his band that I got to see perform later on in that space. It was very nice, you'll see familiar faces around town. It's non-smoking, but that's ok because the porch is a very cozy place to light one. You get a great view of the night sky -- plus it's juuuust far enough from downtown to be able to kick back and relax.

    This is a really cool space for dance parties, DIY film screenings, shows, art showings, you name…read moreit. Love that there's a parking lot and that it's close enough to downtown for walking, but far enough that it has that tucked-away, off-the-beaten-path vibe. The porch is a cool place to hang out and strike up a conversation with a stranger. There is only one small bathroom, which is definitely a bummer, but I can deal considering the opportunities Yellow Barn affords for the talented go-getters in this town.

    North Star Lounge

    North Star Lounge

    (9 reviews)

    Kerrytown Ann Arbor

    One of my favorite things about going to a city like New York are those small intimate venues like…read morethe Blue Note, where you can eat and drink and watch some music. Yes, many restaurants around have performers but there's something different about this kind of spot. The performers are not an afterthought. They're the focus and why people are there and the enjoying of music is a communal experience. North Star Lounge scratches that itch I have for a venue like that here in Ann Arbor. A friend of ours was playing a show here which made my first visit even more enjoyable and special. As a music venue this place is small but not uncomfortable in the slightest. It's what one might call, "intimate." For the show they had set out some rows of chairs but there were several tables and booths if you prefered to have a little more space or would like to eat while you watch the show. They have a limited menu for food and it's prepared at Detroit Filling Station next door (also NSL's owners) which means it's vegan and also delicious. It was a cold evening so went with comfort food and ordered the mac and cheese, which was as excellent as when I've ordered it from DFS. They have a nice cocktail/beer/wine menu but also a substantial NA/Mocktail selection. I've pumped the breaks on alcohol recently so I went with a hot tea to warm up and a mocktail with some muddled fruit and mint (the drinks are seasonal so the menu from that time is no longer posted for me to recall the name but it was very good). Good tunes, good food, good drinks, friendly folks. What else could you need? Check out their calendar of events now and plan your visit!

    After going on opening night I'm excited to see where this establishment goes!!! It has lots of…read morepotential with it food, service and live music. I hope for the best and looking forward to coming back. Thanks North Star Lounge and good luck

    The Ark - musicvenues - Updated May 2026

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