Drove from Cleveland, Ohio to Ann Arbor to see Arlo Guthrie and was not disappointed. Arlo was his usual charming self and put on a great concert with his son and a couple friends. Opening act was A J Croce and he did a good job of starting the evening. Loved the size and atmosphere of The Ark and thought all the workers (volunteers) were friendly and helpful. I would definitely go back.
What a treat! Great, independent music and a really awesome environment. The theater is set-up so that everyone has a good seat. It is intimate. The seating is comfortable. They take good care of you. They have snacks, drinks of all kind (bar and cafe), and it is a very comfortable environment. It is fun to watch people here, too. Great, worthwhile experience. I'll be back!
Small room. Intimate setting. Good musicians. Horrible sound management. They exceeded 90 db and wrecked the sound of a good band again.
I have been going to The Ark for acoustic music for many, many years. Every single artist I've seen mentions that it is one of their favorite venues. It is certainly one of mine. It is a very low key, intimate venue with about 400 seats (no standing), though sometimes they have a dance floor. The Ark is a non-profit organization, staffed by volunteers. A real range of performers passes though, from new artists to big names in the folk/Americana genres. I'm there at least once a month.
Have heard many folk musicians at the Ark over the years. Every seat is a good one, and it's a down-home kind of place. Tomorrow I'm meeting friends there to hear and enjoy, HorseFeathers. check them out on Youtube or Spotify.Go on the website to see the whole year's line up, order tickets, become a member, and there are short video/audio clips of some performers! A must-go for Ann Arbor!
It was a nice place, loved being there. The sound was ok, not sure if it was the sound person or the room. It could have been louder.
Got tickets to see Arlo Guthrie ,venue advertised that AJ Croce would open,he did not. Tickets were pretty high priced,venue was small and not laid out well but the worst part was this place is like a private yuppie club.I got a beer when we arrived but when I went to get a 2nd one,I was told that I had to be a member to get a drink when I told them I already had gotten one I was informed that someone had made a mistake and "It wouldn't happen again" I attend a lot of concert's at a lot of different kind's of venues but I've never felt like giving a venue a bad rating until now.Most of the staff was rude and like I said it felt like it is a private club,I won't be going back here !
Intimate venue for music performances. We attended Loudon Wainwright III concert in October. Only drawback was waiting in line in the cold wind for a GA seat. Generally affordable pricing. I bought tickets by phone and picked up tickets the night of the show. If I lived here, I'd probably be an usher. Inexpensive popcorn is available. Line for alcohol was long at intermission; usher pointed out to me the other direction for popcorn. I don't know what they have for people with mobility issues; we had to climb stairs to get to the seating area.
If you like your music live and you enjoy new groups as well as those who have been around for awhile - this is a great place to visit! It is a non-profit organization and deserves your support. They have a number of community events that they provide fund raising events typically with locally great performers. They have several events that are offered every year I.e. Story telling and a folk festival featuring well known performers over a two day period. Wonderfu!
The Ark seats around 400 people. I cannot imagine that there is a bad seat in the house. We went for a bluegrass show and the Ark is the perfect place to see acoustic type music. If you close your eyes, you can imagine that the performance is in your living room and solely for you!The Ark is a non-profit and most of the people that customers will deal with are volunteers. A little more leeway has to be given when people volunteer their time to serve you. The lines for concessions can be a bit slow. (And, yes, you must be a member or with a member to get alcohol, though memberships start fairly cheaply so it doesn't significantly raise the cost of drinks.)