Launched in December 2006, MichiganFolkLive.com is Michigan’s premier source of current information on the Michigan Live Roots Music scene. We strive to always provide the timeliest, most current, most comprehensive source of all things Folk Music related in Michigan. We aspire to always be your first choice whenever you want to know what is happening on the Michigan Roots Music landscape.
Comfy Couch Concerts December 13th concert features Matt Watroba
Comfy Couch Concerts is a casual, non-smoking, family friendly, concert venue that seeks to promote acoustic, roots-driven music of many genres including folk, blues, country, blue-grass, celtic, americana, world-music and more. Expect to hear from singer-songwriters that will make you laugh and touch your heart.
The Concert Series is sponsored by MichiganFolkLive and Newport Furnishings and is held on the beautiful, comfortable furniture in Newport Furnishing’s Wixom showroom.
All concerts start at 8:00 pm. Doors open at 7:00 pm.
You are welcome to bring a dish to pass for a pre-concert potluck!
Michigan's own Craig Carrick honored with FolkAlley's Folk Spoke award.
Folk Alley's new feature was named the Folk Spokes award because spokes support wheels while connecting an unbroken circle of the best of musical traditions. Folk Spokes is an opportunity for you to nominate the unsung individuals (or spokes) in your community and to give them a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.
"Craig Carrick is involved with a number of projects to promote Folk Music in Michigan. He has a highly successful house concert series, "Carrick House Concerts" that promotes about 8 concerts a year, with all proceeds go to the artists. He is involved in a project that gives free guitars to aspiring young musicians through the Noreast'r Music and Arts Festival. He is heavily involved in planning, promoting and booking talent for that non-profit festival. He also is helping to book talent for both the "Ortonville Jams" concert series and a new Folk Series at Callahan's in Auburn Hills Michigan. ~ Steven Johnson"
Now is the time to weigh-in to protect our wilderness UP!
Click on the picture above to learn about the sulfide mining threat to our wild UP!
December's "You’re Going to Thank Me Later!" Artist
The Milroys
Whether appearing as a duo or with their full complement of cracker-jack musicians, CJ and John Milroy display the musical chops and song-writing skills that have garnered them multiple awards and recognition nation wide. Recently they appeared as musical guests on Garrison Keillors's 'Prairie Home Companion: and they are winners of the prestige “Chris Austin” Songwriting award at Merlefest 2006.
The husband and wife songwriting team of CJ and John take you on a musical journey through a darker America. Cowboys and carnies, diners and dancehalls, Silvertones and shallow graves are roadside attractions along the way. The duo’s plaintive, sweet melodies will draw you in and linger like the cheap cologne of a traveling Bible salesman. The Milroys have shared the stage with greats like Tom Rush, Melanie, Ani Defranco, Old Crow Medicine Show, Charlie Louvin, Suzy Bogguss, Donna the Buffalo, Hot Club of Cowtown, John Gorka, Guy Davis, Ruthie Foster, Will Kimbrough & Tommy Womack, Railroad Earth, Martin Sexton, Marah, Colin Hay, Ellis Paul, Cheryl Wheeler, Diana Jones, The Carolina Chocolate Drops and many, mnay more!
Jonatha Brooke (Ann Arbor, MI)
One half of the duo the Story in the 1990s, Jonatha Brooke takes a major step forward with her new album, "The Works." When Woody Guthrie’s daughter Nora invited Brooke into the Woody Guthrie Archives, the intention was for Brooke to write new music for one or two of Guthrie's songs. The end result is a whole album of previously unheard lyrics by Guthrie, with Brooke's original music. The Ark (Ann Arbor] Tickets $22.50. Show starts at 8:00 pm Doors open at 7:30 pm
Saturday December 6th, 2008
Robin Lee Berry at the Top of the Park (Traverse City, MI)
Robin Lee Berry in the lounge at the Top of the Park, The Park Place, Traverse City. View the Bay and Northern Michigan's most extraordinary City. Top of the Park (Traverse City] No Cover 8pm-10:30pm
Lucy Kaplansky (Ann Arbor, MI)
She started out singing in Chicago bars. Then, barely out of high school, Lucy Kaplansky took off for New York City. There she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers—Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Bill Morrissey, Cliff Eberhardt, and others—where she fit right in. She's a singer-songwriter with an extraordinary feel for the range of human emotion. Kaplansky puts her own spin on contemporary songwriter folk with warm, powerful vocals and guitar playing that draws guitar gods. The Ark (Ann Arbor] Tickets $17.50 Doors open 7:30, Show starts at 8 pm
Saturay December 13th, 2008
Matt Watroba (Wixom, MI)
Come spend an evening with the voice of WDET’s hugely popular radio program “Folk’s Like Us”. Matt Watroba will captivate you with his own well written songs, his encyclopedic knowledge of folk music and his amazing tenor voice. You will not want to miss this wonderful evening, Comfy Couch Concerts - Newport Furnishings (Wixom] Tickets $15.00 - $12.00 in advance, Students 17 and under $8.00. Phone Steven Johnson 248-910-4941 for information Doors Open at 7:00 pm
Sunday December 14th, 2008
7th Annual Concert for Peace (Ann Arbor, MI)
For the seventh year running, and as long as it takes, many of southeastern Michigan's top musical talents donate their time and tunes to this Concert for Peace, presented by the Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace. Past performers have included the Chenille Sisters, the Royal Garden Trio, Chris Buhalis, Jay Stielstra, LaRon Williams, the Hummingbirds, FUBAR, Phillis and the Left Sidemen, Dick Siegel, John Latini, Whit and Al Hill, Hullaballoo, Annie and Rod Capps, Tony Morgan - and more1 The Ark (Ann Arbor] Tickets $20 ($17 w/student ID). Show starts at 7 pm Doors open at 6:30 pm
Saturday December 20th, 2008
Stage 1210 - Jen Sygit (Lansing, MI)
www.jensygit.com 1210 Turner Street - Old Town (Lansing] Tickets $10/$7 students. Available in advance at Elderly Instruments or at the door 8:00 pm
Friday December 26th, 2008
Jazz in the Dining Room at 220 Lake Street (Boyne City, MI)
Robin Lee Berry and friends bring Jazz to the Dining Room of 220 Lake Street in Boyne City 220 N Lake St (Boyne City] This is an "Honor the Cover" event where a freewill offering will be suggested. 7pm-9pm
You know who you are. You’re the person for whom this web-site was developed. You have long ago left behind all the over-hyped, commercialized panderings of commercial radio, where each station sounds like the next one down the dial, and this weeks “flavor of the hour” is determined by a few mass media conglomerates.
You found yourself returning to the music of your youth. You may have discovered it on your local public broadcast station. Or maybe you found that you can find the music you love on satellite radio, or even streaming out of the speakers on your PC from your favorite internet radio station. It may be the blues that drew you back, or folk, celtic, bluegrass, gospel or newgrass. You might enjoy only one genre or maybe you appreciate the heartfelt musicianship of them all. This is your website, designed so that you can see these artists live, whether they are appearing in your backdoor or across the state.
In the months ahead, we have many improvements planned. We’ll be redesigning the site to support a wider range of browsers. We will be adding concert and record reviews in addition to other changes we have planned. But one thing won’t change, our fierce devotion to promoting the music, venues and musicians we love. Remember this is your web-site, please email any suggestions you have to me at the address below.
American folk music, also known as Americana, is a broad category of music including Native American music, Bluegrass, country music, gospel, old time music, jug bands, Appalachian folk, blues, Tejano and Cajun. The music is considered "American" because it is either native to the United States or there varied enough from its origins that it struck musicologists as something distinctly new; it is considered "roots music" because it served as the basis of music later developed in the United States, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and jazz.
